BWW Blog: Welcome to My Candy Store - Age Appropriateness and Theatre in the Era of Social Media

Have you ever been shocked by something a child did? Maybe you heard a toddler dropping the "f-bomb" while grocery shopping. Or you could have seen a group of preteens twerking (or doing any inappropriate TikTok dance, for that matter) while scrolling through social media. Something doesn't feel right when you watch kids doing things that are meant for a much older group of people. This might be the most negative article that I have written, but it's because I have strong thoughts on how media can affect child development.

If you follow any of Hamilton's social media accounts, you have probably seen the hashtag #HamilKids on a few of their post. #HamilKids, a blending of "Hamilton" and "kids", is a hashtag that is usually accompanied by young children singing along to the OBC, dressing up as their favorite revolutionary, or reacting to the film on Disney+. Sure, I think it's okay for children to listen to some of the songs like "Helpless" and "Dear Theodosia", with sweet lyrics and no dark subjects. Okay, you might say, I understand that a few of the songs are inappropriate, especially ones like "The Reynolds Pamphlet" and the Cabinet Battles. But what about songs like "Alexander Hamilton" and "Guns and Ships"? Those are some of the best songs! Well, look at some of the opening lyrics of the first song - "How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore". Already, you should be questioning the appropriateness of the show. So go ahead and let children dress up as Patriots from the American Revolution, as long as they are aware of the history behind it. But hearing a kid sing "Say No to This" to the camera to get views? That is something that makes me feel incredibly uncomfortable.

Let's take a look at another show that has been extremely popular in younger age groups - Six. Six is a musical that lets the infamous six wives of Henry VIII of England tell their own stories without the king telling them what to do. When I saw the show on the West End in May of 2019, there was a young girl with her mother sitting next to me. It felt strange to be watching the same show as this girl, knowing that at her age the majority of the jokes and references would've flown over my head. Comments about sex like, "He plucked my strings all the way to G" and "Who am I kidding? I was pret a manger" are subtle but still shocking to hear when thinking about the younger fanbase the show has gotten. And other songs bring up topics that aren't sexual but still incredibly dark, like Jane Seymour's song about dying and never getting to see her son grow up. Even though it has a "poppy" feel, Six is a dark show that shouldn't be watched by younger musical theatre fans.

Again, musicals like Hamilton and Six are a great way for people to learn about history through song and dance. But these shows are geared towards an older audience, not impressionable young children who cannot understand the heavy themes of sexual assault and adultery. I am disappointed in social media teams for shows who feel comfortable posting videos of children singing along to songs that curse and have topics that the children themselves might not even fully understand. The Internet has given people ways to access things that they might not have been able to before, especially with "Incognito Mode" hiding history from people like parents who want to see what their children are watching. Along with these dark topics, there are other shows that go into disturbing material that should honestly come with a warning label for parents and guardians to keep their children away from them.

One musical that I've noticed has a younger fanbase is Dear Evan Hansen. Now, this show may not have a lot of violence other than some pushing and an off-stage death, but it is a musical with a horrifying interpretation of mental health that might give younger audiences the wrong idea about how they can help themselves and others through difficult times. Kids on social media call the titular main character a "smol bean" (Translation - A tiny cute boy who has done no wrong) when he should honestly be considered one of the villains of the show. Evan Hansen is manipulative and receives very few consequences for his terrible actions throughout the show. Along with the poor mental health message, there are also some sexual innuendos and things that hopefully just fly over the heads of younger fans, but I know that they probably don't, which is a problem. Shows like Dear Evan Hansen almost force kids to grow up too quickly by introducing them to dark topics while calling themselves "inspirational", a truly horrible irony.

And don't get me started on the "corn nuts" obsessed with Heathers. This musical has it all - in terms of dark topics. Eating disorders? There's a reference in the first song. Attempted sexual assault? Look at either "Blue" or "You're Welcome", depending on which version you're listening to. Suicide? Yeah, that's there too (and one includes a bomb meant to blow up the school). Straight up death on stage? That's what makes it "Mean Girls with Murder"! Heathers is based on a 1980s cult classic movie that is rated R (Restricted: Anyone under 17 must watch with a parent or guardian). So why are there pre-teens and young teenagers watching this musical and singing along to songs about rape, murder, and suicide? Shows like Heathers should be restricted like the movie was, not encouraging young people to listen to their cast recordings or buying tickets to see performances.

In my opinion, young children should not be listening and/or watching shows like Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, and Six as well as especially more vulgar shows like American Psycho and Heathers. If children are supposed to only be watching G-rated and PG-rated movies in order to keep them "safe", then their guardians should be making sure that the musicals that they listen to are appropriate too. The social media teams for musicals like these should not be promoting children singing along and dancing to their songs, particularly the more inappropriate ones. Obviously, no one from the show has the power to stop children from listening to their shows, but they can stop encouraging them to.