Maybe I ABU...you tell me

[NotAnotherNightIn]

DC is 5, he brought home a black and white photocopy that he'd already part coloured in, it was a picture of 'Blade' (you know that vampire slayer) obviously my DC doesn't know who this is. The picture is VERY graphic...think a manga version with full on knives, a katana sword, blood splats, really evil looking face. Now I could get into all the before I had kids I wouldn't have even considered impact blah blah blah and now since having kids everything philosophically affects everything else (obviously I'm being incredibly vague as I can get utterly boring debating this kind of stuff).
But I felt really uneasy looking at this violent picture. Showed my DP and he gave me a WTF look and has asked me to find out why DC was given this.
So my point is...yes I'm finally getting to it...if your DC aged 5 brought this home wwyd?

I would have a word with the teacher. It's not really on. Just point it out, they may not ha e noticed.

I grew up watching violent cartoons of Tom and Jerry, Bambi, Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam, Watership Down, Grimm fairy tales etc.

Blade is just this generations equivalent.

Cant see what harm it did.

Rascallyrascal...I do think it's gone unnoticed. It's a CoE school so it is a bit puzzling. Its a stock photo off internet and usually it's things like Cars/Frozen/fireman Sam etc
Julie...I agree to a certain point. I grew up with all the usual stuff, I chanced upon a manga/anime called Naruto when I was about 18 and before I had kids I thought nothing of its violence...but obviously now my mind has changed and I won't be showing it to my DCs for a long while to be honest.

All your views are welcome.

Could it be relevant that Blade is one of the few mainstream black superheros?

I suspect it was that the pupils were on the computers and someone (possibly a teen on work experience - it's that time of year in our area) has printed out a pic for each child to colour and that's the one he chose.

I think given your DC's age, I'd mention to the teacher, but I very much doubt that a teacher or LSA consciously printed 30 of these out for the class. They should still be made aware, though.

Julie I don’t think Blade is the same thing as Tom and Jerry!

I agree that the picture your child was given is totally inappropriate, and I don't get too easily worked up about stuff, but that's ridiculous. As for the teacher "not noticing" what she handed out, what kind of bullshit excuse is that??

I don’t think Blade is the same thing as Tom and Jerry!
Tom and Jerry used to every weapon and trap under the sun to try and kill, maim or decapitate each other just because they dont like each other. Blade however just tries to kill 'fictional' baddies because well they are bad. I agree Tom and Jerry is morally worse.

Julie...if that's the case, I'm Welsh (the only Welsh person in this Yorkshire village, haha I've only just realised that! Give myself a laugh) then I need to get onto the school about portraying Welsh ppl cos they don't. Plus I would hope the school would be using more influential black ppl who've made a difference within the real world for good...i can't see how a fictional character who kills vampires is relevant. I'm Catholic and I can name plenty of black St's who made a real difference to humanity.
You do make a point though actually, maybe the person who printed this off had that mission in mind...and what with the relevant issue of the Black Panther in the media thought this was the nearest they could get...youre superhero point has made me rethink as well cos of all the superhero films out there and a way of connecting with children.

NotAnotherNightIn ... Maybe you could ask for 'Megan Gwynn' picture to colour in, she is one of the x-men and welsh.

But seriously if its a mainly 'white' Yorkshire village then Ofsted do look to see that the children are experiencing a diverse range and not just white superheroes, role-models & sportstars etc. So a school might think of that.

And when it comes to colouring in you dont really colour in pictures of real life or historical people, its almost always TV/film characters. I could see a school downloading superheros images. Or if it was a book of superheroes, like batman, superman, spiderman etc Blade could easily be one of them.

O crikey I've opened a can of worms. Well luckily he's not brought home Tom and Jerry stuff yet...cross that bridge and all that. I don't want to get all morally correct cos I will end up saying shit like well I wouldn't be offended if there were no weapons and he was just smiling...but I'd be bloody wrong for saying that as it'd still be Blade and he does what he does! If that makes sense!!!
Think I need to stick with the basics...i do not want to be debating extremes with my DC. I'm not comfortable with the portrayal of violence.
I will ask who printed these off as some have pointed out it there is possibility of an older child messing about.

Would you let your DC watch Tom and Jerry. Would it be acceptable to see Tom slicing Jerry in half with a big axe?

@Julie8008 you don’t think that cartoons are different from movies?

Even if OP is referring to a print out from the comic, no I don’t think comics or cartoons depicting animals are remotely similar to comics or cartoons depicting human beings murdering each other. It’s why there are rules about children’s cartoons, and also why characters such as Blade or Deadpool come with a rating.

So no OP, I wouldn’t be too happy with it.

I need to get onto the school about portraying Welsh ppl cos they don't

Are you black? Coz I'm pretty sure your Yorkshire village are used to white people

Julie...we have a very diverse group here, All the younger ppl are 'foreigners' like myself...We've Chinese, Indians, Turkish, a lovely Jamaican lady and her husband. The community also has Scottish/irish/dutch/born and bred yorkie and lonely old me! It's an affluent area where most ppl who were born here have been pushed out of the housing market so all the white Yorkshire ppl are basically very old or still living with their parents. I am being encouraged by my school to teach my children Welsh. I come from a very white village in Wales (middle of nowhere) so I'd understand your point but here we are very diverse.

Cherry...no we are very diverse. It was a breath of fresh air when I came here. I'm the only Welsh person for miles...when I do come across another I flip out with excitement. There are loads of nationalities on my doorstep.

Maybe the person who printed out the pictures doesn't know who it is. If they are not hugely up with current trends it might be they mistook Blade for Black Panther.

(I would not have been happy if any of my children had been given a picture of Blade to colour in at 5 years old either.)

I would mention it to school, even if it just makes them aware of who is in the picture.

you don’t think that cartoons are different from movies
You get T&J cartoons and movies, same with Blade. From a 5 yo point of view whats the difference they are all animations? You get plenty of children's cartoons about humans killing each other, its not just animals. FYI Blade and the baddies are vampires not humans. I imagine the colouring in picture was a knock off black and white line drawing of the fantasy vampire 'Blade'. Not a photo of Wesley Snipes the human..

FYI I am not saying its appropriate, just drawing the analogy with the childhood images that were accepted in my youth.

I know if it was my DCs CofE primary school, parents would be more offended at the image of a Vampire rather than the swords or knives. I do think well adjusted children are able to able to separate real life violence from 'fantasy' violence. But its reasonable to ask the teacher about it if your concerned. Personally I would only mention it if it happened more than once.

You see this has got me on the back foot completely cos I just can't stomach any kind of violence now! I have anxiety issues that stem from childhood but have been exacerbated since having children and culmination of all the nonsensical violence in this world which doesn't seem to abate.
Julie...thats interesting your point about CoE school being more stringent with the vampire imagery whereas I wouldn't be offended as to me it's folklore...being a celt folklore is sewn into the minds.
It's the weapons as I said/plus evil countenance that I'm not happy about...ive never had an issue with the school! That's why I'm getting my nics in a twist! As I don't want to be THAT parent. My friends mum at school was THAT parent who questioned everything, felt so bad for her.

A 5 year old can tell that animation is not real life. A 5 year old may have more difficulty making the distinction between a vampire - who is human shaped - and a real human. And come on, you know I'm not referring to full length animated films when I said 'movies'.

Cartoons that feature human beings being killed are not allowed to be rated as U. Hence the difference between Princess Mononoke (PG, gave my then 6 year old DSS nightmares) and T&J. They aren't remotely similar, and tbh I would question the judgement of an adult who thinks that cartoon depictions of mice and cats using knives is worse than a human shaped vampire doing the same to another human shaped vampire. Of course they are able to separate real life from fantasy it doesn't mean one isn't scarier than the other.

And I don't believe for one second that a parent of a child at a C of E school would be religiously offended at a vampire, if that's what you're implying.

Personally I wouldn't be OK with my 5 year old being given a photograph of a vampire slayer, complete with weapons to colour in.

You can teach children about diversity in film/TV without referencing an 18-cert movie that is so ridiculously violent I've played ill-advised drinking games watching it (take a shot every time someone is killed!).

Isn’t Fireman Sam Welsh??

Mynewbear...Unfortunately...yes...dont get me started on him and his crazy town of craziness...if anyone hates him try hum in Welsh....o the utter agony...norman pryce...FAR WORSE IN WELSH

DianaPrincessOfThemyscira, yes I knew what you meant about movies, but this isn't about movies its about a colouring in picture. (I imagine like attached).

And yes at school, as part of the PTA, I helped organise a Halloween school party. Adverts sent out had children friendly pictures of vampires and ghosts but due to complaints from parents of the occult nature of the party the head cancelled it.

I remember, as a child, watching the cartoon about 'Alice in wonderland' then rated U, which had a scene where the Walrus ate a dozen babies. I realise that isn't allowed now but we didn't bat an eyelid back then then.

If your worried about violence OP then is censorship rather than education going to help with that? You dont want to pass on your anxiety and as you said your DC has no idea who or what 'Blade' is.