So there’s a bill going through Congress that calls for kid-friendly seating on planes during the in-flight movie. I’m all for this bill, though one thing ticks me off. I’m a teenager, but I look like a 10-year old. This bill calls for all kids under 13 to watch some kid movie. I will not be traumatized by some violent move like Shooter. I will not keep on crying throughout the day, “Oh no, a gun! I’m traumatatized! Oh no! Boobs! I’m traumatatized!” Once again, I am ranting because I am a teenager, but I look like a 10-year old. So no matter how much I protest, they will probably drag me off to watch Dora and Diego y Boots or whatever the hell kids watch today. I agree with the bill and how parents shouldn’t have to cover their kids’ eyes the whole plane trip. OK. I’m done ranting. Thank you for your time. Mini-rant over. My first Pit thread! Wooooo!
Just show them your passport. Problem solved 
Long-distance trains and buses in Spain often show movies. The movies are, always, specifically chosen from the R or (at most) PG13 racks. Most of the movies in planes that I’ve seen weren’t anything that most kids would be traumatatized about (if you’re going to be traumatatized by Pirates of the Caribbean you should be under the care of Social Services).
Showing Dora or the latest Disney in a part of the plane, a different movie in the rest, sounds to me more like an attempt to keep the kids still (which they won’t be for, say, War of the Roses and yes I know that one’s old) than at “protecting” them poor tots.
And if I’m getting the same movie for the 6th time in 6 flights and 3 months, I want to be able to move to the Disney section, damnit! Ageists, that’s what they are!
How many planes these days still have communal movie screens? All the planes I’ve been on in the past 2 years have had either nothing, or individual screens for each seat. The viewing angle on the small screens is crap too, so it’s pretty hard to watch what your neighbour is watching.
We I suppose Congress has solved all other problems and this is next on the to-do list.
I’m in favour of a family seating zone – as long as they make it possible for me to choose to sit as far away from it as possible. I mean, sure, tell them it’s to protect their precious children from the bad, bad inflight movie so they don’t object to being ghettoized.
Mandating that kind of crap IS NOT the business of Clowngress, but that’s never stopped them before.
Some marketing guys at the airline ought to suggest it to the head cheese, and sell it as a feature. That way, it’s voluntary and you can sit anywhere you damn well please. How old you look won’t be a factor.
Yeah. When I first heard of this story, I wondered whether this is something that could be a problem if adults get sold the “family seating zone” seats when they didn’t want them. Why should an adult have to watch “sanitized” programming while flying when his neighbors get to watch the regular stuff? Can the airline flight attendants change the status of these seats at will with some sort of master control in the front? I can just see this becoming an issue where flights sell out without any kids in the family friendly zone and a bunch of adults get stuck watching The Wiggles or Dora instead of The Fast and the Furious: Eleventy that all the adults and most of the children are viewing.
What the heck flght was this woman in the article on when she had “lots of nudity”? I have never been on a flight with an even slightly offensive film. Well, except if you count stupidity, bad acting, etc…
As for the OP, one nitpick. Did you read the whole article? It actually would not create kid movie zones, as you suggest. (I don’t know how they would do that technologically speaking on most aircraft.) It would create areas with NO films.
Same here.
When I heard this on the news, I thought “good” seperate the kids into their own area.
Then I heard the reason why :rolleyes:
They hack movies on planes down into mush anyway. I’ve never seen anything on a plane that even might disturb a kid. Bore them, yes, but not bother them.
I think as a marketing idea it’s be great, but as a requirement it’d be completely stupid.
I would love a child friendly option. I would also love for it not to be mandated by the government. What if I don’t want my kids in that section? What if I am travelling alone and there are no seats left in the adult section?
Hey lady, here was your option to exercise your right to vote with your wallet (by vote, I mean as in which airline gets your business, not as in a ballot). Instead you decided to do what I call the “angry mom letter” to protect me and mine. Thanks so much. I do believe that not much good ever came from “there oughta be a law…”
Here’s what I propose: the last time I travelled I was very offended by the lack of adult situations on my flight. I want congress to strongly urge the airlines to create an adults only section of the plane because the next time I am on a flight lasting over four hours I want to close the magical divider curtain on all those unsuspecting kid-zone sections and snort coke off the stewardess’s tits while watching in-flight porn and riding the captain’s dick. It’s my right.
Erm, alright. Off to MPSIMS.
You have my sympathy, but there’s a simple solution. Take your school ID with you and show it to prove that you’re over 13 or whatever age you are. Or, hey, a signed note from a parent oughta do it too (I presume you’re flying alone?).
I guess it depends on what you call “offensive.” Anyone familiar with American culture knows that this term encompasses a pretty wide variety of words and actions, based on religious, political, and other criteria. Given the tame stuff (at least in my opinion) that some people find offensive, i’m not surprised at this controversy.
The first i heard of the debate over the content of in-flight movies was a New York Times article from a few weeks ago.
I’m a Times Select subscriber, and i’m not sure if this article is available in full to everyone, so i’ll quote a couple of relevant passages:
So there you go.
I’m not sure how “gory” Shooter actually was, as i haven’t seen it. I can’t think of anything especially offensive about Monk. I guess i can understand, though, that parents might not want their kids subjected to images of bloody violence or excessive sexuality.
I’ve long been a critic of the prudishness of American broadcast television standards, but that’s in people’s homes, where they can control what kids watch. Planes are a different story. Although i’m not sure it’s something that needs legislating.
Maybe what we need is for an airline to step in and offer child-free planes, and family-friendly planes. That would certainly kill two birds with one stone—no more bad images for the kiddies, and no more kicking, screaming brats on the adult flights. Now, excuse me while i brace for the criticisms from offended parents. 
These parents are probably the same parents who plunk the tyke down in front of GTA: San Andreas at home.
Well, I certainly wouldn’t be happy about violent movies and “Desperate Housewives.” I barely let my kids watch Disney movies. I’d complain too. I haven’t been on a plane in a while, but IIRC you can’t really avoid looking at the screens very easily.
Personally, I think they should get rid of the screens entirely and have a selection of books available. They could bring them on a trolley like drinks! Literacy would soar, we could have a cultural renaissance–or, if you must, you could read The Stand and no one would object that you are traumatizing their toddler. 
“Shooter” is just fine for a six year old to watch, unless the six year old in question is some sort of pussy. There isn’t anything too needlessly gory or scary.
I grew up with Predator, Rambo, and Commando, and I turned out great.
I don’t know what you fly, but all the planes I’ve been on have those tiny screens over the aisle, which are hard to avoid. First class or international get individual screens.
I suppose the problem is worse now since lots of airlines show movies for free now. I’ve never seen anything remotely offensive myself - certainly no nudity. Damn.
Yes yes yes yes please god. They day an airline starts offering child-free flights is the day I start writing perhaps stalker-like love letters to airline execs.
More on-topic: If you think li’l Junior is going to be scarred for life by the two-inch image of a shootout, then you’ve already failed as a parent IMO. But if that’s the case and you must coddle the kid, bring books for them to read. Or those little activity pads. Or coloring books, or a baggie of Legos, or some stuffed animals, or something. Give the kid something engaging to do and you can prevent the kid from watching the movie. Problem solved.
Plus, every individual seat-back screen I’ve seen can be turned off in some way or another.