'Bully' Documentary: Should Kids Be Allowed to See It?

Making News

France Arrests 17 in Islamic Militant Raids ()

French police have rounded up 17 suspected Islamic militants in cities across the country. Two have already been let go. What's the connection to Mohammed Merah, who was killed last week after admittedly killing seven people, including a rabbi and three Jewish children? Steven Erlanger is Paris Bureau Chief for the New York Times.

Guests:

• Steven Erlanger: New York Times, @StevenErlanger

Main Topic

Damaged Children, Clueless Adults and Hollywood Ratings ()

Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein is releasing the documentary Bully without a rating after Hollywood's Motion Picture Association of America said it would get an "R" rating because the "F---word" is used repeatedly. Weinstein says that would prevent the target audience, teen-age kids, from seeing it and learning important lessons. Bullying is now recognized as the source of long-term emotional damage, aggravated by adults who don't get it. Can a documentary make a difference? Is Weinstein seeking publicity? Should the MPAA update its criteria in the age of the Internet and cable TV?

Note: Both Harvey Weinstein and the MPAA have declined our invitation to participate in our discussion.

Guests:

• Lee Hirsch: documentary filmmaker, @Bullymovie
• Chuck Williams: Drexel University, @drchuckwilliams
• Patrick Goldstein: Los Angeles Times, @latimesmovies
• Kevin Carr: film critic and blogger, @KevinCarr
• Eddie Schmidt: documentary filmmaker, @Eddie_Schmidt

Links:

• The Tillman Story's R-rating, MPAA response (KCRW's 'The Business')
• Schmidt's on 'This Film Is Not Yet Rated' (KCRW's 'The Business')
• Interview with MPAA's Joan Graves (KCRW's 'The Business')
• Goldstein on 'The King's Speech'
• Carr on Weinstein and Bully's R-rating

Reporter's Notebook

The Mysterious Head of the CIA's Counterterrorism Unit ()

The CIA's campaign against al-Qaeda and the tracking down of Osama bin Laden have been led by a man who's a "collection of contradictions." A chain-smoker who spends hours on a treadmill, he's an enemy of Islamic militants – and a convert to Islam. "Roger" is the first name of the cover identity of the agent who leads the CIA's Counterterrorism Center. He's the architect of "the company's" drone campaign and the "driving force of the Obama administration's embrace of targeted killing," according to Greg Miller, national security correspondent for the Washington Post.

Guests:

• Greg Miller: Washington Post, @gregpmiller