Kids and rated R movies

[furb & dez]

Not wishing to stereotype cultures here, since of course there are exceptions to this but...

In general I have come to the conclusion that American TV/Movie culture is far more concerned about Sexual things than Violence, at least in comparison to the UK where I live.

You would be shocked at some of the things that are on TV in England at 10 or 11pm (and it is easy for a child to stay up past bedtime) or even in some cases 9pm. Graphic programs giving sex tips and the history of pornography for example.

Even before 9pm you get frank discussions of sexual orientation, sexual health and other topics.

When I have been in the states, I see very little of this, but similar amounts of violence to English TV. Of course, this must come with the caveat that I have not seen all american networks, just some of the mainstream ones, so dont assume I am assuming this is a black and white thing. More different shades of grey

My new favorite quote:

Everyone in the US is taught that the US won the revolutionary war. However in truth the English won and our punishment was that we had to keep the puritans. They have been a thorn in our behinds ever since!

 

[JVL1018]

My kids just watched their first R rated movie last night. (They are almost 10 and almost 12). But it was Stand By Me, which I think should be a PG13, but that wasn't around then, so..
I have no recollection of it being R rated. I was 14 when it came out(25 years ago today!) and ALL of my friends saw it.

I would guess it got the rating it did because of language, just as the King's Speech did. I would let my kids watch that one, too, but they haven't asked.

R is pretty off limits to my kids for the most part now-I take it on a case by case basis.
Raunchy stuff in R rated movies, like The 40 Year Old Virgin type stuff(movies my husband and I love) is totally inappropriate for my kids. Maybe not for yours,and that's fine. but I am not letting my kids see that type of stuff yet.
PG 13 is fine with me and has been for years.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I was allowed to watch PG-13 movies when I was 13 and R when I was 17. My parents didn't "screen" movies first, I just didn't get to see them. My Mom is, was, and always will be a strict rules follower. I'm not a huge fan of movies now (I'm 29), but even so, most movies I enjoy watching now are rated PG-13 or less .

 

[U2_rocks!]

I don't remember exactly when and how it happened, but somehow over time we realized that the kids (ages 8 - 11) had become good at telling real from fake in movies, and now we let them watch any fantasy movies unless the sexual content or violence is just too graphic (or realistic). Sexual innuendo goes over their heads, and mild or cartoonish violence doesn't bother them. Fantasy creatures don't give them nightmares. In fact, they even love all the Jaws movies and watch them over and over (and they swim in the sea almost every weekend without fear) - but those movies are old and the kids get a kick out of pointing out just how fake the shark looks.

I will look at the rating of a movie to get a quick idea of what audience it is intended for, but I don't go by rating alone except when it comes to going to the movie theater, as obviously R movies are restricted. I use kidsinmind.com and other websites to give me an idea of whether I think my kids can handle seeing something.

It also makes a difference to me whether they see something on the big screen vs on our TV - the big screen with its sheer size and volume level can make things much scarier than if those same things are seen in the safety and comfort of your own living room. e.g. My DDs were only allowed to watch Harry Potter on the big screen within the last year - before that they watched them at home.

 

[college_student]

What age did you, or do you plan on, letting your kids watch rated R movies? Does it depend on the movie and why it's rated R or do you plan on going with the recommended age? My DS really wants to see 30 seconds or less when it comes out and I think it looks really funny and would probably be OK. DH feels that once you let him watch a rated R movies that all H will break loose and everything goes. For me, if it's rated R for language or rude jokes, it's not as bad as graphic sexual content or extreme violence.
For the record, he has seen the Breakfast Club, but that's the only one.

I know I started off young, maybe 11 or 12???

I would never let kids watch a scary movie, rated R or PG-13. I've watched too many scary movies in my life, and it hasn't helped me one bit. I would wait until maybe 14 or 15, depending on the content.

 

[punkin]

Us, too! Except we watch everything with our kids. Has your daughter seen Repo, the Genetic Opera? (I DON'T recommend it for 12yos - or practically anyone really - but my kids both love it, and I think it's hilarious, and gruesome, and wrong in SO many ways.)

A lot of sexual content just goes over kids' heads, if they're not ready to understand it. I remember watching Ghostbusters with my kids when they were about five and seven. My son (the 5yo) started laughing during the part where a character is getting molested by a sexy lady ghost. He said, "That lady ghost is trying to play with his ZIPPER!"

Over all, I think you have to decide based on your child. It's an individual parenting decision, and there isn't one right answer for everyone. I'm not a stickler for the "rules" - my mother used to lie about my age all the time to get me into planetarium shows when I was a little girl, and I'm grateful she did!

No, she hasn't, but I just looked it up on IMDB and it sounds hilarious. I think I'm going to rent it.

 

[NAB]

Funny part here is that The Change Up movie here in Canada is 14A and not restricted. My son wants to see it and he is 14 right now.

He as seen other movies that were rated R in the U.S. If you watch night time TV there is a lot of sexual content in that too these days. No Happy Days or Brady Bunch for these kids.

 

[Scrappy_Tink]

Here is the difference for me:
In our value system, sometimes, killing the bad guy is necessary. This is true in any war situation, and sometimes in our own backyards. It is the reality of the world we live in. Bad things happen to good people as well. Violence just for the sake of violence, torture scenes, ect, she is not ready to deal with. It prompts many discussions about right and wrong, good and evil, and how that line can be blurred by some people.

Sex with just anyone is NEVER necessary, and is totally outside our value system. We choose to teach our child that sex is emotionally important and not to be entered into just becuase. Iti s not recreational activity. This kid of sexual content in a movie is not omething we want her seeing.

I respect your views! I forgot one movie that had a lot of violence that I let my son watch when he was 12......he was so into history, and just BEGGED for me to buy him Band of Brothers for Christmas. To this day, it's one of his favorite movies. Another one that has a lot of violence, language, and even whiffs of racism is Grand Torino with Clint Eastwood. at first you think....OMG I can't believe he's talking like that....but he turns into a really nice guy. I loved the movie!

 

[DWGal210]

I'm just not a shelter my kids kind of person, I guess. And I have no respect for the "ratings" system. Have you seen This Film is Not Yet Rated? The entire system is a farce.

I am watching this on Netflix streaming right now - WOW!! Eye opening!!! What kills me is that no one knows who the MPAA screeners are - the movie makers, directors, writers etc have no idea who is rating their films. And it's totally arbitrary.

I don't have kids yet - but I would look at the story, content, language, violence, etc & make my judgement there, not just on the rating. I look at movies like Schindlers List & Saw, even though both rated R, as two examples of this. I don't think you can only look at the MPAA rating and base your decision solely on that.

 

[cornflake]

I am watching this on Netflix streaming right now - WOW!! Eye opening!!! What kills me is that no one knows who the MPAA screeners are - the movie makers, directors, writers etc have no idea who is rating their films. And it's totally arbitrary.

What really annoys me about the ratings system and MPAA is not so much them. I mean whatever, they're a joke. I don't care, slap a rating on the thing if the producers want you to.

What bothers me is that theatres go by the stuff to a ridiculous degree. They're so into the stupid system that people think there's some kind of law saying kids under whatever can't see R or PG-13 or whatever rated movies.

It's SUPPOSED to be totally voluntary but theatre chains won't run unrated movies and they then take it upon themselves to ban kids from movies based on this stupidity. Like, who asked Clearview Cinema to decide what their kids are allowed to view?

You'd think the people all up in arms about freedom and such would be annoyed at theatres telling them their kids can't go to movies they will send their kids to (I've heard many theatres in some places actually won't even let an adult buy a ticket for a kid for a R-rated movie, the adult has to go in and watch it with the kid), but apparently it's fine for a theatre to tell people how to parent. It's ridiculous.

I'm lucky where I live I don't think theatres care, even if their corporate parents want them to - I was never, ever once carded at a theatre, nor have I seen it happen actually. I'd buy tickets for a kid who was in a hot second if I did though, heh.

 

[castmember19]

I didn't know the Breastfast Club was rated R.

Anyway, I don't think my parents ever had a set age for me to see certain movies. Then again, I never watched movies. When I was in middle school though, I went through a phase where I really loved anime and I couldn't believe what was in some of those cartoons that my parents didn't know about. Themes of nudity, suicide, violence, and sex are ones I distinctly remember. I must have been about 13. Anime is really perverted.

Then again, my parents rarely sat down and watched it with me so they couldn't have known what I was watching, and once I got into a high school they never attempted to control what I watched, but I do remember at a slightly younger age than 13 I tried to rent a movie at Blockbuster and the lady asked my mother if she knew it had adult theming. She said no and made me return it on the spot.

Oh well, I grew up fine.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Not wishing to stereotype cultures here, since of course there are exceptions to this but...

In general I have come to the conclusion that American TV/Movie culture is far more concerned about Sexual things than Violence, at least in comparison to the UK where I live.

You would be shocked at some of the things that are on TV in England at 10 or 11pm (and it is easy for a child to stay up past bedtime) or even in some cases 9pm. Graphic programs giving sex tips and the history of pornography for example.

Even before 9pm you get frank discussions of sexual orientation, sexual health and other topics.

When I have been in the states, I see very little of this, but similar amounts of violence to English TV. Of course, this must come with the caveat that I have not seen all american networks, just some of the mainstream ones, so dont assume I am assuming this is a black and white thing. More different shades of grey

That certainly holds trued with our experience in germany. Lots of nudity and soft core porn on late night network TV, and nudity and frank discussions of sexual topics show up even on the news and in daytime TV.
Ratings also differ. Many films ranked PG-13 or even R in the US are ranked ab 6 (German equivlant of PG), and then a few more violent things ranked PG or PG-13 in the US are ab 16 (essentially R) here.

My kids just watched their first R rated movie last night. (They are almost 10 and almost 12). But it was Stand By Me, which I think should be a PG13, but that wasn't around then, so..
I have no recollection of it being R rated. I was 14 when it came out(25 years ago today!) and ALL of my friends saw it.

I would guess it got the rating it did because of language, just as the King's Speech did. I would let my kids watch that one, too, but they haven't asked.

R is pretty off limits to my kids for the most part now-I take it on a case by case basis.
Raunchy stuff in R rated movies, like The 40 Year Old Virgin type stuff(movies my husband and I love) is totally inappropriate for my kids. Maybe not for yours,and that's fine. but I am not letting my kids see that type of stuff yet.
PG 13 is fine with me and has been for years.

Actually, PG-13 has been around since 1984 and Stand By Me did not come out until 1986. I think the rating is because the F word is said too many times ( i know that was it for the breakfast Club).



BelleBud--your quote did not come through I wanted to answer your question: I have NO familiarity with the movie you referenced (something Greek) but it sounds like it may be generally a raunchy comedy where sexual jokes are the main feature of the film. That may not be one I would let the kids watch. On the other hand, one or twi scenes like you describe within a film that is really not about that would not phase me at all. So, for example, Jerry McGuire is a great little movie with one sex scene with Tom Cruise and his former girl friend and some dirty talk while they finish up their business (trying to be family friendly ), that one my kids saw when they were pretty young and it didn't really bother me since it was not the focus of the film.

 

[DisneyLoverUSA]

I will let my kids see a rated R movie if it is rated R for language or violence, but not if it has sexual content or any nudity. I don't think kids seeing violence in movies make them grow up to be violent ppl so I let my kids watch shoot em up kill em kind of movies as long as there is not any adult type content or sexual dialogue. I don't really want to explain to my kids just yet what a BJ is, so sexual content is out.

 

[disney1990]

It depends on the movie and it depends on the child. My girls (now older) saw movies rated R before they were old enough if we decided that the content was acceptable.

Take Harry Potter for example, the last movie is rated PG-13. My granddaughters, even though they are 11 and 13, will be able to see the movies because they have already read the books.

 

[LisaNJ25]

Not judging at all but I am curious. Why do some feel violence is OK but nudity is not? I feel the opposite. Maybe I'm odd.

I dont want to have to explain things I can deal deal with the robot killing everyone but an opening scene like in bridesmaid? No thanks.


I am not a stickler for the raitings.. my younger ones watch plenty of pg-13 movies. Fast and the Furious.. Transformers, Iron Man etc

 

[dandave]

I will let my kids see a rated R movie if it is rated R for language or violence, but not if it has sexual content or any nudity. I don't think kids seeing violence in movies make them grow up to be violent ppl so I let my kids watch shoot em up kill em kind of movies as long as there is not any adult type content or sexual dialogue. I don't really want to explain to my kids just yet what a BJ is, so sexual content is out.

Oh wow! I can't imagine being OK with my kids watching someone get their head blown off and being uncomfortable with sexual dialogue.
At the off chance that kids do grow up to repeat what they see on TV, I'd rather mine end up having tons of sex than murdering people. But that's just me!

 

[muffyn]

ok. seriously?
those who say their under 18 kids who can watch whatever,
would let their kids watch such tv-ma rated stuff such as the spartacus series on cable?

seriously?

 

[cornflake]

Yes. Hey, I'd rather a kid watch a well-written but graphic historical cable series that has nudity and such than watch some offensive, stereotype-ridden dreck like Two and A Half Men or According to Jim.

I don't think 18 is some magic age, I think ratings are bunk and I'm a believer in teaching kids to discern for themselves, not shelter them.

As weird as it may seem to some, seems just as weird to others when someone says they're fine with their kid watching violence but not nudity. I can't get my head around that one, personally, but that's what makes the world go round.

 

[dandave]

ok. seriously?
those who say their under 18 kids who can watch whatever,
would let their kids watch such tv-ma rated stuff such as the spartacus series on cable?

seriously?

War: My sons can both be drafted for war at 18. My job, my only job as their mother, is to prepare them for the world in which they must survive. There is nothing that Hollywood can produce that would actually portray all the horrors involved in a real war.
Sex: I hope they have tons. I want them to see the consequences of poor decisions and unprotected sex, as portrayed on film. We don't actually know anyone with HIV or AIDS, so I count on Hollywood to show my sons.

I can't imagine the rationale behind sheltering a child, and then vomiting them out into the world. The entire purpose of my being, as a parent, is to educate my children about the world around them. No matter how awkward a subject, I will brooch it! That's my job. If I couldn't handle it, then I wouldn't have burdened my children with my position as their mother.

 

[Magpie]

ok. seriously?
those who say their under 18 kids who can watch whatever,
would let their kids watch such tv-ma rated stuff such as the spartacus series on cable?

seriously?

Depends. Mine are 13 and 15, and we started letting them watch certain specific episodes of South Park years ago.

South Park is certainly TV-MA, I think...

I don't remember exactly when we sat the kids down and made them watch the Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride episode. My husband thinks our son was seven. The point is, we'd seen the episode and we decided it was something the kids needed to see, since there were topics in there that we wanted to discuss with them. We also showed them episodes on child sexual abuse, economics, Christianity, etc...

Of course, not everything we show them is educational. When Snakes on a Plane came out on video in 2007, the kids were keen to see it and so were we. So we had ourselves a "Snakes on a Plane" evening, with our 9 and 11yos.

The point is, we watch TV together.