The British Board of Film Classification plows through thousands of movies to rate them. Among those thousands of movies, naturally, is a healthy selection of adult movies, which the staff usually watches in pairs so they get two instant opinions on the movie's fitness for public consumption. The organization typically rates about 600 movies and 12,000 DVDs per year. It also rates advertisements and video games.
But the lousy economy is causing everybody to cut corners, and that includes the BBFC. In order to process more movies in less time, the brass at the BBFC are asking their employees to watch and rate adult movies solo.
"The BBFC is currently consulting staff about a proposal that sex works should also be examined by examiners viewing alone, but only on the basis that an appropriate policy is in place for having works which are particularly problematic or unpleasant viewed by teams," said one BBFC spokesperson. "Difficult or unpleasant issues or material are not confined to sex works."
England has a two-sided relationship with adult content. A law banning violent has long been a point of contention in the nation's courts, but a 1999 legal decision effectively made hardcore content legal.
That hasn't stopped some BBFC staff members from rejecting hardcore content they deem unacceptable. According to the UK Guardian, censors have rejected titles that include "sadomasochism" or "sexual violence." Getting rejected means that a movie won't be granted an R18 rating, the UK equivalent of XXX.