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Original poster

How old do they have to be before you'd let them watch Grease?

28 replies

Spidermama · 07/02/2006 21:20

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FrannyandZooey · 07/02/2006 21:30

Ooh gosh, I'm not sure. It is really quite suggestive isn't it? I think maybe I would be happier with little ones watching it as most will go over their heads, bizarrely. Err, I might feel a bit uncomfortable about 8 or 9 year olds watching it, it is the sleazy aspect of it I think. What are your thoughts on it Spidey?

Roobie · 07/02/2006 21:31

I don't think it's at all suitable for pre-teens tbh. I remember battling my dad to go and see it when I was about 10 - he refused to let me and having seen it for the first time about 5 years ago as a mature adult I could understand why. I wouldn't want my dd spouting some of lines in it.

Hulababy · 07/02/2006 21:31

DD has seen most of it and she is 3yo. But most of it goes over her head. She just likes the singing and dancing. She got into the music after we took her to the school (where I worked) production of it.

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Aimsmum · 07/02/2006 21:33

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Angeliz · 07/02/2006 21:35

Well it was on a bit the other day and dd1 (5) got into it, (we only saw the end though).I was pleased i hadn't turned it over sooner as i wouldn't want her to see it all yet. I wasn't allowed at the Cinema to see it when it came out. I was about 7 i think.

It really is a timeless excellent film though and all kids seem to love it.
I used to work in a Children's home and they'd all watch it over and over!!Mixed ages.

Latz · 07/02/2006 21:35

Went to see it with my mum at about 8 years old - totally went over my head - wasn't til several years later i realised why my mum was cringing!

Angeliz · 07/02/2006 21:35

Yes, it wasn't actually till someone on here ointed out the words to a particluar song that i got how smutty it actually is underneath!

Roobie · 07/02/2006 21:36

I know where you are coming from in that the littlies don't really get it - but do you then draw the line when they start to 'get it' and stop them watching it? I've always been surprised really that Grease has been viewed as a family/kids film when it really isn't imo.

Heathcliffscathy · 07/02/2006 21:36

i watched it at 7 in the cinema (which ages me!) and tbh the whole hickey thing etc just passed me by, i just loved the songs....!

Moomin · 07/02/2006 21:37

Dd is 4 and has watched it more times than i care to remember but i think i might have to start monitoring it soon. After watching the beauty school drop out song she said ' mummy what's a hooker?' I said it was a scruffy lady!! so far though, she concentrates on the singing and dancing more.

Hattie05 · 07/02/2006 21:37

I watched it every weekend, every day of the school holidays throughout my children, and it took until i watched it as an adult to realise what its content actually was!
I think the attraction is all the singing and dancing, as children we don't - or i certainly didn't - pay any attention to the story line.

morningpaper · 07/02/2006 21:39

I put it on for my 3 year old and then realised how AWFUL it was and turned over to Dora the Explorer instead. I noticed it was on at 3pm over Christmas on ITV - I thought that was a bit inappropriate.

Original poster

Spidermama · 07/02/2006 21:42

I watched it with my kids (7,6,4) and my dd's friend (7) and we loved it. Then my dd's friend told me 'I told my mum we watched Grease. She says she has it too but I'm not allowed to watch it because it's an adult film'.

I watched it again (by popular demand this evening) and I have to agree with those who say that the sexy stuff goes over the heads of the little ones. So far they've asked no questions about the fumbling in the car. You don't actually see anything but cuddles.

Anyway, my kids love it but I feel I ought to talk it through with dd's friend's mum. Uh oh!

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Mog · 07/02/2006 21:52

Oh this thread title took me back. I think I was about 15 when it first came out and it was PG and my mum wouldn't let me go to see it at the cinema. I was GUTTED as all my friends were going. Think she made the wrong call on that one.

Berries · 07/02/2006 21:53

The tv versions and the vid/dvd are quiet different. Mine watched it few times on tv & loved it (age 7 & 9). As a treat I bought it on dvd but didn't realise quite how heavily edited the tv version had been. Have let them continue to watch it as they are familiar with the story anyway, but most of it goes right over their heads anyway.

FrannyandZooey · 07/02/2006 21:54

Yes, I wouldn't have been totally overjoyed with you if it was my dd Spidey. I wouldn't mind some more adult themes for this age but it is the smutty, slutty tone of Grease that I wouldn't be keen on for children.

Good luck with the conversation with mother

Eowyn · 07/02/2006 21:56

Just last week I thought I'd show this to dd-5 as some of the songs are on her CD.. but i'd completely forgotton how unsuitable it was, I only saw it as an adult (I'm not young, just had v strict parents).

I kept saying I'll just fast forward to a song & she'd be saying nooo.. but some things I just don't want to explain yet.

wannaBe1974 · 07/02/2006 22:25

First time I watched greece I think I was about 10. My mother worked in a video shop and TBH I think I watched a lot of films that probably weren't suitable, nothing x-rated, but prob definitely films that were rated 15. I just liked all the music and the story went over my head. My favourite film though was dirty dancing and I watched that when I was 12 and loved the music, and although I did understand totally what the story was about, the music took over the story imo, so i don't think it had any detremental effect on me.

I think that there's only so much we can stop our kids from watching/hearing. Greece is deemed suitable to be shown on ITV before the watershed, but it is edited, however some of the music that is in the charts is definitely not edited and it is impossible to stop our kids listening to that.

Kidstrack2 · 07/02/2006 22:35

I first watched grease when i was 8 and dirty dancing when I was ten. I understood some content but not all I just enjoyed the music and dancing!

julienetmum · 07/02/2006 22:44

It depends which version. The full unedited version was recently on the TV for the first time in ages, usually it is the edited version.

There are also two versions of the stage show too, the schools version and the full show. Dh has taught the edited version of Grease Ligtning to children.

The edited version I would say form around age 8 onwards, the full version, depending on the matirty of the child maybe 12/13 but I suspect it would be around a 15 certificate.

Original poster

Spidermama · 08/02/2006 20:15

I talked to dd's friend's mum and about having show her dd this and sort of apologised. She was fine with it though and we went swimming together after school so all's well.

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cutekids · 08/02/2006 20:26

This film must be an institution! I was about 8 when I went to see it with my Mum and Dad-only time I can ever remember going to the pictures with them both! I loved it;got the album-still got it!-that Christmas and acted it out with all my friends!!!I always remember my Mum being a little worried about my Birthday party that year cos there was one little girl coming whose Mother was "a bit funny about things like this"!!!Didn't affect me or my mates though and I still remember all the words to all the songs and my kids LOVE it! (They're 7,6 and 5 now and they watched it for the first time about 18 months ago).They love the songs. My five yr old loves to be "Sandy". My six yr old wants a car "like Danny" and my seven yr old can take it or leave it...likes the "beauty school drop out" bit...! The reps in Magalluf last year did a Grease play and they were so chuffed that they knew all the words.I think kids do take things in early these days but in a kind of innocent way.

BonyM · 08/02/2006 20:30

I was 11 when I saw it at the cinema with my best friend who was 9. To be honest, the sleazy stuff went completely over our heads. We just wanted to be Pink Ladies and persuaded our mothers to buy us black cords and pink combs to wear in the back pockets!

3princesses · 08/02/2006 20:33

It's funny what you notice about films, isn't it? I bought Grease for dd1 when she was about 9, having forgotten all the bits about the 'bun in the oven' etc and felt a bit stupid when I watched it with her. But the main difference between my adult perception of it and my own pre-teen memories was the way Sandy changes at the end. Found myself getting all huffy and saying 'Well, of course there was NOTHING WRONG with her the way she was before' etc etc. Perhaps we'll all pay for being such lax mothers when our daughters start dressing up in black Lycra and behaving like hookers to attract a boyfriend.

Original poster

Spidermama · 08/02/2006 20:37

I agree that the sleazier bits go right over their heads. In fact the only time I felt mild alarm while my kids were watching it was when Kenicky lights a cigarette in a very cool way which makes you want to take it up again.

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