How did "xxx" become associated with pornography?

Question

It doesn't seem to make sense. It's just three letters but everytime you see them it means porn. How did this originate?

Answer 1

During the 1960s, the social pressures of an ever-evolving country fostered a sense of concern for the new topics and issues being explored by the creative industries, namely in the movies. The motion picture industry sought to find a balance between preserving creative freedoms and notifying people about films content so that people could make decisions about what movies they wanted to see and what movies were appropriate for their children.

Former President of the Motion Picture Association of America Jack Valenti worked with the National Association of Theatre Owners to create a new and, at the time, revolutionary approach to fulfilling the movie industry's self-prescribed obligation to the parents of America. On November 1, 1968, NATO, MPAA and IFIDA announced the birth of the new voluntary film rating system of the motion picture industry.

The initial design called for four rating categories:

G for General Audiences, all ages admitted
M for mature audiences, parental guidance suggested but all ages admitted
R for Restricted, children under 16 not be admitted without an accompanying parent or adult guardian (this was later raised to 17 years of age, and varies in some jurisdictions)
X for no one under 17 admitted

The rating system trademarked all the category symbols, except the X. Under the plan, anyone who did not submit his or her film for rating could self-apply the X or any other symbol or description, except those trademarked by the rating program.

The original plan had been to use only three rating categories. Valenti felt that parents ought to be able to accompany their children to any movie the parents choose, without the movie industry, government or self-appointed groups interfering with their rights. But NATO urged the creation of an adult-only category, fearful of possible legal redress under state or local law. Hence, the four-category system, including the X rating, was installed.

After the creation of the rating system, the board found that the M category (mature) was regarded by most parents as a sterner rating than the R (restricted) category. To remedy this misconception, the rating was changed from M to GP (general audiences, parental guidance suggested). A year later the name was revised the name to its current label, PG: (parental guidance suggested).

In July of 1984 the PG category was split into two groups- PG and PG-13. PG-13 meant a higher level of intensity than was to be found in a film rated PG. Over the past years, parents have approved of this amplifying revision in the rating system. In September of 1990 two more revisions were announced. First, the board began giving brief explanations of why a particular film received R ratings. Since, in the opinion of the Ratings Board, R rated films contain adult material, they believed it would be useful for parents to know a little more about that film's content before they allowed their children to accompany them. Sometime later the board began applying the same explanations in the PG, PG-13 and NC-17 categories as well.

The second change was in the X category which then became NC-17 (no one 17 and under admitted). The X rating over the years appeared to have taken on a surly meaning in the minds of many people, something that was never intended when the system was created. Therefore, the board chose to reaffirm the original intent of the design that was installed on November 1, 1968, in which the adults only category explicitly describes a movie that most parents would want to have barred to viewing by their children.

However, the adult film industry - and, by extension, pornographers across the board - had already latched onto the X rating. A ratings system was developed informally by the adult entertainment industry which has become an integral part of how pornographic movies are edited for specific audiences.

Single-X-rated movies feature nudity, long-range or panoramic and medium-range camera shots, simulated sex and sex between women. Double-X-rated movies show intercourse, oral sex and close-up shots. Triple-X-rated movies feature anal sex and visible ejaculation. Hence, XXX has become a symbol for the most hardcore pornography.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Xxx Pornography

Answer 4

The rating system trademarked all the category symbols, except the X. Under the plan, anyone not submitting his or her film for rating could self apply the X or any other symbol or description, except those trademarked by the rating program. This includes the XXX rating. It does not legally exist and people who have the porn movies added the 2 extra X's to show that if an X was bad then XXX was real bad

Our original plan had been to use only three rating categories, ending with R. It was my view that parents ought to be able to accompany their children to any movie the parents choose, without the movie industry or the government or self-appointed groups interfering with their rights. But NATO urged the creation of an adults only category, fearful of possible legal redress under state or local law. I acquiesced in NATO's reasoning and the four category system, including the X rating, was installed.

Answer 5

Originally there were 3 ratings G, M (PG), and R. X was created to denoted that the film was inappropriate for any reason (violence, sex, etc), it's current incarnation is NC-17. As the porn industry grew they appropriated XXX. X was eliminated because people began to associate anything with an X as porn.

Answer 6

It was something to do with restrictions for viewing audience by Censors.
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the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) regulates itself through a voluntary rating system. The system does not have statutory authority but is used to help the industry conform with statutes designed to protect children. Recognizing a 1968 Supreme Court decision that favored limited censorship for minors (Ginsberg v. New York, 390 U.S. 629, 88 S. Ct. 1274, 20 L. Ed. 2d 195), the MPAA has devised a rating system based on the viewer's age. A G rating signals subject matter suitable for general audiences; PG stands for Parental Guidance Suggested; PG-13 strongly advises guidance for children under age thirteen because of possibly inappropriate material; R requires accompaniment by an adult for children under age seventeen, or eighteen in some states; and NC-17 or X prohibit anyone under age seventeen, or eighteen in some states, from entering the theater.

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Read this devfinition from Wilkepedia...
XXX may refer to:

* An abbreviation for "kiss kiss kiss", commonly used in SMS, chat or text messaging
* xXx (film), a 2002 action film starring Vin Diesel
* xXx: State of the Union, the 2005 sequel
* XXX (album), a 1999 album by the rock band ZZ Top
* 30 (number), XXX in Roman numerals
o Super Bowl XXX, held in January 1996
* A generic depiction of Moonshine or other alcoholic beverage
* The ISO 4217 currency code for "no currency"
* ArXiv.org e-print archive, formerly known as xxx.lanl.gov
* An identifier for pornography, especially X-rated movies
* .xxx, a rejected top-level domain for sexually explicit material
* A symbol of the straight edge lifestyle
* A shortened version of "XXXL", a plus size clothing size
* A reference to Amsterdam, after the three crosses on the city flag

Answer 7

I think it derives from the brewing industry.

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable says that beer casks used to have an "X" stamped on the side to indicate that the excise duty of 10 shillings had been paid ("X" = 10 in Roman numerals) and therefore that the beer was of a certain strength.

Extra "X"s added to some casks were simply to try to advertise that this beer was stronger than the standard "X" rated beer.

"XXX" therefore has the connotation of strength - hence "XXX" hard core pornography.

I think this is a bit of a weak link, but its the best I can find.

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Lots of your other answers seem to revolve around the use of "X" as in "X certificate" in the film industry - I'm more interested in understanding why the letter "X" has the connotation of strength (its not just porn that is "X" rated).

Answer 8

Labels... It makes people feel better about themselves to be able to call out another type of person. Most adults never really grow out of name calling as they get older, their inner selves are still on the playground at school. And I've heard the phrase "get bent" but I don't know if that has anything to do with being gay or not gay. I have my own opinions on being gay or straight but still I have a problem with people labeling everyone in anyway they can, the crueler the names the better it seems. I don't think I've answered this question to the best of my knowledge but I wanted to put my two cents in there. *Shrug*

Answer 9

Not sure on this one but it makes sense. Think about how many parts must be covered up on a woman's body...3. They x'ed things out for censorship purposes in the older days...an x over each nipple and a x over the genitalia...xxx Give it a shot.
Roy K.

Answer 10

♠I don't know sorry♠