This is a disturbing and shocking episode.
The episode centres on whether a child, who appears to be at the age of either 7 or 8, should be physically assaulted by a late middle age man.
Towards the end of the episode the main character takes off his belt and says to another character, who appears to be around 12 or 13, that "this is a bad day to wear shorts" when he and his two sisters try to block their father from whipping their very young sibling.
If, at this stage of this review, you are wondering whether threatening child abuse should be the subject of a comedy then I agree with you.
I came across this episode during the pandemic lockdown where children's charities around the world are warning of a rise in child abuse during this traumatic time.
Some people reading this may argue that I am taking the concept of the episode too seriously - after all, you could say, it is only a comedy!
However, this episode argues that physically attacking a very young and vulnerable child is a legitimate choice that can be made by an adult. All forms of child abuse, in fact, should never be tolerated.
Towards the end of the episode it shows a terrified young boy trying to avoid being injured and the two main adult characters joking that in the future they could whip a small boy so that he "lights up like Vegas".
Violence against children is on the rise across the world and the last thing we need is a comedy programme presenting violence against children as a legitimate choice.
It should go without saying that violence against a child is a crime.
If this episode was from the 1970s then you could argue it is dated and was a sign of that era. For a new episode to be produced and broadcast in the 2010s and 2020s when we know more about the psychological and physical harm caused to children by adult violence is deeply disturbing and shows what more we must all do to campaign against child abuse.
The episode centres on whether a child, who appears to be at the age of either 7 or 8, should be physically assaulted by a late middle age man.
Towards the end of the episode the main character takes off his belt and says to another character, who appears to be around 12 or 13, that "this is a bad day to wear shorts" when he and his two sisters try to block their father from whipping their very young sibling.
If, at this stage of this review, you are wondering whether threatening child abuse should be the subject of a comedy then I agree with you.
I came across this episode during the pandemic lockdown where children's charities around the world are warning of a rise in child abuse during this traumatic time.
Some people reading this may argue that I am taking the concept of the episode too seriously - after all, you could say, it is only a comedy!
However, this episode argues that physically attacking a very young and vulnerable child is a legitimate choice that can be made by an adult. All forms of child abuse, in fact, should never be tolerated.
Towards the end of the episode it shows a terrified young boy trying to avoid being injured and the two main adult characters joking that in the future they could whip a small boy so that he "lights up like Vegas".
Violence against children is on the rise across the world and the last thing we need is a comedy programme presenting violence against children as a legitimate choice.
It should go without saying that violence against a child is a crime.
If this episode was from the 1970s then you could argue it is dated and was a sign of that era. For a new episode to be produced and broadcast in the 2010s and 2020s when we know more about the psychological and physical harm caused to children by adult violence is deeply disturbing and shows what more we must all do to campaign against child abuse.
