Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

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 that Wonka was unnecessarily sexual for a kids film?

202 replies

Bambooshoot · 10/12/2023 15:32

Just seen Wonka with my son snd really enjoyed it, (loved High Grant as an Oompa Loompa, even though I usually don’t like him, he was perfect!!) . . . but I was wondering why they needed to shoehorn some weirdly sexual stuff into a kids film?

I’m talking about why they had to make the other chocolatiers so demonstratively sexual (dancing with fans up their arses/crowbarring in homosexuality etc) instead of just making them wonderfully evil, (which is quite possible to do), and why all that nonsense with the couple running the workhouse getting all steamy, and him in shorts and close ups of him bending over etc? The original film had nothing on a sexual level unless I missed it, and I can’t see why it was needed here, my son didn’t find it funny, just “cringe” and he hated the bit where they kissed at the end. What was it for? I thought it kind of spoiled the film. I used to be very open minded, have I just become a massive prude in my (relatively) old age?!!

OP posts:
Roundycippae · 12/12/2023 17:28

Which is why they have older actors like Hugh Grant in them, hamming it up for an older audience while kids would have no idea who he is…

marmitegirl01 · 12/12/2023 17:37

I love that so many people start their post with 'I haven't seen it but..'
I saw it last night, with partner - yes no kids. We loved it and he isn't a fan of musicals. Funny, sweet, touching, lots of lovely nods to the original, great score & book. It's a nice watch. Not going to change the world but nor is it full of rampant sexuality gay or otherwise.
Just go and enjoy a feel good film

CroccyWoccy · 12/12/2023 17:40

Well I quite agree that there shouldn't be sex in family films.

But there was no sex or anything of the sort in Wonka.

Your argument seems to consist of the fact some men danced with fans and there was a sub-plot involving two characters being attracted to each other.

As has been pointed out already LOTS of children's films involve a romance or swooning over the handsome prince. It's hardly as if the fact that people are attracted to each other is a huge secret that's never discussed before the children are in bed!

And as for the fact that there were men! dancing together! with fans! I don't really know where to start...this was nothing to do with sex at all.

Sorry it really does just sound like pearl-clutching. Wonka was a very tame family-oriented film.

ScremeEggs · 12/12/2023 17:47

Ok, I'm really confused.
I've just seen this film, I don't recall anyone being gay?
Are you sure you watched Wonka?! 😁
As for sexual - do you mean the baddie housekeepers having a kiss and a dance?!
Come onnnnn lol

ScremeEggs · 12/12/2023 17:52

I know the old people all share a bed in the original, but I must have missed the bit with the fan dancing and lederhosen in that version . . .

Just seen this corker - fan dancing and lederhosen been anything to do with homosexuality?!
You're funny 🤣

Roundycippae · 12/12/2023 19:28

‘But there was no sex or anything of the sort in Wonka.’

no, but in the original book the grandparents were clearly polyamorous - they had that one big bed and everything .

Roundycippae · 12/12/2023 19:28

Rubbing their ‘lifestyles’ into everyone’s faces, disgusting .

ChocolateCinderToffee · 12/12/2023 19:30

The guy is called Willy Wonka, what did you expect?

Verite1 · 12/12/2023 21:05

Bambooshoot · 12/12/2023 15:45

Christ on a bike, I’ve had way more personal insults on this than were deserved, I think!

By the way, I didn’t run away, I am just in a different time zone.

My objection was to sexualising what I thought (perhaps incorrectly) was a children’s Christmas film, given that it was a prequel (yes, thank you, I’m well aware there was no book) to a series written for children. Not unreasonable to assume the prequel would also be for children but apparently not.

I am absolutely not homophobic, and I don’t own any pearls to clutch, my objection was to pushing sex (gay, straight, bi or any other kind) onto kids when they are too young to understand. Let kids just, you know, be kids, and watch a magical film without adults (of any sex) pawing over each other.

There was no reason for any of the sex bits - as I said, the Chocolatiers could have just been evil and done an amazing hip hop, jazz, amusing folk or street dance or literally any other kind of dance number other than burlesque - although apparently I misunderstood and it wasn’t sexual, just “posh”.

The money obsessed workhouse people could have been distracted with a hundred things other than trying to shag each other - what about a newly (fake) discovered treasure map showing gold in the basement, so they dig and get trapped for a bit (or shut in forever, it is Roald Dahl after all!) or a royal family they have to pursue outside of the workhouse - Wonka managed to magic up a whole shop full of chocolate on no ingredients whatsoever, so that should have been a doddle!

My objection is absolutely not to sex itself, gay or straight - it’s putting sex in a kid’s film. But I have been told this was not a kid’s film, so I will take my imaginary pearls and cat’s bum mouth (thanks for that) and keep my opinions to myself (while keeping my eight year old away from people who think he “needs to know this”.) Yes, he does, but not yet.

I tell him that a man can marry another man and that he may want to some day, depends on how he grows up. He laughs and says “but that can’t work, mummy!” He has no real concept of sex, or sexual attraction - so this being put in a film is utterly irrelevant for children. It does not “educate” - I would say it just confuses and can be damaging. I am concerned that children are getting too much, too young, and are pushed into being sexual before they are ready - especially girls. But hey! Apparently I am complaining about “woke” even though I never even mentioned the term. Ho hum.

But you are continuing to insist that the film was full of sex and what was that delightfully homophobic comment again? Something like “crowbarred homosexuality” when everyone who has seen the film is saying that is just absolute crap. Everyone can see your agenda here.

TheMarzipanDildo · 12/12/2023 22:17

Roundycippae · 12/12/2023 17:28

Which is why they have older actors like Hugh Grant in them, hamming it up for an older audience while kids would have no idea who he is…

I’ve recently been rewatching some Horrible Histories, which I loved as a kid. I don’t think many ten year olds would get the Smiths parody or recognise the League of Gentlemen as the Hollywood producers (that would be a worry!) but there’s a certain joy in getting all the references for grown-ups now.

Caroparo52 · 12/12/2023 22:33

Sorry missed the fan dancing..... must go back again. Loved it.

Roundycippae · 12/12/2023 22:58

‘Sorry missed the fan dancing..... must go back again. Loved it.’

gay fan dancing. Don’t forget OP is upset about the GAY …

LizzieW1969 · 12/12/2023 23:02

Roundycippae · 12/12/2023 19:28

‘But there was no sex or anything of the sort in Wonka.’

no, but in the original book the grandparents were clearly polyamorous - they had that one big bed and everything .

The whole point about the 4 grandparents sharing the bed in the original was that it emphasised the grinding poverty of Charlie’s family. They literally only had 1 bed and that was given to the grandparents who were very old and frail.

I don’t recall any trace of innuendo in the original book.

Roundycippae · 12/12/2023 23:13

@LizzieW1969 satire not your thing??

LizzieW1969 · 12/12/2023 23:23

@Roundycippae

Ok, point taken. 🤣

VeronicasCloset · 12/12/2023 23:28

We watched it with our 7 and 11 year old. It was like a nonsense pantomime with lots of chocolate. I must have missed the crow barring and my DC found the lederhosen hilarious.
It made us laugh - it’s just a film. Some light relief.

Roundycippae · 13/12/2023 06:53

OP should prob avoid all pantos too… there’s a lot of ‘crowbarring homosexuality there too. Very camp a lot of them.

TriOptimim · 13/12/2023 07:33

Roundycippae · 12/12/2023 19:28

Rubbing their ‘lifestyles’ into everyone’s faces, disgusting .

I'd that a joke?

Roundycippae · 13/12/2023 08:14

@TriOptimim it’s a children’s book, swinging and polyamory have clearly been crowbarred in by the author.

phoenixrosehere · 13/12/2023 08:38

YABU

I disagree with you due to not seeing it as a children’s film nor considered it marketed as one either.

Yes, it is inspired by a children’s book but it is a completely separate entity.

You seeing the scene as sexual doesn’t mean a child will or does and won’t unless an adult tells them it is.

Ramalangadingdong · 13/12/2023 09:09

TriOptimim · 13/12/2023 07:33

I'd that a joke?

Show quote history

Yes, I think they’re joking.

you are joking aren’t you, @Roundycippae ?

NursieBernard · 13/12/2023 09:14

😂

MirandaWest · 13/12/2023 09:19

I watched Wonka yesterday (on my own and me a 48 year old woman!) Didn’t notice any homosexuality in it. Enjoyed myself 😊

Roundycippae · 13/12/2023 10:16

If OP can interpret a scene as crowbarred homosexuality then I can interpret 4 people sharing one bed as swinging.
Both things are about as true as each other…

straight people are always flaunting their lifestyles in peoples faces with their Romcoms, soap operas, kissing in public INFRONT of children. I’m sick of it.

T1Dmama · 13/12/2023 10:41

I’m going to have to watch it again I think… I seem to have missed the ‘gay dance’
I think usually to kids dance is just dance, they don’t pick up on whether it’s ‘butch’ or ‘camp’…
Films are under pressure now to be inclusive though so I think generally films do have all kinds of actors now… all colours, sizes and sexualities .. I think it’s ‘normal now’…
I do also think film that are aimed at kids are U’s… I do think PG’s are generally at a parents discretion and for older children.. not needing to be a 12 cert, but maybe aimed at junior age kids upwards.