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Refreshment in Refuge

    by Gina Burgess

It isn't just a hint, Hollywood
Date Posted: September 9, 2018

Not one R-rated movie has made a top ten gross since 1995.

According to Numbers.com, a movie statistics website, the movies taking top dollar gross from 1995 to 2007 are PG-13 movies with a whopping $48.55 billion (yes, that is with a B) made from 1,247 movies filmed since 1995. R-rated films come next with a cumalative $34.1 billion made on 2,321 movies. Next in line are PG movies with 638 films grossing $19.9 billion and finally 207 G-rated films grossing $6.35 billion.

Doing a little math, the R-rated movies grossed 30% less than the others, yet more of them were filmed. Not one of them made it into the top ten grossing slots. Since 1995, eight PG-13 films, four PG films and one G (Finding Nemo) made the number 1 spot for gross dollars culled.

Some would say, oh that's because Mom and Dad take the kiddies to the movies and that's why they make more money. Well... Duh! Some say that G-rated films only fill movie theaters with folks paying half-fare for matinees, which is why movie-makers focus on making the R-rated movies for full-fare payers. However, that is not how the dollars are stacking. You don't have to be the sharpest knife in the drawer to do that math.

In the past 12 years, American have spent almost $101 billion on movie tickets. How does one put that in perspective? It would take almost 94 years to count outloud to one billion. Say 435,976,849,999 real fast. It takes much longer than one second to say it. Crunchweb.net says $84Billion will bury a football field in 55 feet of money.

When you do a little digging, you find out that Executive Producers of films only make about 17 cents per dollar spent on a ticket. Actors, Directors, and Producers actually make about 3 cents per dollar spent on a ticket. And yet, that 3 cents multiplies into a staggering $20 million for an A-list actor like Brad Pitt for one flick. Adjusting for inflation and considering ticket sales, the all time highest money-maker is "Gone With The Wind". The Second Place winner is "Star Wars" and coming in a tight third place is "Sound of Music".

When is Hollywood going to face the music and learn the $ lesson? Why don't theaters and studios learn the lesson?

It boils down to greed, I guess. Or is it the distorted world view that thinks because of proximity that certain things are true in all of society when it really isn't.

Just because a co-worker uses foul language once in a while does not mean that all workers the world over use foul language. Being exposed to something on a regular basis makes it seem that it is a norm, when it is only the proximity and continual exposure gives the perception of societal norm. Which is why Hollywood needs to get out of Hollywood in order to see what real life is all about. Look at what the movie-goer is spending the ticket money on and take that as a cue, Hollywood. We're tired of movies we can't take our kids or grandkids to. Wake up!

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Biography Information:

Gina Burgess has taught Sunday School and Discipleship Training for almost three decades. (Don't tell her that makes her old.) She earned her Master's in Communication in 2013.

She is the author of several books including: When Christians Hurt Christians, The Crowns of the Believers and others available in online bookstores. She authors several columns, using her God-given talent to shine a light in a dark world. You can browse her blog at Refreshment In Refuge.

If you'd like to take a look at some Christian fiction and Christian non-fiction book reviews check out Gina's book reviews at Upon

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