channel 4 swearing in subtitles!

Poppy9

hi all,

we weren't actually watching the programme, just channel hopping. i knew he'd have to hear words like that eventually, before high school i suppose but if he'd used that word at primary school he'd have been in serious trouble and he honestly would have been the only child in the school who used it, his school is really strict. i'm just glad he's 8 and not 5 or 6, too immature to realise how frowned upon swearing is at his school. he has asked about words before that he's heard at school or from my brother's girlfriend but that particular word is one of the most revolting in my opinion.

as it is, because it's a word associated with sex he thinks it's revolting, he doesn't want to think about it, it's bad enough that his mum's pregnant lol!! but there could have been 5 year olds reading it, that would be horrible :-(

Little Poppy is in a RC school that is very strict too but there are still some using this language. They know its taboo but they can't help whispering it to look big to friends. Little P tells me everything - she can't seem to help herself. I know all the swearers and naughty kids. All the cusses and attitude sayings come from kids with teenage siblings. Sometimes when they visit for tea you can see their brother or sister saying it LOL.

When I was 11 I got a clip across the ear from my Mum for saying Poxy!!! I thought it just meant stupid!

Dasnookster

I agree Bunny, it is not the norm in our house either and don't blame you for being annoyed.

Its all very well people saying that it is just life and they will hear it at school etc. etc., but the whole point is that you should be able to control what goes on in your own house, afterall isn't this why they have the watershed?

Ticklemouse

I don't like swearing in front of my children, but know that they will hear it. My 5 year old came home and when playing, I heard him say "fakker". I asked him what it meant - he didn't know  :D He'd heard the "big boys" use it at school - and his school is a high flying, middle-class church type school, so they will hear them anywhere.

My view and advice to my sons will be that when it becomes apparent they are hearing (and I am sure using) swear words more regularly, then I will not hear them at home. They will learn that in front of mum/gran ny etc, this language is not acceptable. After all, despite what we try to teach our kids, part of growing up is rebelling.  This will include swearing, I'm sure ;D If I can make sure my boys respect their elders, then I'll let them swear with their mates - I just don't want to hear it. Hopefully, by the time they are men, they will be sensible and adult enough to appreciate that swearing is not big and not clever.  :)

jellyhead

thanks :-)

yes, i'd prefer to leave it a little while before he becomes aware of these words. school are ever so strict about swearing (it's just an ordinary primary on a council estate by the way) and have taught children that 'there's always a better word'. he's not bothered about it now anyway, he was just curious, he's decided that swearing is for people who aren't clever enough to have a wide vocabulary, i wonder which teacher he got that from lol!

i've not had a reply from channel 4 or from ofwatsit so i don't suppose they amended the subtitles before showing more repeats of the programme.

not just my own kid i was bothered about, i was thinking of a 6 year old kid next door to my sister who appears to have some learning problems (but that particular word is spelled the way it sounds so most kids would be able to read it) and has a habit of shouting strings of swear words for no apparent reason. his mum is anxious to limit the words he comes across, at the moment most of his words are quite innocent although they are still regarding going to the toilet or the genital area but he's come across some swear words at school. his mum is thankful that he doesn't know any really offensive words because he will shout them on buses etc. and is always getting detention in school but he knows the general pattern so would quickly work out that something followed by 'off' when shouted was a swear word. i'm just glad he didn't watch that programme and so is she. although they all hear words at school not all kids are old enough or mature enough to know when swear words are inappropriate. also, it sounds cynical but she truly believes that her son won't get the help he needs at school if they think he's from the kind of family that swears, she thinks the teachers will write him off as having parents that don't care about him and won't make as much effort to provide help as they'll assume it won't be followed up at home.

anyway, rant over :-)

Poppy9

You can control what goes on in your own house. Turn off TV whenever kids are about. Friends seem surprised that we may not have turned the telly on all day Sat/Sun dispite being home all day.

Dasnookster

You can control what goes on in your own house.  Turn off TV whenever kids are about.  Friends seem surprised that we may not have turned the telly on all day Sat/Sun dispite being home all day.

Yep, I agree, our TV stays off for weeks at a time as we are not that bothered about it, but it is a bit harsh if you are watching something you deem suitable for your children as it is during the day and that happens.

Anya

I wouldn't be happy either. My 5 year old had learnt the "s**t" word a while ago. Still no idea where he got it from, all I can guess is that it was from some of the older lads that play on the cul-de-sac. He knew the words in both contexts though which shocked me, i.e. In the car coming home from school one day - "Oh S**t, I've left my glasses at school", and in the middle of a very small packed flower shop, he called my husband "a little s**t"!!

Sounds funny now but it was highly embarrased at the time, especially as though he'd only said it that one time before and we were still at the ignoring it stage. :P

He never asked what it meant and the ignoring it thing obviously worked as he hasn't said it again since.

They definitely should have editted it out though, he is now nearly 6 and would be able to spell it out if he was trying :-/

Let us know how you get on with your complaint.

jellyhead

we weren't actually watching it, my son wouldn't have been interested in it anyway, we'd finished playing a board game and i was channel hopping to see what was on, it was the first thing that came on. we don't buy TV guides and we thought that there might be something good on terrestrial tv over the xmas period, there's usually stuff on for children. we were hoping to happen across the wizard of oz or something similar lol! we don't turn the tv on every day either. maybe it would solve the problem if i turned the subtitles off but i'm a dozy mare so the remote control baffles me, lol!

i wouldn't have been so surprised if it had been the soaps time of day (they call each other some choice names but nothing as offensive as the f word) or after the watershed but at half four you just don't expect to have to be careful. with the exception of one other word it's got to be the most offensive swear word, i wouldn't be so upset if it had been a less offensive word.

jellyhead

hi anya,

yes my boy learned that word when he was 4, in the reception playground. in reception he actually got detention for saying 'bloody'. he'd said goodie (as in goodies and baddies in their chasing game) and when accused by another kid of saying bloody he replied 'i didn't say bloody i said goodie'. when the teacher said did you say bloody he said yes, the muppet, because he'd said it when he repeated it back to the kid as he was denying saying it! it's not nice when 4 year olds get detention though, and how the school thinks denying them their snack and letting their blood sugar plummet is going to help them behave any better is beyond me. my son never had another detention but for kids like the one i mentioned above it's a vicious circle, you swear and get detention and you get so hungry that you behave even more badly during the next teaching session.

if it had been that kind of word on channel 4 i wouldn't have been so annoyed, it's just that the f word is really revolting in my opinion, it's much much worse than the other words they pick up at school.

malcolmord

I was watching a program, I think it was called big brother panto last week at 11AM. They all started arguing and I heard the F word about 6 times. At the interval a broadcaster appoligised for any distress caused - At the time I laughed it off with my mate but really its beyond a joke!