Futurama episodes for a 3 year old?

[on:]

My godson is a big fan of Futurama, but understandably, his mother doesn't let him watch it very often (as she says, a lot of the episodes are pretty un PG), so I was thinking, can any of you help me figure out some episodes it would be okay for him to watch? (Not too violent or sexual, but enough giant robots and aliens to keep him amused.)  His favorite character is Yivo (though he calls him "Tentacle").

He's seen BWABB and Attack of the Killer App (his mom also had PI downloaded but I didn't think it would be appropriate for a 3 year old to see that.)

So far I've got:
Space Pilot 3000
Series has Landed
I second that Emotion
Mars University
A Clockwork Origin (he loves robots and dinosaurs, so I'm sure he'll love the two together)
Anthology of Interest 2
That Darn Katz! (We can skip past Amy and Kif getting it on, though I don't think it's that explicit)

Any more?

[Reply #1 on:]

My godson is a big fan of Futurama, but understandably, his mother doesn't let him watch it very often (as she says, a lot of the episodes are pretty un PG)

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEE

[Reply #2 on:]

"Yo Leela Leela" would be perfectly acceptable, I think, since a lot of people think it plays like an unimaginative, obnoxious kids' show anyway.

[Reply #3 on:]

I actually had a similar problem almost a year ago... I was living in an apartment with two guys, one of their girlfriends, and her children who were in 1st and 2nd grade at the time.  We let them watch Futurama, and tried to skip past anything that seemed like it might be bad; ie sex or violent.  I don't think Futurama is that bad in the violent department to be honest... and I think they watched a lot of season 1 and 2 episodes... not much of 6a though, because I thought there were a decent amount of sex scenes... even as you point out in That Darn Katz. 

Actually to be honest... I don't think I'm very good at censoring what kids should and shouldn't be seeing.  It was weird... I don't think they got almost any of the jokes... they just liked staring at it... and then they liked playing with my futurama figures and going "Look, I'm Leela, and I'm Bender!"  Awww... they were such cute kids.  We taught them to play videogames!

[Reply #4 on:]

Winna's right that a three-year old probably won't understand any of the sexual references, or be particularly affected by the violence (which isn't all that prevalent, and is rarely bloody or grotesque); I would understand a parent being troubled by the swearing in some of the episodes (I'd stay clear of any Mom episode, particularly "A Fishful of Dollars"), but even that is probably nothing a kid hasn't already heard, unless his parents go to great pains not to curse in his presence.

And I just watched "The Day the Earth Stood Stupid" yesterday, which is probably also acceptable for a young'un. Hell, it even has that great endorsement of libraries, and a bunch of cute, inoffensive Nibblonians.

[Reply #5 on:]

Oh yeah, I think he'd like Earth Stood Stupid.   I think Clockwork Origin will be a winner, but I will avoid In a Gadda Da Leela.  Fry and the Slurm Factory will be another good one (I don't think he'll get Hermaphrobot, but his mother will find that part very amusing).  Damn, chica! 

Aww Winna those sound so cute.  I'm tempted to sew him together a Yivo plush when I get my sewing machine.  Yeah I think I'll avoid Mom for her comments about single mothers.

[Reply #6 on:]

No one cares about those knocked up teenage sluts anyway

Yeah I'm with Gorky on Yo Leela Leela. I am actually quite curious to see what a 3 year old thinks of that...? Will he even think it's too stupid? Hahaha

[Reply #7 on:]

I'd say they can watch any ep of Futurama that's not got loads of sex stuff, I mean all the other adult stuff will go over their head so it won't matter. The only thing that would matter is if an ep was scary, but none are...

I'd throw Roswell That Ends Well and Brannigan Begin Again into the ring...

[Reply #8 on:]

Yes, you want the child to learn early that it's not right to sleep with his own grandmother.

[Reply #9 on:]

To be honest you don't see any sex, and it's all suggestive, so the 3 year old would have to make that connection, but they wouldn't have the knowledge to do so. The 3 year old wouldn't get it and they'd probably just end up thinking that the characters reactions are funny and look at it no deeper than that...

[Reply #10 on:]

I agree with you, Otis. I'm just trying to put an educational spin on the episode.

[Reply #11 on:]

He won't understand The Late Philip J Fry but it'll be a visual treat for him. As will Where The Buggalo Roam, come to think of it. Both of those should appeal to toddlers visually.

Fry and the Slurm Factory could be another safe-ish choice.

[Reply #12 on:]

Futurama is meant for mature audiences. I wouldn't show a small child Futurama. It is great fun for adults, but there are too many elements present that children who are still forming a paradigm should not be exposed to. Some of the things we laugh at in Futurama include disrespect for others, sexual promiscuity, violence, breaking the law, profanity, and substance abuse.

At age 3, kids can be told that something is bad, but I don't think they should be presented with it as amusement. Kids emulate what they see.

Edit - especially since most of the time the bad behavior is without consequences. Sometimes it's important to the plot, but usually the misbehavior is played for laughs and then dropped and ignored.

[Reply #13 on:]

I'm not sure MadCapper, most of the things I am hesitant about showing him would probably fly straight over his head, but I'm still trying to avoid the episodes that are heavy on the things you mentioned (hence why I'll be showing him Fry and the Slurm Factory or a Clockwork Origin rather then Silence of the Clamps or Why Must I be a Crustacean in Love).

I mean it's no worse then Tom and Jerry, where Jerry is often the antagonist, goes out of his way to antagonize, violently assault and abuse Tom, and he almost always triumphs.  Jerry is almost always rewarded, even when he has gone out of his way to be as much as a d*ck as he can be to Tom.  (I guess I didn't like Tom and Jerry when I grew up because I'm a cat person, and was always hoping that Tom would get his own back on that hateful little rodent.)

Anyway, I'd much rather my children watch something like Futurama, rather then something akin to a televisual lobotomy, like Yo Crappa Crappa or Barney.   (His grandmother put on Barney for him, and I told her "If he grows up to be an idiot, I'm blaming you!"  I was kind of joking but not.)

The Simpsons is considered to be a series the whole family can enjoy (most families with young children watch the simpsons together), but every so often there comes an episode that isn't really suitable (like the one where Homer and Abe make an aphrodisiac tonic), but I don't see the problem really.  Simpsons has the same level of sex and bad language in it as Futurama, but I've never heard anyone concerned about letting young kids watch the former.

[Reply #14 on:]

"Leela's Homeworld", "A Big Piece Of Garbage", and "A Flight To Remember"

[Reply #15 on:]

I thought about Flight to Remember, but I think that one is a bit too intense for a 3 year old.  Leela's Homeworld is a pretty emotional episode so I'm not sure he'll be interested, and again some bits are a bit too intense.

I think he might like Problem with Popplers though.  It has a pretty non-offensive/threatening storyline for a young child, at least one that wouldn't raise too many eyebrows if it was in Spongebob or something.

[Reply #16 on:]

I agree with MadCapper; Futurama is an adult series and I wouldn't show it to a child that young. I wouldn't show one The Simpsons either, though.

[Reply #17 on:]

I agree, but the episodes digress wildly in terms of content.   One episode might have few adult themes or none at all, while the next might have piles of violence, swearing and nudity.  Most people i know don't have a problem letting their kids watching the Simpsons, which is pretty equal in terms of content as Futurama.

[Reply #18 on:]

It depends on the specific episode to some extent for sure, but in general, I wouldn't show a 3-year-old either show, period. You can find episodes with fewer swear words or where certain things will go over their heads, but the main thrust of the series really just isn't appropriate for them. There's lots of violence, even incidental (and easily imitable) stuff like characters hitting or slapping each other, etc, and the themes are primarily all adult. I can't really think of a single Futurama episode I would show to a child that age; show them Sesame Street or something.

I think once you get to age 9, 10, 11 and the kids can (hopefully) more adequately separate fact from fiction, it's a much different discussion.

[Reply #19 on:]

lol I thought this was a rhetorical thread inspired by all the arguing in the Yo Yo Leela topic.  I say avoid any Bender-heavy episodes, and yeah, it's hard for me to pick out any other episodes because so much of what I love and remember about Futurama comes from its more mature, savvy wit rather than any slapstick that might appeal to a 3 year old.

[Reply #20 on:]

OH COME ON YOU BUNCH OF PRUDES!

But yeah, I know I wouldn't show my child Futurama or The Simpsons until they were 6 or 7 or 8 and I felt they were mature enough to handle it. The overall themes aren't good for such an impressionable age and the episodes are littered with inappropriate gags (many of the ones suggested or that you claim to be planning to show for instance have a handful of sex-jokes and the like -the kid might not understand the sex jokes, but still. Would you show him porn just because he probably won't understand what's happening?).

[Reply #21 on:]

Would you show him porn just because he probably won't understand what's happening?

Don't be silly. The reason you show kids porn is so they know why they're not allowed to talk to the old guy at the end of the road who keeps asking if they want to come inside and stroke his ferret.

[Reply #22 on:]

My friends are big fans of the series, and they allow their son to watch all of the original run, and he's a pretty sharp kid, but they've said the movies have crossed that line a little too much, and so they won't allow him to watch those until he's older.

I don't think there's anything wrong with the original episodes, not anything that's particularly bad anyway. You have to remember that as much as kids are like sponges, a lot of stuff still goes over their heads and really they're just going to enjoy the pretty colours.

[Reply #23 on:]

Showing a three year old porn?  Don't be ridiculous.  As I have said, I won't be showing any of the episodes that feature the characters getting naked or having sex (so In A Gadda Da Leela and Amazonian Women in the Mood are out.)  A lot of shows and movies written for children these days have sexual jokes and puns that will go over the children's heads, but are aimed at the adults who have to sit with them trhough it.   The only reason I let him watch BwaBB is because he had already seen it, and requested it "Tentacle few chew dwama!" Anyway, his mother doesn't really want him watching it, except maybe as a rare treat.   So I'm trying to come up with episodes that are okay for him to watch.  I don't think he's going to know what Bender means by "going back for the Crushinator."

Besides most people my age grew up watching the Simpsons, and most young children watch Tom and Jerry, which is very violent.  In terms of violence, Futurama isn't really any worse then say the Powerpuff Girls and its slapstick is comparable to most kids shows.

[Reply #24 on:]

I don't think there's any problem with showing a three year-old all of the episodes of Futurama, because I doubt the child will remember or retain anything inappropriate from watching them.

I mean, I have some hazy memories from when I was that young, but nothing about TV shows.

If it were my child, I wouldn't let him/her watch Futurama with me from between the ages of 5-10 years-old. However, over and under should be fine IMO. But I'm not a parent yet, so....

This discussion reminds me of the commentary for "Amazon Women in the Mood" when David X Cohen talks about one of the writers saying how his child kept repeating the line "Hey, I'm a summer guy!"

So maybe young children can retain things from TV shows.

[Reply #25 on:]

I would suggest:
-Time Keeps on Slippin'
-Godfellas (Robot pirates FTW)
-My Three Suns
EDIT: Oh cool, I'm a delivery boy!

[Reply #26 on:]

I started watching South Park when I was 9, my Mum was in the room and everything, but I guess I'm just lucky...

Yes, I was watching Futurama before I was 9 too, just wasn't a huge fan, or much of a fan at all, if it came on, I'd watch it.

[Reply #27 on:]

I think there's a huge difference between age 3 and age 9.

[Reply #28 on:]

I think there's a huge difference between age 3 and age 9.

Yep, I didn't start watching South Park, Futurama, and Family Guy until I was 8. I think a 3 year old could get away with the early episodes of The Simpsons, but let's face it, Futurama is aimed more for Teen and Adult audiences.

[Reply #29 on:]

I think there's a huge difference between age 3 and age 9.

There is also a huge difference between Futurama and South Park.

Simpsons was one of the first shows I remember watching, and I grew up with Futurama (which came out when I was about ten) As someone who does a lot of babysitting, I think some episodes of Futurama are fine for young children, but others are a clear no no, like Amazonian Women in the Mood.  Proposition Infinity was another episode we could have watched (it was on the computor) but I really didn't think that episode was appropriate for a baby.  I was wondering if I crossed the line with BwaBB, but since he had already seen it, I didn't think it would matter.   I know some people who watch their toddlers watch Family Guy and Beavis and Butthead, which are considerably worse then Futurama.   

The way I see it Futurama is like the Simpsons in that its quite erratic in terms of rating.  Some episodes are a PG, while others are 12s.  Since he only gets to watch Futurama with an adult with him, I'll be able to fast forward through any "bad" scenes, like Kif and Amy getting raunchy in That Darn Katz (though I think thats the kind of talk that will fly over a three yar old's head.)

[Reply #30 on:]

I think ALL the Futurama DVDs are 12s over here.

[Reply #31 on:]

Why don't you just cover his eyes when anything too sexual or violent comes on screen?

[Reply #32 on:]

But then he could still hear the sounds of pleasure and slicing limbs and whatnot.

[Reply #33 on:]

Besides most people my age grew up watching the Simpsons, and most young children watch Tom and Jerry, which is very violent.  In terms of violence, Futurama isn't really any worse then say the Powerpuff Girls and its slapstick is comparable to most kids shows.

(I would disagree with this anyway considering the extent of some of the violence and gunshots and DEATH that occurs frequently on Futurama anyway, but)

The violence on a cartoon like Powerpuff Girls, even if comparable, also happens with clearer parameters. The main characters are fighting "bad guys" that are clearly distinguished as such; they don't hurt each other and their actions are all in the context of heroism. On Futurama, even the "good" characters are frequently cruel and violent toward others in some way, even down to say Leela slapping or hitting Fry on a number of occasions, and the violence is often simply played for laughs or "justified" in a way that makes sense to the adult audience (Zapp keeps harassing Leela for instance, so he deserves the punch even if it's not the "right" thing to do) but which a 3-year-old child will not be able to properly contextualize; same with a lot of the violence on The Simpsons. And even then, I wouldn't even show a child that young The Powerpuff Girls (or Tom and Jerry), because while I think a 6 or 7-year-old can put THAT violence at least in its proper context, a child of 3 probably cannot, and will think that punching and hitting are proper ways of solving problems. Even children's shows target specific ages and not all of them are appropriate for all ages of kids. Powerpuff Girls for instance carries a Y-7 rating, meaning it's for older, grade-school age kids (Futurama usually carries a TV-14). Most of the shows I watched during my Elementary school years would not have been appropriate for a toddler.

[Reply #34 on:]

I think ALL the Futurama DVDs are 12s over here.

Disc 3 of season 1, discs 1 and 4 of season 2, disc 3 of season 2 and discs 1-3 of season 4 are all PG which shows that it's just a handful of episodes pushing up the rating to a 12 for the overall sets.

[Reply #35 on:]

When I was about 3 I could watch South Park and Family guy

[Reply #36 on:]

I think ALL the Futurama DVDs are 12s over here.

Disc 3 of season 1, discs 1 and 4 of season 2, disc 3 of season 2 and discs 1-3 of season 4 are all PG which shows that it's just a handful of episodes pushing up the rating to a 12 for the overall sets.

It's like that with certain Simpsons sets too...

[Reply #37 on:]

When I was about 3 I could watch South Park and Family guy

Actually there is a video of me somewhere when I was like 4 running around the bathroom saying 'Oh God, I killed Kenny!'.

[Reply #38 on:]

I feel old ...

[Reply #39 on:]

I think ALL the Futurama DVDs are 12s over here.

Disc 3 of season 1, discs 1 and 4 of season 2, disc 3 of season 2 and discs 1-3 of season 4 are all PG which shows that it's just a handful of episodes pushing up the rating to a 12 for the overall sets.

Season 6 would most likely be a 12 on all discs, although The Silence Of The Clamps may push it into 15 territory, as it depends whether the bleeping is censored or not in the DVD/Blu-Ray release.

Here's a link to what the BBFC rated all the Season 1-4 Futurama episodes and movies:
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/search/?searchwhere=db&q=futurama

It's interesting to see that Leela's Homeworld is the only episode that is rated a 'U' in the entire original run. I'd say about 4/5 of episodes are rated PG, whilst 1/5 are 12.