Irresponsible Parenting
Ok, I’m not a parent myself but at least I have some common sense.
My post will possibly be offending to some, but honestly I think there is at least some thought and justification put into this post.
I was watching M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Happening” nothing much on the movie, maybe some scene spoilers but no plot spoilers here.
So I was at AMK hub watching this movie and unfortunately for us, we were one of the last to enter the theater although the movie hasn’t started yet. The point being, most of the people are already seated.
ANY Tom, Dick, Harry and their mother would know that this movie is a drama/sci-fi with some gore and blood. Not so much of horror but there’s definitely gore.
Not for some of the parents who are watching the movie.
There were at least 2 families seated around me (and I didn’t even see the other people in other areas of the theater) with a total of 3 children under 10 years old watching the movie.
Sure enough, there was gore. There were lions ripping off a guy’s arm, tonnes of people dead from suicide.
Children especially those at a young age are extremely impressionable.
Violence at a young age can cause emotional instability and trauma.
This movie has especially placed the concept of suicide into their minds. There were people cutting themselves with broken glass, jumping off buildings and shooting themselves in the head with a gun. What in the right mind of these parents allow their children to be exposed to such ideas?????
There was a kid sitting RIGHT beside me, sobbing when some of the people in the movie were committing suicide and the mother was just hugging him and trying to comfort him saying it’s ok.
IT DOES NOT WORK THIS WAY. HOW IS IT OKAY????
I would just bring the kid out at the first sight of violence and bring him for ice cream, make him forget that we even went into the theater and bring him to the next screening of Kungfu Panda.
I don’t care if I waste the 10bucks of what ever it is I spent on the movie ticket for the whole family. This is not the right way.
And also, I also question Singapore’s ratings on the movie. If they enforce NC-16 or M-18 or R-21. I don’t see why they should not enforce a PG movie.
And I also question the rating on this movie for Singapore. Just look at the following ratings for this movie in different countries:
Portugal:M/16
UK:15 |
Germany:16 (cut) |
Norway:15 |
Australia:MA |
USA:R (Rated R for violent and disturbing images)
South Korea:18 |
Hong Kong:IIB |
Ireland:15A |
Singapore:PG |
New Zealand:R13 |
Finland:K-15 |
Philippines:R-13
Singapore is the ONLY one which is rated PG. WHY?
Can parental guidance really just rid the child of the concept of suicide? Cos throughout the ENTIRE 91mins, it was suicide.
My stand is that given that the cinema doesn’t enforce ratings on their viewers, parent themselves must practice discretion and take necessary actions not to instill adverse thoughts into their children, 10 or 15 years down the road, you’re going to suffer the consequences of your irresponsible parenting.
Common sense is not so common nowadays apparently.
ctrlsave responds:
Posted: June 17th, 2008 at 12:58 am →
I totally agree about those parents. y even that movie in the first place. common sense would tell one to bring kids to kungfu panda. u dont bring a kid to watch movies that you like yourself, it should be something that they would like.
kiya responds:
Posted: June 17th, 2008 at 1:01 am →
oh you’re so dammed right…
Anna responds:
Posted: June 17th, 2008 at 1:05 am →
I totally agree with you. It makes me sick how more and more parents seem to be so irresponsable. I really wish that movie ratings will be enforced, and that people (like parents) will actually pay attention to them.
Lara responds:
Posted: June 17th, 2008 at 1:46 am →
Yes you’re right.
..but the rating in Germany is ‘just-for fun’. No, and I really mean No, No movie theatre is controlling your age if you want to see a ‘big’ movie like this. I hope it’s not like that in the other countries.
Liz responds:
Posted: June 17th, 2008 at 2:24 pm →
I cannot agree more.
It was the most puzzling thing to see families with kids behind me for “The Happening” as well.
And the first thing I remember saying when I got out of the movie theatre was, HOW IS THE MOVIE RATED PG?!?!
Madness.
Our censorship board has gone mad.
Harold and Kumar with nudity and pot-smoking college kids was rated M15 or something like that too which is dumb.
s. responds:
Posted: June 17th, 2008 at 4:02 pm →
agree. actually, it’s also kinda mind-boggling how sg can be so strict/uptight about certain things and lax about others……
Tim responds:
Posted: June 17th, 2008 at 7:40 pm →
It’s probably just an overlook from MDA. It could just be one idiot who didn’t classify the movie properly.
Based on what you mentioned, I believe it’ll be revised once it receives enough complains.
Children are more likely to be affected by their social groups, although environmental factors such as movies may affect them as well. Don’t think too deep about it.
After all, we all turned out well, didn’t we?
Alex responds:
Posted: June 18th, 2008 at 12:32 pm →
i saw the happening a few nights ago, so i know what you mean about the gore, etc. i think showing it to kids under 10 is ridiculous, but i actually saw it with my 12 year old brother and that seemed perfectly fine. the main point, i believe, is that it is a shyamalan movie, so it has some interesting artistic value. it’s ok for parents to expose their kids to violence as long as violence is not the main theme (like in action movies). the happening was of interest because of some of the underlying messages, camera shots, and characters (and the ‘campness’ and the creepy old lady with that scary doll…omg).
but yeah, lol. i actually quite liked it
VacancyJobsUs responds:
Posted: June 23rd, 2008 at 2:58 pm →
Don’t sad, life is beautiful right?