Why do they do this with kids movies?

My kids love the Chipmunks movie. It is really cute, except for one thing - Bow-chica-bow-bow. That's right, in one scene the Chipmunks sing porno music. Now my kids keep going around singing it! If I tell them to stop they think it is funny and want to do it more. But, ignoring it isn't making it stop, either!

Why do they have to do that in kids' movies? :aggressive: Leaving it out would have lost nothing except inappropriate singing from my 4 year-olds! I remember now that when the movie came out I had to gently explain to some teen girls in my church's drama group why they shouldn't be going around singing it. Like my kids they had no idea what that music was! You should have seen how red their faces got when I told them. I had forgotten all about it until the other day when my kids started singing it.

Heaven only knows what people will think of my kids if they hear them singing it. I just wish kids' movies were really all about kids without the hidden "jokes" for the adults. Honestly, if a parent can't sit through an hour-and-a-half movie without sexual innuendo, there is a problem! Ok, I'm done with my little rant now. Thanks for listening.

 

If you wouldn't have just explained this, I wouldn't have known that Bow-chica-bow-bow was porn music, lol!

I do agree though, about innuendos in kids movies. I appreciate some humor that adults find funny (even if it goes over kids' heads) but it doesn't have to be inappropriate!

 

Ugh. Don't get me started on so-called "children's movies"!! :umm: The truly good ones are few and far between.

 

I couldn't agree more Renée!

 

I am extremely sensitive to inapproriate content in kids' movies - I am pretty uptight about it. That one would have gone right over my head. I, honest to pete, have never seen porn so I would have no way of knowing anything about what was in it. What does Bow chica bow bow mean?

I tried to watch Stuart Little with my girls since they are studying the author in K. The mean cat gangleader says "Let's get the h@ll out of here" & "that water is d@mn cold" - completely offensive in a children's movie to me.

We tried to watch "Homeward Bound II" - one of the mean guys says "get that freakin' dog" - another movie that will never be seen by kids.

 

I agree that those types of things are inappropriate. .but the kids dont know it. Just like all those 'hidden pictures' in Aladdin, and Lion King, etc. I dont even remember what they were now, but when I was a teenager something went around about hidden scenes in the clouds or something in certain parts of the movies.

I havent told mine to stop when I hear them do it, because they would ask why? Then what? Im not prepared to tell them there is anything wrong with that song. .or why.

To them its just a silly song in a movie. And maybe Im young, but Ive never actually seen an adult film with that song in it. (but, not that Ive seen a ton of them, either!) Honestly, Ive only ever heard someone verbally say "bow chica bow wow" in reference to something "adult" related. Never heard the song.

 

I agree with everyone. I also get upset with the occasional swear words, sexual innuendos, or crass words in kids movies.

BUT bow, chica, bow, bow would have gone over my head! Please explain to me! I'm really curious now!

 

I as thinking this too, the phrase isn't actually from porn, it's more to make fun of cheesy porn music. Adult content in kid's movies never really bothered me the kids don't get it.

 

My 5 year olds think "Bow chicka Bow Wow" is the funniest thing ever, since their dad cracks up everytime they say it. I don't get all freaked out over it, but it is a little crass.

The girls are in K & have 3rd grade "big buddies" that come to their class to help them. One day Cate came home with a paper that listed things about herself: favorite color, favorite movie, etc, that the 3rd grader wrote down for them. Guess what her favorite word was -- drumroll -- Bow Chicka Bow Wow.

As crass as it is, Theo was absolutely hysterical when he did it.

 

I remember when I made the huge mistake of allowing the twins to watch "Cat in the Hat" without pre-viewing it. I mean, it's Dr. Seuss, how bad can it be?

There is a scene in that movie where Mike Myers steps on a gardening tool and it hits him in the nose. He says, "Dirty Hoe!" Next thing I know, my 5 year olds are saying "Dirty Hoe!" I was appalled. The movie was removed from the home and there was a lot of explaining to do.

 

I just don't get worked up over it, but I understand your POV. For us, if it happens, it's just another teaching moment. However, if I know in advance there's too much adult content, I will avoid the movie. I don't think it's necessary, and wish they wouldn't do it. Fortunately, most of it slings right over the kids heads.

 

I've never watched a porno, either, but learned about the phrase in high school from my peers singing it.

I do know that it does make fun of porn music, but it is obvious to anyone who has ever come in contact with the reference before that it is a sexual innuendo. The only time I've ever heard it is when a couple started to seem hot-and-heavy and someone sang it signifying that they thought someone was going to get some "action." That's the way it is used in the movie, too. Dave and his girlfriend are getting ready to kiss and Alvin sings it.

How would you use this as a teachable moment with 4yos? I get using teachable moments, but this movie is geared to really young kids and I don't see how you could use this to teach anything. I also get that it is over the kids' heads. But, even though my kids wouldn't have any clue what the "F" word means, I wouldn't want them repeating it! Now they are going around singing porn music all the time. I only told them to stop after they had done it for about 10 minutes straight, but now they think it is a joke.

I just don't understand why movie producers feel the need to include this stuff at all! If it is over a kid's head why even put it in a kids' movie?

 

I agree Stacy. It's just inappropriate and absolutely unnecessary. There's no need to add that junk to a kid's movie. :unknw:

 

Agreed! I have cringed so much over the movie "Cars" because they repeatedly used the term "hillbilly hell". It's not only improper language for kids, it is derogatory.

 

oh i completely get you... there are definitely some bad movies out there that are "child apropriate" if that's what you want to call it. One that sticks out of my head like a sore thumb is Ice Age 2 in about the first 20-30 mins i believe... let's just say the first time we all sat down and watched it my husband and i sat in shock that they would even put what they did in that movie. but of course the kids were none the wiser... go figure.

 

I could not have said it better, Renee :Clap:

 

Never having watched porn, I still don't know what that phrase means. My boys sing it for a week or so after watching it, so I guess I better find out what it means.

 

Ya'll should have your kids watch these movies in Spanish. The dubbing process usually cleans it up a bit. Even the Simpsons is pretty clean in Spanish. :ibiggrin:

 

That movie really bugged me too Cristina, so sad to see such a good Dr. Suess book turned into that. I was also bothered by Shrek 2 when they showed Pinocchio in a thong! I mean really why does that need to be in there and then the song "Baby Got Back" at the end, my kids think that song is hilarious and it's totally inappropriate.

 

Yup, sore subject for us, too. I get so mad when watching Shrek and donkey has to say "damn"... why!? Would it have made the movie less funny without cursing? Of course not. But for some reason we have to have obscenity shoved down our throats at every turn. There are sooooo many movies like this.
My mom keeps buying these so-called kids movies and I keep having to instruct her to return them. She's more than a little clueless on the subject, though, as I had watched "Dirty Dancing", "poltergeist", and "Grease" and knew almost every line to them by the time I was 10.
She bought "Horton Hears a Who" for them, and insisted she'd watched it and it was ok, and so I sat down with the girls... they got thru about 10 minutes before we pushed stop. The girls said, "Mommy, they're not nice in that movie"... they were more perceptive than my Mom. Come on, what can you really expect from a movie with Jim Carry and Steve Carrell as the lead characters??!

 

For a "teachable" moment, for this case specifically, I would let them know it's OK to sing it at home, but that it's one of those things that only adults say, and they aren't to use it in public or it would hurt people's feelings. They hear much worse stuff at school, and this one wouldn't have bothered me much. I don't like it, and think the movies could be made without it, but you deal with what shows up. Like I said, if I know ahead of time that something questionable is in there, then we don't watch it.

 

I totally get what everyone is saying and completely agree with all of it. But, I'm still trying to understand how bow chica bow bow is related to porn? Is it in the way it's said? Is it because it's said when there is a romantic/sexual type scene playing? Does it translate to something else in Spanish (I think "chica" means girl, but don't know about "bow" - I obviously know no Spanish!).

I think it sounds stupid and makes no sense, so the phrase would annoy me because of that, but I just don't get how it is inappropriate.

Please don't slam me. I'm not questioning anyones judgement, or disagreeing, I just don't get it. Again, I do agree with all the comments in this thread. It is something I have found extremely frustrating for years, long before I had children (because I teach elementary school). Don't get me started on TV shows that are aired during prime time! Yikes!

 

It's not about the words, it's about how they say/sing it like a strip tease/sex type of tune. It's hard to explain.

TBH, I never thought about that part of the movie. Of course my almost 4 y/o loves when they sing about "dirty underwear" and especially loves to sing that while we are on line at eh grocery store. grrreat! :blush:

 

I totally agree. Children's movies are just getting more and more inappropriate.. i think! You barely find a good one anymore.

 

I can't stop laughing at the "bow-chick-a-bow-bow!"

It is always funnier when it is someone else's kids!! Sorry!!

 

I remember growing up watching drop dead fred, I thought it was the best movie ever. I watched it again when I was older after years and was like wow! that movie has so much adult humour that went straight over my head. my nephew watched it and picked his nose and wiped it on my mum, it was gross. kids movies are bad really most had adult humour to them.

I didnt know that Bow-chica-bow-bow was from a porno - clearly never watched one and dont wish to but people I know say it for fun, it was used on a ad awhile ago.

 

lmao.

Bow chica wow wow?

My brother croons that when he's being silly.

I know where it comes from, and why some people wouldn't like it, but I wouldn't instantly think bad things if I overheard a child singing it. I mean, seriously? Even in porn that line is stupid. It's not like it's sexy. And it's sung by hi-pitched rodents. That just makes it funnier.

:banana:

 

I remember the ads for "Stuart Little." They showed the cat saying "talk to the butt," a phrase I knew I would forever be hearing from my boys--and which I knew for certain was not in the book. At that point I nixed that movie, and none of them has ever seen it. The girls and I did enjoy reading Stuart Little in the mornings before school recently. Stuart is quite the gentleman, and although the cat does not like him, he is not a gangleader by any stretch. He has one conversation with one other cat in the entire book.

I love "Shrek," but I think it's too old for my girls yet. They will be 7 in December. "Damn" doesn't particularly bother me, but I dislike deliberate rudeness and do not find it amusing when my children repeat it. It's a red flag for me if a movie is glorifying rudeness in the advertising.

 

I'm so glad I'm not the only one! I feel like I am limiting my LOs so much, but sooo many of these so called "children's shows" are inappropriate. I don't even like most of the TV shows out there. It's been a battle trying to get my DH to see my point of view, but he's slowly coming around.

It's off topic, but I also have issues with our 10-yr-old watching the Disney or Nickelodeon shows that put so much stock in boyfriend/girlfriend relationships, crushes, etc. He already worries about that stuff more than I think he should and I think he'd barely think about it if it wasn't shown all the time on those shows!

 

I never heard the porn connection and would never associate that song with porn. It is also sung on Disney's Phineas and Ferb. As a matter of fact, it have a "video" of it (complete with words) that they play sometimes between shows. I personally don't find it offensive.

 

Yes, thank you. No one would seriously think a child had been watching a porn. It's just part of pop culture. Appropriate? No, not really, but the whole Chipmunks movie looked stupid anyway. The clip for it had them all revved up on caffeine being made to work, which I also found borderline offensive, but anyway.

 

Here is how I explained it earlier:

Picture two people getting ready to kiss in a kids' movie and Marvin Gay's "Let's Get it On" suddenly coming on in the background. It would be the same exact type reference.

Oh, that's another one from that movie! In the "dirty underwear" song Alvin talks about little black curly hairs.:bad: Why talk about pubes in a kids' movie?

 

When I think of bow-chicka-bow bow, I immediately think of the Phineas and Ferb song, which is catchy and I happen to like, lol. Kids stuff has invaded my style, ack!

 

Sheesh. I never would've known that reference, but the crass undewear song...gross. My biggest beef is with the crassness in some of the shows. I won't let my kids watch spongebob for that reason. They actually only know the name Sponge Bob because they get toothpaste from the dentist with him on. They used to call him 'Cheese Man' until their cousins filled them in on who he was. LOL!

Someone mentioned Horton Hears a Who... we have the cartoon movie of that, made like a gazillion years ago, and I love that. I'm not as fond of Horton sits on an egg because although it was made years ago, it has a few things in it that I don't appreciate...like a fish who commits suicide with a gun after seeing Horton on the boat on top of the nest. Those are very common type of scenes found in older cartoons that you might not see today. So I'm not quite sure children's programming is getting all that worse. I think it was never all that great to begin with. Anyone go back lately and watch traditional Tom and Jerry cartoons? There's tons of sexual innuendo in it, not to mention violence and things like drinking and smoking. How about the scene from Dumbo, made a gazillion years ago, where Timothy Mouse gets drunk?

Adult content has always been in kids' shows unfortunately. Go back and watch Shirley Temple movies from the 30s and 40s. She's got gangsters in there kidnapping her, shoot outs, lots of smoking, skanky/greasy characters... definitely not marketed to soley a children's audience. I had such fond memories over watching Shirley Temple movies as a child that I wanted to introduce a few of them to my own kids only while previewing many of them I came up with lots of reasons why I didn't want to show most of them.

Oh well, I guess we all just have to keep the TV off and send our kids outside instead!