Ben Stiller reveals how 'Zoolander' and 'Meet The Fockers' got PG 13 rating

Ben Stiller’s Meet the Fockers avoided an R rating by an ingenious maneuver, whereas Zoolander required a lengthy presentation.

Since Fockers sounds much like a swear word, the film was on track for receiving an R rating instead of PG-13. Stiller revealed during his recent appearance on Hot Ones that the executives of the film actually had to find someone named Focker to prove it was a real name and not just a play on the common expletive.

"Oh, I think that is true," the comedian said of the rumor that they found someone named Focker. "Yes … ’cause it was a PG-13, I think. And they thought it was too close to 'f---er.' They have to, they have to clear names sometimes.… I don't understand how it works legally, honestly, but something like that did happen."

He continued: "I also remember having to go to speak to the arbitration board when they wanted to give Zoolander an R rating. The goat orgy thing was something they didn't care for...or they didn't think it was wholesome enough. And it was just so ridiculous. The whole thing was so ridiculous, and I wrote a little speech, and I had to go through it all."

To get Zoolander a PG-13 rating, Stiller had to "talk about other movies that had come out that had worse things in them."

Stiller played nurse Greg Focker in the trilogy that included 2000 film Meet The Parents, 2004’s Meet The Fockers, and 2010’s Little Fockers.