MIM older viewers

Kellychandler

New member
HEY THERE!

Okay...now..You lot can help!

I am 26 years old and :) LOVE :) MIM, its so funny, I cry laughing!
My friend Martin is 32 I think, he's in his thirties anyway and WE love MIM...NO NO NO we LOVE IT! it so funny...however when we tell people how funny it is we get the same question (When I am asked this question, I feel like pushing a pen in my eye!)

"Is Malcolm in the Middle not just for kids?"

So IS IT?
Is it JUST FOR KIDS or can older viewers enjoy it also?..what can I say to these freaks when they ask that Q?

Hal is so funny, I wished my family was like that...I have 2 children (a boy and a girl) My son loves MIM...youngest viewer? but my husband is not to keen on MIM....he says ITS JUST FOR KIDS....

So help me!
 

Wildcat

Retired Moderator
Good question, KellyChandler. No, I don't think MITM is just for kids at all. In fact, I think that most of the subjects they deal with are geared more toward late teens/adults than kids. A few examples that I can think of right of the bat:

-How many times has the topic of sex come up between Hal and Lois?
-In the pilot episode, Lois is topless for nearly 10 minutes! That's definitely not kid's material!
-The boys use bad language throughout the series, even when they were only 10 and 12 years old--while it's nothing that bad, it isn't really too appropriate for kids.
-In the episodes Stupid Girl and Thanksgiving, the subject of underaged drinking comes up. In No Motorcycles and A.A. the subject of alcoholism is explored.
-Francis smokes underaged (specifically in the Pilot episode, but in many other episodes from the first 2 seasons too.) Dewey smokes underaged in Reese vs Stevie.
-The topic of sex has come up quite a bit, especially in this season. This is obviously because the boys are growing up, but if they intended it to be a kid's show they could avoid these more adult plotlines. In fact, nearly 1/4 of the episodes from this season have dealt with sex in one way or another. The episodes that come to mind are Burning Man, Jessica Stays Over, Blackout, Army Buddy and College Recruiters.

That's all I can think of for now, but I'm sure there's a lot more. So no, I would say that it is not a kids show at all. :D

BTW, in the future, please keep your posts left-aligned. It's really hard to read them when you center and italisize everything. :)
 
Yeah i agree MitM isn't just for kids. There are a lot of people over 18 that watch malcolm in the middle and i don't blame them, i would too. It's such an amazing program and it's not just a stupid cartoon that 5 year olds watch. There are scenes (as wildcat said) that have mild nudity and mild swearing in which are not suitable for really young kids. It's just a cool comedy that makes you feel happy (well, that's what i think). MitM is very popular and anyone can love it!!
 

Alfista Junior

New member
Actually on top of being funny this show raises issues like any other show. I mean, first off all jokes are absolutely not jokes based on kid stuffs. Moreover, it tackes money problems, sex and drink issues and it is one of the first american tv show which describes the life of a middle class family.
Obviously kids can enjoy the show but I'm convinced they're not the main target of this show..Honestly I'm 20 and I find most of all other tv shows creepy, because they're always absurd even if they target adults: The Young and the Restless and everything like that.
And just think about the time they spend to film a scene of Malcolm in the Middle compared to other tv shows (Frankie Muniz said they used to work 10 hrs a day to shoot only 3 scenes.// 6 days for an episode). When directors and cast spend as much as time they do, you can imagine this is not done to entertain kids..Anyway this show is smart.

That's my viewpoint, I'm 20 and I like the show.. And please forgive me for the mistakes I made. My english is not as perfect as yours.
 

Amigo22

Super Moderator
I too think that MITM is unsuitable for kids. In addition to the issues raised in the show which you guys have already talked about, a lot of the stuff the boys have done throughout the series, is unsuitable too, because kids would be likely to repeat what they see on TV.

Well having said that, even things that Hal and Lois have done are unsuitable as well, like Hal smoking a cigar in the house and setting the couch cover (or was it a cushion I can't remember) on fire. In the exterior shot of the house we see him carrying it to the bathroom to attempt to flush it down the toilet, which in itself is extremely dangerous, picking up something that is on fire.
 

tony_montana

Semper Fidelis
I suppose we mean kid kids(9,10,) not teens(13,14) because we have quite a few here(myself included, even though my 18th Bday is April 7:D ) Yeah, it's not really for kids, and like Wildcat said, sex is always in the show(mainly between Hal/Lois). Im still wondering if Malcolm..you know.."did it" with that woman in the Burning Man episode.
 

Alfista Junior

New member
Concerning what Malcolm did or not in the Burning Man episode, we have to remember that the characters are not kids anymore. So writers have to cope with that. They have to describe the social life of teens who have become adults. So, it is how life is. But writers have the cleverness to only make viewers guess all stuffs like sex concerning Malcolm or Reese..
 

yardgames

Retired Administrator
Fascinating conversation you guys have going here. I certainly don't think that MITM is a "kiddie" show. Is it for kids? Maybe, but definitely not exclusively. That might be one of the show's weaknesses; other brackets don't even think about giving it a chance. But the show explores quite a few very controversial issues.

But more important, everyone from any age group has someone to relate to on the show. You've got the kids, young-adult Francis, Craig, and even good ol' Ida. The fact of the matter is that the Wilkersons aren't perfect, but they sure have a lot of wonderful qualities that a lot of people ought to strive to achieve.
 

Jimmy Junior

New member
Maybe one of the reasons MitM appeals to older viewers is because we can relate to Hal and Lois's perspectives - like Lois I also get frustrated by unruly children (including university students) who don't seem to realise the consequences of their actions, and like Hal I would love to quit work to build a destructive robot, go racing around in a go-kart, skive off work every Friday to go to theme parks etc.
 

mummy

New member
I am 35 years old, nearly 36 and my husband is nearly 40 and we are avid fans of the show. I am a little bemused to see teenagers posting on a thread for "Older Viewers" but hey, I am beginning to think policemen look like they should still be in school, so I suppose it is my age :eek:
Anyway, in our house it is a must for everyone, including my 6 year old. We all sit down and watch as a family and all laugh out loud but for different reasons. The show has slap stick for little kids and a more adult theme running through each episode to appeal to the parents. I would say it was a good all rounder and it will be sorely missed, even though I still really like watching all the repeats
 

yardgames

Retired Administrator
It's good to know there are whole families that sit down and watch the show; recently we had a thread about whether it was appropriate for the younger audience, and I found it surprising that many people said it was not.

Welcome to the forums and have fun posting! :)
 

mummy

New member
yardgames said:
It's good to know there are whole families that sit down and watch the show; recently we had a thread about whether it was appropriate for the younger audience, and I found it surprising that many people said it was not.

Welcome to the forums and have fun posting! :)

Thank you!

I dont have a problem with my son watching the show. It is all pre-watershed entertainment, nothing that is totally unsuitable. Most of it is inuendo or hinted at, but never seen. I have no problem with mild nudity. It is only the human body and I dont want him growing up with issues. :)
 

han_keep_smilin

New member
i am 13 and probably the younger of the range of people the watch mitm. wildcat you just show all the things that is for older people too
im sayin old and it sounds as if i mean like 100 year old:D
 

Wildcat

Retired Moderator
han_keep_smilin said:
i am 13 and probably the younger of the range of people the watch mitm. wildcat you just show all the things that is for older people too
im sayin old and it sounds as if i mean like 100 year old:D

You're right. All of the things that I pointed out are geared toward older viewers, but that doesn't mean that younger viewers can't enjoy the show too. As long as they're mature enough to handle sexual references and mild bad language and stuff like that (and their parents let them watch it.) I simply meant to point out that it isn't just a kids show--like many people believe it is. It is good for both younger and older audiences.
 

Amigo22

Super Moderator
mummy said:
I dont have a problem with my son watching the show. It is all pre-watershed entertainment, nothing that is totally unsuitable. Most of it is inuendo or hinted at, but never seen. I have no problem with mild nudity. It is only the human body and I dont want him growing up with issues. :)

After reading your post, my opinion on this has changed. MITM is a show about the life of an average family, with each episode focusing on real-life situations, and viewers will be able to relate to the characters, so there really isn't any reason why younger children can't watch the show. If the whole family is watching, it would also provide some interesting discussion too, like the variety of topics we discuss here.
 
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