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Indonesian parents still ignore age restrictions on movies
The urge to be the first to watch hyped-up movies for the sake of social acknowledgement often sees Indonesian parents neglect common sense.
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Clueless: A mother and her son look around a Joker movie standee in one of the theaters in Central Jakarta, Thursday, Oct. 10. (JP/Anggie Angela)
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ndonesian moviegoers are notorious for bringing their children along to watch movies that are not suitable for their age even though age classification for movies has been mandatory for decades.
The violent thriller Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix, is the latest hyped-up movie ignorant parents have been going to see with their toddlers in tow despite the fact that it is R-rated, or for adults only.
Not all parents are ignorant though. Some actually have enough common sense and are startled by the fact that taking children to watch adult-oriented films is still the norm in Indonesia.
Juvita, a mother of three, said she could not believe her eyes when she saw a woman bring her 8-year-old son along to watch Joker, which features numerous violent scenes and murder.
“The movie was great, but it is not for kids,” Juvita said.
Not only is taking a minor to a movie like Joker a concern for the wellbeing of the child, it also annoys other people in the audience, because children can be very noisy with endless questions and ramblings about the scenes and the action taking place.
Redempta "Reta" Manikaya, who is also a mother, called parents who bring their kids to watch adult-oriented movies “very selfish”.
