The stupidity stuns me on this one

[Geek King]

Reminds me of when South Park: The Movie came out. My sister and I went to see it, knowing full well that it was going to be over the top, just based on what limits they pushed on TV. I was shocked to see couple after couple bringing in thier kids, mostly around 10-12 years old. Sure enough, five minutes in, during Terrance and Phillip's big number, a full quarter of the seats vacate. Parents were carrying the kids out by the head, hands solidly planted over juniors' ears as so many of the rest of us rolled on the floor to the "Uncle" song.

[MadMike]

I was shocked to see couple after couple bringing in thier kids, mostly around 10-12 years old.

Funny thing about that, I might have been one of those parents, except I would have been OK with it. Once I had "the talk" with my son at the age of 10, I started letting him watch pretty much anything, with the obvious exception of porn.

He's 12 now (13 next month), and I actually took him to see Clerks 2 when it was out last summer. He has a warped sense of humor that was passed onto him by his father, which was in turn passed onto him by his father. Needless to say, we were both howling with laughter more than once during the movie.

[TonyDonuts]

I get this in my store too, people buying Grand Theft Auto for their damn kids. We legally can't sell it to kids, but if a parent's with them, I always make sure they know it's not appropriate. I don't think it helps, because I still get people looking for a PC that Little Billy can play his mowing-down-hookers sim on. Do rental stores require parents to sign some of thing making themselves liable for anything they rent for their kids? If not, they sure as hell should.

A woman I work with bought Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for her kids, all under the age of twelve...

...because she thought it would be a skateboard game. She saw the "San Andreas" part, but failed to notice the "Grand Theft Auto" printed right next to it. She thought the people on the cover dressed like skaters.

She just seemed kind of lost, in a "How was I supposed to know what kind of game it was?" sort of way.

[Jester]

Hahahahaha! It is indeed amazing what people will rent for their kids.

The worst was when "Team America" came out...I mean...it has PUPPETS! Therefore it is Obviously appropriate for your 9 year old...

It depends on the kids, of course.

Last summer, my then 13 year old niece came out to Florida to visit me and other relatives, and she was under my care for a week. One night, we were going to watch a movie, and I asked her what she wanted to see. She mentioned Team America. I was not that familiar with it, so I got online and asked some people in my favorite chat room about it. Just about unanimously they screamed "IT'S PORN! IT HAS RAPE!" etc, etc. My niece can handle a lot, and she is a bright kid, but I decided against Team America and rented South Park, which I had seen, and figured was not too adult for her. There were a few awkward moments for me when they were talking about anal rape, but she was fine, and there was nothing in that movie that shocked her or seemed at all new to her.

Now, I am not advocating that kind of movie for all 13 year olds, or even all teenagers. I made a decision based upon my knowledge of my niece, her intelligence, her maturity, and her personality. And I stand by said decision. There are movies I would NOT let her see. I still have not seen Team America, so still do not know if I would allow such stuff for her.

See, that's the whole thing about parenting: making decisions about your kids based upon available information, or finding out more information so you can make an informed decision. NOT just going "Oh, this should be fine for Little Johnny....look at all the nice happy pictures on the box." I am just an uncle, and I know this shit. Why is it that so many actual parents don't?

[Demolition Man]

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiight...and the beastiality part wasn't noted?? LOL

What do you mean... he was just hugging the donkey.

[DesignFox]

hmm. I've seen Clerks, and Clerks the cartoon series... Didn't know there was a Clerks II...I gotta see that.

I'm with all of you- I don't get how parents don't know these things. How stupid/irresponsible can you be?

And I remember one of the video stores that used to have the Anime section right next to the family section (which always boggled my mind- I would more clearly separate them myself). I used to be a huge anime fan, but hell- it's pretty obvious which were the ones I wanted to watch, and which were the ones I didn't... How do parents miss the image of tentacle rape on the box with a little sticker plastered over the girl parts saying "Not for Kids?" Um...HELLO! If the image didn't give you a clue, maybe the strategically placed sticker should! Oh wait- you have to read...and use common sense...right...

[protege]

Ugh. I got to listen to my uncle complain about "Top Gun" one night. Why? The bar scene midway through the flick. One of the characters mentions something about "getting laid." As soon as he heard that, he got pissy about how it "wasn't appropriate for young people" and made my cousin change the channel. I could have understood if she was little, but 15? Give me a freaking break

I too thought the South Park movie was freaking hilarious. In fact, as my father and I were watching it, he fell out of his chair laughing during the "Uncle" song

[MadMike]

I decided against Team America and rented South Park

Interestingly enough, the South Park creators also did Team America. It's the same type of humor, and if she was OK with South Park, I think Team America would have been OK as well. But you did the right thing by playing it safe, and going with the movie you had already seen and knew about.

Oh, and the whole "porn" thing? I'm guessing that was in reference to the stupidly funny sex scene between two of the puppets, which like most dolls, have no genitals of any kind. I don't think it was any worse than the relationship between Satan and Saddam Heussein.

But that's just me. You made your call as a parent, and I make mine.

[Jester]

But that's just me. You made your call as a parent, and I make mine.

Precisely. And we live with these calls that we make. UNLIKE many of the SC's that are written about in these annals.