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{{examples}}
== Film ==
* ''[[Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song]]'' was "Rated X by an all-white jury." The X rating in this case was a default judgment by the MPAA since [[
* [[Zack Snyder]]'s ''[[Batman]]''/''[[Superman]]'' movies (particularly ''[[Man of Steel]]'', ''[[Suicide Squad (film)]]'', and ''[[Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice]]'') are incredibly infamous movie examples of this, due to the fact that they [[
** ''Man of Steel'' and ''Batman v Superman'' giving Superman himself the personality of a whiny emo teenager, followed by ''Dawn of Justice'' giving it to Batman.
** ''Man of Steel'' portraying Zod as a ''ridiculously'' massive edge lord and then having Superman snap his neck at the end of itself.
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** ''Batman v Superman'' literally giving itself an R-rated version just to make itself even more violent.
** ''Batman v Superman'' turning Batman into a low-down thug who kills people for ''fun'' just to make him [[Beyond the Impossible|edgier]] than his ''[[The Dark Knight|Dark Knight]]'' self.
* ''[[Deadpool (film)|Deadpool]]'' and ''[[Deadpool 2]]'' used the R rating as a selling point and made a lot of money.
== Literature ==
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== Video Games ==
* ''[[Grand Theft Auto (series)|Grand Theft Auto]]'' has been at the center of the controversy, especially after the discovery of the "Hot Coffee" data in ''San Andreas'', which, if unlocked by a modification, allows one to see two characters having sex. Note that this data was [[Dummied Out]], requiring a cheat device or a software patch that the games maker did ''not'' release to be seen in gameplay. Copies that had said data in them were bumped up to the rarely seen "AO" rating.
** In fact, [[Rockstar]], GTA's publishing stable, have built an entire brand on this class of games, with titles ranging from the relatively-tame ''[[Bully (video game)|Bully]]'' (which still attracted controversy, due to the [[Media Watchdog]]s [[Did Not Do the Research|not doing the research]]) to the not-at-all-tame ''[[Manhunt]]'' getting [[Media Watchdog]]s and [[Moral Guardians]] alike all riled up. The better ones (the aforementioned ''Manhunt'' and the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series) tend to be the brainchildren of Rockstar North ([[based in [[Scotland]]), formerly DMA Design. The more blatantly exploitative ones are contracted out to Rockstar's other studios, for example ''Manhunt 2'' .
** The original ''GTA'' was advertised in UK gaming magazines using its 18 certificate - a rarity at the time - as a unique selling point. Now that 18-rated games are as common as 18-rated films and the BBFC theoretically uses the same guidelines to rate the two media, a game being rated 18 draws little or no comment.
* Before ''GTA'', there was iD Software's ''[[Doom (series)|Doom]]'', which possibly entertains the dubious title of Most Scapegoated Game in the History of All Time. Until the Advent of ''GTA'', ''[[Duke Nukem]]'', ''[[Quake]]'', and other more "realistic" [[First Person Shooter]]s, it was constantly blamed as the drive behind all manner of anti-social and violent behavior. Notably, it was directly implicated as one of the major contributing factors behind the [[Columbine|Columbine High School massacre]].
** This was in part because the ''Doom'' level editor was extremely simple to use, allowing news anchors to suggest with a straight face that ''Doom'' players—including Eric Harris, one of the [[Columbine]] gunmen—were making levels of their schools, homes, local gathering spots, etc. to practice for possible massacres. Harris' levels, by the way, were '''''[http://www.snopes.com/horrors/madmen/doom.asp NOT]''''' virtual versions of his high school to shoot up, but that didn't stop "journalists" from claiming that they were.
* Midway's ''[[Mortal Kombat]]'', especially in its original arcade form, was infamous for being the first worthwhile fighting game to prominently feature blood (and [[High-Pressure Blood|lots of it]]) in addition to all manner of death, dismemberment, and general gruesomeness. Parent's groups complained, puritan advocates wagged fingers disapprovingly, many angry letters were written to various editors, and the game was banned from many arcades and shopping malls and was at length significantly altered (blood changed to "sweat", fatality moves removed or altered) in its first home releases for various consoles—notably, the Super Nintendo version, which flopped due to Nintendo's censorship.
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* "Lust, violence, betrayal. ''[[Dragon Age]]'': rated M for mature." That was the ''entirety'' of a recent ad on this site for ''Dragon Age: Origins''. You'd think they'd at least say what genre the game is.
** They also call this a "Dark fantasy epic". While it actually ''is'' dark in that it's [[Darker and Edgier]] than some other games (In that not everyone gets a happy ending), Dark ''also'' seems to mean sex themes (including some rather...deviant ones at that. {{spoiler|Like getting the option to engage in a foursome and Zevran giving some hints he likes bondage&leather}}), two [[Gay Option]] romances that aren't even hidden, several characters spewing innuendos, blood spattering everywhere (and I mean ''everywhere''!), and [[Real Is Brown|sometimes strict laws forbidding primary colours in Ferelden]]. One could easily have given the game a "T" rating if they even made everyone not become an utter blood magnet. (It even gets ''on your backs''!)
* A new{{when}} ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' game recently announced in [[PlayStation]] Magazine had the fact that the developers were aiming for an M rating plastered all over the article like it was all that mattered.
* Despite that it ''did'' create a rather nice atmosphere, ''[[American McGee's Alice]]'' has some of this trope. Alice goes insane from a tragedy, and "insane" in this case means "Incredible Cynicism, [[Nightmare Fuel]], gore, skeletal cats, and [[Darker and Edgier]]" - Again, it ''was'' quite atmospheric, but some of the ads seemed to pretty much emphasize that this is ''not'' the [[Lighter and Softer]] version of Alice we had grown up with, moreso than what kind of game this was.
* Averted with ''[[Sands of Destruction (video game)|Sands of Destruction]]'', which is from Japan (where there isn't a stigma around their "E"-equivalent games as being "Just for kids and ''kids only''!"). The original script of the game actually had the Beastmen ''eat'' humans instead of lording over them, and was much "darker". So what's the aversion? The writers actually toned down some parts specifically to ''avoid'' an "M"-equivalent rating, that way it would be available to a wider audience. (Course, good luck finding any copies of the game in America without resorting to eBay. I dare you.) They didn't tone it down entirely, it's still rated "T", which is pretty much the "PG-13" equivalent of video games.
* Downplayed with ''[[Shadow Hearts]]''...at least the first game, which was a bit more serious than the second and third games. Sort of being like ''[[Koudelka]]'' still, the game ''did'' have a rather dark atmosphere, but it did seem a little like the introduction was "Let's go for an 'M' rating!", as there's nothing like Yuri reattaching severed arms or Roger Bacon reaching through peoples' chests beyond that scene. Of course, the rest of the game ''could'' get away with an 'M' rating. (as there ''are'' plenty of innuendos)
* The ''[[Prince of Persia]]'' franchise made a triumphant comeback in 2003 with ''The Sands of Time'', which introduced a witty but naive new Prince that players loved. The game had a few disturbing bits but was mostly child-friendly. Then came the sequel, ''Warrior Within'', which ramped up the rating to M -- by adding gushers of blood, foul language, weird sadomasochistic enemies, and worst of all, a Prince embittered and hardened by running for his life for seven years. One of the most blatant cases of this trope on record. (Series creator Jordan Mechner, who had a hand in ''Sands of Time'', has been vocal about his disapproval of Ubisoft's sequels.)
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** [[Video Game Cruelty Potential|Nothing. At. All.]]
* Apparently, the new{{when}} ''[[Tomb Raider]]'' game to be released later this year will be rated "M". The focus appears to be shifted to a ''[[Resident Evil]]''-type survival-horror, as opposed to the puzzle-based platforming action-adventure formula which was a big part of the earlier ''[[Tomb Raider]]'' games' success.
** On the other hand, there were some complaints that certain deaths in the [[Crystal Dynamics]] trilogy were sanitized compared to their earlier equivalents; according to the ''Anniversary'' developer commentary, this was because of changing standards in the ratings board compared to when the original games were made. So the higher rating in itself has resulted in a degree of [[And the Fandom Rejoiced]]
* ''[[Dead Space 2]]'' arguably avoids this trope, despite being rated M for gore. Its ''ad campaign'', however, [http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/your-mom-hates-dead-space-2/ has become infamous].
* Many of [[Atlus]]' titles are M rated, but surprisingly very mature in topic matter. Even the sex-laden ''[[Catherine]]'' is quite serious in its themes about infidelity, crossroads of life, and sexuality. They score very well by critics to this day.
** In the United States. Quite a few of Atlus' games received a lower age rating in other countries, such as the [[Persona 3|Persona 3 games]] getting a 12+ rating and [[Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne|Nocturne]] got a [[Serial Escalation|7+ rating.]] Both of these games are rated M in the United States, most likely for the rather dark themes throughout the games ("These games do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Atlus USA employees" is even shown around the opening screen or upon beginning a new game). Some of their games deserve the M rating, but some don't make much sense.
** Atlus states that the M rating is also because of religious themes. Understandable as religion is a very volatile subject in America. Contrary to popular belief, the recurring Mara is not why some of their games receive the M rating.
* ''[[Shadow the Hedgehog]]'' probably would've gotten an E rating (or at least a lower-end E10+) were it not for [[Obligatory Swearing|the half-dozen mild swears]] punctuating every other remark throughout the script, apparently just to secure a higher rating. {{quote|[[Memetic Mutation|Where's that
:* Ironically, the game was originally going to be rated T for teen, but when the ESRB decided to implement E10+, the game was ''[[Inverted Trope|toned down]]'' to meet that rating.
* ''[[Rabbids Go Home]]'': Originally rated a PEGI 7 rating, copies of the game wore a PEGI 12 rating within a few weeks, most likely for the same casual swearing that bumped up ''Shadow the Hedgehog'' to a 12.
* ''[[Saints Row]]'', especially the third game: You know you have a hell of a game when a giant dildo as a weapon is one of the ''tamer'' things about it.
* During standard gameplay, [[Platinum Games]]' ''[[Vanquish (video game)|Vanquish]]'' is not very violent at all. A couple of [[Red Shirts]] take a bullet through the campaign but otherwise, your prime targets are all [[Mecha-Mooks]]. The game is rated 'M', however, because of a [[Cluster F-Bomb|fair amount of swearing]] and some gruesome deaths for humans during the cinematics (particularly in the opening).
* ''[[The Last of Us]]'' is arguably a subversion of this trope, due to mostly discussing and deconstructing how horrifying the effects hatred and violence can have on people however, ''[[The Last of Us Part II]]'', on the other hand, seems to lean a bit more into gratuitous violence, which may stand out more due to the writing's... more contentious reception, up to and including {{spoiler|the scene where Abby kills Joel}}.
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