LOS ANGELES, CA – Katy Butler, a bullied high school student from Michigan, delivered more than 200,000 petition signatures to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) today, urging the MPAA to lower its “R” rating on the upcoming film “Bully” to “PG-13.”
Butler, who experienced severe bullying in school, says that the MPAA’s “R” rating of “Bully” prevents middle school and high school students around the country from seeing a movie that could potentially save their lives.
“Today, we delivered more than 200,000 signatures to the MPAA, sending a loud and clear message that ‘Bully’ is a film that should be seen by kids across the country,” said Butler. “This film is too important and potentially life-saving to give it an ‘R’ rating that will prevent kids from watching it.”
At the petition delivery, where Butler delivered five boxes of signatures to the MPAA, Butler noted that the MPAA ruled by just one vote that “Bully” should receive an “R” rating.
“That’s one vote against 200,000 voices asking to be heard by the MPAA,” said Butler. “The stories told in ‘Bully,’ and the experiences that bullied students face each day in schools across America, deserve to be shared with the world. It’s time for the MPAA to do the right thing.”
Butler says she was inspired to start the campaign after a bullying incident in her own life, where bullies slammed a locker on her hand and broke one of her fingers. Her campaign on Change.org continues to grow, with more than 220,000 signatures and counting, and the campaign is slated to be featured on The Ellen Show later this afternoon.
“Katy’s campaign has touched a nerve with students, parents, and thousands of other Americans who are concerned about the epidemic of bullying,” said Mark Anthony Dingbaum, Campaign Manager for Change.org. “With nothing more than her personal story and a laptop, Katy Butler has galvanized a national movement of people who want to make sure that ‘Bully’ is seen by as many people as possible.”
