GTKY Poll: Would you let an 8th grader watch OITNB?

ronniesgirl1981 · September 2014

My husband is teaching 8th graders this year and asked what everyone's favorite TV show is. OITNB was the number one answer. Me thinks that a certain percentage is a lie, but I digress. So, when you have an 8th grader, will you let him/her watch TV or movies that feature violence, sex, and nudity?

ronniesgirl1981 · September 2014

My parents were super conservative about what I could watch, but I still managed to see Show Girls in the 9th grade. I doubt I'll be as strict. We weren't allowed to say the word fart when I was little. So, I won't be as strict, but I suspect I'll be stricter than many.

ronniesgirl1981 · September 2014

@rainbowbridge14‌ I think that's valid. True story: My parents took us to see Wayne's World which was SUPER out of character for them and prompted me to ask the question, "what does it mean to blow a goat?"

BunnyBerry · September 2014

@ronniesgirl1981 That was the story growing up for me, too! Fart, stupid, shut up - were all swear words. No Looney Tunes, PG13 movies, Simpsons, video games that involved hitting or shooting anything.

We thought it was ridiculous, but now that I'm an adult, I appreciate how much nicer a household is when the language used is pleasant and polite, and also see how it can be a mixed message if violence or bullying behaviors are used for entertainment.

I may look back on this later as terribly naive, but we plan on having no TV, and limiting shows to maybe 30 min/day, and a weekly family movie. I would love for my kids to rely on their own creativity, be more active and interactive. And as a bilingual family, I'm sure we will explicitly teach what are polite words to use and what are impolite words to use.

But I agree with Ketchup that if we have kids like me...don't ask me how to handle that. I saw Showgirls sleeping over at my Canadian cousins' (they have some pretty racy stuff on late TV!) at around 8 or 9 years old, and believe me all of our Barbies were then topless dancers or strippers for a while after that. The Kens got the best end of that deal.

But it took me years to figure out how in the world someone could make their nipples "stick up"!

Champs28 · September 2014

I'm pretty liberal in this regard but the simulated sex in OITNB is a little much for 8th graders...

jencity9 · September 2014

@ronniesgirl1981‌ So how did your parents answer that question?? LOL

I would not let my 8th grader watch OITNB most likely... But violence/sex/nudity in general wouldn't necessarily be a rule. Just depends on the show.

ronniesgirl1981 · September 2014

@jencity9‌ My mom said it was a sexual act. I was 11 when it came out...not sure I could have handled both what a blow job was and how telling someone to blow a goat was a put down.

BethKate2 · September 2014

No, I definitely wouldn't. I was 12 when I started 8th grade. IMO, that's way too young for the content of that show.

jencity9 · September 2014

Oh that's true, there is a big age difference. I turned 14 before 8th grade started!

Pintobean39 · September 2014

Hell fucking no! I didn't see that as a response. 8th grade is way to young. IMO.

******Child mentioned.******

My youngest is in 10th grade and I still don't think that's an appropriate show for him, it's way to suggestive and graphic. I did let him watch Two and a half men at that age which I thought was close to crossing the line. I've never been very strict with TV shows. My rule is, it's ok for him to watch if I'm not uncomfortable watching it with him.

AnnaClaire256 · September 2014

Pintobean39 said:
Hell fucking no! I didn't see that as a response. 8th grade is way to young. IMO.

******Child mentioned.******

My youngest is in 10th grade and I still don't think that's an appropriate show for him, it's way to suggestive and graphic. I did let him watch Two and a half men at that age which I thought was close to crossing the line. I've never been very strict with TV shows. My rule is, it's ok for him to watch if I'm not uncomfortable watching it with him.

---Children mentioned---

Exactly.

My step sons are in 10th and 12th grade and there's no way I would let them watch OITNB. We are not very strict parents on things like language or innuendos but the particularly vulgar simulated sex scenes are not something I want to suggest they watch.

I thought I was alone in disliking Two and a Half Men. The old episodes with Charlie Sheen (shockingly enough) don't bother me...but the new seasons are just too much. Every line is a reference to something raunchy.

Anytime one of the boys giggles at something sexual (the number 69 or something) I ask them why it's funny. I say, "if you can explain to me why it's funny then I will allow you to laugh about it." Turns out they don't want to explain 69 to their step mom!

lebradford · September 2014

I voted ss. I wouldn't go so far as to say, "hell no," but I'm leaning towards no. My general philosophy though is that it is better to let kids have access to media (within reason) and talk to them about what they are seeing and hearing instead of trying to hide them under a rock and letting them learn things from their friends. I would probably let a high school student watch it though, 8th grade is just kind of borderline for me.

dominicandreamer · September 2014

I'm of the same mindset as @rainbowbridge14. At that age (14) I would have found a way to watch it too and as long as my kid isn't hiding it and sneaking around, it should hopefully make us more open to talk about things that are in it.

Just my 2¢.

ronniesgirl1981 · September 2014

Rumbera28 said:

I'm in the 'hell no' category. I had strict, super religious parents and it didn't turn me into the next Lindsey Lohan. I'm more into letting kids be kids and not consumers of adult materials until they are mature enough to handle it.

I had an ex who was raised in a totally opposite way -- when he was young, his father actually called him into the room to scientifically explain the female anatomy, using his naked mother for visuals. It scarred him for life.

Ummm...what?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! I think I'm scarred for life, too.

ronniesgirl1981 · September 2014

@JlambertJen We had not seen any of the episodes prior to him finding out that his 8th graders were watching. But that show is addictive and dirty! I totally understand why an 8th grader would watch if she could get access to it.

mindaa · September 2014

Rumbera28 said:

I'm in the 'hell no' category. I had strict, super religious parents and it didn't turn me into the next Lindsey Lohan. I'm more into letting kids be kids and not consumers of adult materials until they are mature enough to handle it.

Weird, weird story about your ex!

This is pretty much me. Sure, I watched a few 'banned" things at friend's homes and felt a little awkward sometimes that there I didn't have access at home. But I turned out OK and now as an adult I appreciate that they made the effort and let me be a kid, like you said.

I totally like the rule about only letting a kid watch what your're comfortable watching with them! I think there are better ways to have/start discussions about sex, than graphic, unrealistic media.

Waterlily234 · September 2014

I'm pretty lib. I'd be ok in theory with an eighth grader watching the show, it's graphic but well done, in my opinion. I certainly could have handled it when I was in eighth grade, but then again I don't have an eighth grader of my own. I might change my tune if it were my kid and I didn't want them to grow up too fast

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