AwkwardRule #7: Watching graphic sex scenes with your parents
The situation: You’re at home for Thanksgiving, and one night you are watching a movie with your parents. They’ve rented “A History of Violence”. You think to yourself, “oh good, a history of violence, there’s probably no long sex scene in this movie”. WRONG.
All of a sudden there’s a really intense sex scene happening, with loud noises to accompany it. This goes on for several minutes. After it’s over, you think you’re in the clear, and then BAMN, another sex scene. Figure 7.1b illustrates this:
Figure 7.1b You and your parents watching the guy who plays Aragorn in Lord of the Rings get it on in a History of Violence.
Thankfully there are ways to avoid or at least lessen the awkwardness of this situation, which are outlined in ->
When watching a movie with your parents, adhere to the following guidelines:
- Research - As always at AwkwardRules, we believe strongly in prevention. By doing a quick IMDB or Wikipedia check, you can identify problematic scenes ahead of time and make sure you are conveniently over in the kitchen or going to the bathroom when they happen.
- Avoid foreign films - If you’re from the United States, be wary of foreign directors who enjoy exploring complex themes of eroticism. Some people claim the title of the movie “Y tu mamá también” means “And your mother, too”, but it really means, “movie that you couldn’t pay me enough to watch with my mother”.
- Fake a phone call / needing to go to the bathroom - Assuming you’re already in the midst of a wild sex scene, pretend you’ve just gotten a call or you have to go to the bathroom. Don’t worry, your parents most likely won’t pause the movie to wait for you - it’s awkward for them too.
- Look straight ahead - If you want to actually watch the scene because you don’t like missing parts of the movie, then maintain a steady gaze toward the screen. Do not under any circumstances turn your head toward your parents and make eye contact.
Any suggestions for amendments? What’s the most awkward movie you’ve ever seen with your parents?
