I had a first yesterday.
My family and I walked out of a movie.
That movie was Percy Jackson and it was billed as ‘PG’ (meaning: Parental Guidance).
In my world, that means that this is somewhat ok for younger children, just be aware of some situations that may arise in a movie.
One would think that graphic violence and strong language would elevate this kind of flick to at least a PG-13 status.
Well, the first 2 ‘graphic’ scenes came and while we shielded the eyes of our kids, the third one put me over the edge.
It was a beheading, and while they didn’t show the head being severed, they did show the head on the ground rolling.
Really?
PG?
REALLY?
At that point, my wife and I looked at each other and said ‘We’re outa here’.
No fricken way in Hades that I’m going to let my 5 and 2yr old watch this.
So we left.
I made the right decision for my family, but what do you think?
Would you let your young kids sit through something like this?
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I saw the movie with my 9 year old son last week. My 7 year old daughter opted to stay home… I’m glad she did. She would have had nightmares for a month. The movie was way too violent for a PG rating. You did the right thing by covering their eyes and walking out. You saved you and your children some sleepless nights.
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I took my 6yr old whose a month away from being 7 and he loved it however you are absolutely right in saying it was AT LEAST a PG-13 movie. Ratings these days are way off and I had to constantly remind my son it wasn’t real and talk with him after wards about violence.
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While I don’t personally have kids, I’m an avid moviegoer and I don’t blame you for leaving. It’s sad that behind the scenes on these sets, often times politics move in and alter a movie’s plot, message, or in this case, it’s rating just to open it to a wider audience. Seen it happen. My firend’s having to fly back to LA from the East Coast just to reshoot a scene because the network changed their mind on how they wanted the episode to play out.
BS I know.
Either way good call.
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Hey Kieth,
I was a fan of the books, so I wanted to walk out of the movie for an entirely different reason – that they changed so much of the story unnecessarily!
Anyway, maybe I’m desensitized because I’m not a parent, but I didn’t notice anything wrong with the movie in terms of violence. It’s a kid’s film and they were killing monsters. But part of being a parent is choosing what you expose your kids to, so if you thought it was too harsh, good for you for taking your kids out of the movie.
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Hi Keith,
I’m with you on this one, but it’s a tough call for any parent. We actually walked away from broadcast and cable tv for a number of years (sat too). When I would see someone’s television on I was often shocked by the sex and violence being broadcast into our homes… and that was just the commercials.
Rated movies often do not have the restrictions or standards enforced by broadcast tv. Worse yet what standards the ratings systems do abide by have loosened considerably. Why? Money.
People pay more to see graphic violence and sex and all sorts of stuff. As a marketer you know that if people are snapping stuff up – someone is going to fill that need.
The best thing you could have done is walk out… maybe request a refund. The money is not the issue but if enough people make a stink where it counts – at the cash register – it may get some attention. Hmmmm. Maybe the money IS the issue after all.
Like I said – it’s a tough call but NO ONE ELSE is going to watch out for your kids like you will. And they day when we start thinking “someone” ought too is the day when we might be right.
Regards,
Andy
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Very well said… thank you.
Keith
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I haven’t seen the movie, but based on what you have said it’s just another example of tolerance being a bad thing. It has fast become apparent to me being a parent of an almost 2 year old that things do change in this world of ours at a very fast pace.
I came in on my son watching sponge bob and watched it with him for about 5 minutes and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The violence and destructive behavior that is presented to our kids on a regular basis is unbelievable!
I think tolerance and letting others do what they choose and watch what they want to watch is fine, but if you have a rating system and guidelines to follow, then use them.
As parents we have to pay attention to what we expose our children to and that is our job. I think you made the right choice and would do the same myself. If we want our kids to grow up in a good place and expose them to the right things at the right time, it’s just a little harder these days then it was a while back.
Or maybe I’m just getting old, because as I write this I think I sound like my father… Oh well, that’s my 2 cents, but kudo’s to you for bringing the real world into the marketing forefront.
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I watched this yesterday (for second time, partly wondering if I was overly harsh the first time), and on Saturday watched Alice in Wonderland.
In both cases there were kids in the audience, in both cases there were rather disturbing things going on screen. In both cases the kids didn’t appear to react at all. Apparently they’ve already been babysat by these particular types of media before.
At the end you missed the medusa head in a freezer gag, while the lame step-father after getting kicked out, goes looking for beer and turns to stone (while the credits are rolling)
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