# Would you let your young kids watch South Park? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 19, 2007, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-let-your-young-kids-watch-south-park/427109 "2007-11-19T23:37:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-let-your-young-kids-watch-south-park/427109/1 "2007-11-19T23:37:34Z")
[TG4](http://www.tg4.ie/) (Ireland’s Irish/Gaelic language television broadcaster) has started airing South Park dubbed into Irish at _6.30pm_ on weekdays. I thought it was incredibly stupid of them to do this but then I also thought so few parents understand Irish that it might not become an issue. In a local rag today I saw there’s been “outrage” about it. So would/do any parents here let their young children watch South Park? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-let-your-young-kids-watch-south-park/427109/2 "2007-11-19T23:41:08Z")
I let mine watch it. I let my kids watch pretty much anything. This makes for an ongoing source of conflict with the wife. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-let-your-young-kids-watch-south-park/427109/3 "2007-11-19T23:49:05Z")
Didn’t we have a thread on this earlier? A lot of people said they might not, but because their kids might not get the irony. You might have them repeating some not so choice phrases. (I.e., Cartman’s entire litany.) That’s my feeling on it, as well. As soon as the kid knows the concept of irony. (And knows enough not to go around repeating certain phrases.) ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-let-your-young-kids-watch-south-park/427109/4 "2007-11-20T00:09:55Z")
I’ve watched it since the 4th grade. I’m a junior in college now and I turned out fine. So, in theory, I’d let my kids watch the show. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-let-your-young-kids-watch-south-park/427109/5 "2007-11-20T00:17:17Z")
How young is young? Most of the shows are ok for my 8 year old, fart jokes and cussing are old hat to a kid in public school and the Underpants Gnomes appeal to all ages. Some push the line a bit, but mostly I would (and do). Family Guy is going back on the list, I’m afraid. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-let-your-young-kids-watch-south-park/427109/6 "2007-11-20T00:21:50Z")
How else are the wee ones going to learn how to call someone a douchebag in Gaelic? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-let-your-young-kids-watch-south-park/427109/7 "2007-11-20T00:29:51Z")
I watch South Park pretty regularly. I don’t let my kids watch it or Family Guy for that matter. To me both are for the 13+ crowd at a minimal. I don’t leave in on the DVR, I erase it almost immediately after watching it. I am especially careful with my son, he has had occasional outburst problems in the 1st grade of inappropriate language. South Park would fuel this problem. Apparently I am not typical. ---
**Author:** ![nevermore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a587f6/32.png) [@nevermore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevermore)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-let-your-young-kids-watch-south-park/427109/8 "2007-11-20T03:17:14Z")
Hell to the no. I wouldn’t want my tiny little innocent cutie pies spewing that garbage. I happen to find that garbage hilarious, but as long as I still think they’re cute & innocent, they ain’t watchin’ it. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-let-your-young-kids-watch-south-park/427109/9 "2007-11-20T03:37:11Z")
[QUOTE=Zoggie] Didn’t we have a thread on this earlier? [/QUOTE] [Sure did](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=438946&highlight=kids+watch+south+park). ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-let-your-young-kids-watch-south-park/427109/10 "2007-11-20T05:27:11Z")
No South Park or Family Guy for my eight year old. Simpsons is generally okay as is Futurama. Might make an exception for individual episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-let-your-young-kids-watch-south-park/427109/11 "2007-11-20T07:57:16Z")
Not a big deal for me. As I said in the earlier thread they no doubt hear worse in the schoolyard than South Park can offer. I’d rather they _get_ the concept of appropriateness now than attempt to shield them till they’re teenagers. They know very well at age 8 and 10 what all the four letter words are. Better to teach them when, or if, they’re appropriate to use rather than pretend they don’t exist. Same with every other social wart exposed in South Park: let’s have a look and discuss what this means in terms of our own daily life kids. ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-let-your-young-kids-watch-south-park/427109/12 "2007-11-20T08:53:25Z")
South Park is not for children. I love the show but it is not for kids, young kids, anyway. I’m not in the mood to explain to my 5 year old niece why that head just exploded and there are chunks of brain laying around. Or why that turd is singing show tunes. Or why a satellite dish just came out of someone’s ass. Or that, no, it is not proper behavior to spit in your nanny’s mouth. Or to “break down” lesbian scissor-sex. Honestly people, for f\*\*k sakes… ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-let-your-young-kids-watch-south-park/427109/13 "2007-11-20T12:17:16Z")
[QUOTE=Zoggie] Didn’t we have a thread on this earlier? A lot of people said they might not, but because their kids might not get the irony. You might have them repeating some not so choice phrases. (I.e., Cartman’s entire litany.) That’s my feeling on it, as well. As soon as the kid knows the concept of irony. (And knows enough not to go around repeating certain phrases.) [/QUOTE] Ooh, this is a really good point I never addressed in the October thread. Yes, I agree that a kid should have a developed sense of irony before watching South Park, otherwise it might be downright terrifying. Taken on a literal level, there’s a lot of blood and anger going on in that little town! So that brings it back around to parental discretion. My son unmistakably “got” irony around 6 (which, for similar reasons, was why I started letting him watch \*Buffy the Vampire Slayer \*with us). Some of his friends still seem a little slow on the uptake, and if I was their parent, _South Park_ would still be off limits. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-let-your-young-kids-watch-south-park/427109/14 "2007-11-20T12:58:07Z")
I let mine watch a few episodes of South Park when it first came out, but as I realized how raunchy things were getting, revoked permission. I still watch it, though. I actually hate Family Guy much more, but they had seen so many episodes by the time I discovered it, it’s kind of pointless to forbid it now. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-let-your-young-kids-watch-south-park/427109/15 "2007-11-20T13:13:58Z")
Not just no, but FUCK no. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-let-your-young-kids-watch-south-park/427109/16 "2007-11-20T13:28:42Z")
No, we don’t let MilliCal watch it. She knows about it, because word gets around, and it becomes part of the zeitgeist. Heck, the spoofed South Park on PBS’s _Arthur_, fer cryin’ out loud! (And I know she’s seen that episode). MilliCal has been exposed to strong language and some rauch – it’s almost inevitable, especially if they see anything that’s not strict kiddie fare, and she’s pretty good about it. But we’re none of us big South Park fans in the CalMeacham household (Pepper Mill loathes it), and the only time I’ve seen it recently was to watch the Imaginationland episodes, because of the thread on this Board. I was alone when I saw them. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-let-your-young-kids-watch-south-park/427109/17 "2007-11-20T13:40:28Z")
I don’t really know, but I can’t imagine what a dubbed Gaelic version of Cartman would sound like. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-let-your-young-kids-watch-south-park/427109/18 "2007-11-20T13:47:59Z")
[QUOTE=Shamozzle] South Park is not for children. I love the show but it is not for kids, young kids, anyway. I’m not in the mood to explain to my 5 year old niece why that head just exploded and there are chunks of brain laying around. Or why that turd is singing show tunes. Or why a satellite dish just came out of someone’s ass. Or that, no, it is not proper behavior to spit in your nanny’s mouth. Or to “break down” lesbian scissor-sex. Honestly people, for f\*\*k sakes… [/QUOTE] I think you summed it up very well. Way too much inappropriate material and not just irony. Jim ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-let-your-young-kids-watch-south-park/427109/19 "2007-11-20T16:18:52Z")
No freaking way. I think I said so on the other thread. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-let-your-young-kids-watch-south-park/427109/20 "2007-11-20T16:41:02Z")
Absolutely- sheltering them from cursing serves zero purpose, especially if they hear the same words elsewhere. And a talking feces is no different than an anvil falling on Wile E’s head with no damage- something that only happens on TV. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-let-your-young-kids-watch-south-park/427109.md?page=2)