Megamind vs. Saw 3D: A Brief History of Kids Accidentally Seeing the Worst Things Imaginable

Ah, yes: The old, "We took our kids to see one movie, and then they were showed something much, much worse" news story. It's the type of almost yearly occurrence that warms the hearts of those people who like laughing at the absurd (non)misfortunes of others. In this case, a group of 7-year-old children in Massachusetts went to see Megamind 3D with a couple of parents, only to be shown Saw 3D instead. As one child told his parents, the mere site of the violent images witnessed by his young eyes were enough to make him not want to see another movie ever again.

Of course, this isn't the first time the young minds of America were subjected to something awful. (Well, you know, besides any time they've actually stumbled upon the news; or the Internet.) We all remember a similar theater snafu in 2007, when patrons of The Last Mimzy were shown The Hills Have Eyes 2 instead. As NME points out, that film begins with a "chained naked woman giving birth to a deformed baby." Who wants more popcorn?

Anyway it's with this latest mix-up in mind that Movieline now takes you through the brief history of the seedy underbelly of children's entertainment. Enjoy!

· The Little Mermaid

Nothing says phallic like The Little Mermaid. Not only did the cover of the Disney film VHS tape feature what looked like a penis (an apparent unintentional mistake), but the film also featured an erection, which you can spy above. Or maybe it's a bent knee. You be the judge.

· Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

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More like "who framed this still of Jessica Rabbit's ladyparts," amirite? Not even the most attuned child could have noticed this. Also -- and correct me if I'm wrong -- but wasn't Roger Rabbit actually not for kids? It wasn't Cool World, but it's not The Lion King, either. Speaking of which...

· The Lion King

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Hey, remember when a swirling dust cloud formed the letters "s-e-x" in The Lion King? Me neither! But those poor children!

· Brooklyn School Shows Porn Instead of Camp Rock

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If only there was a joke or play on words to be made about P.S. 17 in Brooklyn showing an assembly of students hardcore pornography instead of Camp Rock. It'll come to me. "My son told his friend he saw a naked lady at school," said Rona Easton, whose 6-year-old son saw the porn. "I thought he was just being silly. It's appalling." So is Camp Rock, Rona. So is Camp Rock

· This Teacher's Sex Tape

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2009 was a fertile year for wrecking young minds. Must be because Obama's president. Anyway, here's the headline from the 2009 CBS story about a teacher's faux pas in California: "Oops: Teacher Accidentally Gave Self-Made Sex Tape to 5th Graders."

Have any others to add to this fray? Leave them in the comments below!

· Children See 'Saw 3D' Instead of 'Megamind' After Cinema Mix-up [NME via Videogum]



Comments

  • Martini Shark says:

    I feel for that traumatized kid. I recall being subjected to an exposed Barbara Streisand at an early age in "The Owl and the Pussycat". It was weeks before I could pass a movie theater without getting the cold sweats.
    (My fave from "Roger Rabbit" was during Baby Herman's opening rant and as he stormed through the set he walks through a woman's leg's and gooses her laciviously.)

  • SunnydaZe says:

    The cantina scene in the original Star Wars sent me and my friends crying and screaming from the theatre (we were 5 years old). Many years later Phantom Menace would have the same effect but for different reasons...

  • I'm glad that didn't happen to my daughter during our Megamind showing. A) Saw 7 is the worst in the series by a country-mile and I try to protect my kid from such poor filmmaking, and B) she hasn't seen the prior six films and I have no desire to spend 90 minutes explaining six movies worth on continuity and back-story.

  • Mellie says:

    The "S-E-X" in THE LION KING was actually "S-F-X" for Special Effects.