31 answers

ParaNorman - Character Revealed to Be Gay

I have not taken my kids to see this, but my friend posted a warning on his FB page that it refers to homosexuality. Apparently, a girl is looking for someone to go to the movies and a boy comes out of the closet and says something like, "you should go with my boyfriend, he loves girl movies". I confirmed this on commonsensemedia.org.

How do you feel about this subject being directed to kids? (FYI, commonsensemedia.org does say its too scary for younger kids and should be directed to "older tweens and middle schoolers')

What can I do next?

So What Happened?™

I just asked a simple question and some of you are "assuming" my feelings on the subject, which I did not share. My kids are 12 and 9 and we have gay friends, they are not "sheltered" from the real world, trust me on that. Thanks to those of you who replied, I just was asking for opinions, which I got. =)

This is copied from commonsensemedia.org:

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that ParaNorman is, above all else, a monster movie, and it will scare little kids. It's animated (stop-motion), but it's full of ghosts, corpses, zombies, and witches and is aimed toward older kids and teens. There are chases, "jump" scenes, characters in peril, frightful zombies with body parts flapping and falling off, creepy houses with looming shadows (and, in the 3-D version, a swarm of bugs bursting out of a teddy bear straight at you), an angry mob with weapons, and much more. The language (lots of insults directed at Norman) and teen hormones (overt flirting and discussion of how "hot" a couple of teen characters are, as well as flashes of cleavage and a broad shirtless chest) are also more mature than in most animated movies for the younger set. There are also hurtful conflicts between parents and kids, some bullying takes place, and a character is revealed to be gay in a very low-key way. While it has themes about tolerance and teamwork and could be a great pick for brave older tweens and middle-schoolers, this cool frightfest is very likely to be too much for younger moviegoers to handle.

Featured Answers

I've discussed homosexuality briefly with my 2 and 4 year old. Some people have girlfriends of the same sex, etc. other's don't.

It is 2012. This should be a non-issue.

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pfffft. if there's any romance at all in a horror movie, it's generally incidental. who cares if it's between boys and girls or boys and boys?
the horror should be the issue, not a minor mention of a gay theme.
khairete
S.

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To be honest, it would probably make me want to take my kids to this movie. I want my kids to be exposed to different families/ways of living!

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Eeeek - there's gay people in the world! They want to take over my mind and turn me gay if they should be recognized as fellow human beings!

Seriously, I think it's fine - they even state it's directed to "older tweens and middle schoolers".

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Homosexuality is not trendy! It isn't a new jacket style or hair style. Gays and lesbians are real and part of our everyday life. That is why it is normal to see gay people, who are normal people, in the movies.

Does not bother me in the least :)

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It's not a subject being "directed to kids."
Gay people are a part of our society, they are friends, family members, co workers and neighbors. Get used to it, and get over it.
Also, Pixar movies in general are written at an older, more mature level. I don't understand why so many people automatically feel that if it's animated it's meant for young children. Don't people watch the the trailers and use their own common sense?

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How do I feel about what? Were you referring to the fact that a fictional character made a slight reference to his relationship status, or the fact that your friend felt the need to put up a warning on facebook to make sure that no one be subjected to the horrors of such things?

Seriously. I doubt most people would even notice, because it's that dumb that this is even an issue.

BTW, it doesn't really sound like the character was "in the closet" to begin with. People don't generally come out of the closet by saying "you should hang out with my boyfriend". Just because you don't know someone is gay, fictional or not, does not mean they are "in the closet"

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Yes, yes, hide your kids from anything bad or that you don't agree with - great preparation for real life. And we wonder why kids are so helpless, and clueless. Funny to me, how being gay is right up there with violence & sexual content, as far as "bad" things that you hide from your kids.

Looks like the movie actually has a good message for older kids. My 6 year old isn't interested, as it's geared towards older kids, anyway. Almost EVERY kids movie has some sort of dark, evil, or negative element. And for me, that's okay.

Just because some people don't approve of being gay, doesn't mean that it doesn't exist & doesn't mean that our kids shouldn't learn about it.

ETA - my post was general, not directed at anyone, in particular.

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I wouldn't take them because it's scary, not because there are gay characters. Couldn't care less about that. We have friends who are gay. They come to our house, they come to our parties. Meh. Not a big deal. IN FACT...a boy, 19, recently came out to his mama (my friend) and he has been our babysitter the past couple of years. Whatever. He's gay. Not a child molester, rapist, or murderer.
Laura

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I've discussed homosexuality briefly with my 2 and 4 year old. Some people have girlfriends of the same sex, etc. other's don't.

It is 2012. This should be a non-issue.

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I would take my 6 year old to see it but he's more interested in Seeing Expendables 2...i don't care if there's refers to gays,in movies who cares! If you don't like it don't take your kids. My son knows many gay couples and LOVES them as family. I would never teach my child to grow up hating anyone.

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