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* {{Akira}} was first released in an English dub in the late 80's. The film managed to break Japan out of the AnimationAgeGhetto in American eyes, containing quite a lot of violence (including a few exploding heads, people being smashed, and blown into gibs), a near rape scene, and a few utterly disturbing sequences. The manga, of course, amps this all UpToEleven.
* ''PaniPoniDash'' is seen as this. The only reason why it shouldn't be for kdis? Kids would be "confused" by it being a WidgetSeries.
* ''PaniPoniDash'' is seen as this. The only reason why it shouldn't be for kdis? Kids would be "confused" by it being a WidgetSeries.
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* {{Akira}} ''{{Akira}}'' was first released in an English dub in the late 80's. The film managed to break Japan out of the AnimationAgeGhetto in American eyes, containing quite a lot of violence (including a few exploding heads, people being smashed, and blown into gibs), a near rape scene, and a few utterly disturbing sequences. The manga, of course, amps this all UpToEleven.
* ''PaniPoniDash'' is seen as this. The only reason why it shouldn't be forkdis? kids? Kids would be "confused" by it being a WidgetSeries.
* ''PaniPoniDash'' is seen as this. The only reason why it shouldn't be for
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** That's okay, the french version of the VisualNovel is for kids age 7+. [[http://www.pegi.info/en/index/global_id/505/?searchString=le+sanglot+des+cigales&agecategories=&genre=&organisations=1855&platforms=&countries=&submit=Search Don't believe it?]]
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** That's okay, the french French version of the VisualNovel is for kids age 7+. [[http://www.pegi.info/en/index/global_id/505/?searchString=le+sanglot+des+cigales&agecategories=&genre=&organisations=1855&platforms=&countries=&submit=Search Don't believe it?]]
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* ''PrincessMononoke'' certainly qualifies for this trope. It's an animated movie featuring pigs and wolves and nice-looking forest spirits, with [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses "Princess"]] in the title, but it's also a movie that shows people's heads and limbs being shot off, open wounds bleeding profusely, and {{Eldritch Abomination}}s covered in icky purplish wormlike things. Disney released their dub under their Miramax label, perhaps so people wouldn't confuse it with its own kid-friendly productions, but many parents made the mistake anyway, especially as ''PokemonTheFirstMovie'' arrived in theaters around the same time. (And [[{{Macekre}} editing out the violence]] was not an option; "no cuts" was an ironclad condition of Disney's distribution deal with StudioGhibli, and all Disney was allowed to do with the movie was to tweak the animation to lip-sync the characters with the English-language voice-actors and put in english title cards, credits, etc.)
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* ''PrincessMononoke'' certainly qualifies for this trope. It's an animated movie featuring pigs and wolves and nice-looking forest spirits, with [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses "Princess"]] in the title, but it's also a movie that shows people's heads and limbs being shot off, open wounds bleeding profusely, and {{Eldritch Abomination}}s covered in icky purplish wormlike things. Disney released their dub under their Miramax label, perhaps so people wouldn't confuse it with its own kid-friendly productions, but many parents made the mistake anyway, especially as ''PokemonTheFirstMovie'' arrived in theaters around the same time. (And [[{{Macekre}} editing out the violence]] was not an option; "no cuts" was an ironclad condition of Disney's distribution deal with StudioGhibli, and all Disney was allowed to do with the movie was to tweak the animation to lip-sync the characters with the English-language voice-actors and put in english English title cards, credits, etc.)
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** The visual novel is mild compared to the anime. It is sold on the Apple Apps store as 12+.
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* Similar to the ''[[TheMuppetShow Muppet Show]]'' example above, the first ''{{Shrek}}'' movie was meant to feel slightly more like a movie for adults than for children, and contained mild language and more innuendoes than its sequels. As one consequence of this, [[TheMerch the movie's toys]] were made by [=Todd McFarlane=]'s company (specializing in detailed, collector-grade action figures) - which many tropers who didn't grow up with the first movie would find hard to believe, given the more "toyetic" and child-oriented merchandise of the sequels.
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* Similar to the ''[[TheMuppetShow Muppet Show]]'' example above, the first ''{{Shrek}}'' movie was meant to feel slightly more like a movie for adults than for children, and contained mild language and more innuendoes than its sequels. As one consequence of this, [[TheMerch the movie's toys]] were made by [=Todd McFarlane=]'s company (specializing in detailed, collector-grade action figures) - which many tropers who didn't grow up with the first movie would find hard to believe, believe for some, given the more "toyetic" and child-oriented merchandise of the sequels.
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* Similar to the ''[[TheMuppetShow Muppet Show]]'' example above, the first ''{{Shrek}}'' movie was meant to feel slightly more like a movie for adults than for children, and contained mild language and far more innuendoes than its sequels. As one consequence of this, [[TheMerch the movie's toys]] were made by [=Todd McFarlane=]'s company (specializing in detailed, collector-grade action figures) - which many tropers who didn't grow up with the first movie would find hard to believe, given the more "toyetic" and child-oriented merchandise of the sequels.
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* Similar to the ''[[TheMuppetShow Muppet Show]]'' example above, the first ''{{Shrek}}'' movie was meant to feel slightly more like a movie for adults than for children, and contained mild language and far more innuendoes than its sequels. As one consequence of this, [[TheMerch the movie's toys]] were made by [=Todd McFarlane=]'s company (specializing in detailed, collector-grade action figures) - which many tropers who didn't grow up with the first movie would find hard to believe, given the more "toyetic" and child-oriented merchandise of the sequels.
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* Similar to the ''MuppetShow'' example above, the first ''{{Shrek}}'' movie was meant to feel slightly more like a movie for adults than for children, and contained mild language and far more innuendoes than its sequels. As one consequence of this, [[TheMerch the movie's toys]] were made by [[=Todd McFarlane=]]'s company (specializing in detailed, collector-grade action figures) - which many tropers who didn't grow up with the first movie would find hard to believe, given the more "toyetic" and child-oriented merchandise of the sequels.
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* Similar to the ''MuppetShow'' ''[[TheMuppetShow Muppet Show]]'' example above, the first ''{{Shrek}}'' movie was meant to feel slightly more like a movie for adults than for children, and contained mild language and far more innuendoes than its sequels. As one consequence of this, [[TheMerch the movie's toys]] were made by [[=Todd McFarlane=]]'s [=Todd McFarlane=]'s company (specializing in detailed, collector-grade action figures) - which many tropers who didn't grow up with the first movie would find hard to believe, given the more "toyetic" and child-oriented merchandise of the sequels.
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* Many people assume that because Kermit, Fozzy, and the rest of TheMuppets have been family friendly for the past couple of decades, that the original [[TheMuppetShow Muppet Show]] is also a children's show.
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* Many people assume that because Kermit, Fozzy, Fozzie, and the rest of TheMuppets have been family friendly for the past couple of decades, that the original [[TheMuppetShow Muppet Show]] is also a children's show.
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* Similar to the ''MuppetShow'' example above, the first ''{{Shrek}}'' movie was meant to feel slightly more like a movie for adults than for children, and contained mild language and far more innuendoes than its sequels. As one consequence of this, [[TheMerch the movie's toys]] were made by [[=Todd McFarlane=]]'s company (specializing in detailed, collector-grade action figures) - which many tropers who didn't grow up with the first movie would find hard to believe, given the more "toyetic" and child-oriented merchandise of the sequels.
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** The controversy is addressed in an episode of ''TheSimpsons'' that aired at about the same time. Ned Flanders, disgusted by the family-unfriendly content of many Hollywood movies (he's particularly disgusted about that series of films about [[Film/HarryPotter "a liberal European wizard school"]]), decides to make his own films based on Bible stories. Problem is, since Ned is a fundamentalist, he goes out of the way to make his films as faithful as possible to their source (and, in some cases, even ''exaggerates'' how horrific some of the stories were) - resulting in Marge standing up during one of his screenings and screaming in horror and frustration because she can't stand to see any more gore.
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** The controversy is addressed in an episode of ''TheSimpsons'' that aired at about the same time. Ned Flanders, disgusted by the family-unfriendly content of many Hollywood movies (he's particularly disgusted about that series of films about [[Film/HarryPotter "a liberal European wizard school"]]), decides to make his own films based on Bible stories. Problem is, since Ned is a fundamentalist, he goes out of the way to make his films as faithful as possible to their source (and, in some cases, even ''exaggerates'' how horrific some of the stories were) - resulting in Marge standing up during one of his screenings and screaming in horror and frustration because she can't stand to see any more gore. (There's also a nice StereotypeFlip later in the episode when a suburban mother complains that she's trying to raise her children as secular-progressives and is consistently foiled because "those slick Hollywood types" keep injecting religious subject matter into their films.)
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** The controversy is addressed in an episode of ''TheSimpsons'' that aired at about the same time. Ned Flanders, disgusted by the family-unfriendly content of many Hollywood movies (he's particularly disgusted about that series of films about [[Film/HarryPotter "a liberal European wizard school"]]), decides to make his own films based on Bible stories. Problem is, since Ned is a fundamentalist, he goes out of the way to make his films as faithful as possible to their source - resulting in Marge standing up during one of his screenings and screaming in horror and frustration because she can't stand to see any more gore.
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** The controversy is addressed in an episode of ''TheSimpsons'' that aired at about the same time. Ned Flanders, disgusted by the family-unfriendly content of many Hollywood movies (he's particularly disgusted about that series of films about [[Film/HarryPotter "a liberal European wizard school"]]), decides to make his own films based on Bible stories. Problem is, since Ned is a fundamentalist, he goes out of the way to make his films as faithful as possible to their source (and, in some cases, even ''exaggerates'' how horrific some of the stories were) - resulting in Marge standing up during one of his screenings and screaming in horror and frustration because she can't stand to see any more gore.
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* It's (partly) unintentional here. When it first began to be touted as a popular entertainment in about the 1940s, pro wrestling ''was'' family-friendly. The faces always did the right thing, the heels were evil ButNotTooEvil, and moral ambiguity was never created. This paradigm began to break down once "Arab" wrestlers such as The Sheik and Abdullah the Butcher began staging deliberately gory matches (the equivalent of "Hardcore" matches nowadays) and the heel characters actually began to be depicted as [[LoveableRogue Loveable Rogues]] and competent enough in the ring not to have to resort to cheating all the time. All bets were off once the "Attitude Era" got underway in the late '90s and sex and violence (and even the occasional splash of Satanism/the occult) actually became the selling points - ''but parents still took their children to the shows''!
** In [[TurnOfTheMillennium the late 2000s]], [[{{WWE}} World Wrestling Entertainment tried to steer itself back toward more family-friendly entertainment, but even that seems to be over now.
** In [[TurnOfTheMillennium the late 2000s]], [[{{WWE}} World Wrestling Entertainment tried to steer itself back toward more family-friendly entertainment, but even that seems to be over now.
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* It's (partly) unintentional here. When it first began to be touted as a popular entertainment in about the 1940s, pro wrestling ''was'' family-friendly. The faces always did the right thing, the heels were evil ButNotTooEvil, and moral ambiguity was never created. This paradigm began to break down once "Arab" wrestlers such as The Sheik and Abdullah the Butcher began staging deliberately gory matches (the equivalent of "Hardcore" matches nowadays) and the heel characters actually began to be depicted as [[LoveableRogue Loveable Rogues]] and competent enough in the ring not to have to resort to cheating all the time. All bets were off once the "Attitude Era" got underway in the late '90s and sex and violence (and even the occasional splash dollop of Satanism/the occult) Satanism) actually became the selling points - ''but parents still took their children to the shows''!
** In [[TurnOfTheMillennium the late 2000s]], [[{{WWE}} World WrestlingEntertainment Entertainment]] tried to steer itself back toward more family-friendly entertainment, but even that seems to be over now.
** In [[TurnOfTheMillennium the late 2000s]], [[{{WWE}} World Wrestling
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** In [[TurnOfTheMillennium the late 2000s]], [[{{WWE}} World Wrestling Entertainment tried to steer itself back toward more family-friendly entertainment, but even that seems to be over now.
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'''Note that something merely appearing child-friendly while not being does not qualify for this trope.''' You want SubvertedKidsShow for that. '''Neither do things that ARE intended for kids despite containing questionable elements.''' That's [=~What Do You Mean, It's For Kids?~=]. '''List only things that are or were ''commonly mistaken'' as being for kids'''.
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->''"Pull your head out of your ass for a moment and look at this, not as a long time comic book reader, but as a civilian. This looks like a comic book, feels like a comic book, smells like a comic book, tastes like a comic book. No 'uninitiated' person is going to look at this and think, 'Ah! This lurid cover illustration indicates this book must be intended for mature readers!' They are going to think, ''''Look what they are selling to my children!!!'''' And those children are going to think, ''''Co-o-o-o-o-o-ol!!!''''"''
-->--'''John Byrne''', concerning mature comics
-->--'''John Byrne''', concerning mature comics
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-->--'''John Byrne''', concerning mature comics
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[[quoteright:250: [[PansLabyrinth http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/panslabyrinthposter_resized__6103.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:250:It was rated R for a reason, you know.]]
[[caption-width-right:250:It was rated R for a reason, you know.]]
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[[quoteright:250: [[PansLabyrinth [[{{Cracked}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/panslabyrinthposter_resized__6103.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:250:It [[caption-width-right:250:[[PansLabyrinth It was rated R for a reason, you know.]]]]]]
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* A non-explicit variation in the novel version of ''ThePrincessBride'': William Goldman is [[LiteraryAgentHypothesis presented as the "abridger" of someone else's book]]. He is surprised to discover that his favorite story from childhood (which had always been read to him by his father) was really meant to be a historical satire, containing long descriptions and historical accounts which would bore children to tears.
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* Back in 80's, scads of parents took their 8 year olds to see ''TheDarkCrystal'', because hey, JimHenson films are for kids, right? In fact this and (to some extent) ''{{Labyrinth}}'' were intended for a notably older audience. The problem may have been due in part to drastically misleading advertisement, but that didn't protect kids from images of characters being strapped down and slowly, painfully drained of their souls.
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* Back in 80's, scads of parents took their 8 year olds to see ''TheDarkCrystal'', because hey, JimHenson films are for kids, right? In fact this and (to some extent) ''{{Labyrinth}}'' ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'' were intended for a notably older audience. The problem may have been due in part to drastically misleading advertisement, but that didn't protect kids from images of characters being strapped down and slowly, painfully drained of their souls.
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Fixed the spelling and removed the unnecessary comments.
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*** The thing is, some idiot bought Portal 2 for there kid and because of an orphan insult(There not very insulting). In a weird twist, this was the last of these jokes in the game. Also, they thought that E10+ meant educational. I know, how idiotic.
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*** The thing is, some idiot bought Portal 2 for there kid their (adopted) daughter and because of an orphan insult(There not very insulting). In insult (long story) and raised a weird twist, this was the last of these jokes in the game.fuss. Also, they thought that E10+ meant educational. I know, how idiotic.
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**** Let's just say any and all hentai is not for kids and just leave it at that.
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[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
* It's (partly) unintentional here. When it first began to be touted as a popular entertainment in about the 1940s, pro wrestling ''was'' family-friendly. The faces always did the right thing, the heels were evil ButNotTooEvil, and moral ambiguity was never created. This paradigm began to break down once "Arab" wrestlers such as The Sheik and Abdullah the Butcher began staging deliberately gory matches (the equivalent of "Hardcore" matches nowadays) and the heel characters actually began to be depicted as [[LoveableRogue Loveable Rogues]] and competent enough in the ring not to have to resort to cheating all the time. All bets were off once the "Attitude Era" got underway in the late '90s and sex and violence (and even the occasional splash of Satanism/the occult) actually became the selling points - ''but parents still took their children to the shows''!
[[/folder]]
* It's (partly) unintentional here. When it first began to be touted as a popular entertainment in about the 1940s, pro wrestling ''was'' family-friendly. The faces always did the right thing, the heels were evil ButNotTooEvil, and moral ambiguity was never created. This paradigm began to break down once "Arab" wrestlers such as The Sheik and Abdullah the Butcher began staging deliberately gory matches (the equivalent of "Hardcore" matches nowadays) and the heel characters actually began to be depicted as [[LoveableRogue Loveable Rogues]] and competent enough in the ring not to have to resort to cheating all the time. All bets were off once the "Attitude Era" got underway in the late '90s and sex and violence (and even the occasional splash of Satanism/the occult) actually became the selling points - ''but parents still took their children to the shows''!
[[/folder]]
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***** The writer Max Allan Collins actually fought this trend of violent foes-not out of any concern about violence in the media, since in his novels for adults, he features some very hard violence. In an interview in Amazing Heroes#119, he said that, in reference to a FrankMiller written story which had Catwoman as a former prostitute, he found that inappropriate, the equivalent of doing Peter Pan and having them face historically accurate pirates who commit rape. Collins felt that Catwoman was derived from children’s entertainment, and therefore people should keep that in mind when handling her.
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***** The writer Max Allan Collins actually fought this trend of violent foes-not foes - not out of any concern about violence in the media, since in his novels for adults, he features some very hard violence. In an interview in Amazing Heroes#119, he said that, in reference to a FrankMiller written story which had Catwoman as a former prostitute, he found that inappropriate, the equivalent of doing Peter Pan and having them face [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything historically accurate pirates who commit rape.rape]]. Collins felt that Catwoman was derived from children’s entertainment, and therefore people should keep that in mind when handling her.
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** This goes all the way back to ''NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind,'' though it may be exempt as Studio Ghibli's first film. For those who come to it by way of ''MyNeighborTotoro'', ''[[{{ptitlexrbr0err}} Kiki's Delivery Service]]'' or ''{{Ponyo}}'', however, it fully qualifies with that melting God Warrior, the Ohmu stampede, and a goodly dose of violence. And the manga version takes it a couple points up the scale with people blown or chopped to bits left and right. Oh, and some freaky psychic stuff.
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** This goes all the way back to ''NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind,'' though it may be exempt as Studio Ghibli's first film. For those who come to it by way of ''MyNeighborTotoro'', ''[[{{ptitlexrbr0err}} Kiki's Delivery Service]]'' ''KikisDeliveryService'' or ''{{Ponyo}}'', however, it fully qualifies with that melting God Warrior, the Ohmu stampede, and a goodly dose of violence. And the manga version takes it a couple points up the scale with people blown or chopped to bits left and right. Oh, and some freaky psychic stuff.
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* In the early '80s, in the olden days of home video, the pickings were rather slim. A few parents decided to bring home some movies that were made by the nice man who directed ''[[{{ptitle8pp9w72sx8tq}} E.T.]]'' Namely, ''{{Film/Poltergeist}}'' and ''{{Gremlins}}'', which StevenSpielberg produced. [[HilarityEnsues Trauma ensued]].
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* In the early '80s, in the olden days of home video, the pickings were rather slim. A few parents decided to bring home some movies that were made by the nice man who directed ''[[{{ptitle8pp9w72sx8tq}} E.T.]]'' ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial''. Namely, ''{{Film/Poltergeist}}'' and ''{{Gremlins}}'', which StevenSpielberg produced. [[HilarityEnsues Trauma ensued]].
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* [[http://www.sandraandwoo.com/ Sandra and Woo.]] It's about a girl who finds a talking raccoon. While the first few months of comics are probably fine for most kids. But after the strip [[JumpingTheShark Jumps The Shark]]/[[GenreShift Genre Shifts]] (YourMileageMayVary on which) it start's being a little less-then family-friendly. The most glaring example is the story-arc where they parody ''{{Film/Kick-Ass}}''. Near the end of the arc Cloud's [[http://www.sandraandwoo.com/2010/08/09/0189-shows-over/ little sister]] [[http://www.sandraandwoo.com/2010/08/12/0190-apology/ says a]] PrecisionFStrike. It's made worse by the '''many''' people who compare the strip to ''CalvinAndHobbes''.
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* [[http://www.sandraandwoo.com/ Sandra and Woo.]] ''SandraAndWoo'': It's about a girl who finds a talking raccoon. While the first few months of comics are probably fine for most kids. But after the strip [[JumpingTheShark Jumps The Shark]]/[[GenreShift Genre Shifts]] (YourMileageMayVary on which) it start's being a little less-then family-friendly. The most glaring example is the story-arc where they parody ''{{Film/Kick-Ass}}''. Near the end of the arc Cloud's [[http://www.sandraandwoo.com/2010/08/09/0189-shows-over/ little sister]] [[http://www.sandraandwoo.com/2010/08/12/0190-apology/ says a]] PrecisionFStrike. It's made worse by the '''many''' people who compare the strip to ''CalvinAndHobbes''.
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* [[http://www.judasandjesus.com/ Jesus and Judas]] by Olaf Encke and Claudia Romero is an X-Rated 15 minute religious cartoon movie that is the equivalent of Ralph Bakshi writing a story about religious figures and then sending it to be animated by Disney.
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* [[http://www.judasandjesus.com/ Jesus and Judas]] Judas & Jesus]] by Olaf Encke and Claudia Romero is an X-Rated 15 minute religious cartoon movie that is the equivalent of Ralph Bakshi writing a story about religious figures and then sending it to be animated by Disney.
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* [[http://www.judasandjesus.com/ Jesus and Judas]] by Olaf Encke and Claudia Romero is an X-Rated 15 minute religious cartoon movie that is the equivalent of Ralph Bakshi writing a story about religious figures and then sending it to be animated by Disney.
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*** The thing is, some idiot bought Portal 2 for there kid and because of an orphan insult(There not very insulting). In a weird twist, this was the last of these jokes in the game. Also, they thought that E10+ meant educational. I know, how idiotic.
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* Tarsem Singh's ''TheFall'' is often compared with ''Film/ThePrincessBride''. It's true that both are celebrations of storytelling and fantasy epics... but only one of them has a suicidally-depressed storyteller manipulating a child far too young to understand, a love interest unworthy of the hero, or the story-within-a-story ending with the gruesome deaths of the adventurers.
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* Tarsem Singh's ''TheFall'' is often compared with ''Film/ThePrincessBride''. It's true that both are celebrations of storytelling and fantasy epics... but only one of them has a suicidally-depressed storyteller manipulating a child far too young to understand, a love interest unworthy of the hero, or the story-within-a-story ending with the gruesome deaths of the adventurers.
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[[redirect:{{ptitlerax1116nu5ji}}]]
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[[caption-width-right:250:It was rated R for a reason, you know.]]
->''"Pull your head out of your ass for a moment and look at this, not as a long time comic book reader, but as a civilian. This looks like a comic book, feels like a comic book, smells like a comic book, tastes like a comic book. No 'uninitiated' person is going to look at this and think, 'Ah! This lurid cover illustration indicates this book must be intended for mature readers!' They are going to think, ''''Look what they are selling to my children!!!'''' And those children are going to think, ''''Co-o-o-o-o-o-ol!!!''''"''
-->--'''John Byrne''', concerning mature comics
All [[HighFantasy fantasy]], [[SciFiGhetto space operas]], {{fairy tale}}s, everything with {{talking animal}}s, anything with [[KidHero a child as the protagonist]], {{superhero}} movies, {{comic books}}, and {{animation|AgeGhetto}} is okay for kids, [[TemptingFate right?]]
Well, sure, if you want to [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel scar them for life]], [[TearJerker shove their hearts into a woodchipper]], [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible confuse them to an overwhelming extreme]], or [[RefugeInAudacity teach them things and/or words they really shouldn't know yet]].
In other words: '''WRONG!'''
If you are paying attention at all, you will notice that many Fairy Tales are stories of [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath murder]], theft and often, much worse. Several stories starring animals -- particularly very old stories of them -- are just as bad. And there are a truly astonishing number of people who [[AnimationAgeGhetto fail to get it in their heads that animated films can be for adults only]] even if they're ''not'' [[ItsNotPornItsArt X-rated]] (worse yet, many people assume AllAnimationIsDisney, which is a risky thing to assume as [[{{Disneyfication}} Disney, for the most part]], [[{{Bowdlerise}} outbowdlerized Bowdler]]). In other words, these people who say that something is for kids because it's fantasy, animation, superhero, all of the above, or prominently features child characters (to which Bad Things happen) are ComicallyMissingThePoint.
You'd think that rating labels on posters and cases would prevent this wouldn't you? The 1970s era warning, "Parental Guidance Suggested -- Some material may not be suitable for pre-teenagers," was somehow not clear enough, so the redundant extra rating "PG-13" was created, and yet today parents take their kindergartners to PG-13 movies anyway.
In the case of many fairy tales, this is a side effect of [[ValuesDissonance changing values over time]]. Many of these stories were told to children to ScareEmStraight, though others were meant for adults. Over time, the focus has shifted from depicting horrible consequences of bad behavior to showing positive traits being rewarded, and as such, the stories have become [[LighterAndSofter lighter in tone]]. The older versions, especially those by TheBrothersGrimm, provide ready-to-use DarkerAndEdgier for older audiences. ValuesDissonance also applies across cultures, to the point where uninitiated fans insist that foreign kids' shows were really for teenagers or adults because their home country would never allow some of the content to be shown to anyone below that age.
It must be said that, fortunately, many people are starting to get wise to this trope. It still exists, however, and anything that you have seen people considering "for kids" that really shouldn't be watched (or read, or whatever) by anyone too young to drive can be put here.
The opposite of [=~What Do You Mean, It's For Kids?~=]. See also SubvertedInnocence. Can be a result of MisaimedMarketing. Audiences may receive an early warning with an RRatedOpening. AnimationAgeGhetto is the [[CaptainObvious animation-specific]] subtrope (in that it's this trope applied to the entire medium). WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForLittleGirls is the {{Moe}} {{Seinen}} subtrope.
'''Note that something merely appearing child-friendly while not being does not qualify for this trope.''' You want SubvertedKidsShow for that. '''Neither do things that ARE intended for kids despite containing questionable elements.''' That's [=~What Do You Mean, It's For Kids?~=]. '''List only things that are or were ''commonly mistaken'' as being for kids'''.
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!!Examples:
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* ''PrincessMononoke'' certainly qualifies for this trope. It's an animated movie featuring pigs and wolves and nice-looking forest spirits, with [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses "Princess"]] in the title, but it's also a movie that shows people's heads and limbs being shot off, open wounds bleeding profusely, and {{Eldritch Abomination}}s covered in icky purplish wormlike things. Disney released their dub under their Miramax label, perhaps so people wouldn't confuse it with its own kid-friendly productions, but many parents made the mistake anyway, especially as ''PokemonTheFirstMovie'' arrived in theaters around the same time. (And [[{{Macekre}} editing out the violence]] was not an option; "no cuts" was an ironclad condition of Disney's distribution deal with StudioGhibli, and all Disney was allowed to do with the movie was to tweak the animation to lip-sync the characters with the English-language voice-actors and put in english title cards, credits, etc.)
** This goes all the way back to ''NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind,'' though it may be exempt as Studio Ghibli's first film. For those who come to it by way of ''MyNeighborTotoro'', ''[[{{ptitlexrbr0err}} Kiki's Delivery Service]]'' or ''{{Ponyo}}'', however, it fully qualifies with that melting God Warrior, the Ohmu stampede, and a goodly dose of violence. And the manga version takes it a couple points up the scale with people blown or chopped to bits left and right. Oh, and some freaky psychic stuff.
* ''GingaDensetsuWeed'' is about talking dogs. Kid-friendly, right? ''Hardly'' -- there's some very disturbing stuff (including a dog who ''castrates his enemies''). Don't get started on the ''manga''.
* ''OutlawStar'' is a {{Seinen}} anime with graphic violence and an explicit HotSpringsEpisode... and yet it aired in America on {{Toonami}} at a timeslot where many kids under 13 would be watching. To be fair, they did cut out the HotSpringsEpisode and did many edits, such as changing [[FamilyFriendlyFirearms guns into blasters.]]
* ''KinosJourney'' Oh look, a teenager traveling around with a talking motorcycle with a cute artstyle! Too bad it's full of ''HighOctaneNightmareFuel''.
* During TheNineties, the major TV networks in Mexico thought it would be good to syndicate something new instead of these American cartoons. So, they looked at Japan as a new, unexplored source of kids' cartoons, and they decided to broadcast anime, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff thus starting the long-remembered Nineties' Anime Craze]]. Only problem is, they mostly took shows for teenagers and adults and marketed them for kids.
** And about Locomotion, it was always intended as an adults' animated channel. It was far away from the children's lineup and made of point of showing stuff like ''Stressed Eric'' and ''SouthPark''. The new Animax channel tried to return to a kid-friendly schedule, but NetworkDecay kicked in and the few animated features remaining are often... not for kids.
* ''LegendOfTheOverfiend'' / ''Urotsukidoji'', the original tentacle rape hentai. In the ''cartoon section''. Right under the '''DonBluth films'''.
** ''GraveOfTheFireflies'' is occasionally placed in the kids' section. Yes, it was originally made as a double feature with ''MyNeighborTotoro'', but the entire movie can be summarized with "And then ItGotWorse".
** ''{{Urotsukidouji}}'' has been placed in the kids' section (neither the NC-17 rating nor the "''Warning: Absolutely Not For Children''" message withstanding) thus granting them kids wholesome sight of a schoolgirl being raped in every orifice by a monster sporting 50 or so phallic tentacles.
*** Likewise, ''CoolDevices'', which has ''also'' been spotted in the Children's section due to it being animated. It is, more or less, about horrific rape and sexual corruption of humans by humans in a CrapsackWorld.
* There's ''[[http://www.actsofgord.com/Chronicles/chapter12.php a particular story]]'' from ActsOfGord about a man who rented ''NinjaScroll'' (as in the infamously gory anime movie with explicit rape) for his ten- and eleven-year-old kids, all while the sales clerk tries to tell him that it's ''really'' not appropriate for his kids. Of course, not more than one hour later does the same man barge in demanding to know why he gave them porn.
* OsamuTezuka developed his characteristic cartoony style drawing manga aimed at younger kids, but maintained it well into his later career when he started drawing more adult oriented manga like ''{{Adolf}}'' (a story about WWII, told mainly from the perspective of characters from the doomed Axis nations) and ''MW'' (a tale of a Catholic Priest who is tormented with guilt by the fact that he has a gay lover who is also a murdering sociopath planning to commit genocide with a stolen American chemical weapon)
* ''CatSoup'' is very easily mistaken for a kid's film due to the fact that the main characters are [[RidiculouslyCuteCritter adorable]] [[FunnyAnimal cartoon]] [[EverythingsCuterWithKittens kittens]] -- except that it's GrotesqueCute SurrealHorror that's liable to disturb most ''adults''.
* Blockbuster video's computer system officially listed ''VisualNovel/HigurashiNoNakuKoroNi'' as a series belonging in "Kids and Family". (This is a series where ''[[RRatedOpening the very first scene]]'', before even the opening credits, involves two (now quite dead) girls being brutally beaten by their deranged classmate.)
** That's okay, the french version of the VisualNovel is for kids age 7+. [[http://www.pegi.info/en/index/global_id/505/?searchString=le+sanglot+des+cigales&agecategories=&genre=&organisations=1855&platforms=&countries=&submit=Search Don't believe it?]]
* The manga, ''ChaosicRune'' takes place in a world where people fight using monsters, machines, and magical spells that [[CardGames all come from cards!]] The most powerful cards are said to be the dragon cards and the main character has what is said to be the most powerful of all of the dragons! Sounds like a great plot for a {{Yu-Gi-Oh}} ripoff, right? Wrong. This is one of the biggest boobs and [[BodyHorror guts]] {{seinen}} mangas out there! Oh yeah. The most powerful dragon the main character commands? [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Its name is Death Rex]] and it comes in four parts! Each qualifying as one SERIOUS EldritchAbomination. There's also ''plenty'' of {{High Octane Nightmare Fuel}} to go around.
* ''ReadOrDie''[='=]s {{OVA}} seems like a delightful children's story. It's about a happy and sweet woman who loves to read and has amazing adventures! It's actually a pastiche of spy films in the JamesBond vein with more HighPressureBlood.
* Despite its simple art style and title, ''{{Fantastic Children}}'' isn't really for children, not so much because of explicit content (there is little) as because of an abundance of unsettling and often tragic plot twists (there are many) as well as a story driven far more by dialog and careful characterization than by action.
* ''{{CLANNAD}}'' fits into this category, especially during the latter half of the After Story. It's got a cute art style, funny characters, sakura petals abound... the perfect anime for your six-year-old girl, right? [[spoiler:Yoshino-san pumping himself full of narcotics in his flashback and Nagisa dying in childbirth won't exactly hit home base with the kiddies...]]
** Arguably any anime involving Key. All the [[TearJerker not-so-child-friendly ]] plot twists render Key works firmly for older audiences only. AngelBeats! is on a different level altogether, despite the cute and fluffy title - by the end of the first episode we have Otonashi [[spoiler: stabbed in the chest by Tenshi, cut up and left in a pool of blood by Noda, ejected from a multi-story building by a large hammer, and to top it off he shoots Tenshi in the stomach. Episode 2 gets worse.]]
* Blockbuster has filed MakotoShinkai's child-acceptable but ''deadly serious'' masterpieces ''VoicesOfADistantStar'' and ''FiveCentimetersPerSecond'' under "Animation", right next to ''TransformersAnimated''.
* ''ChirinNoSuzu'' may look like a happy movie about a little lamb from the videotape cover. After all, it's from [[HelloKitty Sanrio]]. Then you get a story of revenge that basically makes it a Japanese counterpart to ''WatershipDown'' and ''Literature/ThePlagueDogs''.
* The box art and summary for the somewhat obscure ''DoujinWork'' (not so much the manga cover, but the anime + manga combo pack and the dvd case for sure) makes it seem like a series about teenagers finding friends and a community through drawing their own comic books. In fact, the series is about the antics of some friends who draw hard-core porn.
* MohiroKitoh loves this trope. See ''{{Narutaru}}'' and ''{{Bokurano}}'' for the heartrending details.
** Amusingly enough, one review actually ''has'' described ''{{Narutaru}}'' as being acceptable for preteens -- a scanlation group that re-released the {{Dark Horse|Comics}} translations of the manga and finished up what Dark Horse didn't get around to before discontinuing it made fun of this in their summary and updates. Just goes to show how [[CoversAlwaysLie bloody deceptive]] that first volume is...
* ShinChan. Despite the cute looks, the manga was originally published in Weekly Manga Action, one {{Seinen}} magazine.
* ''NeonGenesisEvangelion''. An unsure fourteen-year-old boy coming to terms with his father, coming of age, and learning that he should believe in himself and be strong, while he has fun with his "wacky" roommate/big-sister surrogate and his "endearingly" bipolar copilot who [[CanNotSpitItOut can't admit that she really loves him.]] All filtered through the medium of [[MechaShow giant robots]] to make it appeal to both little boys and little girls between the ages of seven to twelve. Right? No. Cue abuse, traumatic pasts, mental breakdowns, implied rape, [[MindRape psychological violation]], ancient horrors, murder, insanity, [[TechnoBabble in-depth psychological analysis of the characters' insanity]] and a confusing, surrealistic, gory and most of all [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel frightening]] end of the world and all the two remaining characters hold dear.
** WordOfGod has always said that he [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids intended it for children,]] but that's likely caused by [[HideakiAnno said god]] not being entirely stable at the time. The manga tie-in was also very {{Shonen}}, but it's considered close to discontinuity.
* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' manages to one-up the above example (no, really). It's a genre [[MagicalGirl commonly aimed at pre-teen girls]]. The character design is PuniPlush. The story is all about the characters being pushed beyond the DespairEventHorizon [[spoiler:and one of them gets eaten alive.]]
* ''PantyAndStockingWithGarterbelt''. You would be surprised about how much fanart is drawn by 13-years old on DeviantArt.
** "Look, dear! There's two girls in pretty dresses fighting ghosts and other nasty bad things! Why haven't you shown this to your younger cousin?" The title is a dead giveaway, though.
* ''WanderingSon'' is often mistaken for a {{Shoujo}} when it's a {{Seinen}}, even with its themes and overall maturity. It also helps that the anime's artwork is in watercolor, and the manga covers are watercolor style and pastel.
* ''NowAndThenHereAndThere''. {{Animation|AgeGhetto}}? [[CaptainObvious Check.]] [[SarcasmMode Kooky]] [[TrappedInAnotherWorld fantasy adventure?]] Check. [[KidHero Child protagonist?]] Check. [[ApocalypseHow Desolate, dying world]], [[FamilyUnfriendlyViolence horrific]] [[AnyoneCanDie brutality]] and [[TheCaligula a king who makes]] ''TheJoker'' [[CompleteMonster look at most mildly deranged?]] Check, check, oh God check.
* [[http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6202458/ This photograph]] shows manga with suggestive covers and titles such as ''ChainOfPearl'', ''TodayTheLoveBegid'' and ''KingsAnotherWork'' on a rack under the sign "Children Story". According to the person who took the photograph, those manga are quite racy.
* {{Akira}} was first released in an English dub in the late 80's. The film managed to break Japan out of the AnimationAgeGhetto in American eyes, containing quite a lot of violence (including a few exploding heads, people being smashed, and blown into gibs), a near rape scene, and a few utterly disturbing sequences. The manga, of course, amps this all UpToEleven.
* ''PaniPoniDash'' is seen as this. The only reason why it shouldn't be for kdis? Kids would be "confused" by it being a WidgetSeries.
* ''QueensBlade'' initially appeared through Netflix streaming in the Fall of 2010 with a '''Y7 FV''' rating. Yes, that implies the series is suitable for children age 7 or higher, but has a cautionary rating for "fantasy violence." By the end of the first volume, the viewer will have seen [[spoiler:severe clothing damage, two bare asses, nipples that swell and spew a corrosive fluid, a disrobed woman wetting herself, one scene of virtual lesbian rape, and more bare breasts than one can shake a stick at]].
** The front cover for the first volume of the series has four relatively attractive characters in standard "Sword and Sorcery" poses, but nothing to clue the viewer into what the series involves. Needless to say, the online reviews for the series quickly swelled with the reactions of angry parents.
* Starting in July 2011, any otherwise family-friendly manga that falls foul of Bill 156 has become this.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''{{Dreamkeepers}}'', is this in every way.
* Stephen Desberg created a cutesy comic together with Stephane Colman called "BillyTheCat", which is about a teenage kid that gets transformed in a cute little yellow kitty. It features cute covers and equally cute friendly characters, but some of the comics (particularly issues 3, 5, 6 and 12) feature cats bleeding to death into alleys, a man getting impaled on one of his own statues, and a giant gorilla with a hook for a hand that kidnaps and harasses a little girl.
** The fact that a kid-friendly animated show was created based off the comic certainly wouldn't help matters much.
* Stan Sakai, creator of ''UsagiYojimbo'', was asked at the Anthrocon 2005 panel ''Anthropomorphics in Mainstream Comics'' if he ever was told his comic was not funny and replied with the quote below:
-->''For {{Usagi|Yojimbo}}, yeah, at the beginning, you know, I'd get "Oh, cute and cuddly rabbit", and then they open the book and "... He kills people!"''
* ''LenoreTheCuteLittleDeadGirl''. [[CreepyChild Creepy]], 10 years old, UndeadChild who [[ObliviouslyEvil kills and slaughters without knowing it]].
* In 1985, United Feature Syndicate tabbed political cartoonist Jim Meddick to create a comic strip based on the ''RobotmanAndFriends'' [[MerchandiseDriven line of toys]] (and [[TastesLikeDiabetes short-lived cartoon]]). Meddick took the original characters and settings for the original strips... and quickly abandoned them, turning the strip into an absurdist humor strip with decidedly not-kid-friendly storylines and dialog. Angry letters to editors followed. After about two decades, Meddick -- at the request of UFS -- [[LongBusTrip wrote Robotman out of the strip permanently]] (he left Earth to be with his robot alien girlfriend) and rechristened the strip ''Monty''.
* Benoit Sokal's comics about a detective duck in a world of talking animals are decidedly not for children.
* ''MouseGuard'' by David Peterson. Similar to ''UsagiYojimbo'', but with mice (and not in Edo Japan). Includes complex themes about survival and UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans, as well as mice (and other creatures) dying very violently.
* The original ''ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' comics were definitely ''not'' child-friendly, being loaded with incredibly over-the-top violence and gore to parody [[TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks the increasingly dark comics of the time]]. The problem, of course, is that [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 the cartoon]] based on them ''was'' for children, and thus clueless parents could easily find themselves picking up an issue of the comic for a kid who was really into the Turtles...
** #15 has a letter from a woman who complains that her son had bought a couple of issues which included "foul language and violence", without specifying any further, and that the company which "prints material for children" should know better. This was shortly after the cartoon started airing, but it's not mentioned at all in the letter. In his response, Peter Laird wonders what language and on-panel violence she's talking about (the foulest thing in the earlier issues being on the level of "let's go kick some ass!"), and points out that just because it's a comic doesn't mean that it's for children.
* ''TheMask''. While the comic book was not for children, and neither was the movie based on it, the cartoon series based on ''that'' clearly was. This caused Dark Horse to [[http://web.archive.org/web/20071013194758/http://sequart.com/articles/?article=602 turn the comics more family-friendly]]
* JhonenVasquez got a little bit popular with a TV show called ''InvaderZim'' (and kept [[ExecutiveMeddling getting in trouble with the suits]] who wanted less psychotic rampaging), and since kids easily know how to type a name on Google, they not only found out he did a cute comic about [[JohnnyTheHomicidalManiac a schizophrenic, crazed killer]], but bought it as well, 'cuz... you know, the guy created '''[[RidiculouslyCuteCritter GIR]]''' for crying out loud!
* Many people consider ''{{Batman}}'' and ''Comicbook/{{Spider-Man}}'' to be kids' stuff, but consider that some of the storylines in the comics would have to be heavily toned down for television- both have SerialKillers for villains, many characters dying or being murdered with often graphic results, brutal beatdowns, characters using or selling illegal drugs, and references to sex and rape.
** [[TheSimpsons * POW* * BASH* * BIFF* "That's for telling me how to raise my goddamn kid!"]]
** [[http://www.comicvine.com/dc-comics/57-10/parents-outraged-over-batman-comic/92-399657/ This]] blog post covers the article in question.
*** And woe betide anyone who thinks that comic Batman's rogues gallery consists of only the colorful, largely {{Harmless Villain}}s they saw on TV, along with the odd mobster or two. Many of the dozens of minor Bat-Villains from the comics (like Cornelius Stirk, Mr. Zsasz, and Jane Doe) haven't made it into the cartoons for a reason. Hell, even the ones that ''have'' been shown on television generally have at least one or two "absolutely under no conditions show to little kids" scenes in the comics. Exhibit A: [[http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/9506/293637-158642-joker-venom_super.jpg victims of the Joker's Laughing Toxin when they've gotten a BIT too ripe.]]
**** One or two scenes? Pretty much all of Batman's Rogue's Gallery currently consists of people who murder, main, destroy, and commit various horrific non-kid-friendly atrocities on a regular basis, ''especially'' the Joker.
**** Yes, this even applies to the likes of Penguin and Riddler. The former? Used a flame-throwing umbrella to ''burn'' the wooden masks of three of Black Mask's henchmen ''into their faces''. The latter? While he was possessed by the demon Barbathos, gleefully stuffed a ping-pong ball down a baby's throat and forced Batman to remove it with nothing but a rusty knife.
***** The writer Max Allan Collins actually fought this trend of violent foes-not out of any concern about violence in the media, since in his novels for adults, he features some very hard violence. In an interview in Amazing Heroes#119, he said that, in reference to a FrankMiller written story which had Catwoman as a former prostitute, he found that inappropriate, the equivalent of doing Peter Pan and having them face historically accurate pirates who commit rape. Collins felt that Catwoman was derived from children’s entertainment, and therefore people should keep that in mind when handling her.
* The ''Harley and Quinn'' subseries of ''TheBatmanAdventures'' gets hit with this. It has the same style as the more family aimed ''BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', but is noticeably more adult (gay references, blood, curses cut short, a lot of nudity..)
** The comic itself. ''BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' is a dark and gritty series, but still considered family friendly. ''TheBatmanAdventures'' tie-in comic is considerably more darker, has more blood and violence, and has references to sexuality.
* ''{{We 3}}'', by GrantMorrison, is about three talking animals trying to find their way home; the covers feature "missing pets" notices written in childlike style. Kids'll love it, right? Sure! Except for the scenes featuring the cybernetic animal soldiers literally ''tearing apart the soldiers meant to come kill them'', the part where [[spoiler: the rabbit ''explodes while hurling itself at a car'']], and all sorts of graphic violence in between. Oh, and it's being adapted into a movie directed by the guy who made ''KungFuPanda''. Prepare for some traumatized children... As if the {{Vertigo|Comics}} label wasn't a warning already...
* Swedish comic strips ''ArneAnka'' and ''Comics/{{Rocky}}'' are filled to the brim with funny animals. They're also filled with alcohol consumption, sex and deep, deep cynicism. Luckily, Swedes are generally smart enough to check the contents of such material before handing it to their kids.
* Somehow, the first six issues of Jeff Smith's ''{{Bone}}'' were excerpted in issues of ''DisneyAdventures''. Needless to say, it suffered some {{Bowdlerization}} (including two whole scenes getting cut out and all mentions of "God" and "beer" being changed to "Gosh" and "soda").
** Most bookstores carry it, especially the colorized version, in the children's section instead of the Graphic Novels/Comics area.
* Frankly, danged near ''any'' mainstream SuperHero comic produced during the DarkerAndEdgier [[TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks Dark Age that ran from about 1988-1996.]]
** Between the ever-increasing levels of {{Gorn}} and the constant [[CrisisCrossover big damn universe-changing events]], the two biggest comic companies are ''still'' throwing as thick and fast as they can, the only Marvel and DC comics even ''remotely'' meant for kids these days are the Adventures and Johnny DC lines. It's gotten to the point that pasting "HEY, KIDS! COMICS!" over hyped up and massively nasty pages has become a wide-ranging internet meme.
* ''{{Maus}}'' is a comic book that features anthropomorphic animals as stand-ins for people (mice for Jews, cats for Germans, dogs for Americans, etc.). This does not mean it is kid-friendly. It's mostly about the Holocaust.
*** It features drawings of ditches filled with emaciated, dead anthropomorphic mice being burned by cats with flamethrowers and gas masks.
** Although considering the fact that the cover features a pair of cowering mouse people in front of a swastika background, if you haven't figured it out by then it's your own damn fault.
* It has been speculated that reason {{Batwoman}} (who was supposed to have her own series as far back as 2005) was kept on ice for so long is because WB execs were worried about upsetting parents by introducing a lesbian Bat-character in the wake of Batman's resurgence in mainstream popularity following the release of ''[[TheDarkKnightSaga Batman Begins]]''.
* Played with in an issue of ''[[JusticeLeagueOfAmerica JLA]]'': a woman receives a book of fairy tales from a recently deceased relative's estate, and decides to read one to her young daughter. She soon realizes that these are ''old school'' fairy tales involving cannibalism, mutilation, vampirism, and murder. Oh, also: the fairy tales are alive.
** Then when the Justice League get trapped in those same stories, TheFlash asks, since [[DisneyFication they're in a fairytale]], [[YouJustHadToSayIt how bad could it be?]] Comicbook/GreenLantern then reminds him that he is an artist who had to study these stories and knew very well that they weren't so nice. Moments later, they are almost eaten by the witch from ''Hansel and Gretel''.
*** Of course, then again, assuming the League Members still have their powers, it's probably not going to get very bad. As mentioned above, even the crappy Rogues in most of the Leagure's galleries make Fairy Tale badguys look downright cuddly.
* ''{{Whistles}}'', a graphic novel by Andrew Hussie of ''{{MS Paint Adventures}}'' fame, was once listed in the Children's category on Amazon. Well, it's a comic drawn in a cartoony style about a funny clown, so it must be for kids, right? To quote the summary: "Whistles, a clown in the Starlight Calliope circus, was beloved by all. One day an accident nearly cost him his life, and he became exposed to the corrupt underworld of the circus, rife with murder and cannibalism. Forced to flee, he experiences the hardships of the world such as homesickness and prostitution."
* ''{{Fables}}'' is a comic series about a whole community of fairy tale heroes who live in New York and their lives and adventures. The kids are gonna love it, right? Some of those adventures include: A murder mystery with an apartment drenched in blood, [[spoiler: Snow White being raped by 7 dwarfs in the past]], The nice, friendly and charming Boy Blue [[spoiler: going on a trip to murder the Adversary and slaughtering anyone who gets in his way]], a war and so on.
* The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a fund that takes on the cases of comic store owners who they believe are wrongfully sued and/or arrested for which comics they distribute. Its two most famous cases are the Gordon Lee case (where he distributed a copy of a comic with nude drawings of Picasso on Free Comic Book Day) and Jesus Castillo (who sold an adult comic book, clearly labeled adult, and featured in the adult section of the store, to an adult, who turned out to be an undercover cop and arrested him for two counts of obscenity.)
** That's ''tame'' compared to the following court ruling by one of the judges.
--> I don’t care what type of evidence or what type of testimony is out there; use your rationality; use your common sense. Comic books, traditionally what we think of, are for kids. This is in a store directly across from an elementary school and it is put in a medium, in a forum, to directly appeal to kids. That is why we are here, ladies and gentlemen. We’re here to get this off the shelf.
* ''TheSavageDragon'' comic was not at all appropriate for children, but there was once a kid-friendly cartoon series based off of it (just like the aforementioned Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles).
* In the late 90s, [=Doug TenNapel=] (of EarthwormJim fame) released a miniseries called ''{{Gear}}''. It featured artwork that honestly looked like a throwback to Disney cartoons form the 1920s and 30s. [[spoiler: In said comic, the characters fight in giant mecha and many die very gruesome, tear-inducing deaths. Only one of the 4 main characters makes it out alive.]] The fact that it was adapted into a show that [[CatScratch clearly '''was''' for kids only added to the confusion (and made said confusion that much more justifiable).]]
* ''Comicbook/{{Watchmen}}'': true, the [[Film/{{Watchmen}} movie]] makes some scenes even more gory than in original, but the book is also ''by no means'' kids-friendly. The ''first line'' is "Dog dead in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach." You'd think that would be a hint.
** And if you're more of a visual person, the opening page is... a pool of blood with the crushed body of a murder victim in the middle, having been shoved out of the window of a very tall building.
** In fact, pretty much ''anything'' written by AlanMoore could qualify for this. ''VForVendetta'' has nudity, a few kinds of torture and explicit violence; ''TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'' has explicit sex, nudity and profanity in almost every volume; ''{{From Hell}}'' (a book about JackTheRipper) has some VERY explicit gore... and yet there are libraries that [[CriticalResearchFailure place this stuff in the Young Adult section anyway]].
* Steve Purcell gleefully subverted this with his original ''SamAndMaxFreelancePolice'' comic books. With the expectation that cheerily illustrated funny animals would be purchased by and sold to minors, he frequently addressed kids across the Fourth Wall with encouragements to engage in dangerous or vandalistic acts. Fizzball is one example, a sport in which a full can of soda or beer is shaken up to extreme levels and beaten around with a big stick -- try it indoors, kids! He was not content to simply ''provide'' bad role models, but to get in on the fun.
* Barbara Slate's ''Angel Love'' comic book series of the 1980s, having rather cute cartoonish artwork, yet dealing with serious topics such as drug abuse, abortion, critical illnesses, and incest. The lead character's roommate also goes on a blind date with a child. The ''Angel Love Special'' which closes out the series was the only book to have a "For Mature Readers Only" warning on the cover.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Films]]
* The [[Film/{{Watchmen}} film adaptation]] of ''Comicbook/{{Watchmen}}'' did not take long at all to fall victim to this. Consider: Comic book fans all know this story is by ''no'' stretch of the imagination appropriate for children. Okay. Now think of all the people out there who are ''not'' comic book fans, have never heard of the novel, and only saw [[http://notalwaysright.com/when-presumptions-meet-postmodernism/4312 an awesome trailer with superheroes doing cool stuff]]. The film does have an "adults only" rating in American and British markets, but we all know how well some adults acknowledge those.
** There is some [[http://www.forbiddenplanet.com/categories/Family/840/Watchmen;jsessionid=DBBDAD31E194686960B34EF0F9FDFC03.bulk merchandising]]. One imagines a little kid walking around with a Doctor Manhattan or a [[WhatTheHellHero Rorschach]] lunchbox.
*** On a similar note, some DVD covers of the ''Watchmen'' movie don't censor Doctor Manhattan's privates. You can't really tell he's naked since he looks so inhuman and [[AnimeAnatomy sort of like a Ken doll]], but he's still naked.
** Parodied in [[http://envyskort.deviantart.com/gallery/#Watchmen-Stuff "G-rated Watchmen comic"]] and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDDHHrt6l4w "Saturday Morning Watchmen"]].
** Those misleading trailers led to possibly the greatest misfire of [[StrawmanPolitical Debbie Schlussel]]'s sordid career. Check [[http://www.debbieschlussel.com/4896/the-watchmen-lie-hollywood-sends-more-depravity-your-kids-way-costumed-as-superhero-flick/ here]] and [[http://www.debbieschlussel.com/4897/watchmen-fanatic-derangement-syndrome-disease-of-the-pretentious-slacker-ignorami-watchmen-was-anti-reagan-rant-not-marketed-to-kids-on-american-idol/ here]]. Someone else also got in on the act [[http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/652506/ here]] and [[http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/654814/ here]].
* At screenings of ''Series/{{Jackass}} 3D'', there can often be small children present with their parents.
* At first, ''TheFisherKing'' looks like the type of RobinWilliams comedy that might be targeted at families. But it has outbursts of profanity, some FamilyUnfriendlyViolence, and subplots involving suicide and a mad gunman.
* ''YoungFrankenstein'': Rated PG, has to be for kids, nevermind all the sexual innuendos.
* ''WatershipDown'': The page discussing the AnimationAgeGhetto could contain a picture of the Watership Down film poster and nothing more. Parents, grandparents and babysitters across the Western world continue coaxing catatonic children from behind sofas, the lesson that sometimes [[EverythingsBetterWithBunnies bunnies]] + animation are not all sunshines and rainbows.
** Note that the original trailer for the film made absolutely no secret about the grimness of its content, presumably in an attempt to avert this trope. Too bad they hadn't thought to do the same for the poster, not realizing that [=DVDs=] would someday sport that deceptively-peaceful image.
** To be fair, this is constantly and openly called a children's book. Not only is it a book that has been and is read by children, it is usually beloved by children as a movie, even if the *really freakin' scary homicidal evil rabbit* traumatised them. It's most likely (and skirting the YMMV issue here) seen more as a story that pulls its punches and an example of trying to ScareEmStraight and is (in Europe at least) seen as a better movie for that.
* A little-known comedy called ''ShakesTheClown'' starring comedians Bobcat Goldthwait and Julie Brown was commonly rented by moms who later returned to the video store with the video and a good mad expression on. Despite the R-rating, and Julie Brown being on the cover lying on her stomach [[MaleGaze in a way that allows you to look directly down her cleavage]], many thought this was kiddie fare. (You'd think the cleavage on the cover would clue them in).
* ''PansLabyrinth''. Seriously, some mothers take little children to see it. Some theaters actually had signs that read "This film is rated R" at the ticket boxes just in case. On paper, the movie does read as vaguely kid-friendly; it's got CG fairies, and the protagonist is an imaginative young girl who becomes a heroine. But that, of course, leaves out most of the crucial details. Alas for that theory, the [[TheFairFolk fairies]] del Toro depicts are ''not'' like [[DisneyFairies Tinker Bell]]. [[NeverTrustATrailer The marketing may have been partially to blame.]]
* For some foolish reason, theatres playing ''TheOrphanage'' were also full of children.
* ''MerlinsShopOfMysticalWonders''. Just sticking a cute magician into a story about a man who sets fire to his cat and [[IncestIsRelative becomes his wife's son]], and a monkey possessed by {{Satan}} who murders all in his path ''does NOT'' make it a kids' film. This is more the fault of the executives making the film than that of parents or video-store owners, though.
** Played with in the corresponding episode of ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'', where Mike and the bots read other books supposedly related to the film. All of them have titles like "Santa's Workshop of Shimmering Delights", but are horrific {{Gorn}} fests -- except for the lighthearted "Dr. Blood's Orgy of Gore".
*** "Remember to believe in magic... ''or I'll kill you.''"
** The second half of the movie was actually a re-edited version of an older horror movie done by the same director called "The Devil's Gift". The director cut out some of the more intense horror sequences, such as [[spoiler: the original ending where the monkey kills the entire family]] and spliced in unrelated footage of Merlin to make it a family-friendly film. Total fail.
* The various ''{{Batman}}'' [[Film/{{Batman}} films]] from 1989 onward have been prone to controversy over their appropriateness for kids. All have had PG-13 ratings, but they were not all created equal in terms of violence and intensity. JoelSchumacher's films were intentionally LighterAndSofter than TimBurton's in part because of complaints (unfortunately, they were also "not so good"). ChristopherNolan's ''[[TheDarkKnightSaga Dark Knight Trilogy]]'' reboot is quite adult.
** In Argentina, [[MisaimedMarketing they heavily marketed]] ''The Dark Knight'' to children, including coloring books, sticker albums, and action figures based on the movie.
*** It's like that in North America, too. There are children's toys and Fruit Roll-Ups themed after ''The Dark Knight'' (wouldn't be surprised if the stuff you mentioned is also sold here). There were even ''The Dark Knight'' happy meal toys!
**** Including Easy Readers. You know, those little booklets aimed at ''five- and six-year-olds''?
*** ''BatmanReturns'' [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc_XVcIME7Q got]] [[McDonalds Happy Meal toys]]. Look, the Batmobile! [[MisaimedMarketing Follow it dad, before the Penguin kidnaps and drowns all the first-born sons in Gotham!]]
** Similarly, the animated shorts collection Gotham Knight features horrific violence - and unlike the live-action version, it isn't bloodless. The usually more conscientious commonsensemedia.org thinks Gotham Knight is appropriate for ''eleven-year-old children'' (in comparison, they unanimously thought otherwise for ''The Dark Knight''). Because it's animated, and it's about Batman, right? Thank God none of the shorts featured TheJoker, there would be kids in therapy.
* In his book ''The Best Old Movies for Families'', critic Ty Burr complains that many other PG-13 rated films are regarded as family fare thanks to intentional MisaimedMarketing, which means parents happily take toddlers to films like ''VanHelsing'' without a second thought...
* An IMDB trivia entry for ''TeamAmericaWorldPolice'' says it all: "Despite almost getting an NC-17 Rating in the States, the film was promoted as a 'kids and family' movie in several European countries, and rated fit for all accordingly." Probably because just as in America [[AnimationAgeGhetto animation is automatically for kids]], in Europe puppets must be automatically for kids.
** The fact that it's almost completely unrealistic, most of the "offensive" humor would be entirely lost on the kids, and sex/cursing aren't quite as taboo in Europe probably had something to do with that.
** Even if sex isn't as taboo, [[RefugeInAudacity the movie's sex scene is so extreme]] that you have to question the sanity of people who thought this would be appropriate for kids.
* ''WhoFramedRogerRabbit''. Besides [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel scariness,]] there's the sex-related jokes.
** There's a reason why Disney released it under the Touchstone Pictures label. (In case you weren't aware, Touchstone is Disney's brand for more mature films. Though ''TheNightmareBeforeChristmas'' did "migrate" from Touchstone to Disney for re-releases... and even then, that movie had ''KingdomHearts'' as an excuse for that.)
** Disney also would later produce a handful of original Roger Rabbit shorts that were shown prior to movies released under their main title like ''Honey I Shrunk the Kids''.
* AdamSandler's ''EightCrazyNights''. Yes, it's an animated wacky holiday musical rife with toilet humor, but it is most definitely not for children.
* ''Film/RoboCop'' was a movie filled with over-the-top-violence about a grim future, dominated by corporations. The sequel retained the R rating (although the original FrankMiller script was far more bloody, explicit, and adult than the actual movie, and the ExecutiveMeddling made him disenchanted with Hollywood)... but then they decided to follow it with a LighterAndSofter sequel and an AnimatedSeries, clearly trying to aim the franchise at children.
* In the early '80s, in the olden days of home video, the pickings were rather slim. A few parents decided to bring home some movies that were made by the nice man who directed ''[[{{ptitle8pp9w72sx8tq}} E.T.]]'' Namely, ''{{Film/Poltergeist}}'' and ''{{Gremlins}}'', which StevenSpielberg produced. [[HilarityEnsues Trauma ensued]].
** ''Gremlins'' and the same summer's ''IndianaJones and the Temple of Doom'' (another Spielberg effort!) were both rated PG, and because of this trope were so controversial that the MPAA created the PG-13 rating. Ironically, PG-13 is now regarded as something of a "family" rating by many people, as some of the other examples in this section prove.
* Apparently, an R rating wasn't enough for some parents to understand that the BillyBobThornton comedy ''Film/BadSanta'' was not for kids. Hey, it's about SantaClaus, so it's for kids, right? So review quotes were added to the TV ads that prominently displayed the words, "ADULTS ONLY."
* The original 1954 version of ''{{Godzilla}}''. Unlike the latter films of the 1960s-70s, this one is ''very'' dark. You get to see people vaporized before your very eyes; a women holding her children assuring them "we will be with daddy soon" (it is assumed they are killed a moment later); people suffering in hospitals with radiation sickness and burns; and a love triangle that ends in a suicide. You know... for kids!
* Despite it having a "PG" rating in America, ''Film/{{Beetlejuice}}'' is certainly ''not'' a kid's movie, especially when you consider that it deals with death, suicide, rather [[RuleOfFunny gruesome yet hilarious depictions of how people look after they die]], and [[{{Squick}} a corpse trying to marry a 14-year-old girl]].
** In the UK, ''Film/{{Beetlejuice}}'' has a "15+ " rating for that very reason.
** In some cuts of the movie, Beetlejuice has a PrecisionFStrike... accompanied by grabbing his groin.
--> '''Beetlejuice''': Hey, buddy! Nice fuckin' model! 'crotch-grab, accompanied by "honk-honk"''
* Everybody likes JamesBond, right? All the kids think he's cool, right? Well then, one is advised to warn them of these bits:
** [[DrNo Bond shooting a defenceless man twice for good measure;]]
** [[{{Goldfinger}} Bond finding a dead, naked girl that he slept with earlier;]]
** [[OnHerMajestysSecretService Bond slowly choking a man to death with a ski;]]
** [[DiamondsAreForever Two baddies slowly drowning in mud;]]
** [[TheSpyWhoLovedMe A goon stuck to a giant electromagnet because of his metal teeth, then dropped into a shark tank;]]
** [[ForYourEyesOnly An innocent woman brutally run over by a goon who wasn't even aiming for her. Bond also kicks a man inside a car off a cliff, in cold blood;]]
** [[TheLivingDaylights A MI6 official killed by a sheet of glass that stabs right through him;]]
** [[LicenceToKill Felix Leiter mauled horrifically by a Great White shark;]]
** [[Film/GoldenEye A woman being pressed against a tree and then asphyxiated;]]
** [[TheWorldIsNotEnough A man slowly dying from a bullet lodged in his brain;]]
** [[DieAnotherDay Bond getting tortured by North Korea in a very disturbing, half-hallucinatory sequence that shows a lot of CGI naked women;]]
** [[CasinoRoyale Bond tied naked to a chair and getting his junk destroyed by the bad guy;]]
** [[QuantumOfSolace Bond finding a dead, naked girl that he slept with earlier, again;]]
* Parents, just because a film is a musical doesn't mean that it's kid-friendly. ''RepoTheGeneticOpera'', ''TheRockyHorrorPictureShow'', ''SouthPark: Bigger, Longer and Uncut'' and ''Film/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'' come to mind. Musicals, yes they are. Kid friendly, far from it.
** Granted, for ''Sweeney Todd'', some parents may remember the much less gory [[Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet stage version]].
* ''LittleShopOfHorrors'' is a bunch of fun! Your kids will love the songs, and in the end Seymour and Audrey have a happy ending, right? They're sure to love the DepravedDentist, the protagonist chopping a dead man up and feeding him to a laughing plant, watching a man get chomped and swallowed whole by a plant and the female lead almost getting swallowed herself!
* A lot of old classic cinema films get mistaken for this perhaps unintentionally as a means to introduce children to the most popular cinema that existed from an early age. A lot of people just can't seem to understand that while the HaysCode made films more "wholesome," it did not always make them more soothing for kids. Indeed, the Code was less stringent with horror films than with any other genre.
** ''ItsAWonderfulLife'', as inspirational as it is as a holiday film, still has a man trying to kill himself.
** ''{{Grease}}'', Rizzo has sex and thinks she's pregnant.
*** That film doesn't really count as "classic Hollywood cinema." Plus, it was never thought of as being for children since it was condemned by the Legion of Decency.
** ''WestSideStory'', featuring a good ole gang stabbin'.
*** Don't forget the attempted gang rape.
*** And the blatant racism of the cops and the Jets.
** ''HelloDolly''
** ''KingKong''
*** This was lampshaded in ''DunstonChecksIn'' when the kid's dad turns on the TV to calm him down and says, "Ah, a nice old black and white movie. You'll be out in no time." Meanwhile Kong has escaped and is about to abduct the heroine, sending the kid straight into nightmare land.
** ''TheRedShoes''--hey, it's based on a fairy tale! And ballet! High culture! Never mind the ballet-within-a-film is avant-garde expressionist NightmareFuel where (''just like the story'') the heroine dances herself to death in the red shoes, and that's before the real-world framing story ends [[spoiler: with the heroine, torn between her love for her husband and her love for ballet, commits suicide by leaping off a balcony [[NoKillLikeOverkill in front of a train.]]]]
* Miniseries/film FracturedFairyTale ''TheTenthKingdom''. It's fine for most older kids, mostly thanks to ParentalBonus, but many a parent decided, like all {{Fairy Tale}}s, it was intended for kids. There's references to aforementioned glowing hot slippers, onscreen deaths and a main character standing trial for eating a girl, who was actually killed by her uncle. Also, Rutger Hauer with a crossbow.
** An let us not forget how the opening of the first episode showed us a shot of the Snow White Memorial Prison, with a bunch of buzzards eating the remains of prisoners in old hanging cages... yes, [[SarcasmMode very family friendly fairy-tale indeed]]...
* A LampshadeHanging on this trope is hung in the opening of the infamous Czekoslovakian adaptation of AliceInWonderland ("You are about to see a film. Made for children. ''Perhaps.''")
* ''IndianaJones'' is a victim to this, as we noted above. Because nothing screams Family Friendly like melting Nazis, [[HelicopterBlender mooks chopped up by aircraft propellers]], and man-eating ants, right? The movie rating systems didn't help any, with the systems back then not being as finely divided as they are nowadays.
* ''LesMiserables'', ANY adaptation. Including animated versions, especially Shoujo Cosette. It has many cute moments, but it kills off all characters canonically (except two, and the way they "get better" sucks). Parents should notice the story includes prostitution, extreme poverty, massacres (barricade kill 'em all), kids killed off, teens killed off, suicide, and other not-for-children things.
** 'ShoujoCosette' was an extremely bowdlerized version. Fantine is a beggar, not a prostitute; and some canon deaths, including Gavroche and Javert, are averted.
* ''ForrestGump'' seems to have stuck in many people's minds as the wholesome, patriotic tale of an "idiot" with a heart of gold, which has led to its being shown on family-movie channels at around eight p.m. This overlooks, oh let's see:
** The early scene where young Forrest overhears his mother sleeping with the principal of his school to guarantee him admission (although, to be fair, that scene tends to leave most kids confused rather than frightened).
** Jenny's [[AbusiveParents alcoholic father, who is implied to be sexually abusive]].
** Jenny's ''entire life'': drugs, groping by an audience member during a nude stage performance, drugs, stint as a Playboy centerfold, drugs, physically abusive boyfriend, drugs, contemplation of suicide, drugs, and eventual untimely death (possibly from AIDS).
*** [[OverlyLongGag And drugs.]]
** The gore of the Vietnam scenes.
** Lieutenant Dan's raving depression.
*** Even when Dan [[IGotBetter gets better]], there's a scene that can result in AccidentalNightmareFuel. When the lieutenant finally lets go of his anger on the shrimping boat and thanks Forrest for saving his life, he dives backward over the side of the boat and goes for a swim toward the horizon. Although Forrest's accompanying narration makes clear that the lieutenant is at peace now, the way the shot is framed terrified me because it made it look as if Dan was trying to drown himself (the relieved grin on his face reminding me more of the StepfordSmiler than anything else).
** The use of various racist and ableist slurs.
** The many references to high-profile assassinations.
** The fact that it looks at American history in a distinctly cynical and satirical, if ultimately optimistic, light - not that there's anything wrong with that, but ''Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'' it ain't.
** All in all, even [[{{Bowdlerisation}} censored for TV]], not easily accessible or indeed appropriate for little kids.
* ''ThePassionOfTheChrist'' is about Jesus and it's from TheBible, so it must be okay, right? Leaving aside that anyone who has read the Bible should recognize a difference between the real thing and "Bible Stories for Children," some parents still ignored the R rating and [[http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,600221,00.html took their tykes to theaters for this one]]. {{Gorn}} to the point of {{squick}} not withstanding. Hopefully, they learned their lesson and didn't make the same mistake when ''{{Apocalypto}}'' came out.
** The controversy is addressed in an episode of ''TheSimpsons'' that aired at about the same time. Ned Flanders, disgusted by the family-unfriendly content of many Hollywood movies (he's particularly disgusted about that series of films about [[Film/HarryPotter "a liberal European wizard school"]]), decides to make his own films based on Bible stories. Problem is, since Ned is a fundamentalist, he goes out of the way to make his films as faithful as possible to their source - resulting in Marge standing up during one of his screenings and screaming in horror and frustration because she can't stand to see any more gore.
** When ''TheDailyShow'' covered the hype and controversy about the movie, the actual concerns critics had over children being taken to see it (due to the subject matter; see TheMoralSubstitute) were spoofed with a shell-shocked correspondent admitting he had taken his little son to see it, not knowing how violent it was.
** Of course, some parents reasoned that it didn't matter how violent it was, precisely because it's about Jesus. The reasoning being that the kids NEED to understand what Jesus went through on their behalf.
* ''JurassicPark'' and its sequels. "[[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs This dinosaur movie]] is so cool, look there's a ''[[TyrannosaurusRex T. rex]]'' and... HE'S EATING PEOPLE! MOMMY! I'M SCAAAARREEED!"
** Reportedly overheard in the line waiting to see ''JurassicPark'', spoken by a parent to a small child: "You'll like it! It's about dinosaurs, just like {{Barney|AndFriends}}!"
** Nonetheless, it was still pretty heavily marketed towards kids, with plenty of toys, coloring books, video games, etc. for kids. It was a funny sort of {{defictionalization}} of the Jurassic Park merchandise from the park.
* ''[=~9~=]'', Despite the dark tone of the advertisements, some of which explicitly state it's not for kids, many parents took their kids to see it. Insert facepalm here.
* ''CoolWorld''. Hell, RalphBakshi's resume in general. And that's after they toned it down...
** Considering that Bakshi also directed ''Film/FritzTheCat'', nobody should have expected anything he did from that point on to be for kids. Bakshi's own mission statement, which he's expressed repeatedly, has been to ''create adult-oriented animation'', and to demonstrate that animation is not just for kids.
* In-story example- In ''BeingJohnMalkovich'', John Cusack plays a puppeteer who puts on a rather racy puppet show in public, and a clueless dad mistakenly lets his young daughter watch it. This does not end well.
* The movie poster for ''{{Kids}}'' had teens in bright four-color filters laughing, smiling, and otherwise posing in a way that suggested nothing more dangerous than any other movie aimed at late preteens from TheNineties. NeverTrustATrailer, indeed.
** This was probably intentional - the movie really was aimed at late preteens, because SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped and its anvil falls distinctly into that category.
** The MPAA was all set to give ''Kids'' an NC-17 rating, but Miramax (already part of Disney) decided to release the film unrated instead.
** On a slightly related note, ''{{Film/Toys}}'' is ''not'' a film for kids.
* Then there's [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXG_XaORJbE the WUCP.]] Just watch the video and be amazed at the stupidity. It should be noted that the film in question is unrated. ''That does not make it suitable for children.''
** If you check the user's profile, you'll find out that [[spoiler: the WUCP doesn't exist, and that it's actually just ViralMarketing.]]
* ''{{Film/Kick-Ass}}'' got complaints from misinformed parents thinking it was a fun superhero movie despite the '''R''' rating it received. And you know, the bloody title. Amusing because some theaters even censor the title of the movie on the ticket stub.
* Would ''MarleyAndMe'' count for this? The [[NeverTrustATrailer trailers and ads were trying to present it as a family comedy about a dog and his mischievous antics]]. But really the movie was actually focused more on the (not-so-comedic) lives of the people and in the end [[spoiler: the dog grows old and is put down]].
** Don't forget, the movie also had some sexual content in it. But for some reason, it still got a PG rating.
** It is worth noting that there are [[http://www.amazon.com/Marley-Me-Meet-Read-Book/dp/0061704393/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291522218&sr=1-3 easy reader books for kids.]]
** The original book ran into the same problem. Author John Grogan eventually had to release a more kid-friendly version, eliminating the sexual content and moments of marital strife, even though [[spoiler: Marley's death remained part of the story.]]
* ''[[{{Film/Avatar}} James Cameron's Avatar]]'' is PG-13 rated and by no means for kids, but due to [[MisaimedMarketing the McDonald's Happy Meal promotion and other toys being made]], parents still took their kids to go see it... Because [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Na']][[ManiacMonkeys vi]] are just like [[LiloAndStitch Stitch]]!
** Not just for the violence, but also because of the "extreme hugging" scene made the fact that it was [[http://www.sluggy.com/comics/archives/daily/100204 directly marketed to kids]] made it creepy.
* ''{{Spaceballs}}'' has a PG rating on the DVD cover and was shown on the Disney channel for a while, despite the sex references ("That was my virgin alarm! It's programmed to go off before YOU DO!"), constant bad language ("I knew it, I'm surrounded by assholes!") and occasional [[FantasticRacism fantastically racist]] remarks ("Funny! She doesn't look Druish [Jewish]!").
* ''{{Stardust}}'' is a modern fairy tale full of [[BreadEggsMilkSquick adventure, wonder, magic, murder]], treason, and sexual innuendos. Not to mention that plot and cultural references would be definitely over the head of an average 12-year-old.
** It's based on a book by NeilGaiman. Even his kid-friendly stuff (which "Stardust" wasn't) is [[NightmareFuel creepy as hell]].
* Tarsem Singh's ''TheFall'' is often compared with ''Film/ThePrincessBride''. It's true that both are celebrations of storytelling and fantasy epics... but only one of them has a suicidally-depressed storyteller manipulating a child far too young to understand, a love interest unworthy of the hero, or the story-within-a-story ending with the gruesome deaths of the adventurers.
* While it doesn't usually fall under this trope, ''AClockworkOrange'' fell under this trope. By Regis Philbin, who was babysitting Kelly Ripa's children on air. Wholesome family entertainment!
* The Australian-made film, ''MaryAndMax''. Apparently if it's clay-mation it's for kids, despite the fact that the film deals with several dark themes including neglect, suicide, depression and anxiety. Though overtones of humour are frequent, not exactly kid appropriate.
* ''MeMyselfAndIrene''. JimCarrey being goofy means it's for kids, after all, [[NeverTrustATrailer the trailer didn't show anything inappropriate or foul language]] so it doesn't matter that the movie is [[MediaClassifications rated R]] right?
* DavidLynch's ''{{Dune}}'' film has a ''coloring book''. That's right, the film with the vagina-mouthed monsters and the scene where the pustule-faced man uncorks his sex-slave's heart valve so he bleeds to death as he fondles him.
** Along with [[http://www.mindspring.com/~dunestuff/merch.html#Kids a pop-up book, bubble-gum trading cards, ViewMaster reels, and hey kids, comics]]!
* ''{{Felidae}}'' is an animated film about cute little cats solving a mystery, right? Yes, and along the way we see graphic disembowelment (in one case involving a pregnant female), a cat with her head torn clean off, sex scenes, alcoholism, cursing, truly horrific animal abuse (involving a cat's skin getting burned off with acid), a suicide cult, and at one point, full-frontal human nudity (female AND male). That's quite an impressive list for a film about animated CATS. Dear. God.
* The ''AustinPowers'' films, despite being filled to the brim with sexual innuendo and whose second film has the word ''shag'' right in the title, seems to suffer from this greatly. Not only that, the third movie actually won an award for Favorite Movie at the 2003 Kids' Choice Awards.
** ''TIME'' reviewer Richard Corliss used ''Austin Powers'' as a starting point on an [[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1002940,00.html essay about the PG-13 rating]]. He even states at a certain point: "parents strongly cautioned means kids desperately wanted".
* Someone on the Malaysian censorship board decided to grant ''SnakesOnAPlane'' the U Rating (Universal rating, ''meaning that it is suitable for everyone, even babies''), apparently because the title of the movie sounds like [[CriticalResearchFailure it's a clean family comedy outing]]. It was eventually reclassified as a 18+ movie, but not before a horde of angry parents wrote in to the local press complaining. The Censor? He's most likely out of a job.
* Believe it or not, ''NightOfTheLivingDead'' qualified when it was first released. Thanks to 3D and other movie gimmicks like those created by William Castle, B-movies were popular among children in the 50s and 60s. So, naturally, kids went to see this flick expecting fun-house thrills and instead saw the undead messily devouring human flesh (for starters). RogerEbert's initial review described children watching the movie, silently crying in genuine fear. Ebert stressed that parents really shouldn't allow their kids to go see a movie called NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD.
* Back in 80's, scads of parents took their 8 year olds to see ''TheDarkCrystal'', because hey, JimHenson films are for kids, right? In fact this and (to some extent) ''{{Labyrinth}}'' were intended for a notably older audience. The problem may have been due in part to drastically misleading advertisement, but that didn't protect kids from images of characters being strapped down and slowly, painfully drained of their souls.
* At least one Family Home Entertainment release, ''[[http://slasherindex.com/artworkpages/journey_into_the_beyond.html Journey into the Beyond]]'', contains explicit blood and violence. Worth mentioning because the distributor is clearly ''Family Home Entertainment'', and not its adult-oriented sister companies U.S.A. Home Video (later International Video Entertainment), Monterey Home Video, Thriller Video, Magnum Entertainment, Tenth Avenue Video, Wizard Video, or [[{{Porn}} Caballero Control Corporation Home Video]]. And just so parents get the message, it clearly states on the front that it's not for anyone under the age of 18.
* ''RevengeOfTheRedBaron'' is a comedic horror movie about an evil toy who hunts down a family. Despite its cornball humor, there's quite a few violent scenes and is rated PG-13. So, having a DVD cover [[http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2131661312/tt0110983 like this]] is really misleading.
* ''MeanCreek'', despite the young cast, it's clearly not intended for a young audience in mind as is obvious by the R-rating, frequent profanity and in general un-family friendly behavior. Despite all this, reports are that it managed to get shown in quite a few high school and even religion classes.
* ''TheHauntedWorldOfElSuperbeasto''. Despite its animation style and cartoony slapstick, it's definitely adults-only.
* The movies ''TheAddamsFamily'' and ''Addams Family Values'' pretty much exist to push the boundaries of this - The family are all about the occult, the grotesque and the horrific, but it's implied to be fine so long as nothing graphic happens on camera. Plus the plots are quite complicated, tending to revolve around financial fraud. IMDB still considers it a family movie.
** Not to mention the jumpscare at the end of the movie.
* Some parents have been taking their younger children to see ''{{Paul}}'', despite the R rating and the fact that the posters and ads clearly state that it's from the director of ''{{Superbad}}''.
** In the UK, the trailer was shown before several family films. It was given a 15 there.
* ''MysteryTeam'' is about a group of three friends solving a mystery! What's the worst that could happen?
* ''LoveActually'' seems like a nice little family Christmas movie that could be fun to take the kids to. But then there's the subplot with two stand-ins for a porn movie (complete with nudity), gay references and an implied '''five-some''' with four American girls and one British guy.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* Grimm's Fairy Tales.
* Professional storyteller (yes, there is such a thing) Bil Lepp had much to say about this trope in regards to literature. He explains that a child playing video games, watching television, or reading graphic novels is a lot more prone to parental intervention than one reading a book, as the usual parent's response to their offspring sitting quietly with a book in their hands is that they are [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar broadening their minds]]. He uses this simultaneously as a way to attract children to literature (an issue he is quite passionate about), and to tell parents to [[strike: be more concerned]] continue supporting young readers.
* The original stories behind the following from WaltDisney (see {{Disneyfication}}).
** Somewhat subverted, since it seems that these older original source stories were really intended for kids of all ages, back when "if you do this, you will ''DIE''/be was thought to be the best way to teach kids lessons.
** ''SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'': In the Brothers Grimm version, the Wicked Queen is actually invited to Snow White and the Prince's wedding dance -- only to be forced to wear hot iron shoes and dance until she falls dead. Other versions have her die from shattering the magic mirror (after it tells her Snow White is still fairer than her) and having a piece of it pierce her heart. Little wonder [[Disney/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs the Disney version]] gave her a different demise that pretty much defined the DisneyVillainDeath.
*** Don't forget that in the original story Snow White is ''seven years old'' when she flees her stepmother, and though it's not told how long she spends with the dwarves, it doesn't seem like several years. So then we have a prince who comes along and feels an irresistible urge to [[{{Squick}} make out with the corpse of a preteen child.]]
**** In Walt's original notes, Snow White was supposed to be 14. It's better than having her be 7, granted, but ValuesDissonance still abounds. (Keep in mind, in Medieval Europe, girls were often married at 14.)
**** In the original story, she wasn't kissed back to life (that was poached from Sleeping Beauty before Disney got their hands on it). The Prince loaded her body into his carriage to be taken back for a proper burial. A wheel hit a small rock in the road, jostling the carriage and knocking the apple fragment from Snow White's mouth.
**** There were also other versions where the Prince does something...more intimate to knock the apple out of Snow White. There's at least one version where the apple is dislodged by the prince and Snow White having babies, whose suckling knocks it free
*** It's also worth mentioning that said seven-year-old Snow White went to live in a house full of dwarfs...who were thieves, murderers, rapists, etc.
** ''Disney/RobinHood'': Note that the {{Disneyfication}} of the RobinHood mythos long predates the 1970s Disney film and even film itself. The original stories are very different. For instance, there is one story where Robin decapitates an assassin in a sword duel. Better yet, in another story he becomes an outlaw after killing a whole bunch of people for not paying money they owed him after losing a wager, [[TooDumbToLive concerning his archery skills]].
** ''Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'': In [[Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame the real story]], Esmeralda is about 16, Frollo attempts to rape her, she gets ''executed'' shortly after finding her long-lost birth mother (who also dies), Quasimodo never finds happiness, and he dies alone and miserable. Yeah, the story doesn't actually end with everyone in Paris finally accepting Quasi as a human.
*** Let's not forget the novel [[TogetherInDeath ends with Quasimodo's remains being found in a grave with Esmeralda's body, evidently having found her grave, curled up next to the body, and laid with it until he died.]]
*** Also, Phoebus was a womanizer to start, and he ends by "coming to a tragic end" -- marrying a [[AlphaBitch nasty socialite]].
** ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'':
*** They even got his name wrong. It's HERACLES, not Hercules (considering they went with Greek names for all of the other gods. Hercules was his Roman name). On top of that, they left out that Hera was not his mother. On top of that, she's actually a jealous, homicidal psycho that tried to kill him in various ways. Disney also left out that Heracles killed his own wife and children in a Hera-induced fit of psychotic rage and eventually died at the hands of his (unknowing) second wife. His skin got soaked in the venomous blood of the hydra.
**** The "Hera not being his mother" part is especially egregious, considering how his very name is a reference to Hera's ire (Hera + κλÎος, meaning wrath, ire). But then again, Disney would hardly depict a lying, cheating, AnythingThatMoves deity as purely benevolent.
** ''{{Bambi}}''. Most of the characters in it that don't appear in the movie die. The author doesn't just go into graphic descriptions of terror, but of a few agonizing deaths.
*** That the author also wrote [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutzenbacher Josephine Mutzenbacher]] could have been a hint
*** [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Angel_(band) Dark Angel]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBJqyP_-1rU shares this point of view.]]
** ''{{Cinderella}}'': part of the original tale involves the evil stepsisters cutting sections of the foot to fit the lost shoe. That would be the Brothers Grimm version. [[{{Disney/Cinderella}} Disney's feature]] was based on Charles Perrault's version (it clearly says so in the credits), which was much nicer.
*** And the bit where she makes her stepsisters dance at the reception. On their mutilated feet.
**** And the part where the birds pecked out their eyes on the way to and from the reception.
** Fairy tales in general fall victim to this trope, most of the time. Some versions of LittleRedRidingHood involve the main character giving a ''strip-tease'' to the wolf to distract him long enough to escape. The ever so infamous story of The Red Shoes involves a girl cursed to dance by her shoes, until she gets an executioner to ''chop her feet off!'' This trope is OlderThanFeudalism, at the very least (of course, that is if you compare our standards with the stories of those times. Back in those days, these stories were to ScareEmStraight).
*** In one version of Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf tries to get her into bed so he can "devour" her. Variations include him having her strip before getting into bed and tying a rope to her when she tries to get out (under the pretense that she needs to defecate).
*** The tales of Little Red Riding Hood seem to have been inspired by stories that circulated about criminals in the 1300s. One story involved a man who had raped his sister and been turned into a wolf. In some of the oldest versions of the story, the wolf is referred to as Red's "Gaffer." Gaffer is an archaic term for grandfather. Who else might she expect in her grandmother's bed?
** The tale that ''SleepingBeauty'' was based on, ''SunMoonTalia'', starts off like "Sleeping Beauty". After the princess enters her slumber, however, instead of a simple kiss, the Prince decides to rape her. She becomes pregnant and gives birth while still comatose. She is reawakened when one of her children sucks the magic splinter out of her finger. She then decides that she is madly in love with the Prince. So, after executing the Prince's wife (who he has been married to since the start), they live happily ever after.
*** To be fair, Talia only killed the wife (in some versions the Prince kills her) after the wife tried to [[CompleteMonster burn Talia alive and feed the two children to the Prince]].
** ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' was a kid's movie, complete with a source-tribute opening song about "Arabian nights". But parents whose kids pester them for more of the same shouldn't touch ''[[ArabianNights A Thousand and One Nights]]'' with a ten foot pole, unless they want their children reading about forced marriage, infidelity, serial uxoricide, and explicit descriptions of human anatomy ... and that's just in the ''frame story!'' Hopefully they'll catch on before Scheherazade starts rambling on about corpse-tearing ghouls, bestiality, or [[GagPenis penis humor]].
*** To be fair, there have been children's editions of the Arabian Nights almost as long as there have been adult translations; there ''are'' stories that make sense if you leave the sex scenes out and give non-graphic descriptions of the violence, as well as stories containing little sex or violence to begin with. Some of them even include the frame story but have Shahryar divorce or exile his wives instead of killing them, and/or give other explanations for his behavior (for example, one version has it where he's still madly in love with his saintly first wife, and while he's forced to remarry he can't imagine any woman will be the equal of his first wife).
* ''AnimalFarm''. Think it's a light-hearted story about talking animals? Nope, it's actually a very clever allegory of the Russian Revolution, and a general morality tale about power corrupting. The first edition was even subtitled "A Fairy Story". One AnimatedAdaptation wimped out on the ending though, which took a lot of objectionable content out.
** Playing this trope out a step further, there's [[http://www.amazon.com/Animal-Farm-Fairy-George-Orwell/dp/0151002177/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242249531&sr=8-7 an edition illustrated by Ralph Steadman in surreal, ink-scratch detail]]. The pictures are bizarre at best and gory at worst, with a bonus self-portrait of the artist with a cage of flesh-eating rats locked around his neck. The jury's out on whether the pictures led more or less parents to buy it for their children...
** This was also {{lampshade|Hanging}}d in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{X-Men}}'' where [[HumansAreBastards some prison guards]] saw Beast reading ''AnimalFarm''.
---> '''Guard #1''' Look at that, a mutant trying to read!
---> '''Guard#2''' No, look at the title, ''AnimalFarm'', [[HypocriticalHumour he's just looking at the pictures]].
---> '''Both''' [[CriticalResearchFailure (laugh)]]
* Oscar Wilde wrote some beautiful fairy tales. They're mostly tragedies, and definitely not for kids.
* HGWells' ''TheWarOfTheWorlds'' is a classic novel and such. But is in no way for kids. Especially some of the graphic descriptions of the Martians, and the dark psychological study of how people might react to such an invasion. One wonders why they make kids 12-14 read it in schools.
* William Horwood's ''DunctonWood'' series is about talking moles. Ahh, fluffy critters! It's most definitely not for children. Admittedly the sheer size of the brick-like of the books might put kids off, but I'm sure my parents wouldn't have let me read them at 12 if they'd known they featured graphic sex, violence and a ton of faux-pagan spirituality.
* Likewise, Adams' ''Literature/ThePlagueDogs''. An excellent book that brave kids will love, but not written for children.
** The movie takes it even further. [[spoiler: They drown at sea, rather then The Owner saving them.]] Thankfully, I watched the rental VHS back in the day, before playing it for the children I was baby-sitting.
* Picture books and illustrated novels as a whole deserve a mention here. In particular, MauriceSendak and ChrisVanAllsburg have found themselves running into an "Illustration Age Ghetto".
** One case that stands is William Steig's book of Greek myths. They aren't by their nature very child-friendly, but Steig actually went out of his way to choose some of the bawdier ones (one is about the origin of prostitution and another about how Hercules and his girlfriend liked to dress in each other's clothing). To this day, it remains in the children's section of this editor's library.
* In the fairy tale ''TheFrogKing'', a young girl is playing with her ball, and it falls down a well. A frog says he can get it as long as he can hang out with her, but after he's given back her ball, she runs off without him. Later that night, the frog sneaks into her house and tells her father what she did, and so he forces her to ''do whatever the frog wants'', and very soon '''''they're sleeping in the same bed!'''''. What the hell does that tell little kids!?
** That it's okay to let animals sleep on your bed?
** Actually, she ''didn't'' want to sleep with the frog in her bed, hence threw him against the wall .. which broke the curse on him.
* In the world of ''Literature/HarryPotter'', this trope held true of ''TheTalesOfBeedleTheBard''. However, Wizarding children rejected Mrs. Beatrix Bloxam's [[TastesLikeDiabetes attempts to sanitize]] them.
** Oh, Merlin. "The Warlock's Hairy Heart" was like something straight from ''Sandman''. [[spoiler: The Illustration of the Warlock and the Woman dead in a very big pool of blood.]]
* ''ToKillAMockingbird'' is a funny case in that if you're a little kid, you probably won't ''get'' some of the more family-unfriendly lines, in a sort of twisted cousin of ParentalBonus. It's certainly one hell of a delayed realization, however, to understand the line, "She said she'd never kissed a man before, and she might as well kiss a nigger. She said what her [[ParentalIncest pa do to her don't count]]."
** They have this one in the UK (or did at least) as a book study for kids at school somewhere around 12-16. As a powerful book about rape, incest, bigotry, racism, slavery, and human rights, it's one of those books people like to try to get banned because it has the word 'nigger' in it.
*** UK still has ''To Kill A Mockingbird'' as a book study in upper high school ([=KS4/GCSEs=]) so it's age 14-16
* Given the number of children's stories RoaldDahl has written, some libraries will put any of his works in the children's section. This is ''not'' a good idea -- his [[http://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Uncle-Oswald-Roald-Dahl/dp/0140055770/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247010383&sr=1-2 early work]] might best be described as "O. Henry [[XMeetsY meets]] ''TheTwilightZone''."
** Not to mention his WWII-fiction book ''Over To You''. InfantImmortality being [[{{Gorn}} hideously]] averted, NightmareDreams, [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel a close-up view of a bomber pilot's death]], two men drinking themselves into madness, and [[MaleGaze a random page-long scene where the main character discusses an Egyptian dancer's breasts.]]
** It's even worse than that - Dahl wrote ''[[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Switch-Bitch-Visitor-Great-Switcheroo/dp/0140041796/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247010383&sr=1-1 erotic fiction]]''. In exactly the same writing style as his children's books. When the last story features what could be delicately called human rutting perfume & a penis expansion scene, you '''know''' it's not for children.
*** [[ItGotWorse Even worse]], here's a quote from the Amazon page linked above (you know, the ''collection of erotic fiction''!):
-->''From the publication of ''JamesAndTheGiantPeach'' and ''CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'' in the 1960s to his death in 1990, Roald Dahl became the most successful children’s author in the world. Nearly twenty years later, a fresh generation of children seek out his work with instinctive fanaticism. His creations endure - through Hollywood movies, theatre adaptations and musical works, but still most potently of all through the pure magic of his writing upon the page.''
** Dahl hung a lampshade on this trope with his Revolting Rhymes and Rhyme Stew, which feature the messy breakup of a marriage unwisely based on shoe size and the criminal tendencies of a blonde juvenile delinquent.
* ''EndersGame'' also falls under this trope quite royally. In all fairness, Card did ''not'' expect it to become popular among teenagers or pre-teens (and has since bowdlerized parts of the canon as a result; notably, a scene where the "N"-word was used got re-edited, and mysteriously the term 'Formic' is used more and more in to describe the aliens...somehow calling them the 'Buggers' doesn't fit well with the PC police these days). This probably isn't helped [[spoiler: by the fact that until you get to near the end you don't realize that anyone has died. Two (accidental) murders, the annihilation of an alien race, and a good deal of Woobie-breaking aren't usually on the menu for childrens' fiction.]]
** Probably because it is more widely known that in some variations of English calling "Buggers" is like calling them "Sodomizers". Of course the image of praying mantis aliens coming to sodomize humans... ahem...
*** Some of the covers for ''EndersGame'' shows a slightly-confused looking Ender floating around in space with a bunch of other Battle School students. If you actually read it you'll realize it has more in common with ''DeathNote'' and ''NeonGenesisEvangelion'' than anything else.
* Because of its covers (in two different versions) of the little girl protagonist Minnie, Phoebe Gloeckner's somewhat autobiographical comic collection ''A Child's Life'' is sometimes filed in the children's section of libraries and bookstores. This particular child, among other things, was a victim of statutory rape by her mother's boyfriend and spent some time as a prostitute in exchange for drugs.
* ''Literature/{{Wicked}}''? Oh, an alternate telling of ''Literature/{{The Wonderful Wizard of Oz}}''? Surely such a thing would not have explicit sex, drugs, swearing, graphic violence, extramarital affairs, a sociopathic, depressive protagonist who [[spoiler:kills an old woman in her bed]], the abuse of minorities, and a crippled religious fanatic who is horribly killed. Not to mention that it has a [[CrapsackWorld quite different]] portrayal of Oz, which often invokes CanonDefilement in fans of Baum canon, especially younger fans.
** Actually, the portraying Oz as a CrapsackWorld is apparently ''not'' "quite different" from the original book, which is itself much darker then [[Film/TheWizardOfOz the famous musical film]].
* DaveBarry's novel ''BigTrouble'' has an introduction warning readers, "''This is not a book for youngsters.'' I point this out because I know, from reading my mail, that a lot of youngsters read my humor books and newspaper columns, and I'm thrilled that they do. But this book is not for them, because some of the characters use Adult Language." Enough people ignored the warning and were offended by the language that ''TrickyBusiness'' began with a more explicit {{Content Warning|s}} in larger letters.
* {{Spellsinger}}: A young man is TrappedInAnotherWorld full of cute fuzzy FunnyAnimal characters, where he learns to work magic by singing. Sounds like a children's book. Then you realise that the prologue includes a {{Gorn}}-filled description of the destruction of a town, that Jon-Tom was transported into this magical world while smoking pot, that [[InterspeciesRomance furry sex]] is a regular occurrence in said world, and that Mudge and Pog use the word "fuck" in just about every other sentence. Oh, and don't forget the stripteasing stoat.
* The Russian version of the NeilGaiman short story anthology ''FragileThings'' sports a seemingly innocent cover features a boy sitting in a graveyard playing cat's cradle with a ghost. This was likely meant to invoke the feel of one of Gaiman's other works, ''Literature/TheGraveyardBook''. But while ''Literature/TheGraveyardBook'' is (in Gaiman's own words) "intended for people of all ages," ''Fragile Things'' most certainly isn't.
** Likewise, the movie version of "Stardust" is pretty family-friendly, apart from zombie-Septimus and cross-dressing (but completely covered) Robert de Niro. The book, on the other hand, has a sex scene in the first chapter.
* Happens to the ''[[TheAdventuresOfSamuraiCat Samurai Cat]]'' books. The fact that they're illustrated doesn't help in convincing clueless parents that they're not just another ''TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' cartoon ripoff, but deliberately over-the-top Gornfests parodying pop culture.
* ''TheAdventuresOfTomSawyer'' and ''ThePrinceAndThePauper'' lead many to characterize MarkTwain as an author of children's fiction. But ''TheAdventuresOfHuckleberryFinn'' isn't really for kids, and ''TheMysteriousStranger'' ''certainly'' isn't.
* There was a printing of the first DragonridersOfPern book that had (pretty awesome) illustrations throughout and a back-cover blurb that basically made the book out to be a story about [[ABoyAndHisX a girl and her dragon.]] It was also slightly edited to be more appropriate for kids. Now imagine an unknowing parent presenting their newly Pern-addicted eleven-year-old with the ''second'' book in the series, of which no kid-friendly edition exists. Wow, look! It's got rape, domestic violence, a disturbing dragon fight scene, ''F'nor and Canth getting their skins burned off,'' discussion of abortion... maybe this wasn't such a good idea...
** Actually all of Anne McCaffrey's books (though especially the Pern ones) seem to be, for one reason or another, attractive to kids and teens. (On GoodReads.com a large number of reviewers of these books say they originally read them at quite a young age.) This troper's mother covered the naughty passages with paper and tape. Guess how well that worked...
* [=~Robin McKinley~=] is best known for her stories for young adults, but her novel ''{{Deerskin}}'' is most definitely ''not'' one of them. A {{Grimmification}} of the fairytale ''Donkeyskin'', it deals with such things as ParentalIncest, rape, miscarriage, and psychological breakdowns. It's a beautiful story, but definitely not something a ten-year-old should be reading.
* Most Greek and Roman myths in their classical form. Ovid's [[TheMetamorphoses Metamorphoses]] have copious amounts of rape, gore, and cruelty.
* TheBelgariad is sometimes put in the children's section of bookstores and it raises some questions, "So what exactly makes the Belgariad suitable for children? The graphic descriptions of human sacrifices to Torak? The slave in Nyissa who dies from being eaten by leeches? [[spoiler: Zedar's]] fate? The torture chamber in the second book? Just about all of Rak Cthol?"
* Aversion: Piers Anthony's ''Literature/{{Xanth}}'' series starts out very clean-cut. There's violence, and there's off-screen sex, but no more than most fairy tales. Then, he found out that his books were being put into the kid's section and he had the "Adult Conspiracy" break down and the books became more explicit.
* The StarWarsExpandedUniverse has been getting this way for the past decade. Or perhaps two decades:
** First, the obvious example: Kyp Durron. Emo teen who commits genocide. And Luke forgives him.
** ''TheCourtshipOfPrincessLeia'': The ''entire'' Luke B plot.
** TheBlackFleetCrisis: Talk of sex droids.
** ''ShadowsOfTheEmpire'' gets special mention for having a Nintendo 64 game. It also has an alien that can seduce you with pheromones and {{Robosexual}}s.
** The NewJediOrder. [[TwoWordsObviousTrope Nuff said.]]
** The DarkNestTrilogy. If you like StupidSexyFlanders, torture, and all that fun Killik stuff, yeah. But at least Luke learns about his mother.
** But above all, LegacyOfTheForce. We have averted cannibalism, gay Mandos, and {{Shotacon}}.
* A deliberate example: ''[[ShelSilverstein Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book]]''. This quote says it all:
--> I is for ink.
--> Ink is black and wet.
--> Ink is fun.
--> What can you do with ink?
--> What rhymes with ink?
--> DR___
** Or maybe this one.
--> G is for gigolo. (shows a picture of a clarinet-like instrument)
--> See the pretty gigolo.
--> The gigolo makes beautiful music.
--> The next time your mommy goes shopping, ask her to buy you a gigolo.
--> She will tell all the neighbors how cute you are, and she will write it in to the Reader's Digest, and they will print it and send you money.
** Actually, 90% of Shel's literature consisted of racy stories written for ''Playboy''.
* BattleTech! A science fiction series about HumongousMecha, just like in the cartoons right? Well...let's see. Graphic depictions of war, mutilation, and many varieties of horrible screaming death. (PPC hit to the cockpit, anyone? What about a person having their head split open with a katana? [[{{Gorn}} Disturbingly detailed, in-depth depiction]] of [[BoomHeadshot an assassination by sniper?]] Anyone?) Implied sexual situations, outright BrotherSisterIncest / {{Squick}} with the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Clan]] [[GattacaBabies trueborn warrior caste]] depending on your take on their antics. Brutal betrayals and teaching lessons such as "The sneakiest, most ruthless bastard wins when his (or her) competition is dead." Fun series, but still loaded down with enough to scar unprepared young minds.
* [[KingArthur The Arthurian Legends]]: rape, incest, marital infidelity, and a [[NiceJobBreakingItHerod massacre of the innocents]]. That's before we even get onto the battles and the chivalrous bloodletting. As for TH White's version, it has a description of a cat being boiled alive. Plus, if you have the original, standalone version of his ''The Sword in the Stone'', well, Madam Mim owns a lithograph entitled "The Virgin's Choise" - would you be able to explain ''that'' to your kids? [[hottip:FYI:White doesn't explain this rather obscure reference either, but presumably it's the same as in ''[[TheCanterburyTales The Wife of Bath's Prologue]]'', where she refers to her "chose", (literally, her "thing") meaning her pudenda. Basically, Madam Mim has a historic porn pic of a virgin displaying her maidenhead or hymen.]]
* ''TheTinDrum'' is a story of a boy who refused to grow up. It has a premise of a children's tale but the book and movie are both very adult and heavily political.
* GulliversTravels shows that this trope is OlderThanTheyThink. Largely regarded as a children's tale with many, many {{Bowdlerise}}ed versions of it out there, it was successful among children even when it was first published in the 18th century... despite the fact that the unaltered text is, in fact, a ''heavily'' satirical and most definitely an ''adult'' book, being among the most preeminent satirical works of the English language.
* Even though ''{{Literature/Twilight}}'' is marketed towards Young Adults (15+) it still doesn't stop younger kids (sometimes down to 12 and below) reading them. C'mon parents! Check what your children are reading- [[spoiler: there's a sex scene in the last book and the scene where Edward rips the baby out of Bella with his teeth.]]
* You know the innocent Joey Pigza children's award winning books? Well, what could be wrong with a book by the same author named ''Jack on the Tracks''? I don't know, perhaps the references to porno, striptease, and suicide?
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* ''StarTrek'' series were generally aired during a family-viewing time (i.e. after five but before nine). Can't speak for the other series, but with ''[[StarTrekTheNextGeneration TNG]]'' throwing out several episodes dealing with heads blowing up, heads being blown ''off'', human laboratory experiments, bloody death scenes, psychological and physical torture (that were advised on by the folks at Amnesty International) and let's not forget the Borg ... you have to wonder whether this was always a good idea.
** Also, there's [[TheCaptain Picard]] [[spoiler: getting a sword through the heart]], getting trapped as a [[BrainUploading program of pure information]] inside the ship's computers [[spoiler:[[CloningBlues only to be erased in favor of another copy of himself taken just a few seconds ago]] [[UnreliableNarrator according to Troi]]]], [[SapientShip Barkley merging with the]] ''[[SapientShip Enterprise]]'', [[TokenEvilTeammate Troi]] getting [[spoiler: [[MindRape mind raped]] at least twice]], [[spoiler: [[TheWesley Wesley]] nearly killing his mom at least twice (once on the Holodeck, another time in a collapsing pocket universe), following through on someone else and being fired for it]], land developers committing [[spoiler: [[MoralMyopia genocide against native sentient grains of photovoltaic sand]]]], [[TheLancer Riker]] getting {{clon|ingBlues}}ed and his clone [[WhatYouAreInTheDark joining the Maquis]]. Anytime [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Worf]] [[BigScrewedUpFamily deals with anything relating to his own]] ProudWarriorRace, [[BloodKnight he suffers greatly for it]], [[spoiler: [[ItGetsWorse and his spine breaks twice]]]] [[DoomMagnet just to prove the]] [[BadAss Badassery]] of the episode's FriendToAllLivingThings. [[spoiler:[[OurVampiresAreDifferent Someone even tried to suck]] [[TheMedic Dr. Crusher's]] LifeForce [[AWizardDidIt or whatever]]]]. [[GeniusBruiser Data]] is often [[YouCallThatAWound damaged, only to casually continue]], once even to the point of [[spoiler: being decapitated for 400 years]]. Data is also [[MoralityDial easily brainwashed]], [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman put on trial for disassembly]], and [[LatexPerfection impersonated]] by his EvilTwin. The only one that relatively escapes this is Geordi laForge, until [[spoiler: a brainwashed Data puts nano-cortical fibers into his forehead in preparation for BrainUploading]].
*** [[SarcasmMode Yeah, that Geordi guy had it really easy,]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwKl33uFQ2E hadn't he?]]
** On a "[[KillItWithFire lighter]] [[spoiler:[[DeathNote Death]]]] [[AWorldwidePunomenon note]]", [[TheLancer Riker]] tries to [[LampshadedDoubleEntendre "lance"]] just about everything that is [[BoldlyComing remotely female, alien and humanoid]]. Just having [[MrExposition Deanna Troi]] [[AuthorOnBoard onboard]] in her capacity as a therapist is unusual for a Star Trek series. [[TheCaptain Picard]] also travels back in time and [[CannotStandThemCannotLiveWithoutThem his now much younger best friend Martha demands to be "lanced" and he does so, alienating her]].
** And in TOS alone there's plenty of this. How about the episode "The Paradise Syndrome" where [[spoiler: Kirk gets married to a woman, gets her pregnant, and then she gets stoned to death. On camera.]] Yeah.
** In the opening moments of [[StarTrekDeepSpaceNine DS9,]] we saw Jennifer Sisko, trapped under debris, dead or dying, the room burning around her as her husband desperately tried to reach her. By season five, they were including scenes of Starfleet officers dying from gruesome injuries. And then there's the Dominion War...
** The TNG episode "The Child" is about rape. It is not about anything else. It is about rape. That Troi gives birth to her rapist does not make the incident anything other than rape.
** In a similar vein, Enterprise's "Unexpected" is also about [[RapeAsComedy rape as a joke]]. It falls somewhere between date rape and child molestation. Sure Trip's an adult, but the lizard lady's dialog just screams "I've got candy in my van". Calling her sexing up of Trip "a game we play" when he doesn't know what's happening.
** Lets not forget ''DeepSpaceNine'''s "The Siege of AR-558" which features the Dominion's shock troops attempting to [[spoiler: reclaim a communications outpost that had been seized months earlier by the Federation.]] The Defiant shows up to provide supplies at first, but the crew remains behind when [[spoiler: The Jem'Hadar sneak attack Nog and they realize a siege is inevitable. He winds up losing a leg due to that and what follows is a quite violent fight against a horde of shock troops, all while classy jazz music plays, thanks to Bashir having a recording of Vic Fontaine singing.]]
** Then there are [[TheVirus The Borg]] and [[ItGotWorse Species 8472]]. The former feature BodyHorror, YouWillBeAssimilated and FateWorseThanDeath. The latter are OmnicidalManiac race that makes hills out of severed Borg heads for breakfast and [[EarthShatteringKaboom blows up planets for dinner]] [[spoiler: It's more complicated but this was in the show]] They '''also''' feature BodyHorror and FateWorseThanDeath, though in ways '''different''' from the Borg. Did I mention they both feature HighOctaneNightmareFuel?
* ''WonderShowzen''. It was originally to be titled ''Kids' Show'', [[ExecutiveMeddling but they were forced to change it]] [[ViewersAreMorons because the network feared people would take it literally.]]. The theme song starts:
--> "Kids' show, kids' show/ oh good lord it's a kids' show"
** And the disclaimer at the beginning states that if you allow your kid to watch this show, you are a bad parent or guardian.
* According to Lisa Kudrow, she has met kids claiming that their parents let them watch ''{{Friends}}''. While ''Friends'' is not particularly vulgar by modern standards, there are still way too many storylines revolving around sex to consider it appropriate for younger viewers.
** The same probably applies to most prime time sitcoms.
* [[http://shinga.deviantart.com/art/Head-Trip-All-Greek-To-Me-61559835/ ABC Family]]. Either ABC/Disney or Fox before them ''wanted'' to change it, but their contract with Pat Robertson requires them to keep "Family" in the channel name (and to run ''The 700 Club'' before midnight... [[SnarkBait maybe]] they could give it a LaughTrack?).
** ABCFamily also airs reruns of ''Series/That70sShow'' which has many references to sex and implies marijuana usage with the kids in the circle.
*** Granted, it has both written and spoken warnings along the lines of "The following material may be inappropriate for younger viewers" before each episode.
* Canadian networks such as YTV and Teletoon also seem to carry the same misconceptions as suggestive cartoons, a couple of violent anime, and shows targeted for older teens often run rampid or get scattered into the mix of stuff that's supposed to be for kids.
** YTV did this with ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' of all shows. They announced that they would be the first Canadian channel to carry the show... and put up a Farscape page in their website which looked like something from Nickelodeon. Apparently, they were misled by the fact that the show was made by Henson Studios. They ended up only airing the first season (and censoring the crap out of it).
** YTV also was the first to air ''{{Red Dwarf}}'' and ended up banning one episode entirely because there was too much to cut.
* Tsuburaya Productions shows:
** ''{{Fireman}}'' was rather kid-unfriendly, especially with the DownerEnding.
** ''{{Ultraman Leo}}'' was not your usual {{Ultra Series}} show, the show begins with [[spoiler:Ultraseven having his leg brutally broken and being confined to human form]] and [[ItGotWorse it gets worse from there]], going into KillEmAll territory by the end.
*** Well, the opening credits show [[spoiler:Leo's home planet blowing up]], and the first two episodes feature [[spoiler: floods ravaging Tokyo]]
** ''{{Ultraman Ace}}'' features plenty of kid-unfriendly kaiju violence.
** ''{{Ultraman Nexus}}'' was given a Saturday morning time slot despite happily wallowing in depressing things and then[[spoiler: killing off Ultraman's human host midway through the series.]]
** Tsuburaya created a horror series in 1968 called ''Operation: Mystery''. In Germany in 1971, some network decided it would be a good idea to dub it and broadcast it as a children's series. It's from the creators of ''Ultraman'', after all... it ''must'' be for kids!
* In the early 1970s Gerry and Sylvia Anderson decided to go into more serious, live-action drama with the series ''{{UFO}}'', though it still used plenty of their famous model work. Unfortunately the networks didn't know what to do with a show about faceless aliens coming to Earth to steal people's organs, which included one episode about drugged out hippies and another in which the lead actor has an extramarital affair. After all, it was made by the creators of ''{{Thunderbirds}}'' so it must be for kids, right?
* ''{{Glee}}'', largely thanks to the popularity of [[HighSchoolMusical a movie with a very similar premise]] that actually ''was'' for kids. Except ''Glee'' has: jokes about oral sex; dancing which borders on dry humping; sex between teenagers and older, married adults; the president of the celibacy club getting pregnant; boys complaining about "erupting early" and an adult former student corrupting kids by giving them pornography, alcohol and lessons in stealing. And that's all within the first 5 episodes.
** The media appearances of certain ''Glee'' actors have been criticized by some [[MoralGuardians "concerned parents" groups]] for being too sexy for young children watching the show. If they're paying so much attention to what Lea Michele wears on the cover of ''Cosmo'', you'd think they'd also be paying attention to the show their kids are watching and would have noticed all of the above things, [[TooDumbToLive right?]]
* Many people assume that because Kermit, Fozzy, and the rest of TheMuppets have been family friendly for the past couple of decades, that the original [[TheMuppetShow Muppet Show]] is also a children's show.
** This applied even back when the show originally aired. JimHenson had a very hard time selling the show to U.S. studio heads who couldn't see puppets as anything but for kids.
* ''TheBoyWithTheCuckooClockHeart''. The main character names his pet hamster Cunnilingus, a word he learned from a hooker. He thinks it's the name of a Greek hero. There is ''a lot'' of erotica in the book.
* ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' doesn't shy away from showing vampires and demons being stabbed or decapitated, human victims lying gruesomely dead, and has a significant amount of sexual content Nevertheless, there are 7-year-olds whose parents have allowed them to watch it.
** [[Film/BuffyTheVampireSlayer The original 1992 movie]], despite also not being for kids, was marketed to appeal to young teens and tweens, primarily because Paul Reubens (you know, Pee-wee Herman!) was going to be in it. (This becomes ''really'' interesting when you remember that Reubens had been arrested for indecent exposure less than a year before, and that his vampire character in ''Buffy'' is made up to look ''almost exactly'' like his mugshot photo.) To be fair, though, the film has mostly BloodlessCarnage (the most blood we see is when Buffy has a cut on her elbow!) and is unlikely to frighten any but the smallest children.
* ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'': Children are especially attracted by the funny puppets - and really the host segments have a wild, kids-showish atmosphere and a fairly family-friendly sense of humor. The actual films being covered, though, are often ''not'' kid stuff and often deal with mature themes. The obviously fake monsters to an adult are not so obviously fake to small children, no matter how much the 'bots may be laughing at them. Most children do not have enough cultural experience to understand when a movie is a "bad" movie.
* The short-lived television series ''{{Probe}}'' accidentally sparked a bit of outrage with this trope. In one episode, misanthropic genius Austin tells his secretary that he knew SantaClaus was a myth at the age of seven (he had set up a motion-controlled camera pointed at the chimney). Since the show was appearing during a family-friendly hour, there were young viewers ambushed by this revelation, resulting in complaints from MoralGuardians.
* ''TheGoodies'', being essentially a live action version of a LooneyTunes cartoon, was broadcast in a children's timeslot but the Australian Broadcasting Company ... who had to edit the ''hell'' out of it.
* The makers of ''{{Torchwood}}'' must have thought that by [[Series/TorchwoodMiracleDay series 4]] there was no longer any need to keep saying "Yes, we know this is a ''Series/DoctorWho'' spin off, but it's broadcast at 9pm for a ''reason''", so they didn't. Cue outrage at the first gay sex scene, with more than one person tweeting to the effect of "That's not right, it's a kids' show". Clearly the post-watershed swearing and gore and a paedophile as a major character didn't clue them in enough.
* ''CrankYankers'' has some well known comedians make prank calls to various businesses, and reenacting the call on camera using muppet style puppets. One call had a woman prank a hardware store with an extended conversation about the "big tubes of caulk." Very much not for children.
** Not to mention the openings of the skits. One has a man carrying his large testes in a wheel barrel and another has a woman puppet's clothes being ripped off in the wind and exposing her breasts and nipples, fully.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Music]]
* There were these toothbrushes that played music when used. One of them played [[{{KISS}} Detroit Rock City]] when used, and the song was also in the ads. [[SarcasmMode Because a song about a guy going way over the speed limit while listening to KISS and going to a KISS Concert and getting into a head-on collision with a large truck and DYING is for kids!]] Oh, did I mention it's a true story and one of the lyrics is either "I know I'm gonna die, why?" or "I know I'm gonna die, and I don't care!" depending on the version?
* As with the original book, JeffWaynesMusicalVersionOfTheWarOfTheWorlds, even if it goes into slightly less graphical detail.
* TheyMightBeGiants try as hard as they can to avoid this by splitting their tours in two to cater to their two distinct fanbases (their original alternative rock fans and their new children's music fanbase). The "adult shows" (the one where they play their non-children's material and back catalog) have a 18 (or 21 in some places) cover just in case someone tries to bring their kid into an adult TMBG concert expecting to hear music from their children's albums.
** Though their music aimed at kids is also popular with their adult fanbase, and do in fact play some of their kids' material at their full-blown rock shows.
* Originally, GreenDay's CD ''Dookie'' had an Ernie (from ''SesameStreet'') puppet in the mosh pit. Just for starters, track 14 is called F.O.D. (Fuck Off and Die.)
* The North American folk song, "TheBigRockCandyMountain," describes a fictional hobos paradise, and is now considered a children's classic. However, the version most children are taught uses the lyrics popularized by Burl Ives, which strip the references to liquor and cigarettes (and lines like "Where they hung the jerk/That invented work"). Furthermore, Harry [=McClintock=], who recorded and wrote the song, claimed in interviews the song contained missing lyrics describing a more sinister frame story: the "Big Rock Candy Mountain" was a fairy tale used to lure children into the hobo's life, possibly for sexual purposes. The song was originally a warning for children. It is very similar to (and most likely descended from) the English folk song, "The Appleknocker's Lament," a song that explicitly warns of child rape.
* In the late 90s/early 2000s, Music/{{Aerosmith}} somehow became seen as a "family friendly" band due to stuff like the Rock'n'Rollercoaster at the Disney Hollywood Studios theme park, their appearances on the Kids Choice Awards, and even a song on the ''{{Rugrats}} Go Wild'' soundtrack. Of course, nobody ever thought to scan the lyrics of their albums, which are full of explicit sex (as well as isolated songs about violence and drug abuse).
** Heck, this is the group that had a song ''titled'' "[[ElevatorGoingDown Love In An Elevator]]"...
*** A song that contains the immortal line "Living it up when I'm going down"
*** And it's featured in said roller coaster (though retitled "Love in a Roller Coaster"). As well as other IntercourseWithYou songs, such as "Young Lust" and "F.I.N.E.[[hottip:*:"[[FunWithAcronyms Fucked Up, Insecure, Neurotic, and Emotional]]"]]"
** That one of their members did the music for one ''SonicTheHedgehog'' game couldn't have helped.
* "[[{{Music/Voltaire}} BRAINS!]]" is a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i7tqWMbUFU fun song]] from a [[TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy children's show.]] Songs such as "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Seh8cNirlU8 Cantina]]"... [[NotSafeForWork aren't]].
* According to an interview in the late 1990s, Lil' Kim was appalled at how some of her fans were proudly playing her songs for their young children. Lil' Kim was well-known for her sexually-explicit lyrics, extolling the virtues of oral sex (giving and receiving) among other topics. [[WordOfGod She specifically said]], "My music is NOT for kids."
* {{Gorillaz}}. "They're an animated band, [[AnimationAgeGhetto they are cartoons, they must be for kids!]]". Note drugs, kidnapping, satanism, rape, murder... I could go on for a long time. I think one crime for every page of "Rise of the Ogre"...
* When filk-rapper Luke Ski appeared at a Harry Potter new-release celebration, he was asked to perform each of his songs with Potter references. Evidently the event's organizers hadn't listened to the rest of these songs, as Luke had to improvise alternative lyrics on the fly to avoid exposing grade-school kids to lines about Jay and Silent Bob smoking pot.
* Because of its [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ca/Eels-Daisies_Of_The_Galaxy.JPG childlike cover art]] and song "It's a Motherfucker," {{Eels}}' 2000 album, ''Daisies of the Galaxy'', upset George W. Bush to the point that he tried to get the album banned because it was peddling obscenities to children.
* A CD kids' music had once included "Rap das Armas". This is a song that has a chorus that sounds like a machine gun, among other things.
** Gets even worse if you understand Portuguese, as it basically an ode to the drugdealer lifestyle [[hottip:* :[[CoveredUp the cover that became popular]], that is; the original was a ProtestSong]]. And knowing it was used in [[TheEliteSquad one of the most violent Brazilian movies of the 2000s]].
** Talking about TheEliteSquad, [[BeyondTheImpossible it doesn't stop there]], see [[http://tvuol.uol.com.br/permalink/?view/id=turma-da-monica-em-tlopa-de-elite-0402CD183572DCC11326/mediaId=11879507/date=2011-07-28&&list/type=tags/tags=1092/edFilter=editorial/ this link]] (in Portuguese) where Captain Nascimento stars the video with [[MonicasGang Monica and Jimmy Five]][[hottip:*:Granted that the comics enjoy a relevant PeripheryDemographic in Brazil, but still...]].
* Arguably, ReelBigFish's 2007 album ''Monkeys For Nothing and the Chimps For Free'' may be in the same category, as it's first song is lighthearted tribute to losers who can't find a crowd to party with, and it has a [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/36/Rbf-monkeyschimps.jpg rather cartoony cover]]. [[ClusterFBomb Then the second track starts...]]
* [[ShelSilverstein Shel Silverstein's]] ''other'' career - when he wasn't writing children's stories or articles for Playboy, he was writing songs. Fortunately, songs tend to be remembered as being by their performers, not their writers, but he's the man who wrote "A Boy Named Sue" (bad language, violence), "The Mermai" (*ahem* inappropriate subject matter for children), and "You're Always Welcome at Our House" (depicting the murders of various visitors to the house by the children).
** TheMuppetShow actually [[http://youtu.be/DZ-EJNz2AoE used that one for a sketch]], cheerfully playing up the Dhal-like comedy.
* EmilieAutumn's "Miss Lucy Had Some Leeches" might ''sound'' like it's a [[LyricalDissonance cheerful kid's song]], but if you actually listen to the lyrics, you'll discover that it's... [[IronicNurseryTune not.]]. In fact, it's about insane asylums, female circumcision and rape.
* "House of Fun" by Madness sounds like a cheerful and bouncy song about balloons, birthday parties and having fun. On a closer listen to the lyrics however, it's actually about a teenager trying to buy condoms on his 16th birthday (the legal age for sex in Britain.) This goes [[MisaimedFandom right over the heads]] of people who play the song at children's parties and even on children's TV.
* Eminem's been criticized over and over for his vulgarity in music, and how it reaches to children, but the fact of the matter is no matter how colorful and cheerful his voice may sound (although not so much anymore) his songs ARE NOT for them. He even talks about it in his songs.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Religion and Mythology]]
* For people who only think of TheBible as only "Jesus and the Ten Commandments," they could be in for [[ValuesDissonance quite a shock]]. The Old Testament includes laws about slavery, and also contains blood and gore, and rape. Oh, and there's also the [[HotterAndSexier Song of Solomon]].
** And pre-meditated murder, incest, and genocide. In other words, ItGotWorse.
*** One of the absolute best examples of this trope for the Bible is one that is rarely touched on. Even though the tale of Joseph and his multicolored coat doesn't seem very kid friendly, it's still a widely told story at Sunday Schools. Right before that, you have the exploits his brothers, most notably Simeon, which includes them getting back at the man who raped their sister to force her marriage to him by agreeing only if he and his clan gets circumsized. Then the day afterwards, they ride in and slaughter all of them, before casually coming home and dismissing the incident as nothing big to their father. Some tales say that Simeon was 13 when he did this with one other brother, as well as them capturing 85 women, one of whom the brother kept as a wife. Yep, right before that whole commonly referred to tale used as a metaphor for jealousy and such is something that most filmmakers wouldn't even touch.
*** Joseph and His Multicolored Coat is pretty bad on its own. You know the story where Joseph's brothers were jealous of the coat that his father gave him, so they beat him up (covering his coat with blood) and sold him into slavery.
** Most of this has barely touched on how the Bible is definitely a book written for the real world and not some family friendly fantasy land. Sure, there's the bloody cloak in the story of Joseph, but what about the part where his master's wife tried to rape him, he refused, and [[WoundedGazelleGambit she lied and claimed he raped her]], which got him thrown in jail. There's a part where two women, thinking they're the last of humanity, get their father REALLY drunk so he'll have sex with them. There's Judah, whose widowed daughter-in-law disguised herself as a prostitute so he'd father her a child. There's David presenting Saul a dowry of 200 Philistine foreskins to marry Michel. The New Testament, being the 'milder' testament (with the possible exception of Revelation) still contains quite a few graphic deaths and adult situations, while the Old Testament features murder, rape, prostitution, incest, assassination, and many other things your kids probably shouldn't think about. This, of course, also defeats the argument that it's boring.
*** Oh man, those foreskins. Yeah. This troper read the Bible as a young kid and had no idea what foreskins were and naturally assumed they were... forehead skins.
** There's also Ezekiel and his donkey penis metaphors (or perhaps just straight comparisons), and the entire story of Samson.
** Even the "kid-friendly" New International Reader's Version doesn't hide all the salacious details. It just simply puts everything in shorter sentences and uses shorter words that children could understand.
** The one Bible story that is perhaps most widely associated with children, to the point that its imagery is ubiquitous in nurseries, is that of Noah and TheGreatFlood. The one where God drowns almost every man, woman, and child alive, and even that cute elephant and giraffe, always shown peeking adorably out of the ark, had to leave their families behind to die. This one's an odd example because these details ''are'' known by just about everyone who would consider the tale "for kids".
** You can imagine the kind of dilemmas this presents Sunday School teachers with: "Hm, Abraham almost kills his own son. Think I'll skip that one." However, this troper almost thinks there should be a Kids Like Gore trope, because the truth is when you are teaching preteens, a little judicious inclusion of who-murdered-who, or king Saul going nuts and chucking spears at people, definitely increases attention span.
* Western religion in general offers a veritable smorgasbord of HighOctaneNightmareFuel and other generally icky stuff. To wit:
** The sacrament of Holy Communion in Roman Catholicism. Absent that "transubstantiation" mumbo-jumbo, how are you supposed to explain to kids that it's not the same thing as [[IAmAHumanitarian cannibalism]]? (Or ''vampirism''?)
** Snake-handling.
** Speaking in tongues.
* Older than the Bible, ClassicalMythology is now being taught in classrooms. Granted, in many cases, it's a bare-bones, watered down version, but trying to explain to 12-year-olds that Zeus and Hera were both brother and sister and husband and wife has to be difficult to teachers.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tabletop Gaming]]
* The hobbyist boardgaming industry runs in to this every which way, to the extent that some US publishers put notices like "THIS PRODUCT IS NOT A TOY, NOT INTENDED FOR USE OF PERSONS 12 YEARS OR YOUNGER" on titles containing heavier subject matter (example given from [[http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/71721/space-hulk-death-angel-the-card-game this]] -- apparently the title didn't give it away, nor the face-eating aliens, brutally beweaponed killing machines, and human skull motifs on the cover). After all, board games are kids' stuff, right?
* BunniesAndBurrows is a game based loosely on WatershipDown and is chock full of cute little player controlled rabbits being brutally eaten by predators, ravaged by disease, and otherwise struggling to survive. Gamers thought it was for kids because [[{{Disneyfication}} it contains talking rabbits]], kids were disappointed when they found out there were no [[DungeonsAndDragons wizards slinging fireballs for 50,000 damage]]. It has, however, become a CultClassic among those who understand this is not a kids game.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Theater]]
* ''AvenueQ'' could very well qualify. Almost all of the characters are ''SesameStreet''-style '''puppets'''. Misguided adults might decide to take their children (despite the warning signs outside the theatre). Then the puppets curse and have sex and sing about porn.
** Don't forget misguided adults taking their own misguided family-friendly selves along, too. Heard inside the theater lobby before the show: a poor souvenir vendor attempting to explain to an increasingly-shocked-and-disgusted adult patron what "Yeah, They're Real" referred to.
* ''WaitingForGodot'' is on some fifth-grade reading lists because the words aren't very complicated. Even though it [[MindScrew makes no freaking sense even to adults]]. In a way, this is actually worse than showing kids something violent or sexual--how do you explain to a child that she got an F on her analysis of the play because she said it was about two people waiting for Godot?
* The ''PhantomOfTheOpera'' sequel ''Love Never Dies'' has begun offering free tickets - to CHILDREN. Hmm, let's see. Alcoholism, stripping, [[spoiler:infidelity which allegedly produced a son]], a song with arguably pedophilic undertones and [[spoiler:murder]]. Yep, this is definitely for kids.
* Stephen Sondheim's ''IntoTheWoods''. Oh, it's a cheery musical with all of our favorite fairy tale characters together! Then Act Two comes around, most of the the characters get killed by a rampaging giant and suddenly it's not so cheery anymore.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Toys]]
As mentioned multiples times above, any movie with the slightest potential for merchandising will probably have toys made for them. Often regardless of the film's actual rating.
* ''Film/{{Alien}}'' action figures: free Facehugger with each Alien!
** [[ItGotWorse It gets better]]. There's now ChestBurster [[EverythingsBetterWithPlushies plush toys]]. Yes, cute cuddly plushies of an alien fetus that violently erupts from one's chest causing horrible horrible death.
* [[EverythingsBetterWithPlushies Plush toys]], like animation, are not always aimed at kids. [[http://www.giantmicrobes.com/ Here]] you can find the ebola virus, the black death, gonorrhea, and salmonella for your kids to cuddle with.
** Diseases, hell. You can get plush Eldritch Abominations.
** And from Germany, here's some [[http://www.parapluesch.de/ plushies with mental illnesses.]] The [[DieAnstalt accompanying Flash game]] even gives them backstories that explain the root of their neuroses, which actually increases their {{Woobie}}ness.
** Don't forget Gloomy Bear. Cute pink bears with blood covered claws.
* ''BladeOfTheImmorta''' trading cards and figurines are also commonly found in the toy aisle in Japanese markets. It's a toy that comes with candy so it must be for kids, right?
* At the Takashi Murakami show in LA, they had a lot of (rather expensive) plushies like [[http://www.nyankovivi.com/Shop/index.php?main_page=product_info_id=402 cute, smiley flowers]] and [[http://www.viaalley.com/?page_id=2040 cute, flowery skulls]]. And then there's [[http://secure.giantrobot.com/products.php?code=MURAFRAZKIKI&catid=t009 Kiki]]...
** They're all [[SeriousBusiness artworks]] in their own right too, so don't remove the wrappers!
* Collector's action figures in general, after all, no parent in their right mind would get their child a [[Comicbook/{{Watchmen}} Dr. Manhattan]] or [[GearsOfWar Marcus Fenix]] action figure.
* Numerous people on Amazon.com have the habit of complaining that the "High Grade" {{Godzilla}} figurines made by Bandai are "too small for children" or how they have to "put the figurines together with too many small parts that kids can lose" or something similar. Never mind the fact that said "High Grade" figurines are meant to be ''collectible'' figurines for G-Fans to, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin collect]] and put on display on shelves ''NOT'' for children to play with.
* Three out of the four ''{{Terminator}}'' movies are R-rated, all are violent and scary... yet it inspired Terminator MiniMates and in the latest movie action figures marketed for pretty young kids (3+ for the small parts!).
** That's not who it's marketed to, the 3+ warning is so smaller kids don't choke on the parts.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''{{VideoGame/Portal}}''. The concept of a puzzle game with quirky humor, cake, and a metal box with a pink heart on it may sound kid friendly at first, up until the part where you learn that the psychotic AI nerve-gassed every living creature in the facility, [[spoiler:''on Take Your Daughter To Work'' day.]]
** ''{{VideoGame/Portal 2}}'' somehow manages to continue on with some of this, and manages to get an E10+ rating (In comparison, the original got a T, though)
* ''AmericanMcGeesAlice''. As if the cover art and big M-letter on the box weren't indication enough that this game was far removed from the Disney film...
* ''OgreBattle'' and ''Tactics Ogre''. Don't let the cartoonish sprites fool you: these games deal with war, betrayal, murder, politics, and everything that makes the real world a mess.
* ''SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters'' somehow got past the radar. As [[LetsPlay its LP]] [[http://lparchive.org/LetsPlay/soulnomad/ put it]]:
--->Soul Nomad was rated T by the ESRB. This clearly indicates that the ESRB never actually played the game, because among other things Soul Nomad contains [[http://lparchive.org/LetsPlay/soulnomad/1-Gigbanner33.jpg near constant swearing from the main character]], rape, murder, slavery, a dash of genocide, and all sorts of other happy fun times. And most of that’s in the Normal Path. [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel The Demon Path is much, much worse.]]
* Do not let your kids play ''{{Eversion}}'' at all despite [[CrapsaccharineWorld its family-friendly looks]]. Hell, even [[http://zarat.us/tra/offline-games/eversion.html its website]] warns you not to let them play!
* ''MonsterParty'' for the NES was released back when there were no ratings for games, and it has gory visuals throughout.
* [[http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/watchdog-group-nintendo-no-longer-quot-family-friendly-quot-/1295531 The National Institute on Media and the Family]] has taken Nintendo to task for releasing ''{{MadWorld}}'' on their "family friendly" {{Wii}}. Apparently they didn't notice ''RedSteel'', ''NoMoreHeroes,'' ''HouseOfTheDead'', ''Game/TheGodfather'', ''DeadRising'', ''DeadlyCreatures'', ''ResidentEvil'', and ''{{Manhunt}}'' and thus, they became one more laughing stock on the Internet. Nintendo countered to [[FunWithAcronyms NIMF]]'s claim about the Wii being "for the entire family" by saying that the Wii is indeed for everyone... and when saying "everyone", they throw in hardcore gamers in the equation. Apparently, [[FanDumb no one associates "hardcore gamer" with "family" nowadays]].
* There are plenty of pornographic arcade games that look like kids' games due to their simple gameplay and cute, colorful graphics... until you beat the level and start seeing pictures of naked ladies.
** Not to mention all the pornographic Atari games. Somehow, in the late stage of the 2600's lifespan, the winning strategy for a game was to feature 8-bit porn.
* ''Stupid Invaders'' looks cute, thanks to the characters, but quickly reveals its unsubtle humour. And don't get me started on the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Dung Factory]]...
* ''ShinMegamiTensei'': a RPG with pixies and Jack Frosts... where the USA fall under the control of a fanatic Christian cult ruled by supernatural beings which uses the US nuclear arsenal in order to rebuild civilization around a fascist theocracy, and God '''[[GodIsEvil really approves]]''' what they are doing.
*** And the extra scary thing is, while God is a fascist tyrant he's still the closest thing to a good guy in the story.
** You could put any game from Shin Megami Tensei/Atlus under this category. For something that kids can buy, ''DevilSurvivor'' has to be one of the most fucked up games ever (and it's only rated T!). Proving once again that parents should read the back of the box before letting kids buy video games.
** One word: [[GagPenis Mara]]
*** Let's not forget ''Persona 3''. The main characters regularly '''shoot themselves in the head with handguns.'''
** The original ''VideoGame/{{Persona}}'' was rated E. ''The original VideoGame/{{Persona}} was rated E.'' What in YHVH's name was the ESRB thinking!?
* ''{{Xenogears}}'': Humongous Mechas are for kids? What about the protagonist [[spoiler: being an omnicidal maniac who can and does commit genocides by himself]], when one of the dominant religion is a front for a decadent dictatorship where being racist is considered to be a civic duty?
** Xenogears? What about ''{{Xenosaga}}''? Holy crap, the stuff it got away with and retained a T-rating. Cannibalism, heavy amounts of blood, the religious references, genocide, just about any scene with Albedo, mind rape, light nudity, exploring the past of a serial killer who basically had to have his mind overwritten to the point of insanity, incestial undertones, suicide, and of course [[spoiler: the Bittersweet Ending done because the game had to end on the third game when it was planned to be 5 or 6 games long, resulting in the deaths of a LOT of characters]]. Once again, this got a T-rating throughout all 3 of its games. Thank goodness it didn't see media attention.
* The ''VideoGame/ArcTheLad'' series. The hero of the first episode is a terrorist whose uncle committed genocide against the people of the hero of the second episode before turning said hero into the prototype of bioweapons made by turning children into bloodthirsty monsters. And that is just the very beginning, for it gets worse after that. But it has cute graphics... and people complain about some [[DummiedOut unwatchable]] consensual sex scene in ''GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas''?[[hottip:* :Obviously, the answer to that question lies in PublicMediumIgnorance.]]
* ''ConkersBadFurDay'': Yes, it does have a cartoonish appearance, but it should be quite obvious from the M rating on the box, as well as those "For Mature Audiences Only" messages, that it is NOT meant for kids.
** And kids aren't sophisticated enough to appreciate an opera [[TalkingPoo singing poo monster.]]
* The initial retail release of ''CuteKnight'' was rated E due to someone going "It's anime, it's for girls, it's got to be fine." The game was then withdrawn from stores because it contains references to religion, violence, blood, prostitution, incest...
* ''LittleKingsStory'' is rated T due to alcohol references, polygamy, religion and, in some cases, genocide. Yet it's all presented in a delightful storybook style with vibrant colors and cutesy graphics.
* The ''FireEmblem'' series may be high fantasy with bright, colorful graphics, but it's also filled with war, murder, racism, genocide, rape and incest, ''especially'' the Jugdral series. The only reason that these games have never been rated higher than T is that it's never shown, just spoken about and implied. There's a reason the first few games didn't [[NoExportForYou make it out of Japan]].
** It must be noted that only the NES and Game Boy Advance titles and ''MysteryOfTheEmblem'' are particularly bright and colourful; save for the obligatory use of YouGottaHaveBlueHair, every other title in the series is much more subdued and realistic in colouring, bordering on RealIsBrown at times.
* ''VideoGame/HeartOfDarkness''. Rated E for Everyone, despite the painful looking and gory death animations, not to mention the NightmareFuel scenery. Remember kids, shadows are very dangerous things.
* ''CastlevaniaBloodlines'' for the Genesis received a "GA" (General Audiences) rating, despite its large amounts of gore.
* ''GrandTheftAuto''. It is amazing and disgusting how many parents think it's fine for their kids to play GTA. A personal favorite parental defense: "Grand Theft Auto is the only M-rated game we let him play."
* ''BatmanArkhamAsylum'' may have been rated Teen, but it was only the lack of gore that kept it from getting an M rating. The game is so dark, that many are still shocked that it didn't get an M rating.
* The ''CallOfDuty'' series tends to fall victim to this, even though from any rational viewpoint it's quite clearly not child-friendly. In ''ModernWarfare'' alone, we have a first-person view of a president being executed, no small amount of swearing, and [[spoiler:a first-person view of dying in a nuclear attack.]] The second game brings us [[VideogameCrueltyPotential the infamous "No Russian" mission]], [[PrecisionFStrike "and the world just fuckin' watched"]], and [[spoiler:[[HighOctaneNightmareFuel Washington DC under attack.]]]] ItGetsWorse with ''CallOfDutyBlackOps''. And yet, it's not abnormal to meet four-year-olds on multiplayer, and the game is something of a favourite. Part of the problem comes from how it's such a well-known, big-name game series - it's one of those names people are guaranteed to hear in any discussion of games, so parents and children end up hearing about it and AnimationAgeGhetto ensues. [[http://www.destructoid.com/why-do-the-kids-love-call-of-duty--204608.phtml Destructoid weighs in on the matter]].
* In the same vein as ''Call of Duty'' is ''{{Halo}}'', which has a bit of that ''StarWars''-ish look to it, what with big heroic guys in green space armor gracing the cover. Needless to say, any little bit of knowledge of the game makes it clear that it is most definitely ''not'' for children. Of course, being a massive big-name game, children are sure to hear of it and make their parents well aware of that fact, hence you will always - ALWAYS - find at least one 5-year-old playing on Xbox Live with you.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Webcomics]]
* Any {{furry|Fandom}} webcomic ever. "It's got talking animals, so it must be kid-friendly."
** LasLindas is passable as a kiddy looking comic. Bright colors, animal people...and then you get to [[http://laslindas.katbox.net/?p=13 page 5...]]
** ''{{Lackadaisy}}'' contains gorgeous art of furry cat people with often enormous and adorable kitty eyes (the author admits she was influenced by Disney films like ''{{Bambi}}'' as a child)- and they earn their keep by bootlegging, people-hacking, and general classy dirty-handedness. Even the cutest member of the cast turns out to be one of the craziest.
* Several posters in the Giant In The Playground forums were offended by sexual content in a recent ''Webcomic/OrderOfTheStick'' [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0622.html comic]], on the grounds that "children read this comic." So, apparently it's okay for kids to watch stick figures kill each other in various brutal ways (including [[spoiler: [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0639.html committing genocide]]]]), but masturbation jokes are just going too far. Never mind that anyone who's mature enough to [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar realise it's a masturbation reference]] probably has [[AWorldwidePunomenon first-hand experience]] of the activity.
* The creators of ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' did [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/7/23/san-diego-sketchbook-adult-content/ a sketch]] about the possibility of children reading their work. [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2005/6/17/ Elsewhere]], they mention being invited to a school to give a class on drawing -- they went, and enjoyed it, but they made damn sure to delete the URL from the make-your-own-comic templates that they handed out.
* The authors of Webcomic/GirlGenius [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/info/newreader.php felt it necessary to explain the comic is for older teens and up.]] For readers who skip the New Reader page, the blatant FanService is probably a clue.
* [[http://www.drunkduck.com/Jix Jix]] is about a blue furry alien, but has mild cussing and various comics filled with copious amounts of cartoony gore...and partial nudity from time to time from the human character.
* [[http://www.sandraandwoo.com/ Sandra and Woo.]] It's about a girl who finds a talking raccoon. While the first few months of comics are probably fine for most kids. But after the strip [[JumpingTheShark Jumps The Shark]]/[[GenreShift Genre Shifts]] (YourMileageMayVary on which) it start's being a little less-then family-friendly. The most glaring example is the story-arc where they parody ''{{Film/Kick-Ass}}''. Near the end of the arc Cloud's [[http://www.sandraandwoo.com/2010/08/09/0189-shows-over/ little sister]] [[http://www.sandraandwoo.com/2010/08/12/0190-apology/ says a]] PrecisionFStrike. It's made worse by the '''many''' people who compare the strip to ''CalvinAndHobbes''.
** "The first few months of comics"? More like comics 1 & 2 all ages, comic 3 rated PG, and most of the rest PG-13 or R.
*** Hey, hey. After the rough first ten comics, it's pretty family-friendly, until the Kick-Ass arc.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Web Original]]
* {{Tasakeru}}: It's a series about cute, fluffy [[FunnyAnimal talking animals]] like squirrels and rabbits... which involves bloody warfare, racism (speciesism?), religious intolerance, MindRape, and not a little [[LampshadedDoubleEntendre innuendo]].
* A lot of parents seem to think that because it is a musical, ''DrHorriblesSingAlongBlog'' is perfectly fine for small children. Considering that it's centered around a villain's StartOfDarkness and it sports lyrics such as "It's a brand new day, and the sun is high / All the birds are singing that you're gonna die"...yeah. A lot of it probably goes over the kiddies' heads anyway (one would hope), but still...
** Not to mention the "the hammer is my penis" line.
** FeliciaDay mentions in the commentary ([[CommentaryTheMusical not that one]]) a fan who wrote to tell her "my nine-year-old daughter loved you in this...until Act 3."
* Equally amusing was a post I read from a mother who said that her (under-10) daughters just loved [[TheGuild "Do You Wanna Date My Avatar"]]. You know, that song that's pretty much about ''cybersex.''
** Given that the genre of music that it's using is popular with girls that age and how much of that genre is about ''real'' sex, it's probably the lesser of two evils.
* ''HappyTreeFriends''. Always starts out innocent and cute, with colorful WoodlandCreatures having innocent fun. [[KillEmAll And then]] [[BodyHorror the killing starts]].
** To make it worse, Youtube uses the TV Parental Guidelines and Happy Tree Friends got a TV-Y rating, the lowest one.
** Don't worry, the YouTube copyright school has no violence at all, so it's the only episode actually OK for kiddies!
* Dave Granlund [[http://davegranlund.com/cartoons/2010/10/01/what-really-scares-kids/ shares]] with viewers TheNotSecret (MoralGuardians are only ones still LockedOutOfTheLoop) about what ''really'' scares the crap out of kids.
* ''AVeryPotterMusical''. {{Team StarKid}} said that a lot of people took their kids to the show because it's [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Harry Potter the Musical]]. They mentioned having to cut down the YouTube version of the show to a PG-13 level.
** Also, they had to put a [=FOR MATURE STARKIDS ONLY!!!=] label on MeAndMyDick. Didn't stop some of their younger fans from watching it.
* You'd think that since ThatGuyWithTheGlasses reviewers often review children and family films and entertainment that it'd be appropriate for children. You'd be wrong. Even [[AtopTheFourthWall Linkara]] (the "tamest" of them all) shows comics featuring gore, sexual innuendo, drug use, and fanservice (though to be fair, he is criticizing these scenes).
** On an August 2011 edition of his Radio Dead Air radio program, TGWTG contributor [[WhatTheFuckIsWrongWithYou Nash]] recounted the story of PushingUpRoses receiving an angry letter from a parent which admonished her for using "foul language" in her videos because "children watch them". Nash was rather noticeably furious while recounting this, noting that That Guy with the Glasses is ''not'' a site for children (and that he himself hosts a show titled ''WhatTheFuckIsWrongWithYou''). The reaction from his stream's chat was similarly astounded and angry, especially because the letter was sent to Roses, who rarely uses profanity in her videos.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''TheSimpsons'' deals very bluntly with subjects like animal abuse, child abuse, murder, organized crime, torture, and war, but [[AnimationAgeGhetto because it's animated]], it's frequently mistaken for a children's show.
* On that note, ''FamilyGuy'' for much the same reasons. Arguably worse than the above, since while ''The Simpsons'' is written to comply with Fox's censorship standards, ''Family Guy'' ''isn't''.
* Despite the fact that it's called '''{{Adult|Swim}}''' [[AdultSwim Swim]] for a reason, kids are still prone to tune in to the programs shown. A lot of them tend to be fans of ''AquaTeenHungerForce'' and ''RobotChicken''.
** Actually, this may be more due to adult programs being ForbiddenFruit for children.
*** It's also on CartoonNetwork, a kid's network, at night. Plus, although being an adult show, ''Family Guy'' has a lot of juvenile jokes, so once kids see THAT they'll want more.
*** The above comment shows exactly why this trope exists. "Cartoons" != "For Kids", and "Cartoon Network" != "Kids Television Network". The very existence of Adult Swim negates the premise that Cartoon Network is a kid's network. Not to mention that some of the shows outside of the Adult Swim block have plenty of questionable content...
*** Teletoon, the Canadian version of Cartoon network, specifically airs warnings before and during each show from 9pm on (the "Teletoon at Night" block) that the shows are not intended for children. They actually build in a margin for error in that they start off with an hour of ''{{Futurama}}'' and then come the shows like ''MoralOrel'', ''{{Archer}}'', and ''{{Squidbillies}}''. By the time the later shows role around the warnings include comments like "...meant for 14 years of age and older. And if you aren't 14, what are you doing up this late?"
* The DCUniverseOriginalAnimatedMovies are not very appropriate for young children as they include graphic violence, swearing, and some sexual content and jokes - they're not bloodsoaked {{Gorn}}-fests, but definitely earning their PG-13s by not being bound by kids' show rules. It probably doesn't help that the {{DCAU}} fits [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids elsewhere]].
* ''SlackerCats''. It was on ''ABC Family''. The first episode alone has necrophilia. And pornography. As for why it was on ABC Family? The original sale from the Christian Broadcasting Network to Fox/Saban contained a stipulation that the [[ArtifactTitle channel contain the word "Family" in the name forever]], no matter who owns the network. And no matter what's actually on the channel, apparently.
* ''{{The Haunted World of El Superbeasto}}'' looks like it was done by [[RenAndStimpy Spumco]] but is full of extreme violence, sexual situations, innuendo, nudity, and swearing.
** Even Spumco itself brings this trope to life with ''RenAndStimpy: Adult Party Cartoon''. The original ''Ren and Stimpy'' [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids was a kids' show]], but for its revival, Spike TV [[ExecutiveMeddling forced]] the addition of more mature elements into the series.
* LooneyTunes (the original 1930-1969 shorts), [[WordOfGod according to most of the directors]], were never meant for children, and yet have been enjoyed by generations of youngsters in spite of it.
* ''TheFlintstones'', when it originally debuted in 1960 in prime time, was considered a show for adults. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZvHiiWFbBU It was even sponsored by Winston Cigarettes and episodes opened with a commercial of Fred and Barney lighting up]]. Within a few years the powers that be realized it had become popular with the kids, and so the more overt adult trappings were dispensed with.
** It was a bit more complicated than that. When the {{Hanna-Barbera}} production company launched for television in 1957, they intended to gear their cartoons for children. However, some of the shows (''TheHuckleberryHoundShow'', especially) proved so popular with adult viewers that the networks began airing them closer and closer to prime time; this inspired Hanna-Barbera to develop a show ''specifically'' for prime time, which of course turned out to be ''The Flintstones''. Even then, the cartoons were considered "family shows" in the most literal sense of the word: programs that would appeal to kids and adults equally.
* Similar to the above is ''Wait Til Your Father Gets Home''. It's a {{Hanna-Barbera}} production and often released on ''CartoonNetwork'' and ''Boomerang'' so people get the impression its for children.. However it's more like an early ''FamilyGuy'' if anything.
* If you turn to the search menu for your DVR and search for Archer can you guess what ''{{Archer}}'' is labeled as? Comedy? Nope its labeled [[AnimationAgeGhetto as Children's programming.]]
* One of the biggest is ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', despite airing at a time when kids should be in bed some watch it anyway. Despite the cartoony animation it is full of swearing, gory violence (especially in the later seasons), sexual innuendo and situations, child abuse, children doing horrible things, etc.
* And before that any of the cartoons airing on {{MTV}} the most controversial for parents being ''BeavisAndButthead'', a pair of idiotic teenagers who do dangerous things and try to get laid. [[DoNotTryThisAtHome Some kids were caught imitating some of the things they did like putting their pets in the washing machine and dropping bowling balls into traffic; it was also blamed for a kid setting his trailer on fire killing his younger sibling (the family was later discovered to not have cable) resulting in a ban on fire related activity and moving the show to a later time.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Other]]
* Several stories on NotAlwaysRight show that some parents believe "animation" automatically equals "suitable for children."
** Ditto films about "superheroes" (read: ''{{Film/Watchmen}}'') or fairy tales (''PansLabyrinth'').
** For everything said on [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids the sister page]] about people in an adult PeripheryDemographic who can't accept that some of the shows they like are aimed at kids and will remain that way, it's worth noting that it cuts from both ends. You also have groups like the Parents Television Council who see every show that isn't "kid-friendly" as an attack on children, rather than just aimed at a different demographic.
* A new picture book for adults parodies "Goodnight Moon"-type children's books, and real parents' frustrations with children refusing to sleep... under the title "Go the F**k to Sleep." (It's got cute illustrations of a mom and baby tiger.) This troper is told it's hilarious... but even funnier is the story one Amazon reviewer tells: she bought this book, and in her absence her husband picked it up, thought it was a children's book, and read it to their little son, censoring out all the bad words. ''It's now their son's favorite bedtime book.'' When that kid learns to read...
* Several Halloween costumes that little kids should ''not'' be wearing. Note: only costumes that can be bought in a store by a parent count. Handmade costumes do not count and neither do generic zombie or ax murderer costumes.
** [[http://freddykruegermask.org/freddy-krueger-child Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees costumes]]. Hope the kid with the Jason costume doesn't role play with his mom who bought him it.
** [[http://www.halloween31.com/pages-productinfo-category-7_125-product-5959/kids-costumesall-boy-costumeschucky-doll-costume-child-size-kids-chucky-costume.html Chucky the murdering doll]]
** [[http://www.halloween31.com/pages-productinfo-category-7_125-product-5195/kids-costumesall-boy-costumeshalloween-michael-myers-jumpsuit-with-mask-child.html Michael Myers from Halloween.]] Insert joke about how the new Michael Myers has mommy issues
** [[http://www.mypartyplanner.com/products/texas-chainsaw-massacre-leatherface-child-halloween-costume.html A Leather Face costume, really?]]
[[/folder]]
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%%Let's keep the heckling off the main pages, please.
