Lois & Clark Fanfic Archive: FAQ on Story Ratings

Frequently Asked Questions About L&C Fanfic Ratings Definitions

Since Lois & Clark was a "family" show, the rating system of the Lois & Clark Fanfic Archive is more strict than the movies or even fanfic for other television shows. We allow PG-13 stories on our Archive, but as a general rule, we follow the guidelines for, say, a TV-14 television show than a PG-13 movie. For example, violence can't be more graphic, or sexual references more explicit, than what you might see on a prime-time drama. We also put violence warnings on stories that are rated PG-13 for that reason, since graphic violence really isn't very common in L&C stories.

The ratings used by this site are based on U.S. classifications.

G: May be seen/read by anyone, regardless of age. Stories rated G should contain no strong language, no violence, no sexual references and no references to nudity.

PG: May be read by anyone, but readers should be aware that there may be occasional mild swear-words, oblique reference to sex or some kissing scenes, and brief and in passing reference to nudity. ** Most of the televised episodes of Lois & Clark were rated PG. **

PG-13: Not recommended for anyone under the age of 13. These stories may contain some stronger language, violence, references to lovemaking and some more descriptive — though not explicit — sexual scenes. No detailed descriptions of full nudity are allowed, but references to above-the-waist nudity are acceptable if they are brief and not overly-explicit. Since graphic violence is fairly rare in L&C fanfic, stories that are rated PG-13 for violence may contain a violence warning. (This policy has only been in effect for more recent submissions; if you encounter an older story on the archive that you believe should contain a violence warning, please contact Co-Editors-in-Chief KSaraSara and SuperBek (LCArchiveEIC@gmail.com). ** A few of the televised episodes of Lois & Clark were rated TV-14/PG-13 (e.g., "Pheromone My Lovely," "Virtually Destroyed," "AKA Superman." **

R: Parental consent required for reading by anyone under the age of 18; stories may contain descriptions of sexual intercourse but will probably not be fully explicit. They may contain descriptions of full nudity but these should not be over-explicit. May also contain strong language, or more graphic violence.

NC-17: May not be read by anyone under the age of 18. Stories may contain full and explicit descriptions of sexual intercourse, explicit descriptions of nudity and/or strong language. Graphic violence could also earn a story an NC-17 rating, but such stories are almost non-existent in the L&C nfic universe. ** NC-17 and R-rated stories are considered to be Nfic and are not acceptable on this archive; see the Nfic section for links to these stories. **

International Ratings

It is difficult to give any international equivalents for these ratings, since different countries have their own definitions and also have different cultures and customs in relation to what is considered appropriate at various ages. While the UK has ratings of U (Universal), PG (Parental Guidance), and then age classifications of 12, 15 and 18, in some northern European countries the age of consent is actually twelve and so what might be considered appropriate viewing or reading matter for a twelve-year-old there would not necessarily comply with age restrictions in other countries. When writing a story, we recommend that you use your discretion and judgment, and rely on your General Editor to guide you when it is being edited.