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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be not ok with glorifying violence

39 replies

confusedmummy123 · 12/10/2021 09:27

Maybe this should be in the tv section. Although the TV series I'm going to ask about can be used as just an example.

Are people becoming desensitised to violence on TV? Am I in a minority for not being ok with this? Am I a fuddy duddy for thinking it is wrong to let young children watch violent things?
I am talking about Squid Game. The clips I have seen and things I have googled show it to be appalling and glorifying violence. Everyone else seems to love it though and I have even seen on forums people let their five year old DC watch it. Their response is that it is not real. Sadly though it can be. There are violent act that happen in the world all day and mass shootings which this programme shows. Do we want our young children being desensitised to this kind of thing?
I'm 36. I'm probably just being old fashioned!
Thoughts?

OP posts:
Thebookswereherfriends · 12/10/2021 09:29

It’s no worse than a lot of programmes and films, but I am shocked that people are letting anyone younger than 14/15 watch it. I’m also surprised that these youngs kids are actually watching it because it’s not that interesting for that age group I would t have thought, unless they are literally fast forwarding to the “game” parts.

ThePlantsitter · 12/10/2021 09:31

It doesn't glorify violence. That's not the point at all; the violence is horrible and is intended to show people wasting human lives for entertainment.

Not for kids though, I agree.

BIoodyStupidJohnson · 12/10/2021 09:36

Individual parental failure or unwillingness to set boundaries around a cultural product is not the fault of the cultural product.

YABU

FirewomanSam · 12/10/2021 09:38

I don’t think it’s ‘glorifying’ the violence at all. In the context of the show the violence is very upsetting and not depicted as being a good thing at all. If you’ve only watched clips which randomly show people being shot and killed all over the place then you won’t have any idea of the context of the show.

I actually think the violence itself is quite tame in that it’s not massively gory, it’s mainly gunshots and blood spatters (it’s nothing like something like the Walking Dead, for example, where the violence and gore became so horrific I had to stop watching, a rare thing for me). I wouldn’t be shocked at a teenager watching it but I would hope their parents would discuss the meaning of the show with them (the entire show is a very strong metaphor and social commentary) and make sure they realised it’s not just a cool show about a violent game but has some very important messages to get across about society and the world we live in.

FourTeaFallOut · 12/10/2021 09:39

The entire point of squid games is to be horrified by the way these desperate people are made to perform for the rich and whose lives are reduced to nothing. Maybe if you weren't just watching clips you'd see a social commentary that you agree with, or disagree with.

I actually don't think it's so great as a programme. It's not a subtle film. But it leaves no-one in doubt that violence is meaningless.

FirewomanSam · 12/10/2021 09:42

And I agree, I really don’t believe a five year old would watch and enjoy this. The ‘games’ aren’t even the bulk of the show, there’s a lot of conversation (in Korean!) and the first few episodes are really slow moving. Even the ‘games’ involve a lot of talking and strategising, and more than one of them just involves people sitting around. It’s not like there’s loads of interesting excitement movement to watch apart from maybe a few minutes here and there. That just sounds like nonsense designed to get people worked up about the show when they haven’t seen it.

GaspingGekko · 12/10/2021 09:45

You can't form an opinion based on a few clips. Especially as I presume that those clips are no doubt of the violence.

I was expecting it to be the standard gore fest with no real plotline, but actually there are some really interesting themes and social commentaries in there. The violence is actually nowhere near as frequent as expected.

However I totally agree with you on children watching it. I wouldn't consider letting my kids watch it until well into their teens, hopefully when they have the maturity to understand it as more than just a series about a violent game.

YourFinestPantaloons · 12/10/2021 09:50

I hate it when people make judgements on a TV show - such as it glorifies violence - having not bothered their arse to even watch the TV show 🙄 the message we take from Squid Game is not 'violence is awesome'.

Also, Mary Whitehouse, you don't have to watch anything you don't want to. But the horror genre is a popular one, so leave the fans to watch it if they want.

As for parents letting their primary aged kids watch it - in fact an child under 15 - I am with you on that. WTF are people even thinking?! It's very graphic, but some people are stupid and sometimes stupid people have kids, so it will always happen

Nesbo · 12/10/2021 09:53

The programme shows people reacting differently to being brutalised and put in fear of their lives, with some in turn becoming brutal and others clinging on to their sense of morality.

I think it glorifies those who somehow manage to retain their humanity and hope in the face of overwhelming pressure. That message would be totally lost though if you only see a selection of clips.

JorisBonson · 12/10/2021 09:55

Squid Game in no way glorifies violence.

AngelicaElizaAndPeggy · 12/10/2021 09:57

Parents who choose watch this with their small kids should be utterly ashamed of themselves and are completely moronic.

BaileysforBreakfast · 12/10/2021 10:04

Squid Game is definitely NOT 'glorifying' violence. Quite the opposite. It's not for children though.

Original poster
confusedmummy123 · 12/10/2021 10:11

Showing violence for entertainment in my eyes is glorifying violence. A lot of people are with me in saying that it is unsuitable for children. Does anyone agree with me however that as a society we are becoming desensitised to violence. I only used Squid Game as an example.

OP posts:
OneTC · 12/10/2021 10:15

I don't think it glorifies or celebrates it at all

It's very hard to make an informed judgement about something without informing yourself about that something

ThePlantsitter · 12/10/2021 10:16

I do agree that we are becoming desensitized to violence but I think creating things like Squid Game which actually illustrate why it's bad (to put it simply) are really important. Otherwise you're just letting people who do portray it as nothing or amusing have all the say.

BIoodyStupidJohnson · 12/10/2021 10:19

Does anyone agree with me however that as a society we are becoming desensitised to violence.

Not really -- I think it's really hard to quantify.

What is society
What is violence
Who are 'we'
How do you measure desensitisation (is that even a word...!)

etc

FirewomanSam · 12/10/2021 10:20

If you watched a movie about WWII that showed soldiers getting shot and killed en masse I don’t think you would see that as ‘glorifying’ violence but rather as showing a sad and tragic event. I see Squid Game as similar as it’s showing how poor and desperate people are sacrificed and treated as disposable by society at large.

There are so many details in the show that really make you think. For example, a cornerstone of the ‘games’ concept is that players are treated equally and given equal opportunities to win, but in reality some players just have inherent advantages over others, and the ‘game’ often forces players to make arbitrary and random decisions for which they are then penalised or which put them at a severe disadvantage. Every time I get angry at something happening on screen I realise I’m actually angry at something that happens in real life in our capitalist society.

goodwinter · 12/10/2021 10:29

@confusedmummy123

Showing violence for entertainment in my eyes is glorifying violence. A lot of people are with me in saying that it is unsuitable for children. Does anyone agree with me however that as a society we are becoming desensitised to violence. I only used Squid Game as an example.
Well but what does that mean? I watch a fair amount of TV/movies with violence. But in real life I'd still be as horrified to witness it as the next person, because fiction and reality are obviously two very different things. It certainly hasn't brought out any violent tendencies in me or anything...
MintyGreenDream · 12/10/2021 10:29

Its very tame compared to most horror films.Theres more drama per episode than violence.

Laiste · 12/10/2021 10:36

@MintyGreenDream

Its very tame compared to most horror films.Theres more drama per episode than violence.
This is true actually.

There is a very strong story line as well as the gore/violence. I think maybe people who haven't seen it don't realise this. There are a lot of characters with names and a strong background, it's not just episodes of a gameshow.

However it's not for kids. There have always been parents who will let their DCs watch films/play games which are unsuitable - that's not the fault or reponsibility of the film/game makers.

MrsMiddleMother · 12/10/2021 10:38

Obviously it is unsuitable for children, it's rated 15 for a reason. The parents who let their younger children watch this, along with other horror films or play violent games are disgusting but are not the majority.

girlmom21 · 12/10/2021 10:39

@confusedmummy123

Showing violence for entertainment in my eyes is glorifying violence. A lot of people are with me in saying that it is unsuitable for children. Does anyone agree with me however that as a society we are becoming desensitised to violence. I only used Squid Game as an example.
Watch the show. It shows how horrifying it is that people use vulnerable people for entertainment.

Have you watched hunger games? It's a bit like that, just more bloody, but in some ways actually less horrifying.

Of course children shouldn't watch it, but it's not glorifying violence for its target audience.

FirewomanSam · 12/10/2021 10:40

Showing violence for entertainment in my eyes is glorifying violence.

How do you feel about war movies and other movies that depict real-life tragedies? Do you think no violence should be depicted at all, or do you think it depends on context?

I’ve definitely watched some shows and movies that I would say ‘glorify’ violence, but I don’t believe that showing it at all automatically = glorifying it.

TinyTear · 12/10/2021 10:43

but it's not a kids programme...

Cuddlyrottweiler · 12/10/2021 10:45

I voted YABU because you clearly haven't watched it. It isn't glorifying violence. Quite the opposite. Showing violence isn't glorifying it. Should we never show bad things on TV for fear of "glorifying" it?

However. It is not suitable for young children.

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