Violence in Children's Movies

[littlemommy]

We had a rainy day last week, and I saw the Beauty and the Beast was on the Disney Channel. I turned it on, and everyone nicely sat down to watch it. There were a few parts in the movie I didn't feel comfortable with the kids watching. The townspeople were yelling, saying they need to kill the beast, and save their children and wives. Then there was the fight scene, where the one guy fights the beast. The ages I had that day were form 18 month to 6 years.

I didn't remember the movie being that violent. If it were on DVD I would have fast-forwarded that part! Or picked a different movie. It seems like any kids movies/shows have suggestive or violent parts.

[Squirrel]

Yep too much has violence and no adults sitting down talking things out. This is one reason I don't have a tv in my daycare. I also am quite particular about books I read to the kids and talk to them about parts that may not be the right way to handle a situation.

[Crystal]

I think almost ALL disney movies are innapropriate for young children. They are full of violence, death, etc. that children should not be exposed to.

Wierd, you would think Disney would be appropriate for children, but most is not:


Snow White - wicked witch step-mother, tries to kill snow white
Cinderella - abusive relationship with step-mother and sisters
Bambi - guns and fire resulting in death

etc.

[littlemommy]

Originally Posted by Crystal

I think almost ALL disney movies are innapropriate for young children. They are full of violence, death, etc. that children should not be exposed to.

Wierd, you would think Disney would be appropriate for children, but most is not:


Snow White - wicked witch step-mother, tries to kill snow white
Cinderella - abusive relationship with step-mother and sisters
Bambi - guns and fire resulting in death

etc.

Yes. After watching Beauty and the Beast, it made me think back to the Disney movies I watched as a kid. They were all violent!

[Kaddidle Care]

Stick with Winnie the Poo and the old film Milo and Otis.

As I've posted before - this website is great - no higher than 3 rating on anything is what I recommend for the wee ones. http://www.kids-in-mind.com/

Unfortunately, the old Disney flicks aren't on it. It's more recent movies.

[sharlan]

I am not a big fan of Disney movies. They give me nightmares.

My gd was having nightmares every night, we couldn't figure out why. One night my dd asked her what she was dreaming about. She said "Simba". Lion King hit the trash that day. She had been watching it, at her request, every afternoon.

I have never liked Disney Movies for all the reasons stated here but also because they instill in the very young that beautiful and skinny = good and ugly and fat = bad. Nearly every evil character is ugly while the good are young and beautiful. I don't like that message and think its one of the reasons our society is so screwed up. We start telling our girls from nearly day one (without even realizing it!) that they should look a certain way and be a certain size. No thanks! I love Sesame Street in small portions (its just too long for the toddlers) and also Thomas and Friends. Very benign and well made IMO. SS has the added benefit of no commecials too.

[Blackcat31]

that is the exact reason we ditched out TV completely back in the fall of 2010. (We also ditched all the battery operated toys as well.) I have to say, since we have gone TV free, the kids have been so much more imaginative and we have had zero instances of any kind of hitting or aggression. They are all playing nicer and sharing better and using their own creative skills with the toys and games they have.

[Zoe]

I'm a major Disney fan, but I will agree that they are not appropriate at times if small children are watching unsupervised. I've had to explain way too many times what happened to Simba's daddy and Bambi's mommy to my own DD to let my dck's watch. So I let them watch Wonder Pets, Yo Gabba Gabba, or something like that when I'm making lunch.

Now, my DD5 and my other 5 yo dcg watch whatever they want (family movie-wise of course) during quiet time. They're my big girls and understand all that stuff, and since they're by themselves during quiet time (the nappers are in another room), I have no problem letting them watch Tangled or Beauty and the Beast. I don't mind at all.

[Blackcat31]

I just finished watching Rango and this is my personal review of the show:
As a child ......
As an adult ......

Definately NOT for children.

[Kaddidle Care]

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

I just finished watching Rango and this is my personal review of the show:
As a child ......
As an adult ......

Definately NOT for children.

We loved it but my youngest is 10. That one bar scene I had to run back a few times and watch over and over. It was much better than I expected but I agree - not really for the littles.

[Zoe]

Oh man. My DH and I rented Rango but watched it after the kids went to bed. I won't let them watch that AT ALL! What were people smoking when they made that?!?

[Springdaze]

I had it going in the background and didnt care for what I heard. My kids have heard from very young that I dont like Shrek and were suprised last summer that I even let them watch it. Im not high and mighty or anything, I just dont like bathroom humor (anymore, that is!)

[Vonnel]

And it's not just in the movies that violence is present. For example, not so long ago I read the play "Macbeth" and I can say that I was just shocked by the amount of violence in this play. Can anyone else read it?

[Cat Herder]

Originally Posted by Vonnel

And it's not just in the movies that violence is present. For example, not so long ago I read the play "Macbeth" and I can say that I was just shocked by the amount of violence in this play. Can anyone else read it?

You would be hard-pressed to find a kid under 13 willing to read Macbeth, Julius Caesar, or any Shakespeare, really.

My favorite is still Taming of the Shrew. We were assigned it in junior high, but today it would most likely be banned as against women.

[Jo123ABC]

I guess I'm on the other side of that fence. I just don't feel like we can put kids in a bubble and never allow them to experience anything scary, weird or even violence. I don't think it's necessary for those things to be included in children's movies but that's the entertainment business for you I don't know what I'd do if a family was offended by a pg movie but I try not to shelter my kids in that respect. I just explain what is right or wrong with it basically teach them how to respond to stuff. My family ranches cattle. We recently had a steer butchered for meat for our family. My inquisitive six-year-old just realized where meat comes from. Anybody see Ferdinand? It really is no fun explaining things like that. I have kids who talk about their parents fighting and crying. I've taught my daughter a "safe phrase" she can use if she's ever at someone's house and needs to get out for ANY reason without anyone knowing that's what she's asking on the phone. I've had to teach my kids not to be polite to people they don't know if they are making them uncomfortable. Life isn't always bubbles and rainbows it's better to just deal with the bad stuff and focus on the good stuff. One last example... My 6-year-old really was interested in learning about jesus's crucifix recently. I had NO idea how to broach that subject with a 6 year old. Covid's gotta go because this kid needs Sunday school. Violence is simply a part of life.

[284878]

Originally Posted by Cat Herder

You would be hard-pressed to find a kid under 13 willing to read Macbeth, Julius Caesar, or any Shakespeare, really.

My favorite is still Taming of the Shrew. We were assigned it in junior high, but today it would most likely be banned as against women.

Taming of the Shrew is my favorite Shakespeare play too.

I think it is sad that things like this get banned.

[Cat Herder]

Originally Posted by 284878

Taming of the Shrew is my favorite Shakespeare play too.

I think it is sad that things like this get banned.

Me too. Like erasing our history makes it go away. Seems to me it makes it more likely to happen again.

It was cold today, very cold. We sat down for a quick 10 min teacher clean up moment. One of the kids asked for a disney movie. I said "How about my favorite, the pig?" They happily spent 10 mins learning about winter and winter sports with peppa pig! I only show that or mickey mouse.

[Pandaluver21]

Originally Posted by Jo123ABC

I guess I'm on the other side of that fence. I just don't feel like we can put kids in a bubble and never allow them to experience anything scary, weird or even violence. I don't think it's necessary for those things to be included in children's movies but that's the entertainment business for you I don't know what I'd do if a family was offended by a pg movie but I try not to shelter my kids in that respect. I just explain what is right or wrong with it basically teach them how to respond to stuff. My family ranches cattle. We recently had a steer butchered for meat for our family. My inquisitive six-year-old just realized where meat comes from. Anybody see Ferdinand? It really is no fun explaining things like that. I have kids who talk about their parents fighting and crying. I've taught my daughter a "safe phrase" she can use if she's ever at someone's house and needs to get out for ANY reason without anyone knowing that's what she's asking on the phone. I've had to teach my kids not to be polite to people they don't know if they are making them uncomfortable. Life isn't always bubbles and rainbows it's better to just deal with the bad stuff and focus on the good stuff. One last example... My 6-year-old really was interested in learning about jesus's crucifix recently. I had NO idea how to broach that subject with a 6 year old. Covid's gotta go because this kid needs Sunday school. Violence is simply a part of life.

I'm with you, most kid movies don't bother me unless it has bad words in it. I teach 4-5yr old's at our church and last week we talked about Moses. I said that the king wanted to kill all the baby boys and said how this was obviously a BAD thing. None of the kids thought it was good or funny.
I remember watching all of these as a kid and I didn't get 90% of the references that I get as an adult now. There's definitely some "kid" shows that I don't like for kids, but most are harmless. I think of road runner or tom and Jerry... seems awful now, but I don't remember thinking anything like that as a kid!

[Vonnel]

Originally Posted by Vonnel

And it's not just in the movies that violence is present. For example, not so long ago I read the play "Macbeth" and I can say that I was just shocked by the amount of violence in this play. Can anyone else read it?

And yet it just seems to me that such literature needs to be controlled, because it can have an unstable impact on people. I encourage you to read about violence in "Macbeth" at study driver and I'm sure you'll understand what I'm talking about. It will be interesting.

[Cat Herder]

Originally Posted by Vonnel

And yet it just seems to me that such literature needs to be controlled, because it can have an unstable impact on people. I encourage you to read about violence in "Macbeth" at and I'm sure you'll understand what I'm talking about. It will be interesting.

What you are talking about is communism and I will never understand or allow that.

[284878]

Originally Posted by Vonnel

And yet it just seems to me that such literature needs to be controlled, because it can have an unstable impact on people. I encourage you to read about violence in "Macbeth" at study driver and I'm sure you'll understand what I'm talking about. It will be interesting.

Macbeth is literature that only a genius child would be able to pick up, read or understand it. What you should be concerned with is the R rated commercial that come on during G rated shows.

Enough is a enough, R rated commercial that airs about the horror movie channel does not belong during a child G or PG rated show. When are they going to start regulating commercials?

Yeah, it is important to filter al the cartoons for your kid

[Josiegirl]

I don't believe in bubbling up kids but there are so many choices out there that ARE good, why not pick those instead? Dcks' favorites here used to be Sing-along films that were only 20-30 minutes long. Perfect amount of time for a break so you can make lunch, potty kids, whatever. Although for the last 10 years of having a dc I didn't have a tv at all; lawd knows kids get enough at home.
FWIW, I cannot imagine an 18 mo staying tuned to a tv very long to begin with.
Children's films don't need to be scary and involve witches, ogres, etc. Maybe as they get older but you put an imaginative little 2 yo whose brain is developing at warp speed.....those ghosts, goblins and demons are real to them. They hide under beds and in closets, basements and attics, they come and take you away at night. There's enough time as they get older each year, to teach them about reality and make-believe but 2 yos? Nah. Yeh, I guess I do believe in bubbling kids up at certain ages.

[284878]

Here are some review sites that review the media and show you what is in the shows, movies or and possible books.

https://kids-in-mind.com/

https://www.pluggedin.com/


Check them out, you might be amazed at some of the things we tend to overlook when watching TV or movies. I know that some times I watch things uncensored and overlook the bad language or comments that get made.