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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to let DD watch Friends?

56 replies

Joolsy · 02/10/2015 19:28

An old episode was on TV the other day so DD (12) watched it with me. We have now aquired the complete 10 series on DVD but have realised there's quite a bit of innuendo & sexual talk, eg. Chandler complaining he can't 'perform' in the bedroom, Rachel talking about when Ross slept with someone else. Is she too young to be hearing this sort of thing? I'm probably being silly - she's pretty innocent but I've no clue what she talks about with her friends when I'm not around. Thanks in advance

OP posts:

badgergirl82 · 02/10/2015 19:30

I love friends - love it - but I do think it presents a weird and warped version of relationships and I think I'd be tempted to talk through that with her THEN watch it and laugh like drains :)

Crazypetlady · 02/10/2015 19:32

I would say friends is fairly harmless. My ds is still a baby though so my opinion could change.

Senpai · 02/10/2015 19:34

YABU. That show is obnoxious.

But it was on when I was about her age and it didn't really teach me anything kids weren't already talking about in school.

Osolea · 02/10/2015 19:34

My ds saw it at 12, I have to say I didn't realise there was quite so much talk of sex until I was conscious of him being in the room, and I've seen every episode about a billion times.

riverboat1 · 02/10/2015 19:35

I think I must have been about 12 when I started watching friends, because I am now 32, I started watching during season 2, and I have seen that Friends is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary.

I'd be amazed if any of the sex stuff in it shocked her or did her any harm, its pretty tame.

But would agree with PP it presents a pretty idealised idea of 20-something life, so maybe talk to her about how a waitress and a sous chef would never have been able to afford that apartment, and very few groups of friends have such close, interwoven lives throughout their twenties!

SurlyCue · 02/10/2015 19:36

I think she's at a good age, also you can use the innuendo/sex talk as an opportunity to let her know about these things in the way you want her to. Rather than her being confused and asking her mates.

SurlyCue · 02/10/2015 19:38

a waitress and a sous chef would never have been able to afford that apartment

Monica's grandma was the tenant named and it was subject to rent control. It was explained in an episode to explain how they afforded it. Monica was subletting to rachel/phoebe (depending on season) and the janitor threatened to report them.

notquitehuman · 02/10/2015 19:38

I must have watched that show around age 12 when it first came on TV. It's pretty standard sitcom dreck. I imagine most of it will go over her head.

tormentil · 02/10/2015 19:39

I was introduced to Friends through youngest DS, probably around 12/13 at the time. ( we hadn't had TV before that and I was very snooty about american sitcoms and canned laughter). Retrospectively, it's a very refreshing sitcom and probably one of the most innocuous ways to address topics around sexuality and relationships. Every sitcom has innuendo. It's got to be discussed sometime. With teenagers, the sooner it's out to be discussed, the better.

NynaevesSister · 02/10/2015 19:44

Haven't you already had conversations about this stuff with her? She's 12. I had my periods by then and had been wearing a bra for over a year. My mum didn't talk about any women stuff and that pretty much meant I didn't talk to her about anything. I wish she had opened up a dialogue at that age so when I needed to talk about relationships and boys I could. I think the stuff in friends is pretty innocuous, so a good starting point if she does feel like she needs to ask questions.

NellysKnickers · 02/10/2015 19:44

Ds is 10, he loves it. Gets embarrassed at the kissing bits sometimes but it generally makes him roar with laughter. I think most of it goes over his head although if he asks questions about any of it, I answer and we move on. I love friends............still, after all these years. She will be fine

Dampfloor · 02/10/2015 19:47

I love it. But after watching quite a lot of season 9-10 I realised just how much porn and sex is mentioned! Didn't clock that first time round.

Porn is referenced in nearly every episode. Richard's porn video with Monica's name on, Chandler and shark porn, etc

Doesn't bother me at all, I love the show. But just thought it's worth a heads up.

3rdrockfromthesun · 02/10/2015 19:47

YANU. Start with the early episodes and see what she thinks. Friends is great and should be watched by everyone!

3rdrockfromthesun · 02/10/2015 19:48

YANBU instead of YANU

Hulababy · 02/10/2015 19:50

Friends is rated as a cert 12 if you buy it.

DD is 13y and watches it. She really likes it. Been watching it a year or so. Some episodes are a tad "dodgy" in places in terms of the sexual type talk, but nothing is really bad iirr. They'll have had plenty of sex ed by that age too, and anything more would still go over their heads to an extent.

Sparklingbrook · 02/10/2015 20:01

Friends is awful, but totally OK for a 12 year old.

Educational in that she can see how flawed all the characters are, and how far fetched the storylines are.

SurlyCue · 02/10/2015 20:01

I wonder what it is like watching friends for the first time now, 20 years after it was created. Im jealous of all these teens getting to experience it for the first time. And i wonder do they find it really dated and old fashioned? Much like i used to find Happy Days

Sparklingbrook · 02/10/2015 20:03

DS1 (16) watches it with a face.

turningvioletviolet · 02/10/2015 20:04

Friends is a young teenage girl's right of passage. DD1 watched it from aged about 12 and she seems unscathed by the horrors of abusive Ross so far.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 02/10/2015 20:05

My teens have all watched it from about the age of 10. They love it, always have.

SurlyCue · 02/10/2015 20:07

I miss friends. Its the only thing i regret cancelling the sky for.

CassieBearRawr · 02/10/2015 20:08

It's a 12/15 rated depending on the episode. But I agree that it's pretty shite so maybe find better things for her to watch instead!

Sparklingbrook · 02/10/2015 20:09

I have it on at the moment. Found Series 10 on the TV. It's the ridiculous one where Phoebe gave all her wedding money to charity and Rachel doesn't want Ross to take Emma to the playground.

TimeToMuskUp · 02/10/2015 20:10

DS1 is 9 and watches odd episodes here and there, I've never considered it particularly risqué but thinking on it, there is a fair bit of innuendo. I think it's like The Simpsons though, in that the majority of it goes over their heads.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 02/10/2015 20:11

Friends on the comedy channel is my go to programme when there is nothing else i want to watch. It's about the only common ground for viewing with the dc.

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