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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think that a U certificate children's film should not have swearing in.

30 replies

islandofsodor · 19/02/2008 00:07

Dh bought the Shrek 2 DVD last week to play on the coach on a trip down to London. The children on the coach were aged between 6 and 14 and we specifically chose a U film, not a PG one. I was astounded when not too far into the film I heard 2 swear words shouted out.

Luckily no-one complained but it could have landed us in trouble. I know that dd's school show U Disney films and we (possibly foolishly) assumed that Shrek would be along the same lines.

We thought the film was great and very funny, but I was just a bit shocked. I'm not a prude, but when it is other people's children you have to be careful.

OP posts:

PissyGalore · 19/02/2008 00:08

what words?

NoBiggy · 19/02/2008 00:09

What were they?

Any possibility you misheard?

discoverlife · 19/02/2008 00:09

I will have to watch that again. I didn't click about swearing in that. But yes i agrre, there definatly shouldn't be swearing of any kind in a 'U' certificate.

Original poster

islandofsodor · 19/02/2008 00:10

It was bloody, twice. Dh looked at me the first time, then it was repeated, no mistaking it.

OP posts:

PissyGalore · 19/02/2008 00:12

bloody isnt swearing imo.

a thing can be bloody, as in covered in blood.

Original poster

islandofsodor · 19/02/2008 00:13

Not in the context it was said. It was something like I climbed that bloody tower and got to the bloody top (can't remember exactly what the line was.)

OP posts:

PissyGalore · 19/02/2008 00:15

hmmm, cant say it would bother me really...

but then, i have told my kids not to say it before... i figure it wouldnt go down too well at school/nursery

PissyGalore · 19/02/2008 00:15

school is fairly posh tho.

i am not.

Tortington · 19/02/2008 00:19

it doesnt, idn't and wouldnt bother me

but i am completely on teh side of the OP

if it has swearing in - een mild swearing such as 'bloody' it should be a PG

how lovely would it be for a 3 year old plonked in front of a dvd whilst one got on with something else - only later to say to nanna " i watched shrek today nanna, it was bloody goood"

eh?
eh?

here it states 'u' is universal anyone

PillockOfTheCommunity · 19/02/2008 00:22

I sort of agree, but I always look at what's written next to the certificate on the box, and in this case it says "contains mild language"

girlfrommars · 19/02/2008 00:22

See www.parentsbbfc.co.uk/guides_U.asp

Original poster

islandofsodor · 19/02/2008 00:25

It wouldn't have bothered me particulraly had it just been us and dd watching it. Sil has always gone on about how much her dd loves Shrek and Shrek 2 and she watched them from about age 4 onwards so I never imagined it would have swearing in.

I guess we have learnt a lesson, watch a film ourselves first.

As I said, no-one did complain (parents came on the trip on the whole) but it would only have taken one.

OP posts:

PissyGalore · 19/02/2008 00:27

if a parent of a 6 -14 yo child had actually come and complained to me about 'bloody' in a shrek being heard on a coach trip... id write them off as total pita twats tbh.

i suppose i should be about that... but im not.

girlfrommars · 19/02/2008 00:32

If you want to check a film before showing, the parents bbfc website offers a search facility that gives a quite detailed breakdown of the language/violence with context. Unfortunately it doesn't cover all older films- bizzarely it covers the first and third Shrek films but not the second.

PortAndLemon · 19/02/2008 08:19

I think YABU -- a U certificate can, according to the official guidance, contain mild bad language and in this particular case it does say "Contains mild language" on the outside of the box, right next to the certificate. If you are worried about mild swearing in films it doesn't seem unreasonable for you to look th the packaging to see if there is any.

ibelieveindreaming · 19/02/2008 09:12

Even if they did complain it wouldn't be your fault as the film was a U certificate.

CaptainUnderpants · 19/02/2008 09:22

So in London did the children go to the Tower of London and see the 'Bloody Tower ' ?

I'm sure most of the children on that coach ( age range 6 - 14 ) had heard it used before or worse !

cory · 19/02/2008 09:24

If it has guidance as the above on the box, then you can't really complain if you didn't read it.

Personally, I have never had a problem with my dc's hearing the sort of language on a film that they will be hearing from perfectly sensible well adjusted mums in the playground any day. A lot of families use 'bloody' in daily conversation. Would parents complain if the child had hear it at the school gates? I don't accept swearing in the home, but you can't wrap a child up in cotton wool.

It's even easier to explain to a child that you might use a certain language in a film for artistic reasons that you wouldn't want to use in daily life. The whole point about Shrek is that he doesn't know much about social mores (nor do the other characters). They should know they are not Shrek (or whoever said it), they're not green ogres for a start.

Any parent who's incapable of explaining to their 6yo that they must not copy everything other people do is a bit of a whimp IMO and has no business blaming the organisers of a school trip.

NomDePlume · 19/02/2008 09:32

I agree with OP. It struck me with Shrek 2 (I think fairy godmother says bloody and crap). Also, Ratatouille, which is an otherwise fabulous film, also has 'bloody' in it (the restaurant critic "Ego").

It's not that the language is hugely offensive to me, but more that I feel it is inappropriate and totally unnecessary in a children's film. The scriptwriters etc could have quite eaily used another non-swearword to express the exasperation of the characters.

perpetualworrier · 19/02/2008 09:32

But why? I agree that no-one is likely to die from the offence caused by the odd "bloody", but there are so many other words that could be used, why do we need to have swearing at all, let alone in a kids' film?

I heard a 6yo say "How am I going to do my bloody dance, now I've hurt my bloody ankle" the other day. It made me shudder. Obviously part of her normal language, her mother didn't flinch, but I wouldn't want mine (or me) to say it.

LostPuppy · 19/02/2008 12:15

YABU. It does what it says on the tin.

HOWEVER, your gripe should be with the BBFC. A U certificate does not really mean U at all. Uc is what you should be looking for if you want no violence, swearing or sex.

A U really should mean universal, but it doesnt at all. Finding Nemo was a U. But it frightened the shit out of my 4 year old and we had to leave the cinema.

FAQ · 19/02/2008 12:18

hadn't even noticed! And Shrek2 is watched AT LEAST once a week in our household - and has been for several months never heard by DS's repeat it either.......although they both go through moments of thinking they're a Ogre, Donkey, Gingerbread man or Fiona LOL.

bobsmum · 19/02/2008 12:25

I think a US audience often assumes that "bloody" uttered by a British accent is mild and roughly equivalent to "blooming' - certainly not a swear word to their ears - just quaint and eccentric.

But that aside, yes it says on the packaging - and I agree that "bloody" is "mild". No harm done by the sounds of things

I helped run a childrens camp one year wherer the leader had bought a Simpsons video for upper primary aged kids. Of all the videos she could have picked she very very naively chose one of the specials with all the take-offs of horror films. Also had several references to the police coming out of the local brothel. Was absolutely hilarious, but went over the heads of most of the children while we the leaders tried not to laugh too loudly. The main leader was very confused and just didn't realise the kind of humour that was in the sImpsons - she thoughht it was a cartoon adn therefore for young children. Doh! I think is the appropriate response.

Chequers · 19/02/2008 12:27

Message withdrawn

Original poster

islandofsodor · 19/02/2008 13:05

Bloody is apprently an old blaspheme it's short for By Our Lady referring to the Virgin Mary so ranks alongside things like saying Christ.

OP posts:

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