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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Michael Jackson Thriller video shown in class to Yr 3!

87 replies

gingertoo · 08/07/2009 17:32

Feel free to tell me if you think I'm being over protective but I'm really not happy that my son's Yr3 class has been shown the full version of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' video this afternoon in school.
The first thing he said to me when he came out of school was 'Are zombies real, mum?'
He keeps mentioning it and saying he didn't like it. He is a bit of a gentle soul - he has acute health needs, is young for his age and doesn't like the 'baddies' in alot of cartoon films.....

What do you think? AIBU to be unhappy that this has been shown to my child at school?

(Have no idea why they watched it either?? btw)

OP posts:
spookycharlotte121 · 08/07/2009 17:43

I dont think it was a very sensible thing to show year 3 children. (how old are year 3 children?)

thing is a lot of children are exposed to things like that from an early age from watching older siblings on computer games and the fact the its seems more socially acceptable by the media to throw gore and horror in our faces but I think i too would be a little annoyed and if I had a chid that age who had been shown it..... its quite frighteningly realistic and a little irresponsible of the teacher.

YANBU

TheOddOne · 08/07/2009 17:45

Well i think it's quite a nice idea. She was prob talking about his influence and making sense of his death to them.

And it is a great song and a fantastic video with top dancing on it.

In fact i showed it to my two on youtube the other day and they are 8 & 6 (yr3 and yr1).

KingCanuteIAm · 08/07/2009 17:47

Year 3? SO 8ish years old? I would have thought most 8yo would have come across zombies by then, Scooby Doo is full of them!

I think you are being a bit over-protective, sorry. Just explain that they are not, it is a music video and nothing else.

Oh, sorry, do you mean the music video or the film????

spookycharlotte121 · 08/07/2009 17:49

i spose it depends on what your children find frightening. I know my niece would hate it and my sister would be very upset if she was shown it at school.... but then again my niece started crying hystericly at a punk in town the other day. He had a spikey red mowhawk and lots of piercings.

JudyBlume1019 · 08/07/2009 17:49

yanbu, but mainly from the point of view that tyhe world has appeared to have gone stark raving mad about the death Michael Jackson. I just DON't get it, it's really really weird.

cornsilk · 08/07/2009 17:50

It's too scary for 8 year olds - or should be anyway.

KingCanuteIAm · 08/07/2009 17:55

Cornsilk, why?

HolyGuacamole · 08/07/2009 17:57

Sorry, I think YABU. The fact that he asked you if zombies are real, gives you a chance to explain that they are not and that it was just a music video etc etc.

screamingabdab · 08/07/2009 17:57

I think it is too scary for many 8 year olds- my son is in year 3. I think that when it was released it had a 15 certificate (myself and my brother went to the video shop to rent it).

I think some children this age will have seen similar material, but that is hopefully a decision that their parents will have made. I don't think that school should have taken that decision. It would certainly upset my son, and many of his friends, whether or not they would show their upset in front of their friends.

There are many other MJ videos they could have shown.

So YANBU

cornsilk · 08/07/2009 17:58

Why? Because it's supposed to be scary. When the thriller video first came out it was first broadcast at night - I'm sure past 9p.m.

screamingabdab · 08/07/2009 18:01

KingCanute A live action film isn't the same as a funny cartoon, and I don't think all children's fears can be explained away by rational explanations like "it's just a music video"

cornsilk · 08/07/2009 18:01

Screamingabdab - do you remember when it was first broadcast in the 80's? I'm sure it was 10p.m.

Yurtgirl · 08/07/2009 18:01

No YANBU
I would be appalled if my los were shown this in primary school

TheOddOne · 08/07/2009 18:02

Really? Your 8 yr olds would be scared by it??

Don't get me wrong - mine doesn't see anything he shouldn't re: video games, Torchwood etc. but he (and his mates i can think of) would just see this as a joke / bit of fun.

He gets upset at children losing parents etc. in films (wouldn't even have a baby spider plant off me as he didn't like the idea of it being pulled off it's 'mum') - not this sort of unreal stuff.

SoupDragon · 08/07/2009 18:04

UK certificate is 15, USA is a PG.

It wouldn't bother me if my Y3 child saw it but it would seem you do have cause for complaint.

Feenie · 08/07/2009 18:04

My Y3 niece learnt the dance in Dance Club after school, and watched the video. I didn't think anything of it, tbh.

sagacious · 08/07/2009 18:05

YABVU

My five year olds favorite film is Saw.

Never did her any harm

[twitch]
[therapy]

screamingabdab · 08/07/2009 18:07

TheOddOne I appreciate what you say - some children are scared by monsters, some by death, . My 6 year old gets most disturbed by people being told off in films! But yes, my DS1 would be very upset by this.

Cornsilk Yes, - I think it was shown late. Of course the threshold for what adults seem to think children can cope with has come down and down. My own view is that children haven't changed THAT much

screamingabdab · 08/07/2009 18:08

sagacious

cornsilk · 08/07/2009 18:08

Rated at 15 so not suitable for Year 3.

Poshpaws · 08/07/2009 18:12

Ds1 (7 and yr 3) has played this a number of times on Youtube (with my supervision) as well as BAD. I know which one I have the problem with ...

He asked me if zombies were real, I explained. He seemed to understand.

I agree that for some it would be a bit scary, but not all. If you want to complain, do it on behalf of your son as some of the other children may just not be too bothered .

Having said that, DS1 and his friends love zombies from things like Scooby-Doo and Ben-10 type cartoons.

cornsilk · 08/07/2009 18:12

(I know it's too scary for my 8 year old as ds1 tricked ds2 into watching part of it on you tube - he told him it was something light and fluffy.)

TheOddOne · 08/07/2009 18:12

Oooh i'm not trying to cause an argument here. I'm just fascinated by this sort of thing hence me posting.

My DNeice hates anyone in a costume - even if it's Mickey Mouse. Doubt she'd be bothered by Thriller though.

llareggub · 08/07/2009 18:18

I'm pretty sure I was about 8 when Thriller was originally released. We had a VHS copy and spent hours trying to copy the dance. I'm also very sure that it never occurred to me to be scared, in fact I'm not really sure I appreciated that it was meant to be scary. Back then it was amazing and exciting for being what it was, a music video.

screamingabdab · 08/07/2009 18:21

TheOddOne - no, I know . We can only really go by the experience of our own DCs, though.

My DS1 does sound more like the OPs, and unlike some children, he is more likely to admit to feeling upset or
afraid (he hasn't really got much of a "front" yet).

What worries me a bit is the kids who have a bit of bravado, and don't admit they are afraid, and then have nightmares.

It's a moot point whether or not a bit of fear does them any harm in the long term. I don't know the answer to that, but I do worry about DCs being desensitised to horrible things.

On principle, though, it should be up to the parents to decide , in a situation where a film is being shown that is above the age range for that class.