Hmmmm....

[ctc]

Got a weird phone call a while back. It was a woman canvassing for some group; and she started with a sphiel about the movie rating system, and how it's not stringent enough, and how a lot of stuff that's bad for kids gets produced, etc etc etc. I mentioned that I didn't think EVERYTHING needed to be sanitized for kids, and the rating system is fine the way it is. Then the call was over.

This came to mind while reading the reviews of the Turok dvd, and Justice League one... and now I'm wondering: HOW kid friendly do you folks think stuff needs to be? I see a lot of grousing about it around here; and yet the poeple complaining about questionable material in different comics are reading them, and are presumably NOT kids.

Don C.

[palitoy]

I groused about Turok because I would like to introduce my kid to it but I can't. Even though it's "gone back to it's gold key roots" it's now adult material, something that the Gold Key comic certainly was not.

I didn't read anyone complaining about "New Frontier", mostly shocked they kept some of the more graphic violence in it, I'm happy they didn't tone that down. Warner does the best job of placating both markets, I'm a good enough parent to know what they can or cannot watch.

I'd like to be able to share certain characters/shows with my child, I don't think that's unreasonable.

Comics have a habit of throwing big boobs/blood and guts in there whenever they can, because they can. I don't support such things but I have no problem with it being out there.

[EMCE Hammer]

Rate 'em

I think comics should have a rating or something in place that lets me know immediately what age group they're targeting. Admittedly a lot of it is obvious already; but there are some gray areas. The comic store I frequent has a tiny juvenile section, but beyond that there is no middle ground. You go from smiles and fun straight to Superboy Prime tearing people's arms off. There will come a time when my kids are beyond the kiddie books, but not to the point where I want them to deal with Kyle Rayner's GF chopped to bits and put in the 'fridge.

[thunderbolt]

I don't think the studios have a responsibility to dumb everything down for kids. Parents have the responsibility to be aware of what their kids are using in terms of entertainment. The studios or the government shouldn't have to be everybody's mommy.

[palitoy]

I don't think the studios have a responsibility to dumb everything down for kids. Parents have the responsibility to be aware of what their kids are using in terms of entertainment. The studios or the government shouldn't have to be everybody's mommy.

Absolutely, I agree with that. My parents think Family Guy is an awful show because their neighbour allows their (rude) children to watch it. I think the neighbours are awful, I love Family Guy but if my kid enters the room, I turn it off.

[The Toyroom]

I don't think the studios have a responsibility to dumb everything down for kids. Parents have the responsibility to be aware of what their kids are using in terms of entertainment. The studios or the government shouldn't have to be everybody's mommy.

Agreed....I'M the censor in our house..not the gov't or the broadcasters. As a parent you have to be aware of what's out there and if your children are exposed to anything that might be deemed inappropriate. I think my wife and I do a pretty good job staying on top of things as far as that's concerned. The ratings system shouldn't be used as a catch-all for parents who don't do their homework IMO.

[spiderrogue]

i agree..my oldest boy(12) keeps wanting to watch resident evil or underworld...yea...no!! he's always like "why?" and im like..."cuz i said no and im the boss".....lol...you know? somethings just have to be censored at home by the parents...cant expect the govt to do it all, right?

[ctc]

>Even though it's "gone back to it's gold key roots" it's now adult material, something that the Gold Key comic certainly was not.

From what I was told it isn't QUITE the original. Turok used to be level headed and even tempered and I've heard he's prone to berzerker rage in the film. Which I'd find sad if it were indeed the case, since it'd suck out some of the originality.

>I didn't read anyone complaining about "New Frontier", mostly shocked they kept some of the more graphic violence in it,

...maybe not HERE....

>Warner does the best job of placating both markets,

Do they? I've always found their animated stuff to be kinda wishy-washy; and even the more "adult" DC comics tend to be very "point and giggle" about questionable stuff. It's THERE; but it isn't. At least not enough they could actually have to own up to it.

>Comics have a habit of throwing big boobs/blood and guts in there whenever they can, because they can.

Not just comics. I guess that's what bothers ME: the idea that a lot of creators want the titilation from sex and violence but don't want any of the complications. So you end up with really shallow and simplistic stories. (Again, not just comics.) There's a scene from the JLU cartoon that bothered me for a long time: a building gets knocked down (aliens were attacking, or somesuch) and there's a kid in one of the apartments! EEEEK! So Superman flies in and saves him. Hooray!

But what about the rest of the people that lived there? Are we to believe that they ALL got out ahead of time, except for the kid? And that it didn't fall on any of the spectators? And what about the after-effects? Hundreds of people who lived there are now homeless...

Sure, you can say it's just a story; and showing the kid getting rescued is shorthand for the efforts the heroes are making throughout to save people, but ultimately this is a simplification. It's a way for the writers to include a building falling down without dealing with the consequences. Historicly stuff like this happened in comics for expedite's sake; and 'cos the kids 'aint gonna ask tricky questions like I just did. But if you're aiming for a more grown-up audience you have to ANTICIPATE this sort of thing, which it seems to me nobody does. More blood, bigger boobs, same old story.

Don C.

[palitoy]

<<From what I was told it isn't QUITE the original. Turok used to be level headed and even tempered and I've heard he's prone to berzerker rage in the film. Which I'd find sad if it were indeed the case, since it'd suck out some of the originality.>>

I lament the fact that the original Turok could be a cool family adventure, he doesn't need to be Wolverine, he was Turok and he fought dinosaurs. What else do you need?

If the more adult approach is good, then I'll get over it. If it's a native american Wolverine, then it's a shame.

<<Do they? I've always found their animated stuff to be kinda wishy-washy; and even the more "adult" DC comics tend to be very "point and giggle" about questionable stuff. It's THERE; but it isn't. At least not enough they could actually have to own up to it. >>

Warner is just entering the adult market, Superman/Doomsday wasn't for young kids. It wasn't great but I think it's the start of something good.


<<But what about the rest of the people that lived there? Are we to believe that they ALL got out ahead of time, except for the kid? And that it didn't fall on any of the spectators? And what about the after-effects? Hundreds of people who lived there are now homeless...>>

JLU wasn't strictly for adults, it just appealed to them. It was spun out of a Saturday morning series and was possibly one of the best handlings of Superheroes I've seen. But don't expect deep emotional studies out of it, it's not there for that, it's an animated Justice League comic I can watch with my kids. If scenes like that bother you, then it's not for you, fortunately your choices are pretty good.

<<Sure, you can say it's just a story; and showing the kid getting rescued is shorthand for the efforts the heroes are making throughout to save people, but ultimately this is a simplification. It's a way for the writers to include a building falling down without dealing with the consequences. Historicly stuff like this happened in comics for expedite's sake; and 'cos the kids 'aint gonna ask tricky questions like I just did. But if you're aiming for a more grown-up audience you have to ANTICIPATE this sort of thing, which it seems to me nobody does. More blood, bigger boobs, same old story.>>

Sure it's simplification, not everything has to be complicated, it's family entertainment. I understand, I don't need to see the big building fall down and sometimes I roll my eyes but i can share it with my kids.

New Frontier will handle more complex issues (at least it should) and I welcome it, just not going to watch it with my kids anytime soon.

[BlackKnight]

After reading this Thread,... I know I perhaps allow My Child to watch a bit more , & play a bit more video games than I should.

& For the Record, I was under the Impression Turok was a bit more Devloped in the show rather than just a "hack & slash" Wolverine. Every Battle he was in, someone else had started it, so therefore he was more defending himself, & others to great ends to try & survive.

[palitoy]

After reading this Thread,... I know I perhaps allow My Child to watch a bit more , & play a bit more video games than I should.

It sounds like you and he have a good relationship with your son. My father took me to Cheech and Chong movies when I was nine, that would be child abuse now but I didn't grow up a stoner.

& For the Record, I was under the Impression Turok was a bit more Devloped in the show rather than just a "hack & slash" Wolverine. Every Battle he was in, someone else had started it, so therefore he was more defending himself, & others to great ends to try & survive.

I'm going to watch it with an open mind, I might like it.

[spiderrogue]

times have changed..my step mom would let us watch cheech and chong or whatever movie that was on hbo, showtime, cinemax, etc(boobs, violence, language, etc)....when i was 10 or younger....so, i am a little tougher on my kids, i guess...

[EMCE Hammer]

Quote:
Originally Posted by thunderbolt
I don't think the studios have a responsibility to dumb everything down for kids. Parents have the responsibility to be aware of what their kids are using in terms of entertainment. The studios or the government shouldn't have to be everybody's mommy.


Agreed....I'M the censor in our house..not the gov't or the broadcasters. As a parent you have to be aware of what's out there and if your children are exposed to anything that might be deemed inappropriate. I think my wife and I do a pretty good job staying on top of things as far as that's concerned. The ratings system shouldn't be used as a catch-all for parents who don't do their homework IMO.
__________________________________________________ ___


I guess I should have said I wish they would write more material that is appropriate for kids, rather than a desire for a ratings system. I obviously can't read a whole wall of comics every week and then give my kids an approved list, so a rating *would* help me. Sadly, as it stands right now, everything beyond the kiddie section is potentially inappropriate, depending on the writer, storyline, and artist. One month Spider-man may be perfectly alright, and the next it may sport a make-out session with Black Cat and her 20" waist and EEE cleavage. Batman may have a neat Riddler caper one week, and the next it's Huntress putting an arrow in some guy's eye while she's wearing a version of her costume that's too hot for a Victoria's Secret commercial. What I really want are some well-written stories that don't rely on smut and violence, and an easier way to steer my kids toward them. I'll probably end up hand picking trades for them, and books from my own collection until I think they're ready for whatever may be on the wall for the current month. I don't think that an absence of gratuitous art or unnecessary violence dumbs a book down; I think it smartens it up. I've already done my homework, and most of the crap on the walls doesn't pass my criteria on a consistent basis. I don't want my kids to see violence and death trivialized, nor women objectified, until they know it's wrong and understand why. They may end up wishing I let the government raise them, but I think I can screw them up just fine myself.