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AIBU?

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Original poster

Comic Relief before 9pm

292 replies

TittyGolightly · 25/03/2017 08:14

6 year old DC came out of school full of Comic Relief chatter and asked to donate their week's pocket money to the charity. Fine and dandy, we switched on at about 8pm and they showed a short film about a child and their grandmother collecting rubbish in Nairobi. DC was even keener to donate, so we texted in to donate money from all of us. Watched a couple of skits and then they showed a video of a 13 month old girl dying of malaria. Actually dying on the screen despite CPR and being put into a body bag and wheeled away. You can imagine the effect that had on a 6 year old. We've been up half the night with them having nightmares about dying babies.

AIBU to think that wasn't suitable viewing pre-watershed?

OP posts:
Lovelyjubbly87 · 26/03/2017 17:30

YANBU I was upset too... I get all the 'highlighting what happens' stuff but if you are going to allow children to be involved therefore become interested you should leave the harder hitting stuff for later on.

I hope she's okay! I turned over myself because I am quite aware of what happens i this cruel world and never thought I would watch a baby die!

It's been running for as long as I remember and has received hundreds of millions yet stuff like this is still happening? I'm not naive but I think people who donate loads are if they think the money they are pledging for these children goes to them... if you want to help go volunteer, much better!

Craigie · 26/03/2017 17:32

Comic Relief has been going for 30+ years. You should've know better than to allow a 6 year old to watch. A 6 year old should be in bed by then anyway.

Original poster
TittyGolightly · 26/03/2017 17:36

A 6 year old should be in bed by then anyway.

Do read the full thread, dear.

Up yours

OP posts:
Sparklycurtainpole · 26/03/2017 19:17

My six year old wanted to watch a bit of it before her 7.30 bedtime as they'd done a load of stuff at school. I thought it would be all dancing newsreaders, bake sales and funny skits etc before 7.30 but no. Catherine Tate headbutting Lenny henry in the face at 7.20pm and referring to 'fgb' - apparently standing for 'famous but ginger'.
Not exactly family viewing. DD therefore didn't watch it as we turned it off for her.
Comedy throughout was dire too - cringingly so. We donated but turned off by 8.30

fevversbetterout · 26/03/2017 19:31

I feel like I've entered a parallel universe. Titty, I totally understand that you would be upset about what your 6 year old was exposed to, and I don't think that she should have been in bed, on a weekend, when Comic Relief was on. (My son had wandered off and didn't see the clip we are all talking about, TF)
However, I can't get over the fact that so few people on here register the fact that a wee girl died and was filmed......who would want that for their child? We are not so devoid of compassion, surely, that we have to witness the last gasp and hope of a child and her family. And the squawks about swearwords before the watershed (tv) or the non-existent watershed(R4), what on earth has that got to do with it?

Rowgtfc72 · 26/03/2017 19:35

Dd is just 10. I was in the kitchen and came in to find her crying saying she'd just watched a baby die. I too figured she was safe with the tv until 9.

She's not a protected little flower, she knows the world isn't fair and not everyone is as lucky as her. Yes it encouraged discussion and donation but im sorry, my daughter didnt need to see that.

Howaboutthisone · 26/03/2017 19:41

I'm totally with you op. I couldn't believe what we were watching pre watershed. Our two DC were in bed but that was because they were very tired. I said to dh that I couldn't believe they'd put these things on before watershed as after the day in school, lots of children would have been allowed to stay up a little later and watch. If ours hadn't been so tired and had asked to them they would have stayed up to watch it. The language and choice of videos were too much for that time in my opinion. I get that it's those terrible hard hitting videos that get people donating but they shouldn't be shown at that time in the evening. Even edited to show the illness and a voiceover to say what had happened would have been more understandable with more shown post 9. And there isn't any excuse for the slags tan, twat and fake know out.

troubleunderscoremaker · 26/03/2017 19:46

You gotta be kidding me. I am not an English native and I could never ever ever ever do that. Ffs, that place needs to be shut!!!!

troubleunderscoremaker · 26/03/2017 19:46

Omg, that comment was supposed to be to previous post. SorryBlush

Coverup890 · 26/03/2017 19:49

It was on today but even earlier. It was on in the background when i went to visit my nan at about 6.30.

MumsTheWordYouKnow · 26/03/2017 19:54

Totally agree with a pp who said they should have 7-8 suitable for younger children, 8-9 for lightly older and for 14 upwards after 9 and marked on screen accordingly along with a warning about upsetting scenes as would normally be the case. There were a lot of inappropriate comments and there should be appropriate warnings especially on iPlayer. My son who is 9 caught up with it on iPlayer and he was exposed to some thing that were v age inappropriate I had to turn it off.

fevversbetterout · 26/03/2017 20:19

MumsTheWordYouKnow, are you saying that it is appropriate for some people of a certain age to watch a child die on screen?

Sugafreesadness · 26/03/2017 20:34

It is sad that comic relief producers feel we have got to the point when they need to film the last minutes of a child's life. It is like the images of the drowned refugee child on the Greek beach last summer. Whilst it is really important we know it happened, the images are the precious last moments of a life and should not be banded around as tear jerking material. They would not have shown us the full images of those who died in London this week because it would be totally inappropriate and would hurt the persons family so much. Same should go for those in poverty.

fevversbetterout · 26/03/2017 20:53

Sugafreesadness, yes I feel the same, and worse because mothers here are putting their children's distress above the absolute horror that we are accepting by watching a child die, if it's past the watershed. And some people are chipping in about being shocked about swear words on the radio or telly, as if it was at all comparable... Children shouldn't be exposed to this, adults shouldn't be exposed to this, and a dying girl and her family should not be exposed to TV viewers in this way.

MrsC45 · 26/03/2017 20:58

I didn't watch it with my children, glad I didn't given the descriptions on here. That poor baby should have been given dignity in death. Clearly, if all the school children are asked to fundraise, then there should be suitable content for them pre-watershed! And slags tan, how awful have we gone back to the 1970s.

Shockers · 26/03/2017 21:00

Mrs DV, the little girl who was covered with a sheet and taken off screen on a trolley was the child I was talking about. Her father had requested that all the footage be shown.

fevversbetterout · 26/03/2017 21:01

Jeez.I rest my case.

TheFirstMrsDV · 26/03/2017 21:07

Shockers that was the second child. The announcer said the father wanted the second child's footage to be shown.
That wasn't said after the first child died.

Shockers · 26/03/2017 21:08

If the image of a child who perished needlessly can save the lives of others...Sad

There is no need for any child to die through malnutrition in this time, when others have billions in the bank.

There is no need for children to work in unsafe mines while billion dollar companies use the carbon to make iPhones and the minerals to make shiny car paint and face cream for ladies who want light reflection to hide the signs of aging.

We would all listen to the reality and vote with our wallets in an ideal world.

Original poster
TittyGolightly · 26/03/2017 21:10

I haven't accepted what's happening. I spend a lot of my free time trying to stop unnecessary deaths in Africa. I still don't think my 6 year old needed to see a baby convulse and die.

OP posts:
TheFirstMrsDV · 26/03/2017 21:10

'Afterwards, an emotional Russell told of how Tabitha had later died but her father wanted to show the film to encourage people to donate and help other children after losing his little girl'

The above is about the little girl who was taken in with severe malnutrition and the doctor said if she had been left another 30 minutes it would have been too late.

Original poster
TittyGolightly · 26/03/2017 21:11

That isn't the the child I was referring to.

OP posts:
londonrach · 26/03/2017 21:13

Yabu...that vvvvv late for a 6 year old. You the parent have control of the tv and can turn off.

passmethewineplease · 26/03/2017 21:18

Seriously vvvvv late?

Hmm

Anyone wouldn't think OPs kid is up at 11 watching this not 8pm..

fevversbetterout · 26/03/2017 21:20

Titty, I don't think your child should have seen that either. But I don't think that (Attadewatta? ...I think that was the little girl's name?)should have had her last moments broadcast as part of a fundraiser in UK.

We should push back at the broadcaster...we don't need to watch people's agony to understand their pain and difficulties. It dehumanises all of us.