Joan Graves

{{short description|American media professional (born 1941)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2018}}

Joan Eldridge Graves (born 1941/1942){{cite news|url = https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lessons-30-years-movie-ratings-angry-phone-calls-1213531|title = Lessons From 30 Years of Movie Ratings and Angry Phone Calls|work = The Hollywood Reporter|last1 = McClintock|first1 = Pamela|last2 = Noble|first2 = Alexandra|date = May 25, 2019|accessdate = April 15, 2020}} is an American media professional who served as a senior vice president Motion Picture Association of America and chair of its Classification and Ratings Administration.{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-apr-08-la-fi-ct-facetime8-2010apr08-story.html |title=The MPAA's Joan Graves watches out for the movie watchers |author=Richard Verrier |date=April 8, 2010 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=March 29, 2012}}

Graves studied political science at Stanford University and worked as a real estate agent.{{cite web|url=https://www.mpaa.org/who-we-are/our-people/|title = Our People|website = Motion Picture Association of America|accessdate = July 31, 2018}} She was recommended for a position on the ratings board in 1988, and was appointed to lead the administration in 2000 by Jack Valenti.{{cite web |title=Discretion Adviser |url=http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2008/julaug/show/graves.html |publisher=Stanford Magazine |accessdate=March 29, 2012 |date=August 2008 |author=Sonja Bolle}} In that capacity, she personally hired all the other members of the ratings administration, and was the only one whose identity was disclosed to the public.{{cite web | url=http://kidstvmovies.about.com/od/mpaa/a/Joan-Graves-Interview-On-The-Mpaa-Movie-Rating-Process.htm | title=Joan Graves Interview on the MPAA Movie Rating Process | work=About.com | accessdate=May 15, 2014 | author=Bryson, Carey | archive-date=May 17, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517121427/http://kidstvmovies.about.com/od/mpaa/a/Joan-Graves-Interview-On-The-Mpaa-Movie-Rating-Process.htm | url-status=dead }} Graves held the position until retiring in May 2019. Graves has defended the Administration's rating system against critics who accuse it of being too lenient toward violence, saying that when the MPAA surveys parents, "What we find with the violence category is that they think they're getting correct information from us."{{cite web | url=https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/01/07/dont-expect-a-new-movie-ratings-system-in-2014 | title=Don't Expect Any Major Changes to the MPAA Ratings System in 2014 | work=US News | date=January 7, 2014 | accessdate=May 15, 2014 | author=Sneed, Tierney}}