8yo DD's homework based on Bond films - WIBU to complain?

[QueenOfFeckingEverything]

DD's class are basing this term's work on 'Spies'.

She has come home today saying she doesn't know how to do her homework because she doesn't know who James Bond is. Apparently the homework is to find out about a villain from a Bond film and then write about them - she's left the sheet at school so is unsure of the details though.

Now I am Not Happy with that. Bond films are not suitable for 8yo children - aren't most of them 12 or 15 rated? Surely the school should not be basing homework round films the children should not have seen - obviously I am aware that most of them will have done but it shouldn't be assumed.

Plus as far as I am aware (not a film watcher myself really) they are somewhat sexist, or at least Bond's treatment of women is, and I don't really want the films and their messages given tacit approval by school tbh.

So I am thinking I might write and state my objections...

[TheMonster]

I would hold off complaining until you have seen the sheet. Maybe it included Bond as an example.

[lovecheese]

Bond films do have some cracking baddies, but I would not want an 8 year-old to watch them.

[PanelMember]

Before you object, perhaps you should read the sheet to check exactly what's required? I would guess that half the point of the homework is to do some independent research, which you can do without watching the films. There's a wiki page for Ernst Stavro Blofeld, for example.

If you really can't bring yourself to have anything to do with Commander Bond, perhaps you could base the homework on one of the Alex Ryder books, which are very popular with my similarly-aged dd and her friends.

[southeastastra]

my ds(9) would love homework like this! it would fire his imagination.

they're just fun films, don't over analyse them too much

[QueenOfFeckingEverything]

I'm not over analysing to point out that many of them have 12/15 certificates.

It won't fire DD's imagination as she, quite rightly IMO, has no idea who the hell Bond is.

[GypsyMoth]

think they are 12 certificate???

[southeastastra]

oooh that told me then!

maybe some of the boys would like the homework though - school is so girl centric these days

[pozzled]

I would check the details first, but I wouldn't be very happy about this as a homework. I certainly wouldn't be showing a Bond film to an 8 year-old. I suppose they could look up some info on Wikipedia but it's still not something I'd particularly want them learning about.

[thebestisyettocome]

Weird. For one thing a lot of people find Bond films very sexist. Asking an 8 year old girl to critique them is odd

[DamselInDisguise]

The earlier films are PG rated and they show them on daytime tv all the time. I'd seen bond films at that age (although I didn't like them).

[southeastastra]

\link{http://www.lovefilm.com/community/view_list.html?customer_list_id=9890\most of them are Pg} according to this site btw

[PanelMember]

I haven't checked them all, but Diamonds Are Forever (one of the films in which Blofeld appears) is PG.

Southeastastra is right, I think, that boys may well like this homework and, as I said earlier, the Alex Ryder books are very popular with this age group. You're entitled to your views, but I'm a bit baffled by the argument that because a child hasn't heard of James Bond they shouldn't be asked to find out about him. What else does that argument apply to? Homework isn't always going to be about something the child already knows.

[DamselInDisguise]

To be honest, James Bond is a big part of British culture and I see absolutely nothing wrong with learning about him in school. Its a completely legitimate way to learn about the spy genre in fiction, and will help the kids to think more about the spy books written for their age group.

I think you're being quite precious.

[pointydog]

Do you know any Bond villains? You could describe one to her. It's another way to find out about something.

[mrz]

The early Bond films are rated PG with the most recent rated PG-13 and you really don't need to watch the film to do the homework.

entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/specials/for_your_eyes_only/article3660946.ece

[southeastastra]

loads of bond villans were also women weren't they

[mrz]

www.whsmith.co.uk/CatalogAndSearch/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=9780198472193

[BelovedCunt]

get her to write about pussy galore and how hilarious it is that her name means that she has a big fanny and likes to put it about.

[goingmadinthecountry]

Never really thought about age rating of Bond films - they've always seemed pretty family type stuff to me. I woulldn't complain, but I'm pretty open minded about most things as it leads to interesting discussion with my children. Mind you, with my teacher hat on I wouldn't mention Bond in homework for 8yos as I know it would create controversy.

[megapixels]

I wouldn't like it too, and yes I find it very sexist. How on earth is it appropriate homework for an 8 year old? Mine would have no idea who or what James Bond is, and rightly so I think.

[megapixels]

Bond films seem pretty family type? I haven't seen the old films but the newer ones (and this is going back to Pierce Brosnan) are anything but.

[IvyAndGold]

bond films? she's not being taught by alan partridge is she?

[PanelMember]

Whatever one might think of Bond films, I don't see how a full term's theme of Spies could bypass him entirely.