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I agree, however I think there’s also a social element that should be considered. Think about the first example, the mother with her young daughter, while the daughter may not get why the situations and comments on screen are funny, she’ll at least understand they’re funny. Given that positive reaction, there’s a high likelihood that she’ll try and get the same reaction out of her friends and classmates. That’ s the problem, other children are indirectly exposed to the negative impact of one child’s disclosure to age inappropriate content.
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My Child Would Never Be Seen With Me Anyway
There are a few things I can guess at as to why those kids were at a movie of this type. The first, which I can't really believe, is that the parents; even with the "R" rating were clueless to the content and didn't realize what they were getting into. The more likely scenario though, is what I'll call the 'Parent-as-Friend Syndrome' where a parent is so concerned with having no conflict with their children they will allow them to participate in almost anything to keep this misguided sense of "friendship" and the status of being a "cool" Mom or Dad. (For one minute, anyway.) I can just hear those two daughters spoken of clamoring, "But Dad, all our friends have already seen it and they said it's not that bad…pleeeeze!!?" The poor (I'm assuming divorced) Dad caves once again.
Though I haven't seen it yet, SuperBad is reminding me of the much coveted movies everyone was whispering about when I was in school like "Porky's" and "Fast Times at Ridgmont High". I know there is nothing I would have hated worse than to have seen these movies with my parents next to me, and I know at the time they would have felt the same way about having me next to them. It's just embarrassing somehow, and would take any fun out of it for the both of us. And, just like I felt, I know when my 16 year old son finally, somehow manages to see Superbad, the last people to be in the same theater or room with him will be my wife or I, and the feeling will be mutual.
Taking 7 or even 10 year old kids to movies where the humor and situations go (hopefully) beyond their experience may not do any life threatening harm, but it certainly might put a stain on young imaginations that doesn't need to be there yet.
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