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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Is 14 too young

70 replies

kitkat1968 · 22/05/2016 23:23

to be studying 'The History Boys' . I know the film has an 'R' rating in USA.
Just canvassing opinion

OP posts:

KittyWindbag · 23/05/2016 07:54

to say that the film has a 15 rating and is therefore unsuitable for 14-year-olds makes no sense at all. One film version of Macbeth has a 15 rating but we were studying it at 13/14...

Plays are not films. And The History Boys is an EXCELLENT play; funny, sensitive, thought-provoking. It has sexual content, but what do we expect teenagers to be studying? If I had been given the choice to study The History Boys over bloody boring Pygmaelion at that age I know which one I would have chosen.

frumpet · 23/05/2016 07:59

Has she actually said that kitkat ?

KittyWindbag · 23/05/2016 08:00

kitkat why don't you borrow a copy of the play/rent the DVD and see for yourself? The play isn't full of people having sex. Only One character actually has sex and it doesn't happen in the text, he merely talks about it in passing. There is one scene where there is strong speculative talk about sex but that's really all it is. I wouldn't say it's a play about child abuse, although abuse of position and power are themes.

GeorgeTheThird · 23/05/2016 08:01

They very often discuss issues relating to consent before the age of 16 - they need to.

shovetheholly · 23/05/2016 08:06

Have you seen it kitkat? Because from your description, I think people would get the impression that it's some kind of salacious classroom bonkfest, like Alan Ayckbourne does Yorkshire child porn. And ee by gum, lass, that's not how I remember it.

cdtaylornats · 23/05/2016 08:06

Having read what gets a film a 15 rating, I fear a documentary about the average secondary playground would be a 15.

frumpet · 23/05/2016 08:07

And have you seen or read the play kitkat ?

goodbyestranger · 23/05/2016 08:18

No it's not too young it's absolutely fine.

var123 · 23/05/2016 08:23

Funnily enough, I noticed this morning that The History Boys is one of the set texts for GCSE (AQA, WJEC and Eduqas).

www.educationumbrella.com/curriculum-vital/gcse-english-literature-set-texts-for-teaching-from-2015

Its a great story, lovely film, but I wouldn't have though to have my Y9 boy watch it. Maybe things are changing so fast at this age, that I'm not keeping up, rather than whoever chose the books?

var123 · 23/05/2016 08:25

The "coolest" boy has sex with the headmaster's secretary and he offers sex to the male teacher. Plus the old teacher gropes the boys and they discuss it.

AtiaoftheJulii · 23/05/2016 08:31

The boys are all in their seventh term of sixth form - they're all (apart from the little youngest one?) well over 18. Abuse of power, perhaps, abuse of children, no.

frumpet · 23/05/2016 08:34

Var , it isnt overt though is it , it is alluded to , but not actually seen iyswim.

Young people do discuss sex amongst themselves at this age anyway , a number are actually doing it at this age too , illegal or not !

kitkat I cannot imagine any teacher is expecting any pupil studying the play to be able to discuss sex knowledgably , but as mentioned above , the themes of the play instead .

Being older , I did a lot of Shakespeare at school , no sex , violence or modern themes in there , oh no ]

BabyGanoush · 23/05/2016 08:36

It depends. a friend of mine took her DD (13) to the play, the girl was mortified (as was the mum) and she really regretted taking her.

But I would let my DS (13) read/watch it, because he has the maturity to deal with it (I generally don't censor books for my teens, if he does not like a book/feels uncomfortable, he can put it away.)

IMO it is not a bad thing for secondary age children to read about bad things like sexual abuse, much worse if it is a taboo subject that cannot be discussed.

Am saying this as someone who had a dodgy piano teacher who used to slide his hand down my shirt when I was a teen, and I thought it was something that should never be discussed as surely I was the only one this ever happened to, and it made ME a weirdo.

Bring it out in the open, I say, and discuss it in the safety of your own home

var123 · 23/05/2016 09:00

When I think about it, the only bit that I am very uncomfortable with showing to DS is when the straight boy offers the young, gay teacher who fancies him a BJ.

frumpet · 23/05/2016 09:29

BabyGanoush was the DD mortified by the content or the fact that she was watching it with her mother ? I know I squirmed a bit when I saw the play with my parents and I was in my 30's and had children

I could have watched it squirm free with my peers though .

Abbinob · 23/05/2016 09:39

I think there is nothing in that film that a 14 year old hasn't seen or heard before.

var123 · 23/05/2016 10:23

DS1 is only 13, but I don't think he'd know what a blow job is. he knows about some stuff.. but not that, I think. (I try not to look too closely to see where he's at because sexual development and awareness is a private thing, but I doubt he knows about blow jobs).

GeorgeTheThird · 23/05/2016 10:26

I suspect he probably does, var. they learn loads at secondary school.

shovetheholly · 23/05/2016 10:27

Unless he is home-schooled and kept away from all kids of his own age and all media, he will know what a blow job is at 13!!

var123 · 23/05/2016 10:32

He's at secondary in Y9. Maybe he does know. He certainly knows about some other stuff.

HamaTime · 23/05/2016 10:39

The line is something like 'I was wondering if there were any circumstances under which there was a chance of you sucking me off'
I think most Y9 boys would get the idea.

It's similar when Dakin describes his 'conquest' of Fiona as 'The Western Front'. 'Not onto it and certainly not in to it, but up to it'

Posner is not a target for Hector as he was 'slow growing up', suggesting that it's an abuse of power rather than child abuse. Probably quite useful saying how many people abused as teens recall how they didn't recognise the abuse as they didn't feel like children.

BabyGanoush · 23/05/2016 17:01

Var, I bet he knows a lot more than that....

I had a milkshake with the DSs, mine did not seem to get through the straw, says DS2 (11):" you have to suck it harder, just suck it really hard"

Meanwhile DS1 (13) almost chokes on his drink

He definitely knew, and he is a country bumpkin daydreamer

pointythings · 23/05/2016 18:06

Wouldn't bother me at all, and I don't really believe in blanket age ratings either. DD1 watched Schindler's List in Yr 9 for history. We got a letter home asking for permission, most parents granted it. Job done. At home we vet 15s by watching them first, since DD1 is now 13. Most of the time the films are fine for her.

I'm very at parents who think their 13yos don't know what a blowjob is. They probably do. And if they don't, they should. Along with a whole ream of other stuff.

Kindlethefourth · 23/05/2016 21:55

DD1 is sitting her GCSE drama next year and as one of the youngest in her year she will be 14 when she sits it so she will have to be studying pieces above her age range but she is mature enough to discuss any concerns she may have (I hope)!!

hauxb001 · 23/05/2016 22:08

Interesting debate . The play doesn't have a rating because it is somehow more appropriate for younger audiences it's simply because plays and books just don't carry ratings .
I took some students to a play that claimed to be suitable for. 13 year olds . Spent the whole of the next day writing letters of complaint to the company and apologies to parents . The children all thought I was nuts .
It would be fascinating to apply BBFC criteria to plays and books ...

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