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.

There are eleventy billion Barbie movies out there for kids. The adults have had to sit through those for years. I’m fairly certain the cinemas will pop a few on those on in the holidays while there is the hype.

Im glad the parents are getting a turn now. 😂

PS the Dora The Explorer live action is also brilliant for the grown ups!

I fully understand that the film is aimed at adults, but you can’t make a movie about a children’s toy, and then show the trailer ahead of children’s films, and then not expect lots of kids to want to see it. The marketing has been really confusing.

I also think that the parade is the way older teens/YAs played with Barbie. And in the past girls okayed with Barbie much later, if not publicly. Nowadays our year 2s still play Barbie but possibly hit much older.

I n the past there were fewer toys and activity options for older children and many girls will have still played with Barbie until 'tweens.'
And the type of okay changed as they got older, acting out more grown up themes - like the film suggests.

Barbie and Ken being boyfriend/girlfriend and acting out kissing. Having a sleepover because they were bf/gf but not really knowing why that might happen, etc. That was fairly normal play with these toy films but at an older age than who play with them now. That kind of play/acting out is shown in the film and it's trailers.

Hence why I think it's being aimed at the YA market - it's how they played with Barbie and is a paradox of that.

Dd and her friends of similar age all enjoyed the Dora live action movie. They were all of the age where watching the original Dora in tv was a big thing.

Tbh I would not let mine go because inviting 6 year olds to a 12A movie when there are so many others options for them indicates to me that they are not the best places to be responsible for a group of 6 year olds. Unless it is a case of you taking the kids as well?, there is no way I would trust these parents to look after my 6 year old.

I think it's pretty shitty of the party throwers to put other parents in this position.

I'd probably tell them that but

... but that would make me 'that' parent. I don't think I'd let them go to the party though.

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

It's exactly this. A few of my peers, in their 50s are looking forward to seeing this.
I think a 6 year old is going to be really very disappointed. It's not aimed at kids.

They shouldn’t have played the trailer before The Little Mermaid then. Who did they think was the audience for that?

I'm taking my 4 year old who is very intelligent for her age, I think she will either just giggle 🤭 or look blankly re: sexual innuendo. I think you just have to gauge your child and their personality and what not. I know my daughter well, she's still very innocent and I'm sure a movie about a doll is not going to change that.

Your 4 year old is going to be bored to tears.

DD(8) wants to see it because she’s seen it advertised during YouTube videos and there was a section on Sky News I think the other day.

I’ve said she can’t see it in the cinema but we can watch it at home (ways and means…)

that way when she gets bored and wanders off I won’t feel cheated

I'm taking my 4 year old who is very intelligent for her age

It has nothing to do with intelligence. Your child is 4, the movie (including adverts) is well over 2 hours long. She's going to be bored out of her mind sitting through something that isn't aimed at children. Not to mention how pissed off others will be at having to endure a 4 year old giggling, fidgeting and getting up to go for a wee.

What @DiscoDeborah said. It's plainly not intended for 6 year olds. I imagine they'll be a bit bored and disappointed.

Film makers are in the business of making money after having no doubt ploughed millions into making the film in the first place. It's a simple matter of telling your children "I know it looks to you like a kids movie but it isn't, we're watching something else instead" but the birthday party parents have screwed it up for everyone.

The barbie trailer was in the same mix as a new ninja turtles film, new Pixar etc, etc, and the focus was on barbie in dreamland or whatever it’s called. Also cartoon/fantasy character goes into real world is a really common theme in kids and family films. There’s nothing I’ve seen in the trailers I saw at the cinema before other kids’ films that implies this is a film for older teens/ adults and I would imagine the cinemas will be full of little girls because it is being marketed at them. If it’s inappropriate for that audience maybe it shouldn’t be trailed before the little mermaid.

Dd8 wants to see it but the trailer where she picks high heels over Birkenstocks annoyed me. I know it's supposed to be a joke and adults get that but all my dd8 will see is that high heels that distort her body are the go to fashion item.

There are so many films for children (and even other Barbie films) aimed at children, why would parents choose to send their children to a film which is rated 12A. That's not the same as PG - it suggests it's not suitable for under 12s although younger children can come in with supervision. Your average 6 year old is unlikely to have the maturity of a 12 year old and what's the point of them seeing a film where half of it goes over their head?

17 year old DD is planning to see this with some of her friends. Somewhat ironically she's likely to get ID'd as she looks young for her age (though really not under 12 ...), but it will be ok for groups of 6 year olds to waltz in with their parents. I think cinema ratings/checking needs to be sorted out.

This. The film company can’t have it both ways. Either it’s solely for adults, in which case they shouldn’t have trailed it ahead of kids’ films, or they have to accept kids are going to want to see it. My almost-eight year old wants to see it because she saw the trailer before The Little Mermaid. She doesn’t understand irony or nostalgia - she just thinks it’s a film about her favourite toy, and the trailer did nothing to disabuse her of that.

It is a 12A and she is 6. Not sure why this is even a question?!

Presumably you sometimes have to tell her that she can't have something she wants? Can't this be one of those times?

So is my nearly 6 year old but as it is a 12 rating it isn't appropriate for her. Not sure it is a responsible parent that takes a four year old to a film rated a 12.

I think I preferred the days when parents of very intelligent 4 year olds just let them read the whole of Harry Potter. Or possibly War and Peace in multiple languages.

I mean, take your child to a film that will go over her head by all means. Just make sure your desire to show how intelligent she is doesn't mean that she gets bored and disturbs other cinema goers. Cinema is not exactly cheap - why not take your child to something she can enjoy fully?

Yes, of course, but I am pointing out why it’s understandable that kids are wanting to see it when it’s being marketed at them ahead of kids’ films like the Little Mermaid.

Yes they will be allowed.

12A means under 12s can watch if accompanied by an adult.

Yes it is 12 a which means under 12s can go if accompanied by an adult