To let 13 year old DS watch Game of Thrones?

[kitnkaboodle]

We are 4-5 years behind the rest of the world, obv .. I gave DS DVD of the first series in his Xmas stocking. It had a 15 cert on the box, which I gauge to be ok for DS. However, disks inside are variously labelled 15 and 18. From what I can tell, though, the sex scenes seem to be 1960s soft porn-y (yet quite frequent - and gratuitous!) Not sure .. I think I'm probably ok with it. He's quite chilled. Any thoughts? Any shockers to come??

I'm a fan of Game of Thrones - the books as well as the series - and it's not really the sex I'd be bothered about, as I don't think a 13 year old seeing tits and dry humping is going to see anything they haven't already seen on their mates' phones, but more the graphic violence.

There's a lot of it, and it doesn't just occur in battle type situations; there is a lot of casual and graphic violence against men, women and children (and indeed animals; still haven't got over Gregor Clegane beheading his horse).

Also, being set in a brutal quasi-mediaeval world, rapes occur relatively often and there is sexual violence (against both men and women).

There is context for all this, and it's presented in a way that's meant to make you feel that it's shocking and appalling - but I don't think a 13 year old would necessarily grasp that. I'd let a 15/16 year old watch it if I felt they were smart enough and switched on enough to understand the nuances of those scenes, but I wouldn't let a 13 year old watch it.

It's a great series but contrary to what some people assume it's not a straightforward fantasy series - it's not Lord of the Rings with boobs at all. It's very gritty and bleak.

Like others have said it has many storylines which are not only brutal in terms of violence but are mentally really screwed up. Lots of sadism in a psychological sense, as well as sadistic physical violence.

Particularly the Ramsay Bolton storylines, where he employs plenty of psychological sadism which is almost more disturbing than the graphic physical cruelty in my view.

It gets worse as the series progresses.

I don't understand all the posts saying they don't like how women are portrayed? Arya, Sansa, Cersei, danaerys, Caitlin, yara, all string and dominant women who decide their own destiny

Each of these women are 'highborn' though, the rules are different for them. Women who aren't high born aren't portrayed the same way.

It's not the violence, murder, rape

Thanks for all the replies. I'm grateful to know the bigger picture re. sexual violence, torture, etc. PrivatePike - not goady, I promise you, just obviously naive. Due to its absorption into the mainstream and the aforementioned 15 certificate prominently displayed on the box set, I really did think it was 'Lord of the Rings with boobs', and have no problems usually with him watching genuine 15 cert films. I'll just explain to him that in this country it has an 18 cert (true??), something that I'd never normally be ok with. Btw I'd be interested to know whether all the posters so vehemently against it also apply the same strictness to kids' video games age ratings.

Sorry DS clicked send!

I was going to write more but I can't be bothered now and sockgoblin and dolly have pretty much summed up what I was going to attempt to say anyway

Mistress

Poor Jaime though

Ygritte wasn't highborn, and was probably the most feisty, strong independent woman of them all so far.
Perhaps I am just desensitised to the world, but I feel like worse things go in the real world all the time, and I don't believe in shielding children, in particular teenagers from the realities of life. At 13, id seen awful things, knew about awful goings on. Seen the nightly news. Its not a novel idea to most 13 year olds that bad shit happens. For me, it starts conversation about things. About women's roles in the world. About family and yes, about things that aren't nice. But forced marriage happens, war happens.
And, if I'm honest, she likes the costumes and the dragons.
I know my child, I know she's happy, healthy and fine. Others choose differently and that's fine.
Whoever asked about torture porn. No, obviously not. That's a)real and b) doesn't have dragons.

Btw I'd be interested to know whether all the posters so vehemently against it also apply the same strictness to kids' video games age ratings.

Yes, yes they are against video games too. On mumsnet you will find that GTA is the work of devil himself.

Interestingly you will also find that some of the same people think it's totally okay for under 18s to drink alcohol/take beer to parties etc etc and perhaps smoke a bit of wacky baccy while they're there too. This is known as double standards - have witnessed this hypocrisy many many times on this site.

My then 14 year old watched Game of Thrones online and thoroughly enjoyed it. Amazingly, it has not turned him into a knife wielding psychopath.

In fact I got a good deal on a set of the books from the Book People a couple of years ago and he read all of them in under 8 weeks when he was about 15.

Oh, you can now expect to find this thread runs for 900 plus posts, as I will have upset several million people by mentioning GTA

Why? Just why would you?

What need has a thirteen year old boy to watch Game of Thrones?

Unless you've been dead from the neck up for the last few years how can you not know what this show contains?

soz

And TIME.

My kids don't have 18 games, don't watch 18 films, don't smoke, don't drink. The oldest are 13 and nearly 15.

I see this as responsible parenting.

I think the OP has got the message Givenup no need to be quite so incredulous!!

I like incredulous.

Timeforabrew: how graphic are the sex/violence descriptions in the books? Would you say they were more acceptable for teenagers (tho' not necess. 13) than the programmes?

That is great - I am very happy that you are not displaying any double standards and are on the moral high ground of good parenting.

I love GoT, the books and the series, but there is no way I would let a 13 year old read/watch them. I also wouldn't let a 13 year old play GTA, it's not for them.

I am in deed on the moral high ground of good parenting, it makes parents evening an endless joy.

Slightly off topic, can someone tell me how graphic the books are? DS 15 fancies reading them. They were on the list of books that could be chosen as school prizes for KS4 prize giving last year, so I'm on a bit of a sticky wicket really. I've read Diana Gabaldon, and imagine them to be similar, am I right?

@kitnkaboodle - to be fair, the books are pretty graphic also, but best to read the first one yourself etc, as you know your son best and what might be likely to upset him or not.

@Givenupsocial haha I am on the moral low ground and parents evenings are hard for me regading my DSs -

I personally choose to use ratings as a guide, not a law. I look at the film/series/book myself (we dont play video games so that's not an issue in my house) and make a judgement based on my knowledge of my own child. My 13 year old is probably the most grounded, mature, child her age I've ever met. She's responsible, sensible and isn't going to get upset at some fake death scenes. Her brother who is not much younger however is very different, and so I make different choices for him. He would find GoT distressing as he has SN and doesn't really get that its not real.

Those who don't like how women are portrayed are massively missing the point.

Martin is reflecting the reality of life in a brutal, nasty, patriarchal, misogynistic society, like the medieval Europe Westeros is loosely based on. Women have been treated like absolute shit in societies like this and Martin is reflecting that. I think it would spark great conversations with older teens actually.

However, 13 feels too young to me. I'd let him read the books at that age, but not the tv show as tv as a medium is much more graphic.

Not rtft but in the books there is a scene about having sex with dogs implied.

Oh and my parents evenings are bloody wonderful all round.

YABU, There are some horrible horrible scenes in GOT.

I have stopped watching it as I found it too much, and I'm not normally phased by films etc.