Has anyone else's teen been allowed to watch Breaking Bad?

[myotherusernameisbetter]

My son's would like to watch it (age 13 and 14). I haven't seen it. My OH has watched it and says it is one of the best series he has ever watched.

He says there is not much swearing or sex, it's rated 18 because of the drugs and violence.

He says it doesn't glamorise drugs and the violence is probably similar to video games we've already let them play and they they are still quiet, well behaved boys who get brilliant reports from school.

They say all their friends watch it (I know they all say that!) but I just wanted to gauge how many actually have.

OH is currently negotiating a deal involving haircuts for episodes.

[myotherusernameisbetter]

That should be sons, not son's!! no idea where that stray apostrophe came from

[PenisesAreNotPink]

I've nearly watched all of it and I think it's very sophisticated and to adults it doesn't glamourise drugs as it's very well nuanced.

To a teenager it definitely glamourises drugs, some of the drug taking scenes are very funny and make drug taking desirable. And that's the hard drugs like meth and heroine.

There are no consequences shown for dope smoking, it's done entirely casually and routinely and since dope is the drug a teen is most likely to come into contact with its a bad idea to show it to someone young.

The effects of dope smoking like paranoia or schizophrenia or mental health issues are not shown and that is what teens are experiencing in this country.

I wouldn't show it to an under 18 under any circumstances.

It's an amazing series but it's not for under 18's, it's too nuanced.

[Fairylea]

Hmmm aside from the drugs (obviously a huge part!) I don't think the sex scenes are suitable because there are a few quite brutal / rape type ones between Walt and skylar and I don't think they are suitable.

Definitely not for under 18s.

[LynetteScavo]

My 15yo got up very early every morning to watch it on Netflix, without me knowing for a long time. I wouldn't have let him watch it, and did give him a lecture about what if the younger DC had come downstairs.

Personally, I'd leave the DCs hair long.

[myotherusernameisbetter]

OH worked in mental health so is well aware of the issues with dope - I am surprised he hasn't commented about that. He's watched the whole thing, so whether he was saying on the whole that drug use isn't glamorised, I don't know.

As I say, I haven't seen any of it. He is normally more strict about these things than me - he will usuallu check IMdB before we watch anything that isn't a 12 or where we we don't know the rating.

I bet all parents say this, but I really can't see mine getting involved with drugs.....we have a family history of alcohol issues so are already trying to instil the responsible drinking message.

We've never really been a family to give in over things just because "everyone else does it/sees it etc" I still haven't let them watch Ted for example, but I just wonder if we are being too strict. Eldest in particular struggles socially (borderline aspergers) and if everyone is talking about a programme and are watching it, I don't want them being the ones left out. Eldest has also been bullied in the past.

[myotherusernameisbetter]

Hmm okay - I'll ask OH about the rape scenes too - sounds like he has forgotten about that - i wouldn't be happy with them watching that. At this rate their hair will be down to their knees :(

[myotherusernameisbetter]

One of No2 son's friends did have a Breaking Bad t-shirt on the last time he visited.

[Ledkr]

Some of the violence made me feel pretty sick and I had to have a break from watching it.
I'd say no for that reason alone.

[NorksEnormous]

There is also quite a lot of sex in it at the start! In season one there is sex in episode one two and three!

[Fairylea]

It's not rape as such I suppose (murky waters) it's just there's a couple of scenes where Walt is quite rough in bed and one where he slams her face into the fridge when he's trying to have sex with her. So yes I guess it is rape. It's not pleasant viewing anyway.

I thought about letting my dd watch it and then I remembered those bits and that put me off rather than anything else.

[ashtrayheart]

My 15 yo introduced me to it! He is my netflix adviser, now watching peep show, although he didn't like orange is the new black which I love!

[PenisesAreNotPink]

You can put parental controls on your router or on settings for Netflix so they can't watch stuff when their underage.

[almapudden]

I would let my 13 year old watch it (if I had one). It's a brilliant series of cultural significance. I would rather they watched high-quality, well-written drama about adult themes than dross such as Eastenders, which touches on similar issues in a crass, melodramatic way.

[exexpat]

DS (just turned 16) has watched it - and has also watched Dexter, True Detective, Fargo, everything Tarantino has ever made, and is currently watching The Wire etc etc.

But he is a very mature, analytical 16-year-old (not just my opinion, his teachers also mention it in reports) who is very interested in the whole way films and series like that are structured/scripted/directed as well as enjoying them as entertainment, so I am happy to let him watch things like that. I almost certainly would not have done at 13/14, though - he was very nearly 16 (and meant to be revising for his GCSEs) when he watched Breaking Bad.

[myotherusernameisbetter]

I would mention that they don't watch tv at all otherwise. They watch the odd movie and we try to watch a series of something as a family (IT crowd, Musketeers, Only Fools and Horses)

[myotherusernameisbetter]

They play computer games and read copious amounts - very clever and mature in some ways but socially immature.

[exexpat]

Only Fools and Horses to Breaking Bad sounds like a bit of leap, at any age, let alone 13/14. They might find it disturbing but feel they have to carry on watching, having battled to be allowed to.

[myotherusernameisbetter]

yes, sounds like we need to have another talk.....

[myotherusernameisbetter]

Just looked on IMdB and see that in a lot of other countries it is rated lower:

Australia:MA (some episodes) / Australia:M (some episodes) / Brazil:16 / Canada:PG / Canada:13+ (Quebec) / France:U (season 3) / France:12 (seasons 1, 2, 4 and 5) / Ireland:15 (most episodes) / Ireland:18 (some episodes) / Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) / Netherlands:12 (TV rating) (seasons 1-2) / New Zealand:R18 (DVD rating) (season 4) / New Zealand:R16 (season 1) / Singapore:M18 / South Korea:18 / UK:18 (seasons 1 and 4) / UK:15 (seasons 2, 3 and 5) / USA:TV-14

[almapudden]

I think Breaking Bad has a lot more artistic integrity than Eastenders though.

[exexpat]

Maybe you should watch an episode or two yourself, trying to see it through the eyes of your DSs, and see how you feel about it?

[myotherusernameisbetter]

If they watch it, I was planning to watch it with them. OH says he isn't ready to commit to another 62 episodes again given that he just watched all 5 series in the last month or so. I'll maybe watch the first one and see what I think. I've been told that it's season 3 before it gets really good.