It’s 1989. A sticky-floored New Jersey multiplex. An 8-year-old version of myself stands frozen before the glowing glass case of movie posters, my Jujubees forgotten. There, between the PG-13 advisory about “some material may be inappropriate” and the NC-17 scarlet letter of shame, hops a rabbit. Not just any rabbit – this one wears a trench coat at R-rated films, blocks its eyes during teen-rated flicks, and mysteriously vanishes when things get… adult.
Last month at Beacon’s Nerd Nite – that glorious gathering where grown adults dissect everything from quantum physics to breakfast cereal lore – I finally confessed my lifelong obsession. For twenty minutes, I geeked out about this bizarre 80s/90s movie ratings poster that’s haunted me since childhood. The same poster that now hangs above my sofa, its mystery growing richer with each passing year.
When Giraffes Go to the Movies
Let’s start with the obvious: Why is there a giraffe casually munching popcorn in a theater lobby? Is this some surrealist commentary on Hollywood’s “stretch the truth” tendencies? Or perhaps an early warning about 3D IMAX screens requiring giraffe-neck flexibility?
The poster operates like a Where’s Waldo of cinema sociology. At G-rated screenings, our trench coat rabbit happily munches carrots with wide-eyed kids. Bump up to PG-13, and suddenly those fuzzy paws clap over his eyes like he’s stumbled into a Scorsese film. By NC-17, he’s back – now sporting sunglasses and a fake mustache that wouldn’t fool a kindergartener.
But here’s the twist that kept me up at 3 AM: During R-rated films, Rabbit completely disappears. Does he slip into an underground casino? Attend a support group for traumatized mascots? The poster suggests more plot twists than a Christopher Nolan marathon.
From Childhood Fascination to Adult Obsession
Most kids outgrow their “why?” phase. I weaponized mine.
That familiar ratings chart – with its color-coded boxes and increasingly panicked animals – became my Rosetta Stone for decoding Hollywood’s hidden language. The giraffe’s endless neck mirrored how films stretch reality. The disappearing/reappearing rabbit felt like a metaphor for censorship itself.
By college, I’d developed full-blown art detective syndrome. Museum archives? Check. Library microfiche? You bet. But here’s the kicker: The artist had vanished faster than our trench-coated friend during R-rated screenings. No signatures. No portfolio credits. Just whispers in design forums about “that MPAA poster guy.”
The Reddit Rabbit Hole
Enter Reddit’s /r/ObscureMedia – a digital attic where cinephiles preserve everything from Bulgarian detergent commercials to lost Jim Henson prototypes. My post sparked a wildfire:
- User1: “That rabbit’s giving major Who Framed Roger Rabbit vibes!”
- User2: “NC-17 disguise = 100% a Boogie Nights reference”
- User3: “My uncle swears he saw the original sketch at a 1992 design expo…”
Then came the DM that changed everything – a retired magazine art director recalling a “gregarious Canadian illustrator” who created “those cheeky MPAA animals during the Basic Instinct era.”
Meet Greg Clarke: Cinema’s Secret Storyteller
Turns out our mystery artist designed more than movie ratings. His work for Rolling Stone gave rock stars their visual swagger. His New Yorker cartoons turned subway rats into philosophers. But that ratings poster? Just a “quick gig” between bigger projects.
In our Zoom interview, Clarke chuckled recalling the brief: “The MPAA wanted something ‘friendly but firm.’ I figured if we’re going to scar kids for life with ratings, at least give them a rabbit to laugh at.”
His genius? Turning censorship into comedy:
- The Giraffe = Movies lift your perspective
- Vanishing Rabbit = Some stories need privacy
- Disguise Fail = Adults pretending to be mature
Why This Poster Matters More Than Ever
In our algorithm-driven age of content warnings, Clarke’s hand-drawn hieroglyphs feel revolutionary. That rabbit isn’t just rating films – he’s teaching us to navigate an increasingly rated world.
Next time you see a PG-13 advisory, remember: Somewhere, a cartoon rabbit is dramatically covering its eyes. And if you squint hard enough, you might spot the ghost of Greg Clarke winking from the margins – the artist who turned Hollywood’s rulebook into a visual punchline.
