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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not let my 11 year old watch Eastenders but..

127 replies

seeker · 12/04/2012 10:42

...to let him watch South Park?

OP posts:
blameitonthecaffeine · 12/04/2012 12:27

I wouldn't allow either but, if I absolutely had to, I would probably choose Eastenders. South Park makes me cringe. I see what you're saying about the clever way of making moral points on occasion but, as far as I'm concerned, it's largely crude, offensive and ridiculous.

LeBOF · 12/04/2012 12:29

It sounds to me that this character is used in themes about racism and societal attitudes, rather than just a character the writers are racist about. South Park is not to everybody's taste, certainly, but I think it's written by intelligent people using crass humour to make a variety of points.

Hulababy · 12/04/2012 12:30

DD is 10y and I don't let her watch EE, not that she has asked to tbh. We rarely watch it these days either. She has never seen South Park, it's not something I watch, or DH.

I do let her watch some grown up TV. She likes Holby City for example.

cantspel · 12/04/2012 12:36

Southpark is not racist. They poke fun at everything regardless of colour, race, religion. They treat racism and anti racism as a joke and something to poke fun at.

badtasteflump · 12/04/2012 12:38

I agree cantspel

Kaluki · 12/04/2012 12:39

I wouldn't let my dc watch SouthPark even though I know some of their friends do. I just don't think it is suitable for kids, even though it is a cartoon.

I watch EE and occasionally they watch with me but it doesn't hold their attention for long and a lot of stuff goes over their heads.
DS2 (8) loves Waterloo Road for some reason and DS1 is into Family Guy, both of which I am a bit Hmm about but do let them watch anyway.

WorraLiberty · 12/04/2012 12:41

Southpark is not racist. They poke fun at everything regardless of colour, race, religion. They treat racism and anti racism as a joke and something to poke fun at.

Yes, but would a child 'get that'...or would they just see it as ripping the piss out of race and religion?

That's often the problems with shows that are not aimed at 11yr old children.

HalfPastWine · 12/04/2012 12:41

Neither are suitable imo. South Park has cute figures which will amuse dcs but I don't think the language is appropriate.

And that it celebrates everything that's vile about modern society.

Totally agree. It's absolutely depressing too, I stopped watching years ago.

Kaluki · 12/04/2012 12:46

I only ever found South Park funny when it was on Friday nights when I rolled in from the pub (back in the days when I had a social life!)
If I see it now I cringe.

cantspel · 12/04/2012 12:47

Worra mine seemed to have got it. They have watched southpark for a while and a even though they are now a bit older than 11 they do understand the moral of the story behind the joke and over use of the f word.

WorraLiberty · 12/04/2012 12:48

I should add that I find most South Parks hilarious

I don't think they're suitable for kids though.

Nanny0gg · 12/04/2012 12:55

Why does a child of 11 (or younger fhs!) need to watch either?
Can you really not find something more suitable?

Themumsnot · 12/04/2012 13:00

And to think I was worrying about letting me 12 and 10-year-olds watch The Big Bang Theory....

Original poster
seeker · 12/04/2012 13:26

Oh lord- what's wrong with The Big Bang theory?

OP posts:
natwebb79 · 12/04/2012 14:12

South Park is a shocker! I watch it with other half and we find it hilarious because we're old enough to understand the irony but I would never let a kid watch it. Have you not seen the testicular cancer one where the dad tries to get it on purpose so he can get weed on prescription? Or the one where the children who thought they my be gay were sent to a boot camp and the sign outside the building said 'pray the gay away!'?? That's just two mild examples!

tabulahrasa · 12/04/2012 14:21

My DP was flicking through channels last night and stopped on South Park (he sometimes watches it, I don't)

they were sing this song...

?Oh, what a glorious Sunday. I know what I?d like to do with my time.

Would you like a blowjob?
Yes I would like a blowjob
Nothing beats a blowjob
On football Sunday

Excuse me. I?m the queen of blowjobs
Really? I would love a blowjob
A woman should give blowjobs
On football Sunday

I want to be
Covered in semen
On a bed in the Hotel Jerome
A woman is prettiest
Covered in semen
Give your husband a blowjob
When you get home!

And what about you, my fair lady? Could I trouble you for a quick Lewinski?
Oh, I don?t know, kind sir. Blowjobs seem a little degrading to me.
Come now. A blowjob isn?t with your mouth, it?s with your heart.

Now get on your knees and put your heart to work!

Blowjobs, give us more blowjobs
Your duty is blowjobs
To love giving blowjobs
?Cuz what could be better
On a football Sunday
What could be better
On a football Sunday ??

Now Eastenders can be a bit grim, but I'm pretty sure I've never seen them do anything quite like that Hmm

ToastofWar · 12/04/2012 14:27

Sorry, nothing construtive to add, but cracking up at 'Token' and 'pray the gay away' Grin.

Surely, Token is just a dig at the fact that on tv programmes,here and in the US, there is always a group of friends with the token Black friend it it.

Original poster
seeker · 12/04/2012 14:35

You see, my 11 year old is quite sophisticated enough to get the "Token" and the "pray the gay away" ( unlike some adults it seems!) because we are a very "political" household and talk about stuff like that. He's heard the term blow job on Michael Mackintyre and we just say that if you're watching adult programmes there is stuff you won't understand yet.

And would still rather he watched that than the awful, sexist, lowest common denominator normalising crap that is Eastenders.

OP posts:
OddBoots · 12/04/2012 14:43

Thankfully it's not an either/or situation, it's perfectly possible to watch neither.

Original poster
seeker · 12/04/2012 15:07

Absolutely! But I've been challenged in RL on my Eastenders/SouthPark decision and I wanted to know what other people think.

OP posts:
Hoebag · 12/04/2012 15:23

South Park is nothing anyone would take seriously but is just funny,

I dunno about 11 though .

Original poster
seeker · 12/04/2012 15:29

I think South Park deals with very serious topics- see my comment about the Asperger's episode earlier.

OP posts:
tabulahrasa · 12/04/2012 15:34

'awful, sexist, lowest common denominator normalising crap that is Eastenders' as opposed to the blowjob song? Confused

I've given up on Eastenders myself, so I think that's fair enough, but IMO South Park is way worse, yes it does satirise issues and it does bring up some things that should be brought up, but not in a way that I think suits children and in amongst that is some really adult content.

Jinsei · 12/04/2012 15:48

I don't think either is suitable. I can't stand eastenders but on the odd occasions when I have caught a glimpse of it, I have been Shock that they allow it on before the watershed - and I think I'm pretty lax in general about what I let dd watch. Confused

cantspel · 12/04/2012 15:54

The fact is southpark is not aimed at 11 year olds nor is it shown at a time when an 11 year old should be watching tv.

And the black charachter in southpark is called Token Black which is not being racist but having a pop at other tv shows which have a token black family in them.

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