It's hard to side with the MPAA when it puts its undeniably wackadoo foot down and gets into a tussle with a director over a sex comedy. On the other hand, it's hard to side with Kevin Smith, Rebel Indie Trench-Coat Guy, as he gleefully goes to war with the MPAA over his upcoming Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Star Seth Rogen tells MTV today that the film could get hit with an NC-17 rating and compared Porno's naughty bits to a scene in Clerks II, saying, "A guy fucking a donkey, [the MPAA] ain't got no problem with. But a man and a woman having sex they seem to have real issues with, for some weird reason." As much fun as it would be to ding the MPAA for its cushy treatment of bestiality, though, it does seem fair to point out that the donkey scene would have run into problems were it a graphic depiction of man-on-donkey sex, rather than a long setup followed by a string of reaction shots. Presumably, Zack and Miri includes some footage below the shoulders.

Smith's first rude shock over the film came when the MPAA asked him to pull the Internet-only "teaser trailer," which it turns out is still available anyway. Apparently all trailers are supposed to be submitted for a rating, and this one wasn't. So now, instead of being merely the raciest teaser-trailer of all time, it's also the most notorious teaser-trailer of all time. Kevin Smith is so lucky!

So, now he'll enter into one of those "cut this thrust," "cut that moan" exchanges with the MPAA. He will complain about it a lot on his blog, he will tell the story during the press junket, he will get an R rating, he will release the movie, he will release the DVD, he will release the extra-dirty unrated DVD, and everybody will be happy. Except, of course, for the donkey, who still feels dirty. —Linda Holmes

Seth Rogen Says Kevin Smith's 'Porno' Is Having Trouble Getting An R Rating Instead Of NC-17 [Movies Blog / MTV]