Would you let a 6y/o see Barbie?

[44PumpLane]

I'm in two minds about this- kids have been invited to see Barbie the movie but it's rated 12A because of moderate sexual innuendo, brief harassment, catcalling and implied strong language (including bleeped out motherf*er).

Supposedly it has the words bitch, crap, God, hell and damn in.

What would you do? We wouldn't typically let the kids see anything with this sort of language but then it would mean missing out on someone's birthday party.

There is no chance of us seeing it before the girls as we would have to accept or decline the invite today.

I think the swearing would go over the heads of mine, but I definitely know it wouldn't others so they then might chat about it or discuss it afterwards.

Am I being too precious about it all?

YABU- let them go see it

YANBU- yeah I probably wouldn't let a 6 year old see it or I'd want to see it myself first to judge.

Little girls play with Barbie until the age of 5. If they had made a film for 3-5 year old Barbie fans it would not have made any money.

It's no different from Marvel films being 12A - the Hulk and Thor are toys for kids but the films are for a broader audience.

It's up to you. I don't think they'd notice innuendo. I took my 6 and 7s to 12A superhero films.

I think it's rediculously unfair that a movie has been made for older than it's target audience who actually plays with Barbie.

I get it... but I would feel pissed if I were a 6 year old girl not being allowed to see a film about my toy

If they'd already released one for that age then fair enough but I don't think even Lego friends has have they?

To be fair there are loads of Barbie cartoon style films and tv shows, but then that doesn't help as my two love the Barbie shows and movies.

Really appreciate everyone's inputs......definitely have to have a think.

If it wasn't for the party element it's a total no brainer for me that I would say no.....it's the birthday party element that's causing me to doubt myself!

I do always use Common Sense Media so will see what they say too on Friday.

Anyone else think its a bit strange that there is a Barbie movie thats not aimed at the main demographic of the children who plays with the toy?

This is not strange, Barbie is an iconic figure and she’s been around for more than 50 years. This movie is clearly not aimed at children younger than its classification otherwise it would not have it.

OP, this is not a movie for a 6 year old and I would have to roll my eyes at parents inviting a 6 year old to a party where the movie is an activity for invited guests.

It's like transformers, not really aimed for kids. It's an adult movie. I'd be worried that they'd be bored to tears once Barbie moves out of Barbie land. I defo wouldn't be taking mine to the cinema to see it, maybe as a movie at home.

This is the link to the trailer. I think most 6 year olds would just be bored watching it to be honest! I'm going to take my 14 year old, my 11 year old said it looks rubbish and doesn't want to come.

42 other successful Barbie movies, all aimed at the correct target market, says you're wrong. Especially about the fact that only 3-5 year olds play with Barbie dolls. Bizarre assumptions here. There's a world of difference between making something that appeals to children and is decent for adults (such as Shrek) and making something that intentionally excludes children and is inappropriate for them but still makes them want to see it due to the basic intellectual property usually being "for them".

I wouldn't have a problem with them watching, I just don't think it will hold their attention.

Ok reason I asked is because if they don't let 6 year olds in then there won't be a party to miss iyswim. What does the birthday party mum or dad say?

This! It has adult themes because it is a film that has been made with tongue in cheek irony to entertain adults. I really hope that when I go to see it the cinema is not filled with six year olds asking why Barbie isn’t in her Malibu beach house for the whole film. I usually go to afternoon Silver Screen showings ( reduced admission and free coffee!) but might have to bite the bullet and go to a later screening, though in my area this doesn’t preclude very young children constantly running up and down the aisles whatever the film.🙂

No go see Elemental - it’s fab!

There are a LOT of Barbie films aimed at kids, 42 in fact. There is also a Lego friends film.

My 10 year old doesn't like barbie and never has but I thought it was more of a take the piss type film for us older generation who played with the proper sexist version of barbie. A bit like the Barbie Girl song

This thread is hilarious!

Were you all up in arms when that Winnie the pooh horror came out, because the kids couldn't watch it!?

Barbie has been specifically written for the adults who played as kids. It's a nostalgia thing. And the director is fantastic.

If you don't want your kids to watch it, that's up to you, but nobody has the right to demand the writers make it kid friendly. That's obviously not what they are going for.

I think it's fine that they've gone for the market of people who used to play with Barbie. There are animated Barbie films aimed at children. Mattel are clearly going for the Marvel approach - they also have both cartoons aimed at children and 12A live action films. Seeing how much adult merchandise is out there, this is clearly not a kids movie. If it was a kids movie then they wouldn't have spent so much on celebrity cameos and actors.
Hopefully it will be a film where the rude jokes go above the heads of kids rather than something that kids find boring because I think that there's going to be a lot of parents baffled when they watch the film.

It’s perfectly easy to make a film that doesn’t have sexual innuendo and swearing in it.

Sexual innuendo etc will go over their heads. There's lots of them in disney films!

The language ... I mean most kids hear it from day to day life. If it isn't the parents it's wider family, friends, people on the street. Its naive in my opinion to think kids don't know these words exist, at 6 they should know they'd be in trouble if they used them. I also don't really think god, damn and hell are swear words 😂.

Content of the film may be aimed a bit upwards of 6 and don't think I'd specifically take a 6yo to see it, but I also wouldn't have an issue with them going with a party.

Marvel and Star Wars films are generally 12A too and both franchises have lots of children who are fans. This is an attempt to emulate that business success with sidelines like the merchandise.

Of course it is. No one's saying it isn't but this film wasn't designed or made for a target audience of children so why shouldn't there byle sexual innuendos or some swearing?

I wouldn't, because unlike any other Greta Gerwig film, it seems awful.

Can I just point out that the majority of this film takes place in real life, not in Barbies dream house or world. So I think it will be utterly boring for a 6 year old.
Personally as an adult I’m looking forward to seeing it.

I am an adult that used to play with Barbie and think the film looks great. It very very clearly isn't a kids film. People getting funny about it not being a kids film are free to watch the scores of previous releases.

From what I've seen of it, I'd be more concerned about the whole thing going over the heads of kids rather than it being grossly offensive.

I wish they'd gone all in and done an 15 or 18

The target audience don't mind some swearing and sexual innuendo. I assume it's going to be like the tamer Friends episodes which are rated 12. This audience will have watched the gentle animated films when they were young.

I'm going to see It with adult Dd it looks hilarious and just daft.

They didn't want to. It's not aimed at children. All the upper teens/early twenties uni students are going in groups. They are the target, and therefore a bit of sex and swearing is required, in fact, the more, the better.