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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU at the word bollocks being used in Clifford the Big Red Dog?

138 replies

ThisMustBeMyDream · 27/12/2021 00:06

As per the title. I watched this in the cinema with my 6 and 9 year olds. I knew it was a PG and checked to see if it was suitable on common sense media as well as googling reviews, after previously making a mistake thinking Ghostbusters was okay (I didn't realise it had loads of swearing!). Nothing was mentioned at all on there. No other googling brought up this either. I know bollocks is hardly hugely offensive, but as I have an SEN 9 year old, who has great difficulties with impulse control, I am careful over what he sees. Swearing and violence is something we actively avoid.
Anyway, AIBU to think that I should have been able to find that information beforehand?
Also, is it even necessary?! It is used in a scene where Jack Whitehall says (in an American accent) "You see, if I hadn’t moved here when I was two, I would’ve grown up with a British accent. Bollocks. Rubbish. Collywobbles". I don't even know why it was necessary, but there you go!

OP posts:
arcof · 27/12/2021 01:19

You are BU to have gone and seen the film, it looks awful! Sorry, not helpful (and was it in fact, awful?!)

oakleaffy · 27/12/2021 01:23

@Flowers500

I think bollocks is one of the mildest possible? Like way less than crap
Bollocks is very mild. Crap is much worse.
jputthekettleon · 27/12/2021 01:24

I’m fairly easy going, and took my 4 year old not even realising it was a PG as I assumed Clifford would be a U …. I will check next time! we really enjoyed it and I’m not adverse to swearing at all but it was very jarring in what was clearly a movie for young children. Wasn’t expecting it but she’s so young she didn’t notice! I’ll stick to you U ones in future to be safe

Pleaseletitbenaptime · 27/12/2021 01:25

I'm pretty sure I heard Jack Whitehall talk about this on Jessie Wares Table Manners podcast. If my memory serves me correctly he was improvising and the Americans he was working with didn't understand what the word meant until later on. I'm pretty sure in the podcast he was under the impression that that part got removed.

PercyPiginaWig · 27/12/2021 01:28

Bollocks is put on the same kind of language as shit/piss/fuck.

Fuck is a different level to piss and shit.
I would probably put bollocks on a par with piss and shit, with fuck being ruder.

I think bollocks is much ruder than crap, I would happily say crap to my mother but she'd flinch if I said bollocks.
Wouldn't like to see her face if I said cunt.

I am very sweary but think bollocks was unnecessary in a children's film.

AlexaShutUp · 27/12/2021 01:29

I think it's very mild. On a par with crap, probably, or bloody. I'm really surprised that others disagree. I have never worried about swearing though in any case.

Idontbelieveit14 · 27/12/2021 01:36

I went today with my 4 year old….thankfully he’s no idea it’s a “bad” word so it went right over his head

timetowakeup580 · 27/12/2021 01:40

I think bollocks is much worse than crap!

Marianne1234 · 27/12/2021 01:47

I am stunned at the people who say crap is worse than bollocks?! Really?! Crap is very very mild. Bollocks is mild but I wouldn’t want my seven year old using it.

Said seven year old loves the Harry Potter films. I’m not keen on the use of bloody, arse and piss off. I know they are mild but I still don’t really want them to form part of my seve year old’s vocabulary

Ludoole · 27/12/2021 01:52

Many years ago my son came home and said he'd been accidentally kicked in the bollocks. I didn't know he knew the word Grin

AlexaShutUp · 27/12/2021 01:55

I'm fascinated by this discussion and by the "ranking" of swear words. I do rank them in my own head, I'll admit, but surely it's all totally arbitrary, so naturally people will perceive it differently.

They're all just words. What makes bollocks worse than crap, I wonder?

HemanOrSheRa · 27/12/2021 01:57

Is bollocks a proper 'swear' word though? Really? Yikes.

SmellyOldPartridgeinaPearTree · 27/12/2021 02:00

Me reading that crap is a bad swear word;

AIBU at the word bollocks being used in Clifford the Big Red Dog?
Time40 · 27/12/2021 02:25

I'm not at all keen on swearing, but even I think bollocks is very mild - slightly worse than bloody, and not quite as bad as crap.

JuniorMint · 27/12/2021 02:30

My 7yo went to see this with her Dad so I didn’t know the word bollocks was in it, however she hasn’t mentioned it and I’m fairly confident she wouldn’t know the word or have picked up on it- especially used in the context you’ve described; it’s not like it was used as an “expletive” like “oh bollocks!” but rather used as an example of a silly British nonsense word that Americans don’t use, alongside “collywobbles” so I’d guess any kids who hasn’t heard it before would associate it with collywobbles ie a random nonsense word, which they wouldn’t particularly remember by the end of the film. Did your DC notice the use of bollocks and repeat it later?

ShiteChristmas · 27/12/2021 02:52

Well I think this is as close as we’ll get to an official ranking!

www.indy100.com/news/british-swear-words-ranked-ofcom-7340446

Medium, so even though I wouldn’t have batted an eyelid personally, I’ll go YANBU.

echt · 27/12/2021 04:30

@ThisMustBeMyDream

As per the title. I watched this in the cinema with my 6 and 9 year olds. I knew it was a PG and checked to see if it was suitable on common sense media as well as googling reviews, after previously making a mistake thinking Ghostbusters was okay (I didn't realise it had loads of swearing!). Nothing was mentioned at all on there. No other googling brought up this either. I know bollocks is hardly hugely offensive, but as I have an SEN 9 year old, who has great difficulties with impulse control, I am careful over what he sees. Swearing and violence is something we actively avoid. Anyway, AIBU to think that I should have been able to find that information beforehand? Also, is it even necessary?! It is used in a scene where Jack Whitehall says (in an American accent) "You see, if I hadn’t moved here when I was two, I would’ve grown up with a British accent. Bollocks. Rubbish. Collywobbles". I don't even know why it was necessary, but there you go!
The guidance is not based on your particular child's SEN issues.

YABU.

Bigballer · 27/12/2021 04:36

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

MyCatEatsPrawnCrackers · 27/12/2021 04:45

To those of you saying that bollocks is not really swearing, I bet you'd be on the phone to Ofsted if your child's teacher said it in the classroom.

HoppingPavlova · 27/12/2021 04:50

I’d put Bollocks on the same line as Crap and Bloody, but consider them all very mild and honestly wouldn’t bother me if a child used an in context.

Furries · 27/12/2021 05:01

Maybe I’m being really naive, but films are generally 190 minutes. If that’s the only share word in the film, are kids really going to focus in that one word?

Furries · 27/12/2021 05:01

*swear, not share!

Rtmhwales · 27/12/2021 05:03

@Pleaseletitbenaptime

I'm pretty sure I heard Jack Whitehall talk about this on Jessie Wares Table Manners podcast. If my memory serves me correctly he was improvising and the Americans he was working with didn't understand what the word meant until later on. I'm pretty sure in the podcast he was under the impression that that part got removed.

Haven't seen it, but I assume maybe it's an American film? If so, (as an American) it's not even remotely a swear word over here so I wouldn't be surprised it's in a children's film. Maybe a bit surprised a British film watch program missed if if it is considered one in the UK.

anon12345678901 · 27/12/2021 05:29

@MyCatEatsPrawnCrackers

To those of you saying that bollocks is not really swearing, I bet you'd be on the phone to Ofsted if your child's teacher said it in the classroom.
Bit of a different scenario though isn't it? And if I'd be given warning there would be mild bad language, I wouldn't. Which the OP was as it states mild bad language. Bollocks is mild, fuck and cunt would not be.
CasperGutman · 27/12/2021 06:11

@MyCatEatsPrawnCrackers

To those of you saying that bollocks is not really swearing, I bet you'd be on the phone to Ofsted if your child's teacher said it in the classroom.
As a one off? Would I bollocks. I might possibly mention it to the teacher, if I thought of it when I happened to be speaking to them.