Rather than brand media (film, television, novels, art) with assumed age guestimations
G, PG, PG-13, PG-17, R, X, Adult, Young Adult, Middlegrade, Childrens, Mature Audience, General Audience, and so-on-and-so-forth, we should simply state what is contained within the media and then mark the following checkboxes (or initialisms) on the labels.
- XSX: explicit sexual situations
- ISX: implied sexual situations
- XNU: explicit nudity
- BNU: brief nudity
- XDU: explicit drug and/or alcohol use
- IDU: implied drug and/or alcohol use
- XLA: profane language
- SLA: strong language
- XVI: explicit violence
- SVI: strong violence
- MVI: violence against minors
- XMO: explicit mortality
- IMO: implied mortality
- XCB: explicit criminal behavior
- ICB: implied criminal behavior
Using such a list would standardize all media regardless of form. Then, rather than have media judged by some arbitrary age restriction (what IS a young adult novel anyway?) the consumer could know the content parameters (or metadata) and choose for themselves (or their children).
Want to watch the movie Fury? Well, Fury would be: ISX, XLA, XVI, MVI, XMO
Harry Potter novels? IDU, SVI, IMO (some are XMO)
Bambi? IMO
Raiders of the Lost Ark? XDU, SLA, XVI, XMO
Are there a few other tags we should include? XAX – extreme anxiety inducing perhaps?
Want to tag a few more media items?
Your thoughts?
Anonymole - apocryphal agitators 
My, TPA, I think I smell another post lurking in your comment. “False equivalency” — nice phrase. Such a juxtaposition of concepts in just two words.
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It’s a brilliant idea, but you face the age old problem of not leaving room for manipulation; and manipulation is the magic variable members of our species use to gain advantage over other members of our species.
Just consider the art of the false equivalency. Probably the primordial mechanism for deception. Buying x will result in y. Building a wall will create prosperity. Morality depends on the frequency of sexual intercourse etc. etc.
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