Under-age Lending?

[r3port3r66]

So, there's this guy at work who likes movies. There are some in my collection that I know that he would like. The problem is he's 16 years old, and the movies I think he would like are rated R. Should I lend them to him, or would I get into trouble loaning out Restricted movies to a minor. He still lives with mom and dad of course--he's a junior in high school--they support him. But he's an avid movie fan.

What should I do?

Would any of you be angry if your under-age child brought home an R-rated movie that was given to him/her from an older co-worker; especially one that contained nudity, or extreme violence?

Do you think I would get into trouble?

[allthatglitters]

wow this is really specific. I mean he's 16. But then again it depends on what sort of movies- but then again you seem like a responsible person. It really depends I think about what the parents let their kids watch. He's 16, and a junior so his parents are most likely more lenient with him and allow for him to have more independent ideas (he has a job-his parents trust him with the ability to work and take care of the money he earns).

I've always grown up in a situation that home i was little I asked permission to watch anything over PG- now basically my parents trust me to make responisble descisions about what I watch. You know just sort of make sure with him that it'll be OK with his parents, if you feel like you owe anymore to them then just call the parents- but then it may seem to young co-worker that you consider him too young. All in all I wouldn't worry. But you seem like a good guy for caring.

EDIT: About being angry if my child was given a movie that contained nudity or violence as a minor. When I babysit unless the parents tell me they can watch it I just look at like what I was allowed to watch as a kid. I think it would depend. I mean i saw "The Matrix" when I was 10- I had friends who were never allowed to see it but yet they saw "titanic". My best friend wasn't allowed to see "Lord of the Rings" but "charlies angels" was a-o-k.

Looking at where my parents stand it depends on the kid. I am the oldest and one time when I went to go ask money to go watch a movie my dad told me that he was proud of me for him being able to trust me about the things I watch, because he knows I am mature enought o handle it. My younger brother on the other hand is only a year younger but since my parents don't feel they can trust him it's very hard for him to let him see alot of rated R films.

[Caitlyn]

Good advice Glitter… I think I would just call his parents and ask them… I know several 16 year olds that are allowed to watch certain R rated movies… but some are still off limits...

[allthatglitters]

I think I would just call his parents and ask them… I know several 16 year olds that are allowed to watch certain R rated movies… but some are still off limits...

please show me the secret to being succint for i must learn it...thats what all those ramblings were supposed to do-lead up to that point

[r3port3r66]

Yes, good advice by all. But Cait' "calling the parents"? It just seems so drastic when all it is is a movie. I mean do I say to the co-worker, "I would love to lend these films to you, but first I must ask your parents if it's OK, because, you know they are rated R!" What kind of trouble could I get into Caity? Is it "contributing to the deliquency of a minor" territory?

[Caitlyn]

No… it wouldn’t fall in that category at all since he is 16... But there is a possibility his parents could raise a pretty big stink over it… and more then likely, if they did, it would be where you work… Have you ever met either or both of his parents? Maybe you could just tell him you’re concerned and would feel better about lending them if one of his parents called you to let you know it is okay…

[r3port3r66]

Point taken.

No I haven't met his mother or his father. But you have scared me with the "taking it up at work" angle.

OK, I'll level with you. He has a great interest in dance--he loves to dance! So I asked him if he ever saw the movie Flashdance(one of my favorites).

He said no.

I said, well I have it on DVD. At that point I realized it was rated R, and I had second thoughts about loaning it to him because there is brief nudity, and some language uses that aren't wholesome. I know he'd like it, but "calling the parents"...geez, maybe I should wait...

[Caitlyn]

When is his birthday... :D

[r3port3r66]

OK Cait'.

Perhaps I'll lend him Singin' in The Rain.

[Caitlyn]

Might be safer... ;) ... although I think I was around 12 when I watched Flash Dance... older cousins come in handy sometimes... :D

[LordSlaytan]

Tell him to have his parents call you at work if it's alright. Or have him call them while you're working together, he can explain what you need, then you can jump on the phone to hear the yes or no. It's really no big deal. He should understand, and I'm sure his parents would appreciate your mature influence on their son. That is, of course, you're not interrupting them while they're slamming some smack and prostituting their daughter to the elderly mechanic next door, then I doubt if they would give a crap if you loaned him porno.

[Hondo333]

I am 16 (17 in Aug), and my parents have trusted me to make my own decisions since I was about 14, and allowing me to watch anything I felt ok with (Bar Porn). and before that they always watched movies that they thought may be a tad to much for me with me, to explain what was happening.
Aus do have different Ratings than the US,
G: All Ages
PG: Parental Guidance RecommendedM: Parental Guidance Recommended for people under15
MA: Parental Consent needed for people under 15
R: Restricted for under 18's

Basically G, PG and M legally can be viewed by anybody (No one can legally stop you), If you under 15 you need adult present to hire and see MA's, R's can not legally been seen anyone under 18, Even if the parents allow permission.

When Kill Bill was released it was rated R, My mum knew how much I had been looking forward to it, She called the OFLC
(MPPA for the US) just to clear things up and see if there was any legal way for me to see it, They said no, So she told me to see if I could sneak in, I tried... .Unsuccessfully (:() so she got a bunch of her friends to sneak me in. I find ratings so hypocritical... You can have sex at 16, but you can’t watch it in a movie until your 18...... :confused:

So Reporter i think you may need to judge if the movies are appropreate for you

[Yoda]

Calling his parents (or, as others have suggested, having them call you) is probably the best course of action. It seems drastic, I suppose, but it's safer, and really not a big deal, when you think about it. It won't take long, and odds are they'll be perfectly fine with it and appreciate the thought.

I had to do something similar a year or two back when OG-, one of our first regulars here, won Analyze This on DVD in what I think was the first contest MoFo ever held. It's rated R, has lots of profanity, and a sex scene, and he was, I think, about 15 or 16 at the time. So I told him I'd like to run it by one of his parents, just to be safe, and I did. They were perfectly cool with it; no big deal in the end, either about the movie itself, or the asking of permission.

It can't hurt, in other words. :) Odds are slim that his parents would flip out (unless they're highly protective...but that's not likely), but a quick, simple phone call might be worth the peace of mind.

[Sexy Celebrity]

What's absolutely crazy to me is being ID'ed to buy an R rated movie. It's only happened to me once, as far as I can remember, and I'll never forget how absurd the whole process felt (even though it was a short one) but I was completely shocked. Of course, this happened at WAL-MART! the Corporation of Satan as far as I'm concerned. Some vile toad woman asked for my ID when I bought an R rated movie. I've been buying R rated films from places like Suncoast for years, when I was under 10 even, and this is what I'm treated to when I'm 19? Gimme a break. Where else does this kind of thing happen? Is it everywhere now?

[jamesglewisf]

LOL! I remember when MoFo was getting going. I wanted to give some movies to Yoda for give-aways but had the same concern. I got permission from his mom first.

[Yoda]

LOL! I remember when MoFo was getting going. I wanted to give some movies to Yoda for give-aways but had the same concern. I got permission from his mom first.Wow, that's right! I ended up sending a fair number of them as donations to some American troops, as I believe some people around here were organizing some entertainment packages for them. I hope you don't mind. :)

[nebbit]

Good advice Glitter… I think I would just call his parents and ask them… I know several 16 year olds that are allowed to watch certain R rated movies… but some are still off limits...

This was my first thought, really. :D