Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this cartoon is NOT appropriate for an 11-year-old!?

132 replies

CowboyJo · 23/01/2022 21:31

So my eldest daughter is 11 and has started high school a few months ago. She's always been quite 'nerdy' in terms of her interests and has made a small group of friends into the same kind of things (Roblox, Pokemon, manga and drawing)

They sound nice enough girls from what she tells me (though slightly pampered) but ever since she's started at that school, the amount of times I had to tell her off for swearing recently was disgraceful.

Anyway while monitoring my daughter's iPad found she was really into this particular cartoon she loved. I don't know if its called Hazzun Hotel or Helluva Boss because its under both names(?) but I'm sure it's the same show. It looks like a child's show on the surface but I closely watched some of the episodes and it was absolutely shocking: loads of casual effing and blinding, crude jokes(like sex and bdsm, prostitutes).

When I found this out I talked to my daughter about it and told her it wasn't an appropriate thing for someone her age to be watching, but she argued back like "But all my friends watch it! We're not babies anymore!" etc. etc.

I spoke to DH about it and he thinks I was over the top to ban her from watching the cartoon completely because she loves it, just as long as she doesn't repeat the behaviours. But I'm not happy with that.

I'm not stupid I know she wouldn't of picked up the swearing from that show alone, but it really isn't content I'm happy to let her watch. The show has NOT FOR KIDS in each video so DD knows she shouldn't be watching it.

But am I being unreasonable to forbid her completely from watching it?

OP posts:
IzzyD0ra · 23/01/2022 21:36

YANBU and I'm Hmm that your DH thinks a cartoon with prostitues and bdsm is appropriate for his 12 year old daughter to watch.

MaizeAmaze · 23/01/2022 21:51

I think Helluva Boss is rated 15.
I'd be unhappy with the topics mentioned, and would ban it here.

aristotlesdeathray · 23/01/2022 21:51

Considering it's been rated as a 12a in the U.K. YABU

And being very precious

m.imdb.com/title/tt7216636/parentalguide/certificates

Original poster
CowboyJo · 23/01/2022 21:55

[quote aristotlesdeathray]Considering it's been rated as a 12a in the U.K. YABU

And being very precious

m.imdb.com/title/tt7216636/parentalguide/certificates[/quote]
Have you seen the show?

Do you really think constant utterances of the F word, prostitute characters and sex jokes would be acceptable in a12A show or film?

I looked on BBFC and I cannot find the rating of it at all

OP posts:
SerialNo · 23/01/2022 21:57

They seem to be two different shows. One 15 and one 12a.

Original poster
CowboyJo · 23/01/2022 21:58

@SerialNo

They seem to be two different shows. One 15 and one 12a.
I have watched snippets of both. It is the same kind of thing, lots of swearing and sexual jokes in both in a similar vein.
OP posts:
SpookyMargot · 23/01/2022 21:59

According to Wikipedia, it's an 'adult animated web series' so definitely not aimed at children.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazbin_Hotel

TheOriginalEmu · 23/01/2022 22:00

They are different shows, but set in the same universe. I wouldn’t have an issue with it, and I think at 11 banning it makes it more exciting.

VioletPetals · 23/01/2022 22:02

Hazzun Hotel and Helluva Boss are two separate shows, they are not made for kids, like Rick and morty, or back in the day family guy and American dad, king of the hill, Ren and stimpy … you get the idea.
They are cartoons for older teen/adults.
I’m pretty sure the rating for them is 15.

Definitely not appropriate for a 12 year old.

Eightiesfan · 23/01/2022 22:03

Op you would be surprised what kids of 11 are watching. In a class of Year 7s almost all of them had watched either or both Squid Games and Game of Thrones. Although some parents will be aware I’m guessing a lot of them have no idea.

SerialNo · 23/01/2022 22:04

@VioletPetals

Ren and Stimpy was a kids cartoon (although there was a later, unsuccessful, adult version).

HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime · 23/01/2022 22:05

It's like South Park, just because it's a cartoon doesn't mean it's for kids. Whether you can stop her watching it is trickier as her friends can just stream it to her using their phones on a video call.

As for swearing are you a no swearing household anyway? I suppose it's more difficult if other people in the household swear. If my Dd swore then she knows she'd be grounded it's disrespectful language she knows I don't swear in front of her and I expect the same respect back.

Original poster
CowboyJo · 23/01/2022 22:07

Ohh I know all about the Squid Game and that is most definitely banned in my household.

Luckily my oldest daughter isn't appealed by it but my DS (8) knows about some of the games from his schoolmates, like that one with the singing doll. 😱

Fortunately I don't think DS even cares about watching the Squid Game show (or even understands what it is) but it is shocking what parents let their kids watch these days

OP posts:
SweetPetrichor · 23/01/2022 22:08

I think this is something you’re going to stumble across a lot if she’s into manga and anime. Even Pokémon has crude jokes, but often these are edited out for the western audiences…big titty cross dressing being on of them! It’s a lot less sterile, big boobs and crude jokes are kinda part and parcel of a lot of it!

Original poster
CowboyJo · 23/01/2022 22:09

@HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime

It's like South Park, just because it's a cartoon doesn't mean it's for kids. Whether you can stop her watching it is trickier as her friends can just stream it to her using their phones on a video call.

As for swearing are you a no swearing household anyway? I suppose it's more difficult if other people in the household swear. If my Dd swore then she knows she'd be grounded it's disrespectful language she knows I don't swear in front of her and I expect the same respect back.

I never swear, my DH used to be a heavy swearer (he's Australian) but he makes sure not to swear in front of the kids, and we don't tolerate that kind of language from any of our kids.

DD knows she shouldn't be swearing but problem is she's at that age where she'll do what she wants when she wants Hmm

OP posts:
cheapskatemum · 23/01/2022 22:09

YANBU, she's 11, not 12 and the A in 12A means children of 12 and upwards can watch it if their parents/carers are in approval. I work with young people in residential care homes and we wouldn't be allowing an 11 year old in our care to watch these cartoons.

SweetPetrichor · 23/01/2022 22:09

Not saying it’s suitable btw…just a heads up that this won’t be the only time this type of issue arises!

MolkosTeenageAngst · 23/01/2022 22:10

I don’t know, when I was in Year 7 so 11/12 South Park was very popular and I remember being allowed to watch it. A lot of the stuff went over my head and I knew not to repeat the swearing. A year or so later and we were all watching Family Guy.

Maybe if you’re not happy with her watching it unsupervised you can watch it with her so that you can talk about topics as they come up and ensure she isn’t getting negative messages. If you ban it she’s likely to find a way to watch it anyway in which case it’s probably better to be in control through being able to talk the content through with her.

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 23/01/2022 22:14

This seems to back up it not being all that 11-y-o friendly: www.imdb.com/title/tt10691770/parentalguide

Pedalpushers · 23/01/2022 22:18

I'm pretty lax about age restrictions because I wasn't brought up with any...watched Ren and Stimpy and South Park, watched Scream, Blair Witch, listened to Eminem etc in primary school and turned out fine. I think some children are able to handle material above their age group and some aren't.

Onlyrainbows · 23/01/2022 22:18

I loved watching things like sailor moon and Ranma.both had characters that when from male to female and viceversa. My mum was appalled and let me choose to watch one but not both... I still think she overreacted. I think it's fine as long as you tell her not to repeat things (a bit like with R-rated music).

BlackMagicWimpund · 23/01/2022 22:18

Of course YANBU - she’s a pre-teen child! Unfortunately there’s a lot of absolutely vile manga stuff out there. I’d be banning it until she was older, but also taking this as an opportunity to start talking about the reasons you object to it (the misogyny that underpins all the jokes about prostitutes, for example, and why this is not OK).

Original poster
CowboyJo · 23/01/2022 22:22

[quote AskingQuestionsAllTheTime]This seems to back up it not being all that 11-y-o friendly: www.imdb.com/title/tt10691770/parentalguide[/quote]
Oh dear god its even worse than i thought...

Nope. She isn't watching that. I don't care what DH says or how much DD sulks it sounds disgusting

OP posts:
tearinghairout · 23/01/2022 22:24

It's a shame your DH isn't backing you up. Children need boundaries, and they know deep down that the boundaries are because you care about them. Please have confidence in your gut feeling on this and do what you need to do as a responsible parent!

Hugasauras · 23/01/2022 22:29

Just because it's a cartoon doesn't mean it's suitable for children. YANBU. There are a lot of adult animated series that absolutely aren't aimed at or are suitable for children. I imagine some parents see their child is watching a cartoon and don't look any further as they think cartoons = for children.