Badgirl - Its Just Too Bad!

If I understand correctly, the posts above suggest that a movie showing a teenager threatening suicide to their parents is unacceptable, unrealistic (does not really happen), not digestible and sets a bad example.

I'm shaking my head at the naivety or ignorance. Teenagers threatening or attempting suicide is a harsh reality, and it’s a unique hell many parents live with daily. It’s not a one-time event of attempt, narrow escape and learned their lesson. No. These parents live with the constant uncertainty of never knowing when their child will try again or which method they might choose next. This ongoing fear and unpredictability is something you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. I have talked with a friend and her husband after their child made each such attempt starting around age 15, and once drove to go sit with her outside the hospital as they cleaned up the child's system. Just how easy it is to order the necessary item on Amazon is unbelievable.

If such situations are portrayed in movies, they can lead to meaningful discussions between teens and parents. Most importantly, they can help teenagers understand when breaking a friend’s confidence and informing an adult is absolutely necessary to save a life. My friend was lucky. The teen's friends did inform an adult even if after a few hours.

And why this sudden outrage over a teen threatening their parents with suicide? Haven’t our movies for decades shown parents threatening their child with “over my dead body”? That was normal, set a good example?

 

I recognize and respect that some parents prefer such movies not be made. They are concerned about the impact these films can have on impressionable young minds. If they want to push for bans or boycotts, more power to them. I wish them success. Genuinely, not being sarcastic.

That said, young children are exposed to many influences, and realistically, parents cannot shield them from everything. Shielding them actually puts them at greater risk. Instead they need to be taught how to think critically, recognize risks and make responsible choices. That is the job of parents - guide the children in making responsible choices and instill the values their family holds dear.

Yes, the boy’s or man’s future can be completely derailed. This was one of the most serious conversations I had with my son at the peak of the #MeToo movement and before college. I talked to him about consent, continued consent, and how in cases of accusations, it often comes down to his word against hers. I explained how young men are first suspended indefinitely from college while investigations move slowly, how the girl’s statement alone can be enough, and how she isn’t required to be present for questioning or cross-examination (in informal college investigations, not criminal ones). I made sure to instill in him the caution and values I wanted to. But I never expected the world to align with me in this process—I didn’t expect movies or TV shows to stop depicting college relationships.

I disagree. Minors experimenting with sex and dealing with suicidal thoughts is a reality. Instead of avoiding these issues, movies should show them responsibly—how suicidal ideation starts, how friends can help, and when it's necessary to break a friend's confidence for their safety. These conversations should be normalized, not ignored. I unfortunately know a bit too much about repeated suicide attempts in teenagers, and how easy it is for them to order harmful things online. Not my kid, but a kid I love like my own.

 

Exactly. We cannot sanitize every film till all films meet the standards of each family and parent. There is a balance already. We have plenty of "good example" movies like 12th Fail, Nil Battey Sannata, and several about IIT entrance struggles. Movies that allegedly set a "bad example" can spark discussions between parents and teenagers about the consequences of certain choices.

Films cater to a wide range of audiences, and we cannot stop making movies simply because some parents find them unsuitable for younger viewers.

 

I am focusing below only on the girl from other state part and Amaran waiting to convince her parents.

You say that the young man waiting to convince her parents is a great example. The unspoken implication is that not waiting—marrying against parental approval—is a bad example. But why?

If someone is old enough to serve in the army, make life-and-death decisions, and take full responsibility for their actions, why would they or their choice of life partner be incapable of choosing their own life partner? Labeling such decisions as wrong reinforces outdated ideas about parental control over adult children’s lives.

In fact, these portrayals that you are lauding can be harmful. A parent's role is to support their child, and as the child grows older, that support should shift to guidance from a distance—not control. Parents should be the welcome committee, not the selection committee of a child's life partner choice. Idolizing young people spending precious years exhausting themselves to gain parental approval sends the wrong message. It suggests that their autonomy is secondary, that their choices must always pass through a parental filter, even when they are fully capable adults. That, if anything, is the real bad example. It leads many men and women literally putting their lives on hold while the parents take the time needed to be "convinced."

It’s quaint and endearing that he waits to convince her parents, but this portrayal also creates pressure on young people who choose to marry without parental approval. It reinforces the idea that seeking permission is the "right" way, subtly casting those who prioritize their own choices as reckless or disrespectful. In reality, not everyone has the privilege of parental support, and young adults should not be made to feel guilty for making independent decisions about their own lives.

 

So, the objection to this Bad Girl movie is that it depicts a 16- to 17-year-old girl having sex casually, experimenting with multiple sexual partners and threatening suicide. OK, I may not agree with the objection but can sort of place where this is coming from.

Now, are you saying that movies featuring LGBTQ characters or depicting people having children out of wedlock are also problematic for impressionable minds and therefore shouldn't be made? Tagging @beautifullife30 @chanchitra @lavani @Swetha52003 @Viswamitra