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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Not to let DS (12) watch top gear?

58 replies

CamboricumMinor · 07/03/2016 18:53

DS wants to watch Top Gear, he watched one and they were talking about lap dancing clubs. Therefore DS is not allowed to watch it. I am now the worst mother in the world and all of the other boys in his class are allowed to watch it.

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 07/03/2016 19:31

YABU. It's Top Gear. Everyone should watch it.

PerettiChelsea · 07/03/2016 19:33

Yabvu
The specials are great, educational even.

spiderlight · 07/03/2016 19:33

I must be the worst mother ever because mine's been watching it religiously since he was about 3 and went to see Top Gear Live with his dad when he was in Reception!! All the dodgy stuff sails right over his head.

specialsubject · 07/03/2016 19:34

a trip to a saddo club is the least of your worries about that show.

I have a dark sense of humour- but the chief arsehole (remember; the workplace bully) and the two sidekicks project rather nasty attitudes.

it used to be good but you-know-who got fawned over too much and now believes his own hype. It is kept going because it is a big money spinner.

Sparklingbrook · 07/03/2016 19:36

Well it will be Chris Evans & Co soon, give people some more to moan about. Grin

abbsismyhero · 07/03/2016 19:39

my son has watched it from when he was two clarkson's voice sends him right to sleep (he is hard to get to sleep) since BBC3 has gone off ive had no end of troubles getting him asleep

yabu

Sparklingbrook · 07/03/2016 19:41

DS1 wrote to Clarkson when he was younger, and he got a reply. More than you can say for Jamie Oliver and Jamie Redknapp who he also wrote to.

Bogeyface · 07/03/2016 19:41

The specials are brilliant and the episode you are referring to is indeed where the destination is mentioned as a lap dancing club, but thats it, no other reference to anything inappropriate.

There is a laddish sense of humour on it, but as long as you accept that they are focusing on a certain audience dempgraphic then you can let it go.

There are some genuinely hilarious moments, not least when JC gets pushed into an ice cold pool in training for the polar special and you can just hear "How dare you...?!" before he realises that actually he needs to get on with what he is told otherwise he will be very ill.

Thats a nice moment for the JC haters :o

RubbleBubble00 · 07/03/2016 19:51

it's a pile of crap but ds's love it and watch the endless repeats on Dave during the day with dh

quietbatperson · 07/03/2016 19:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TrickyBiscuits · 07/03/2016 19:56

Surely Top Gear is made for 12 year old boys?!

IAmNotAMindReader · 07/03/2016 20:00

YABU if I recall not even the inside of the club is seen and they never get there anyway as all the cars break down.
It just suits 12 year old humour

NickiFury · 07/03/2016 20:30

I let mine watch it at 11 it was his favourite programme for ages he was so sad when it ended. I must admit that I winced sometimes when we watched it but overall I think it was more positive than negative. He was so enthusiastic about it and his geography improved no end Grin.

topcat2014 · 07/03/2016 20:44

It is a BBC program at 8pm - perfectly safe - yabu

ForalltheSaints · 07/03/2016 21:06

Nothing to do with the lap dancing mention, but I applaud you for not watching this show which is at least 20 years past its sell-by date.

Sparklingbrook · 07/03/2016 21:08
Hmm
Glasgowgin · 07/03/2016 21:09

Been sat all afternoon watching multiple repeats with a slightly poorly 8 year old who's been watching it for at least 2 years I'd say YABU - much worse he could be watching and I much prefer it to mindless US cartoons.

megletthesecond · 07/03/2016 21:17

Yabu. Mine have watched it from age 7. It's mostly wonderful, enthusiastic stupidity. Whenever the presenters are being genuinely daft I speak to the dc's about it and tell them that the team shouldn't do it and why, any smutty jokes go way over their head tbh. I love TG and I'm a lefty guardian reader who took an advanced driving course, not a petrol head at all.

And the xmas middle east special covers geography, war, religion and different cultures Grin.

SleepyBoBo · 07/03/2016 21:19

I personally hate the programme. It's like something out of the 1970s, three blokes going through a perpetual mid-life crisis, with their big cars, saying non-pc things for entertainment - very boring. However, that's just my opinion, I wouldn't have an issue with my son watching it at 12. They say and do worse things than going to a lapdance club, and as other said 1. any child raised right wouldn't believe the 'opinions' on the show (all scripted, I know) and 2. if you ban him from it, he'll just go look for it elsewhere. Either let him watch it, or ban it (and he'll watch it online/round his mates house).

Sparklingbrook · 07/03/2016 21:20

So much angst over a TV show that isn't even on main channel primetime any more. Confused

Grilledaubergines · 07/03/2016 21:21

I hate cars but Top Gear is brilliant family viewing, particularly the specials. I can think of so many programmes aimed at children which are far worse. Let him watch it for Christ's sake.

WonderingAspie · 07/03/2016 21:38

YABU. DS has watched it from about 2, DD the same. They love it as do I. DS is utterly car mad though and has a brilliant supercar bedroom including a Top Gear Cool Wall. He is 8.

eyebrowse · 07/03/2016 21:56

Its only reruns with Clarkson now. The new series starting in May is headed by Chris Evans (not sure how much better he is...). Clarkson has a new similar show on Amazon. I'm not paying 70 pounds to watch someone who punches a producer.

Some of what Clarkson does may have been acceptable in his boys boarding school but is not in real life. The issue is that how he presents and how the show has worked is really funny and entertaining so he does not need all the nasty extras

Sparklingbrook · 07/03/2016 21:57

We are going to watch both when they come out. Be interesting to see if either are any good.

birdsdestiny · 07/03/2016 22:08

Say yes but just let him watch the Chris Evans version, there will be no lap dancing clubs, just his kids and his mum.