To think this is innappropriate

[mimmum]

Saw the production of Oliver in the West End with the family. It was ok not really my thing but the rest of the family seemed to enjoy. But there were a couple of scenes that really made my skin crawl. A song about being hard and a man briefly rubbing himself on a woman who didn't seem happy about it, with the obvious innuendo. Also a scene with a couple where there was obviously simulated sex. Am I a prude, everyone else laughed but I felt uncomfortable especially as there were a lot of children there. Though thankfully it went right over my dc's heads.

It's meant to be crude and bawdy - that is what the life Bill Sykes and Nancy etc. lived was like. It's being realistic. Not unneccessary in the slightest IMO.

Also, of course the humour is bawdy and crude. It reflects the outlook of life in the seedy side of London at that time. That's what they would have been saying/doing. Go to the Lion King next time!

I'm sorry, I know this has upset you, but I really do think you're being a bit too precious over this. I've personally not seen it, but members of my family have, and they've taken young children, and I haven't heard anything bad said about it. People are just sensitive to different things I guess. I think your point about everyone else laughing and your children not noticing is ultimately key....there's no harm done :).

I saw it when I was a child and it clearly went over my head seeing as I can't remember what it was about.

In fact, here's a couple of verses
Pretty little Sally
Goes walkin' down the alley,
Displays a pretty ankle to all of the men.
They could see her garters,
But not for free and gratis --
An inch or two, and then
She knows when to say when!
ALL: Oom-pah-pah! Oom-pah-pah!
That's how it goes.
Oom-pah-pah! Oom-pah-pah!
Ev'ryone knows:
NANCY: Whether it's hidden, or whether it shows --
It's the same, oom-pah-pah!

She was from the country,
But now she's up a gum-tree --
She let a feller feed 'er, and lead 'er along.
What's the use o' cryin'?
She's made a bed to lie in.
She's glad to bring a coin in,
And join in this song!
ALL: Oom-pah-pah! Oom-pah-pah!
That's how it goes!
Oom-pah-pah! Oom-pah-pah!
Ev'ryone knows:
NANCY: She is no longer the same blushin' rose
Ever since oom-pah-pah!

Yes I agree but think the lyrics are clever and not in your face unlike the other parts.

DD's prep school has just done Oliver as their end of year school play, and yes - it is about the hard life of olden days London. Some real not nice topics. Obviously for the school play it was toned donwn a lot and much of it went over the heads of the younger children.

But I would expect to see pretty unpleasant scenes in Oliver TBH. It is not that nice a topic overall, despite being a good story and having some good songs.

And from, "It's a Fine life" comes:

[NANCY]
Though you sometimes do come by
The occasional black eye
You can always cover one
'Til he blacks the other one
But you don't dare cry.

Indeed.

But my parents took me to see Sweeney Todd when it first opened at the Barbican I think.

Horrific bloody scenes but tempered by the sweet music of Sondheim...

Here we go
another

aibu ?

yes you are

No I'm not

Well I think that it perhaps just wasn't my taste. Love Sondheim sweeney Todd and into the woods, bit I find that so funny and cleverly done not that I'd take dc.

I can see your point though OP and I often wonder why "Oliver" and "Annie" are often packaged together as DVDs.

Same theme, true, with jolly and heart-rending songs, but Twist was meant to be an expose (no accent sorry) of the grimness of life in the Victorian age whereas Annie is set in the Depression and is a rags to riches tale but isn't nearly as harrowing.

I hate musicals.

I was forced to sit through Oliver on a school trip and was at the anti-semitism, TBH; I mean, I know Dickens' original script was anti-semitic, but I thought they might have tempered it a bit or removed a few 'kikes' or something considering how much other stuff they 'altered'.

The sex stuff pales into insignificance IMO.

So sorry imiss thought that was the point of aibu, a bit of debate. Oh well

just what i was thinking imisssleeping

I knew most people wouldn't agree with me and all your responses have been interesting. I do sort of think iwbu but it was just how I felt.

I for one was enjoying typing about Oliver. Plenty of lurkers will be reading it too.

There is no need to reduce the thread to an AIBU? / YES! / NO I'M NOT!

I so agree Stewie, and was thinking that this morning when considering this thread anew. Sex is probably the least bothering thing about the story - the violence, abuse, murder, horrific situation of orphans etc. is far more concerning. Still not enough to censor it for my children though - they do need to know shit happens!

Yanbu, unless there was a health warning.

Well, I have only seen the musical movie, so I never saw any rubbing or heard a song about any hard bits. I did see the movie 7 times, had the album and still know every song by heart. I don't know if you are bu, as I have not seen what you describe. The film is fine for most children though.

Just thank your luckys that the West End (and evry screenplay) version has been utterly watered down if that offends you. You'd have been running from the stalls in tears within twenty minutes if it was true to the book!

Oliver is my 3 year old's favourite film, it all goes over her head but she loves the singing and dancing especially Who Will Buy.

Would love to see the West End version, costs a bloody fortune though. You must be mad to fork out to go and see something that's not really your cup of tea, arf.

Musicals are not meant to be enjoyable

Well Ioved film version of musical and have no problems with gritty realism etc just that type of humour isn't my cup of tea.