Stick It!

[amicus]

Twenty some years ago I enrolled my daughter, I named her Elizabeth Ayn by the way, in gymnastic classes offered by a Rumanian couple, Nadenov’s, if I recall, and sat through each class she attended.

I learned a lot about gymnastics and a lot about my daughter in the short period of time I had her with me. I tended the scrapes and bruises and battered ego when she faltered, but she, of her own choosing, kept going and trying.

Gymnastics is a very difficult and brutal sport, dangerous in many ways and challenging, physically and mentally.

My daughter is now a grown woman, with a daughter of her own taking gymnastics, and so the circle closes.

“Stick it” is a 2006 film that I stumbled upon and felt compelled to inform my daughter of the movie, with the warning that it might be a little adult for her daughter, my grand daughter.

She emailed me back, saying they own the movie and watch it all the time, one of their favorite movies.

Nothing was said, but I have distinct feeling that my ‘cautionary warning’ that the nature of the film might not be suitable for a seven year old girl, somehow made apparent the age difference in generations.

By the way….much of my professional career was sitting behind a microphone in an empty studio with a coffee pot and a pack of Lucky Strikes, or typing a newspaper article in the empty darkness of night, in neither case did I receive or need response or feedback.

Thanks for nothing…


Amicus…

 

[jomar]

For me, Stick was one of those movies that was better than I thought it would be. I enjoyed it.

And you're right. Like it has been for a long time now, kids are exposed to things earlier and earlier (clothes, movies, music lyrics and videos, knowledge of oral sex and semen stains on a dress).

I have a daughter and recall telling a friend of mine I was uncomfortable with an old Paula Abdul music video that sexualized children in (a la Jon Benet Ramsey and those type of pageants). He thought I was being overly sensitive - until he had a daughter.

I'm appalled at how many parents take their kids (infants on up) to inappropriate movies. I've seen 3-6 year olds in theaters watching R movies with graphic sex and violence.

 

[cloudy]

For me, Stick was one of those movies that was better than I thought it would be. I enjoyed it.

And you're right. Like it has been for a long time now, kids are exposed to things earlier and earlier (clothes, movies, music lyrics and videos, knowledge of oral sex and semen stains on a dress).

I have a daughter and recall telling a friend of mine I was uncomfortable with an old Paula Abdul music video that sexualized children in (a la Jon Benet Ramsey and those type of pageants). He thought I was being overly sensitive - until he had a daughter.

I'm appalled at how many parents take their kids (infants on up) to inappropriate movies. I've seen 3-6 year olds in theaters watching R movies with graphic sex and violence.

There are two sides to this...sort of.

Many parents underestimate their children's common sense. They won't let them watch something rated PG, say, because it might be too risque. They possibly haven't spent enough time with their children just talking, or perhaps their children aren't comfortable being completely honest with them because of the horrible reaction they've gotten from them before when they were.

On the other hand, there are things said, etc., in PG-rated movies that simply go right over their heads. For example, in the recent Transformers movie, there's a very short little scene where the characters are talking about masturbation. It's tiny, really. I've heard some parents bitch and moan about it being included, but to be quite honest, if they didn't make a fuss about it, chances are the kids would never have noticed it. Mine didn't, and he's seven. From his perspective, who cares what the characters are saying...there's more smashing and destroying to look forward to.

Although I won't take my youngest to see an R-rated film, I'm pretty casual about what he watches at home. I'm there to explain anything to him, if needed, and I never react with horror when he asks what something means, I simply explain it.

Being vigilant is definitely needed, but a lot of people just need to relax, ffs. It's worked fine with my two older kids, and neither one has a bit of trouble coming to me to discuss something sexual in nature, simply because they know I'm relaxed about discussing it, so they can be.

 

[Recidiva]

"Stick It" was fun and sharp.

The theme is overall a positive one, I think. The movie definitely shows the painful parts with respect, and is disrespectful where it should be.

 

[Lee Chambers]

I'm appalled at how many parents take their kids (infants on up) to inappropriate movies. I've seen 3-6 year olds in theaters watching R movies with graphic sex and violence.

I think a lot of that has to do with convenience. Babysitters are expensive and hard to find, so why not take the kid with them. It's not like they'll really understand what's going on.

I do agree with you on how some parents deal with their kids and the violence/sex in movies. I have no children myself (thank God) but I tend to be pretty sensitive to things of that nature when I recommend movies or let friends borrow movies they've never seen and warn them it may not be appropriate for kids.

 

[Recidiva]

I think a lot of that has to do with convenience. Babysitters are expensive and hard to find, so why not take the kid with them. It's not like they'll really understand what's going on.

I do agree with you on how some parents deal with their kids and the violence/sex in movies. I have no children myself (thank God) but I tend to be pretty sensitive to things of that nature when I recommend movies or let friends borrow movies they've never seen and warn them it may not be appropriate for kids.

I let my kids watch what they can handle. Children act out quite a bit when they're not included when other people can watch movies. They're allowed to play games and watch movies if they can handle it. Both of them have their preferences and although I am not advocating throwing "Pulp Fiction" at a little kid, being there to talk about everything as it comes up, as they ask questions, is a big help.

Thankfully they also have their likes and dislikes about what they don't want to watch and that can include a violent game "Mom, I don't want to play this, it's creeping me out." or a movie.

It's really up to the maturity of the kid, but I think it's the responsibility of a parent to teach children the difference between fantasy and reality hands on.

 

[jomar]

Many parents underestimate their children's common sense. They won't let them watch something rated PG, say, because it might be too risque. They possibly haven't spent enough time with their children just talking, or perhaps their children aren't comfortable being completely honest with them because of the horrible reaction they've gotten from them before when they were.

On the other hand, there are things said, etc., in PG-rated movies that simply go right over their heads.

Being vigilant is definitely needed, but a lot of people just need to relax, ffs. It's worked fine with my two older kids, and neither one has a bit of trouble coming to me to discuss something sexual in nature, simply because they know I'm relaxed about discussing it, so they can be.

I agree that talking to kids and helping them process things is necessary. I also agree that a lot of the dialog and meaning goes over their heads or is incomprehensible, like that rap song I heard yesterday - I had no idea what they meant.

I was thinking more of the visuals - 3-6 year olds watching horror/slash movies and movies with pretty graphic sex. I think it has negative impact. I would also suspect that parents who take their kids to those movies don't have the sophistication to help their kids process what they've seen (beyond saying, "Go back to your room and go to sleep. It was only a movie.").

 

[jomar]

I think a lot of that has to do with convenience. Babysitters are expensive and hard to find, so why not take the kid with them. It's not like they'll really understand what's going on.

I've thought that too. And wonder about other judgment calls those parents make.

 

[LadynStFreknBed]

By the way….much of my professional career was sitting behind a microphone in an empty studio with a coffee pot and a pack of Lucky Strikes, or typing a newspaper article in the empty darkness of night, in neither case did I receive or need response or feedback.

Thanks for nothing…


Amicus…

Are you saying that you do not value feedback even now? Or, is this something that has changed and you're not particularly fond of this change?
Just trying to understand you a bit better...
-Sheila

 

[Vermilion]

I watched 'Grease' a lot as a kid, but didn't understand *any* of the sexual references until much much later. When I did realise them, I was embarrassed that I'd been so naive until that point

x
V

 

[Guest]

Not a great movie but I'm not in the target demographic. But wonderful eye candy.

And I loved a comment she made about women's gymnastics at the National level being as demanding physically as being a Navy Seal, but while there are thousands of Seals, there are only a couple hundred girls in the country at that level.