Would you let your 12 year old child watch game of thrones?
Posted by bozwold@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 67 comments
My daughter is obsessed with fantasy, books artwork films and TV programmes. She keeps asking to watch game of thrones because her friends have, and it has dragons. She's seen shorts on YouTube.
The fantasy/medieval battle aspect im fine with
My main concern is the quantity of sex and the violent nature of it, prostitution... So far I've told her I'm fine with 80% of the program, sword fighting she has seen, aragorn beheads an orc in lord of the rings (which she loves) but there is a bit too much sex in it and her response was "please dad I'm 12 we've covered it all in school" they don't call it sex education anymore but it is taught
Her mother hasn't seen game of thrones and has absolutely zero interest in watching it even with the aforementioned being the reason "just watch one episode and see what you think"
So here I am asking reddit, is it a bit too much? Or am I overthinking it?
fluffy_samoyed@reddit
Game of Thrones isn't happy-go-lucky fantasy. HBO tried to shoehorn in as much soft porn as they could. Ironically, the books aren't even that bad. I think she would be bored by it anyway. It's primarily a series about politics and the dragons and other fantasy aspects get very little screen time.
ARobertNotABob@reddit
Too many very adult themes. Big no-no IMHO.
Valuable-Wallaby-167@reddit
Ok, but she's incredibly wrong about that. At 12 she's covered the bare bones in school, she's not covered rape, mutilation & incest. So, her input on if it's appropriate isn't really relevant.
The show has ritualistic human sacrifice and someone being executed in the first five minutes or so. See how long your wife lasts before she develops an opinion on whether it's appropriate for children.
Moomahmahiki@reddit
Lord of the Rings is like Noddy compared to Game of Thrones. I'm quite easy going and no prude but I would say definitely no.
UnknownTerrorUK@reddit
Yea, erm, no. Like you said yourself the medieval violence side of it isn't the worst bit. I grew up watching horror/sci-fi at a young age and honestly those are two of my favourite genres even today.
But sexual violence? Incest? That's a bit of a stretch too far for a child. I'm sure by 12 years old you've learned about how brutal wars and things are in history but the stuff they wouldn't teach you in school at that age are things they don't need to focus on right now..
Basic-Pangolin553@reddit
Yeah it's a bit much. The books are actually much cleaner.
SlickAstley_@reddit
Isn't Danny like explicitly listed as being 13 when Khal gets down and dirty?
At least Emelia Clarke looks 17 - 19
Basic-Pangolin553@reddit
Possibly, its been a while, but there are definitely fewer sex scenes
Pixalotle@reddit
You are not overthinking it. GoT is excessive in its range of adult themes & is absolutely not suitable for a 12 year old. Trust your gut on this one.
Holiday_Newspaper_29@reddit
Absolutely not. That series is adults only.
Dohainwonderland@reddit
Even I (27 year old F) feel uncomfortable watching those scenes from game of thrones tbh, I find them too much, so imagine a 12 year old. I'd say no if I were you..
Aggravating-Case-175@reddit
Your daughter may not understand what she’s seeing. She may laugh at the special effects, knowing full well that it’s just actors and bouncing up and down with impatience until the next actually quite badly CGIed dragon comes along.
She may not understand the idea of sexual consent or that rape is a bad thing and get bored during the numerous rape and incest scenes, especially if she finds it difficult to keep track of who is who.
She may find the long drawn out torture dull and the Red Wedding episode a fantastic example of the stunt coordinators art.
Your problem comes if she doesn’t. Then you’re going to have a significantly traumatised little girl who - and I don’t think this is an exaggeration - may find it difficult to process what she saw and also why she was permitted to watch it when she realises she was too young. “Well you said you were old enough so I let you” isn’t the best answer ever.
Depends if you want to take the gamble, really.
Drunk_Cartographer@reddit
The level of violence and sexual violence is well beyond what she has seen in LOTR. It’s a fairytale compared to Game of Thrones. Aside from the fact it includes rape and torture which rules it out already for me, the level of violence at the Red Wedding is too much violence for that age. I am a grown man and the red wedding left me feeling fucking dark and upset. It would traumatise a child.
Starlight-Kitty@reddit
It’s far too graphic and intense for a 12 year old. The gore is much more graphic than any LOTR film - not much is hidden. There’s a lot of brutal violence, torture, rape, a massacre at a wedding, a little girl (around your daughter’s age actually) who is burned alive…
It’s rated 18 for a very good reason. Protect your kid from being traumatised and having nightmares because she’s watched something she is too young to fully comprehend and process.
Wolvington52@reddit
Absolutely not
Immorals1@reddit
I wouldn't willingly subject my child to the disappointment that is game of thrones season 5-8.
Bgtobgfu@reddit
🤣🤣
nothings_new@reddit
As someone who'd read plenty of fantasy by that age which covered all of the adult themes in GoT I would say there's a huge difference in visual images.
Imagination is within your own control at that age but visual images have more of an impact and can stay with you. This can cause problems witb processing it.
Larseth@reddit
God no. Seeing the sex scenes are the least of my concerns in the category. Far worse are the numerous rapes (literal and threatened), along with the generally exploitative nature of many relationships in the show. Also, while LOTR does have plenty of violence, little/none is in detail nor of extended duration, which GOT has plenty of.
fnigler@reddit
Good point about Lord of the Rings. Beheading an orc is one thing, but if Gandalf was decapitated at the end of the fellowship, my kid would not be watching it.
nothings_new@reddit
As someone who'd read plenty of fantasy by that age which covered all of the adult themes in GoT I would say there's a huge difference in visual images.
Imagination is within your own control at that age but visual images have more of an impact can stay with you.
Ok-Turnip-2816@reddit
I’m 47 and after the first episode I wouldn’t let myself watch it😂
CharringtonCross@reddit
No, I haven’t watched it with my 15yr old. It’s adult material.
CaptainPedge@reddit
I wouldn't. GoT is rated 18 for "Strong, bloody violence, sexual violence, sex, nudity, very strong language." She might think she knows about sex, but what's shown in GoT is about the most extreme content that you can put on broadcast TV.
Accurate-Flatworm361@reddit
No. Definitely not.
Accurate-Flatworm361@reddit
No. Definitely not.
Burning_Ranger@reddit
There's a fan edit for this exact scenario where someone edited out the naughty bits but left gore and deaths in tact
GlitchingGecko@reddit
Most have seen porn by the age of 12.
Honestly though, depends on the kid. You know her best. If you're comfortable with her watching the violence, I don't think the sex is any more likely to be an issue. At least in this setting, she KNOWS it's fantasy. A lot of kids watching porn think that's what sex is actually like.
R2-Scotia@reddit
No, as a big fan. HBO loves to titillate.
trillospin@reddit
Violent rape scenes are not appropriate for your 12 daughter, no.
mu5tbetheone@reddit
I wouldn't. It's not just sex scenes. It's incest, graphic rape scenes including many on what is supposed to be 13/14 year old children etc.. bit too much for a 12 year old. I'd instead encourage something else with less sexually violent.
Wise_Caterpillar5881@reddit
12 might be a little young. I started watching it when I was 14 but I'd read the books first and I always think that softens it a bit. Maybe you could have her read the first book beforehand and then see if she still wants to watch. If you go for that, I would recommend doing it incrementally though as they are quite long and dense books i.e. if she reads a few chapters then she can watch an episode. There are breakdowns of which chapters go into which episodes online, though it only works for the first two or three seasons as then the show starts to deviate from the books. Ultimately the choice of whether to let her watch is yours, but if she has any unfettered internet access at all she will probably figure out a way to watch eventually whatever you say. If you do decide to let her watch, I'd say make sure you watch it with her so you can explain things or stop the show as needed. Also, speaking as a former teenage girl, nothing ever made me squirm more than watching sex scenes with my parents so that might serve as a deterrent.
Wise_Caterpillar5881@reddit
12 might be a little young. I started watching it when I was 14 but I'd read the books first and I always think that softens it a bit. Maybe you could have her read the first book beforehand and then see if she still wants to watch. If you go for that, I would recommend doing it incrementally though as they are quite long and dense books i.e. if she reads a few chapters then she can watch an episode. There are breakdowns of which chapters go into which episodes online, though it only works for the first two or three seasons as then the show starts to deviate from the books. Ultimately the choice of whether to let her watch is yours, but if she has any unfettered internet access at all she will probably figure out a way to watch eventually whatever you say. If you do decide to let her watch, I'd say make sure you watch it with her so you can explain things or stop the show as needed. Also, speaking as a former teenage girl, nothing ever made me squirm more than watching sex scenes with my parents so that might serve as a deterrent.
ProperChopperGAF@reddit
No I wouldn't. And I'm pretty liberal with my kid.
CaptainPedge@reddit
I wouldn't. GoT is rated 18 for "Strong, bloody violence, sexual violence, sex, nudity, very strong language." She might think she knows about sex, but what's shown in GoT is about the most extreme content that you can put on broadcast TV.
MajorMovieBuff85@reddit
Nope. That's sick, almost showing her porn. I watched horror films as a kid but my parents didn't let me.
Crochet-panther@reddit
I haven’t seen all of it myself, but incest, rape, very very very graphic scenes…. I’d be saying no
ideclairbankruptcy@reddit
A simple answer. No.
That would make you a shit parent.
DeaconBlueDignity@reddit
It’s a bit too much for a 12 year old, yeah. The first episode has a quite disturbing rape scene in. I think if you watched the first ep for yourself it’ll be enough to make a decision
dth300@reddit
A 12-year-old girl in Westeros would been on her third marriage, after watching the first two being killed off in horrible ways
Pargula_@reddit
I would never put a loved one through the disappointment that was the last two seasons of GOT.
Scared-Room-9962@reddit
I'd let my daughter watch it at that age.
AtillaThePundit@reddit
Does the 12 yr old know the word Cunt yet?
blind_disparity@reddit
Absolutely not, game of thrones makes a point of being wildly violent and sexual. There's an entire season where someone is explicitly tortured brutally. There's rape in season 1. People are killed graphically with no pan away in the most brutal ways possible. The first season has the most sex of all of them. There's incest and paedophilia. This will damage your child if you expose her to this.
I'm kind of shocked you're asking this when she's 12. I don't think kids should be kept from all depictions violence and sex, but game of thrones is about as extreme as it comes. This kind of thing does impact a child's psyche. Someone who's 15 or 16 I'd be saying it's a bit dodgy but probably just about OK, depending what they've been exposed to before.
Please note I'm the complete opposite of a pearl clutching sensitive soul, I've seen worse than GoT myself and it didn't emotionally bother me... Except maybe the torture scenes, serious torture is one of the few things that is unpleasant to watch. But I hope your daughter has at her age been exposed only to tame depictions of death and sex. Do you really want her imaging torture and child rape? Because this will seriously stick in her head.
lemonjelly88@reddit
There is a lot of gratuitous Sex in GoT, oftentimes non consensual, and violent.
Sex aside, LOTR is the violence equivalent of cocomelon when compared to GoT.
I personally would not let my children watch it if it helps, coming from someone whose 11 year old daughter loves Shaun of the Dead lol
notallthat@reddit
Er no. I wouldn’t.
notallthat@reddit
Er no. I wouldn’t.
blind_disparity@reddit
Absolutely not, game of thrones makes a point of being wildly violent and sexual. There's an entire season where someone is explicitly tortured brutally. There's rape in season 1. People are killed graphically with no pan away in the most brutal ways possible. The first season has the most sex of all of them. There's incest and paedophilia. This will damage your child if you expose her to this.
I'm kind of shocked you're asking this when she's 12. I don't think kids should be kept from all depictions violence and sex, but game of thrones is about as extreme as it comes. This kind of thing does impact a child's psyche. Someone who's 15 or 16 I'd be saying it's a bit dodgy but probably just about OK, depending what they've been exposed to before.
Please note I'm the complete opposite of a pearl clutching sensitive soul, I've seen worse than GoT myself and it didn't emotionally bother me... Except maybe the torture scenes, serious torture is one of the few things that is unpleasant to watch. But I hope your daughter has at her age been exposed only to tame depictions of death and sex. Do you really want her imaging torture and child rape? Because this will seriously stick in her head.
Peter_Sofa@reddit
Nope, not just because of the sex but also the violence is pretty brutal, along with the torture, incest, bit of bodies chopped off, swearing and all round general cruelty
And about the sex in particular, would you be happy to watch a soft porn movie with your daughter? Or simulated tapes? If no.. then don't watch GOT with her lol
aezy01@reddit
Nope, absolutely not. Unless you think graphic depictions of incest, prostitution and rape are appropriate.
fionsichord@reddit
No. Absolutely not. Way too much complex stuff far beyond her development level. Would be like showing her porn, to be honest.
heliskinki@reddit
Fuck no.
Old_Nail6925@reddit
Erm no, it’s not for children really.
spottylad@reddit
Could you try House of the Dragon? I think it vastly cut down the nudity but kept a lot of the violence. Also interesting story lines about the two young women might appeal.
And it is chronologically a prequel... see how she gets on with that first?
SurpriseGlad9719@reddit
Honestly, I wouldn’t. There’s a lot of mature themes which wouldn’t sit right with me showing it to a child.
0olon_Colluphid@reddit
When it first came out I assumed it was basically like Lord of the Rings so settled the family including my 10 year old daughter down to watch episode one. I've never grabbed the remote so fast in my life!
ConsequenceSecure808@reddit
No, I wouldn't. It's very graphic and very violent.
Uhura-hoop@reddit
Have you watched Merlin with her? I think it’s on iPlayer. There’s loads to go at, there is a dragon (though he’s not in it much) and despite a bit of a ‘bbc’ feel about it, the stories are pretty good.
Or the lord of the rings films? They’re definitely less pornographic/brutal.
walnutwithteeth@reddit
It's rated 18. It's not gentle lovemaking and kissing. It's rape, sexual abuse, incest, slaughter, genital mutilation, prostitution....
12 is too young in my book. But ultimately, you know your own child.
Dannypan@reddit
Just look up the Parents Guide on IMDB and make the decision yourself.
But it does have regular and excessive sex and nudity, rape scenes, all the foul language, and gratuitous violence and slaughter. It's 18 for a reason!
MathematicianOdd4999@reddit
It’s far far far too much!! The sex scenes aren’t even the biggest issue it’s the torture scenes. Please don’t let your daughter watch this yet!
Uhura-hoop@reddit
I think that first season is ridiculously sex-filled in particular. I wouldn’t be comfy with my 13 yr old watching it tbh. And the red wedding is memorably horrific. I just think it’s a bit much at that age.
michalakos@reddit
Your concern with GoT is the sex?
You are okay with torture, cutting people’s dicks off and feeding them to dogs, murdering a whole family during a wedding, beheading the main character etc but you draw the line on people fucking?
I don’t think GoT is appropriate for most 12yo. Some will be alright and of course it depends on the kid but that shit is gonna give nightmares to most children. Maybe wait till they are 15 or so. There are so many other series to watch.
Old_Man_Benny@reddit
Do you want to show her incest in the first 10 mins? Its a big no from me!!!
Alwinjo@reddit
But much I’d say, I don’t think the violence is really comparable to lord of the rings. Game of thrones is far more graphic and some of the scenes i even find hard to watch (e.g. pregnant woman being stabbed in the stomach at the red wedding). I don’t think sexual violence such as the rape of Sansa Stark would be particularly appropriate for a 12 year old to watch. I don’t have children, but that’s my opinion.
Inkblot7001@reddit
No. We have a 12 year old and said no.
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