Disney (and others) at the Box Office - Current State of Affairs

[DKampy]

An important piece is people using those types of tools to make an active and informed decision.

There doesn't need to be a hard and fast rule about kids not seeing R rated movies. A movie can get an R rating for merely having a few curse words, which is different than a movie with extreme sex or violence. I would hope that parents play an active role when it comes to what their kids watch.

A friend who is a teacher had to talk to his grade 3 class because they were playing games and pretending to shoot each other as an imitation of the Squid Game TV series. Elementary school kids do not need to be watching one of the most violent TV shows in existence.

Yeah, let parents decide for the most part by all means, but it should be acknowledged that many aren't paying attention and there is a line where I have no problem saying that yes, letting your kid watch this particular show at their age is bad parenting.

I was generally not allowed to see R Rated movies when I was young… sometimes after my parents watched such a film before hand I would be allowed… I remember my mom deciding I could watch Beverly Hills cop the next day after watching a rental the night before

On the flip side my brother who is 12 years younger my parents let up on their rules and he was able to watch stuff like Pulp Fiction… as well as my cousins who were close to my age would be allowed to watch stuff like Friday the 13th and Porkys… none of them were messed up from it

I say this as someone who would probably would be some what restrictive on what my kids watched depending on age, maturity level and rather or not I thought they could handle it if I had childrenI….but I don’t feel I have the right to tell others how to raise their children…who is to say if it was not a 2nd screening and those parents thought their kids could handle it after watching a first time…. But no matter what it is those adults decision

 

[LittleBuford]

That's true, I completely agree. My point with modern society is it's not really as frowned upon now. The overall public perception is, well if that's what the parents want, who am I to say anything. Parents have always done questionable things when it comes to parenting. Now it seems wrong to label said things as not good so as not to offend anyone. And I just find that a bit strange.

I don’t know that things were better in the past:

The overall public perception is, well if that's what the parents want, who am I to say anything. Parents have always done questionable things when it comes to parenting. Now it seems wrong to label said things as not good so as not to offend anyone. And I just find that a bit strange.

Honestly, the last few pages of this thread seem almost upside down to me. In my experience, it’s normally right-leaning people who argue that parents should have the last say and left-leaning people who argue the opposite. The former viewpoint does not seem newfangled to me.

 

[LittleBuford]

Unfortunately it’s not always the case but we have a lot of safeguards in place to address the exceptions, no system is perfect but I’d rather err on the side of parental rights and address the outliers individually than make blanket rules that take away the rights of decent parents to make decisions for their children.

To my mind, a blanket rule that prevents parents from taking their children to the cinema to see age-inappropriate films would not be taking away their rights (or at least any right they should be entitled to in the first place). It’s insane to me that it’s legal in the US for six-year-olds to accompany their parents to screenings of films like Evil Dead Rise. Quite apart from the harm it can do to the children themselves, the last thing I want is to be sharing my space with kids while watching such material. It’s just inappropriate all around.

 

[Disney Irish]

I did not expect this thread to shift into parents rights territory so aggressively.

I agree. Parents should be the ultimate arbiter of what content their children should or should not be exposed to. Heck, maybe a legislature should pass a law dealing with the parental rights in, say…education to make sure they get a voice at the table.

There is a difference in my mind between those two situations, but this is not the time or the place for that topic as had been decided by the Mods.

 

[Disney Irish]

I wouldn't say anything to someone in public, because I shouldn't have to. Taking a 6yr old to Deadpool is really not appropriate. That should be common sense. You say as long as you're not harming. There's plenty of studies saying you could be. A 6yr old is in kindergarten/1st grade. It shouldn't be controversial to say a they shouldn't be watching bloody violence, cursing and all the sexual things in a Deadpool film. But unfortunately that's the state of modern society.

And what if my 6 yr old for example is more mature then the average 6 year old? For example what if my 6 yr old is not in K/1st but actually already in an higher grade because they are advanced and gifted? Is that appropriate because they are far beyond their physical age?

 

[LittleBuford]

And what if my 6 yr old for example is more mature then the average 6 year old? For example what if my 6 yr old is not in K/1st but actually already in an higher grade because they are advanced and gifted? Is that appropriate because they are far beyond their physical age?

I don’t want anyone’s six-year-old next to me while hearing jokes about pegging. I don’t care how precocious they are.

 

[Disney Irish]

I don’t want anyone’s six-year-old next to me while hearing jokes about pegging. I don’t care how precocious they are.

And I appreciate your opinion, only thing I can suggest is that you move seats if that were to happen in the US.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Honestly, the last few pages of this thread seem almost upside down to me. In my experience, it’s normally right-leaning people who argue that parents should have the last say and left-leaning people who argue the opposite. The former viewpoint does not seem newfangled to me.

Right leaning people don't think parents should have the last say. If they deem something inappropriate for their kids they want to take away that choice from other parents. They're the ones banning media. They think they should have the last say.

Left leaning people are fine with parents having the last say. What they're not fine with is being told what their children can see or be taught. Don't like a topic being taught in school? Fine, pull your kids but don't dictate that others be shielded from what you deem to be problematic.

To my mind, a blanket rule that prevents parents from taking their children to the cinema to see age-inappropriate films would not be taking away their rights (or at least any right they should be entitled to in the first place). It’s insane to me that it’s legal in the US for six-year-olds to accompany their parents to screenings of films like Evil Dead Rise. Quite apart from the harm it can do to the children themselves, the last thing I want is to be sharing my space with kids while watching such material. It’s just inappropriate all around.

It absolutely wouldn't be taking away rights. There are already film classifications that minors cannot legally attend. There are age restrictions on lots of things.

I don't think we need a hard rule in this area, but if there was it would be because of inattentive parenting. We have PG-13 and PG-18 (R) so I'd generally say 13 is a good cutoff for R-rated movies. It will vary by child and movie, but there's plenty of stuff for kids to watch.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

I don’t want anyone’s six-year-old next to me while hearing jokes about pegging. I don’t care how precocious they are.

That's when you turn to them and explain exactly what the joke means.

 

[Disney Irish]

Right leaning people don't think parents should have the last say. If they deem something inappropriate for their kids they want to take away that choice from other parents. They're the ones banning media. They think they should have the last say.

Left leaning people are fine with parents having the last say. What they're not fine with is being told what their children can see or be taught. Don't like a topic being taught in school? Fine, pull your kids but don't dictate that others be shielded from you deem to be problematic.

Exactly, it used to be that Right leaning were the people of "personal responsibility", that changed decades ago.

 

[LittleBuford]

And I appreciate your opinion, only thing I can suggest is that you move seats if that were to happen in the US.

Thankfully, in all my years of living in the US, I’ve never myself experienced it. My partner, who’s American, actually didn’t believe me when I told him children were allowed accompanied into R-rated movies. From the perspective of those not used to such a system (a system that allows six-year-olds to watch a girl stabbing her genitalia with a crucifix), it’s frankly bonkers.

 

[easyrowrdw]

Society makes rules for others all the time based on what it collectively thinks is best. Alcohol and smoking restrictions, prostitution, and drugs are examples that immediately come to mind. In the US, that hasn't extended to hard age-restrictions on movies. An individual's judgment of those decisions isn't connected to the laws though. "It may be legal for you to do this, but I think you shouldn't do it." Or maybe someone thinks we should pass a law against it. Fair enough. We have a process for that too.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Right leaning people don't think parents should have the last say. If they deem something inappropriate for their kids they want to take away that choice from other parents. They're the ones banning media. They think they should have the last say.

Left leaning people are fine with parents having the last say. What they're not fine with is being told what their children can see or be taught. Don't like a topic being taught in school? Fine, pull your kids but don't dictate that others be shielded from what you deem to be problematic.



It absolutely wouldn't be taking away rights. There are already film classifications that minors cannot legally attend. There are age restrictions on lots of things.

I don't think we need a hard rule in this area, but if there was it would be because of inattentive parenting. We have PG-13 and PG-18 (R) so I'd generally say 13 is a good cutoff for R-rated movies. It will vary by child and movie, but there's plenty of stuff for kids to watch.

Can’t really get into this because it’s political but both sides are guilty of this, just depends on the issue. In many cases the right champion parental rights and the left try to take them away, in many cases the left champion parental rights and the right try to take them away, there’s very little black and white in American politics, both parties frequently flip flop to mirror their ideologies.

 

[LittleBuford]

That's when you turn to them and explain exactly what the joke means.

That’s an easy out (“They wouldn’t get the joke anyway”), but depictions of sex and violence certainly wouldn’t go over their heads.

 

[LittleBuford]

Can’t really get into this because it’s political but both sides are guilty of this, just depends on the issue. In many cases the right champion parental rights and the left try to take them away, in many cases the left champion parental rights and the right try to take them away, there’s very little black and white in American politics, both parties frequently flip flop to mirror their ideologies.

This is true.

I’d like to think I’m consistently mistrustful of parents.

 

[Disney Irish]

I don't think that children who are advanced academically have commensurate advancements in emotional maturity. I don't think those "parts" of the brain are really connected.

Society makes rules for others all the time based on what it collectively thinks is best. Alcohol and smoking restrictions, prostitution, and drugs are examples that immediately come to mind. In the US, that hasn't extended to hard age-restrictions on movies. An individual's judgment of those decisions isn't connected to the laws though. "It may be legal for you to do this, but I think you shouldn't do it." Or maybe someone thinks we should pass a law against it. Fair enough. We have a process for that too.

Those examples you gave have laws attached to them, this is not the case with movie viewing thankfully. But if there was a law preventing it in the US, I would obey it. But until then its up to parental discretion here in the US on taking their kids to R rated movies.

 

[Disney Analyst]

This is why I try and go to the VIP Cineplex. 19+

 

[LittleBuford]

This is why I try and go to the VIP Cineplex. 19+

Too lazy to Google, but what’s the Canadian system like?

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

That’s an easy out (“They wouldn’t get the joke anyway”), but depictions of sex and violence certainly wouldn’t go over their heads.

My comment was more tongue in cheek, but such a hypothetical might demonstrate why parents should research a movie's content and make an informed decision. The kid might ask their friends what it means and the parent might not want to be having that conversation.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

This is true.

I’d like to think I’m consistently mistrustful of parents.

As long as you’re consistent I respect that, I like to think I’m consistant also in supporting parental rights.