To be disturbed by Netflix 'Breeders'

[Overhype]

With Martin Freeman. Is this bordering on abuse dressed up as acceptable parent burn out? It is supposed to be loosely based on Martin Freeman's own experiences? I'm sure it is exaggerated, but I an finding parts of it not funny at all. It just gets good, than an extreme "joke" is thrown in which is to me far too aggressive. I find Ally such a pathetic wet rag of a character, smiling and excusing her husband for his vile swearing rants at their children?
No parents is perfect, but there are certain parts of this that make me question how it even passed as a comedy. I'd imagine some parts of this would be triggering for some people who won't have a clue that they'll take it so far, and are expecting to see a comedic representation of "normal" patenting. It all seems to be excused by Paul saying he loves the kids, as if that cancels out his aggressive nature. When social services get involved it is passed off as being somehow over the top, when in actuality it isn't imo.

What do you think?

I haven't finished it but I do find it slightly uncomfortable viewing at times.

It reminds me a lot, tone wise, of Fawlty Towers. It is funny at times but also horrifying at the same time

It's the story of a dysfunctional father and how he fucks up his kids and his marriage. Although there are some funny (and sweet) moments in the series, his rage and abuse are not meant to make us laugh.

Agree with much of what's been said already - it isn't a parenting manual, he is abusive and he is also excused for it IMHO.

But I'm on series 4 and it gets better (the other characters) but I don't feel that the MF character ever improves. That character is pretty much an example of how not to parent, ever.

And even if it's supposed to make us non-perfect parents feel better (we're all in the same boat at times), I would be horrified if anyone swore or screamed at any child in the way those 2 swear and shout at their kids.

I agree that in a lot of ways, by portraying this kind of parenting, it normalises the abusive behaviour, the shouting and swearing.

I tried not to swear in front of my kids, taught them that swearing is often/mostly inappropriate - how could they have learnt that lesson if I swore to the extent that these characters did?

Yes that's probably the issue it was sold as comedy and in the list of quite lighthearted comedy shows on my Netflix home page

And it didn't really hit that note for me at al. if they said bleak show tackling serious issue like abuse with some sweet lighthearted moments, I might have been less put out by it

How do you feel about the Simpsons?
Considering homer regularly strangles Bart and is a raging alcoholic? Haven't watched breeders but I doubt it's worse than homer regularly asphyxiating his son.

Perhaps it has been mis-marketed to me then, as a comedy as I thought it was really souless and not funny. It would only take a few instances of the dad behaving like that IRL, for the mum or another adult to suggest therapy or something.

I watched the first series and thought it was unrelatable dross.

If it disturbs you so much just don't watch it.

Arguably the Simpsons is a lot worse with homer constantly strangling bart but no one claims to be disturbed by that

My Dad regularly reacted like this. Or least my memory tells me he did. There is a bit on one of the later series where his son remembers how angry his dad had got at his sister, totally bypassing how his Dad had helped him moments before. Which really brought it home to me, firstly that all parents get it right and wrong some of the time and that despite Dad's memory of the situation it was still the ragey part that his son has remembered.

Its certainly isn't the funniest thing I've ever watched but then the bear is meant to be a comedy, which has even less laughs

Do some people not understand the difference between fact and fiction? Breeders is a TV series, not a reality show featuring Martin Freeman’s parenting style 🙄

And the children weren’t present during the swearing scenes.

@30percent I love the Simpsons, it being a cartoon and all.

I have read that while Breeders is not fully autobiographical, it is somewhat based on your, sorry. I mean Martin Freemans own personal life.

Can you confirm or deny?

Haven't watched it don't know anything about it I see on this thread people saying the dad shouts and swears at the kids well homer straight up strangles Bart!! And I'm yet to see anyone claim the Simpsons disturbs them. I mean it being a cartoon is irrelevant because I imagine breeders was filmed using split screens so the kids probably didnt hear any swearwords.

Although let's be honest most kids already know swearwords from their classmates at school

I could only watch a couple of episodes. It reads like a dramatisation of the Lundy Bancroft book “Why does he do that?”. Maybe he gets his comeuppance eventually, but I didn’t get that far. In the early episodes it just felt like the writers thought abuse was funny.

Hated it. Hideous unfunny rubbish.

Wholeheartedly agree. A few posters seem to implying this show is a reflection of Freeman's real-life parenting, which is revolting.

Interestingly I thought this when I watched the programme on Sky. I think that Freeman's character is being presented as a troubled and stressed man, when what I often see is someone delivering significant abuse to all members of his family and his language is vile. LTB in my view.

I mentioned fawlty towers earlier, which whilst having more laughs per minute, is essentially about a monster of a man

How do you know she doesn't

The Simpsons actually has had a lot of criticism over the Homer strangling Bart gag over the years… kids knowing a few swear words isn’t the same as their dad regularly screaming obscenities at them for simply being kids because he can’t regulate his adult emotions.

I think it's absolutely brilliant! We have been really laughing out loud, at so much of it. It's clearly a dark comedy. My own Dad was far more vocal than "Paul" when we were growing up - maybe I have a thick skin? His parents are so similar to how my Dad is now. Best thing I've watched in years. Martin Freeman is the best actor ever, imo. His facial expressions tell you everything he is feeling.

I've never thought of it as a comedy. I thought it was a drama, gulps. No started series 4 yet

This! I watched it and I enjoyed it.

If it was reclassified as a drama, that wouldn't actually change the content though? I don't base my opinion of things on how they're categorised, just how much I enjoying watching them. There's an awful lot of TV which treads the line between comedy and drama, they tend to be the things I enjoy watching the most.

There's also a few people on here who are suggesting this is an exaggerated version of normal life. Which it may be to most people, but this is normal life for plenty. It's not a relationship I'd want to be in and it's not a life I'd want to emulate but of course there are families like this. Angry men fucking up their children while their wives hang around hoping it will get better. It's real life, just not a very palatable part.

Showing stuff like this on TV isn't an endorsement, not everything has to be fluffy and sanitised.

It's not their dad though is it? He's an actor and they're actors and they know it's not real.
Thats assuming they're even in the same room when he is shouting and the directors haven't been doing some fancy editing so the children don't hear it.

Seriously this thread is ridiculous I was hit with a belt as a child and turned out fine (not saying that's ok) and you people think the actors are going to be traumatised because they heard sone shouty swear words.

Good god if you don't like it just dont watch it

After finding the first few episodes very difficult I grew to like it a lot. There's significant character development and some genuinely moving moments. I think he represents (albeit in an exaggerated way) a middle class angst about parenting when it isn't all unicorns and rainbows and you let yourself down in handling things.