Should IMDB be censored?

Whether you are a die hard movie fan, or simply a casual moviegoer, you know about IMDB, the site that is the encyclopedia for all things movie or television related. I personally spend way too much time every day on that website. One of the many features is the biography of the actor, actress or the individual you are looking up. However, there is a petition to remove parts of the feature, and taking anything away from my IMDB leaves me very angry.

/Film had a post up about how several movie guilds are protesting the age of the person in the bio, stating that it is helping with Ageism in Hollywood, and as a result is causing too many actors jobs. So, the guilds are asking IMDB to remove the feature for everyone except for the A-list actors because we all know how old they are (which seems a bit like an “ism” of its own). IMDB, who is notorious for being very giving on the information, and very strict on changing the information doesn’t seem to like the idea, and has said “Customers of IMDb trust that when they use our website, they are receiving comprehensive and accurate biographical information.”

Now, I use IMDB every day, and I do look at the age information. There is nothing that provides me with more joy than knowing one of my favorite actors has made millions of dollars at the ripe age of 16. But IMDB is like an encyclopedia for me, and censoring anything in there is a step in the wrong direction. We don’t hear anyone looking to go after Wikipedia, or Brittanica, so why IMDB?

Also, tell me how displaying someone’s age encourages ageism? The information is important, and most casting people go after their looks and talent, not their age. There may be exceptions out there, but I can’t imagine the problem will be fixed by omitting a small something like the date of birth. Besides, how will all the young males out there know if their favorite actress is jail-bait or not?

What do you think? Should IMDB be gracious and take it down, or should they give the guilds the middle finger and keep it up? Sound off in the comments, I would love to hear your opinions!

EDITORS NOTE: The article also appeared on the wonderful pages of Creative Loafing. Check out the comments by clicking HERE.