What gets an R-Rating? It's complicated...

Bodies pile up like dirty socks in the PG-13 Avatar, but Nancy Meyers’ classy comedy It’s Complicated got an R-rating from the MPAA. What gives? According to the New York Times, board members were uneasy about a sequence in which Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, and Alec Baldwin smoke marijuana at a party with no negative consequences. Seems a little strange to us, since plenty of other movies have shown similar illegal activities without tragic ends. Here’s a look at a few highlights (sorry, couldn’t resist).

Nine to Five (1980)

Crime: Coworkers Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, and Jane Fonda smoke a joint together and fantasize about offing their boss.

Consequences: None, unless you count a case of the giggles.

Rating: PG

Beavis and Butt-head Do America (1996)

Crime: Beavis and Butt-head eat a strange cactus in the desert, prompting a lengthy sequence of heavy-metal hallucinations.

Consequences: A seriously freaky trip, but no lasting side effects.

Rating: PG-13

Clueless (1995)

Crime: Cher (Alicia Silverstone) gets high at a party with plenty of underage drinking.

Consequences: As if! Cher gets off scot-free.

Rating: PG-13

Can’t Hardly Wait (1998)

Crime: Copious drinking at a high school party. A few characters coded as stoners, but there’s no actual pot usage.

Consequences: Cops bust the party, and William (Charlie Korsmo) and Mike (Peter Facinelli) end up in jail.

Rating: PG-13

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2008)

Crime: Teenage Caroline (Ari Graynor) spends most of the movie drunk.

Consequences: Caroline gets majorly lost in NYC and ends up fishing her own gum out of a toilet.

Rating: PG-13

An Education (2009) Jenny (Carey Mulligan) drinks and smokes cigarettes while playing hooky from high school in 1960s Britain.

Consequences: None, but Jenny’s fast lifestyle nearly ruins her academic career.

Ratings: PG-13

Old Dogs (2009)

Dan (Robin Williams) hallucinates after accidentally taking a mind-altering dose of prescription medication.

Consequences: Only for the audience, who have to watch Williams’ tired slapstick.

Rating: PG

What do you think, PopWatchers? Was the board too harsh on Meryl’s buzz? Or were they right to dish out an R?