Paramount may soon be under investigation by the MPAA for allegedly marketing inappropriate content to children. Specific TV ads for Iron Man and Drillbit Taylor have been highlighted by the Better Business Bureau as being targeted to kids aged 12 and under. Apparently this isn’t kosher since both movies are rated PG-13. Of course, anyone who has been to or worked at a movie theater knows, there’s no stopping kids under the age of 13 from buying tickets to such movies. But that doesn’t mean it’s suitable for PG-13-rated fare to be directly marketed to the younger audience.

Both movies have been advertised during Nickelodeon shows Zoey 101 and Drake & Josh, which are primarily viewed by preteens and other youths. Stephanie Sanchez at IESB.net, reporting on this story, adds that the MPAA should also address Paramount’s marketing of Strange Wilderness, which she saw advertised during Spongebob Squarepants and Drake & Josh while watching the programs with her kids, aged 4 and 6. Considering that comedy is Rated R, it would seem obvious that it shouldn’t be targeted to the Nick crowd, but perhaps Paramount has trouble differentiating demographics when advertising through sister media (Paramount and Nickelodeon are both owned by Viacom).

I know people who think Iron Man is too violent for little kids, but violence has never been an issue for the MPAA when rating movies, especially those as significant to Hollywood income as Iron Man. But if the ratings board deems a movie OK to be seen by children (never mind the parental guidance nonsense, kids will see what kids can see) shouldn’t it then be OK to be advertised to them? Or is there a double standard there?

Fortunately Paramount is not distributing The Wackness. There’s not much likelihood that Sony will attempt to advertise the film on Nickelodeon. Though it would be little funny if they could market to the Drake & Josh fans with the tagline, “now you can finally see Josh’s naked butt.”