Ben 10 (Cartoon Network)

My son, who just turned five, has been into Ben 10 for a while. He has some Ben 10 toys, including the watch. And he spends a lot of time with a friend at pre-school pretending they are Ben 10 etc. As his father, I have to admit that I haven't really paid much attention to the show. His mother has watched some of the episodes with him, I wasn't thrilled by some of the things he was telling me about the show and the various characters - it just sounded kind of low-class and thoughtless, but I didn't get really worried about it until last night. As he got ready for bed my son told me that he had seen something on the show that bothered him and made him feel very bad. He told me that there was a scene in which a cook who is preparing some food removes ear wax from her ear and adds it to the food. I couldn't believe that this kind of "entertainment" would be set before our young children by a major network and I thought my son must have been mistaken about what was happening in the scene. But it turns out he was right. The scene occurs in an episode called "A Chance of Face". From the "recap" page at tv* (*://*tv*/Ben+10/A+Change+of+Face/episode/922189/recap.html): "In the cafeteria of the prison, it is lunch time, and Gwen is given a tray of yellowish goop. She asks the server if they have anything that’s organic, and the lunch lady gives her something that “she’s grown herself.” She sticks a finger inside her ear and mixes the earwax into her already disgusting food. The lunch lady tells her that she has more and should come back for seconds." How many parents would think that this kind of gross image is good for young children? Especially young kids who are still learning about what kinds of food are good to eat. Of course this show is rated TV-Y7, which means it might not be appropriate for kids younger than 7. But so is "Transformers" which does not contain this type of disturbing images. And of course the Cartoon Network knows that very young children are inevitably going to be exposed to the show and become absorbed in it, just by the times of day when they show it. So that's how much they care about our kids. A word to the wise: This show is not right for young children. Besides the violence there are very disturbing plot lines and images.

I watched several episodes before letting my son watch - and decided AGAINST him watching the series. The sci-fi and action would be enjoyable to many kids...but I could not tolerate the way Ben and his cousin, Gwen, talk to each other. They bicker almost constantly, calling each other names (Doofus, Stupid, etc.) and complaining about having to spend time together. While it is obvious that both ultimately will help each other out in times of crisis, it sets a terrible example to kids that name-calling and bratty behavior are acceptable ways of communicating.

I feel kind of funny to watch this, when its targeted at boys. Well boys do like action shows don't they? I use to watch this and I don't remember blood. Just Ben turning into weird aliens. If your child is a fan of action and aliens, this is the perfect show for them. But does anyone find it weird that Ben is voiced by a girl?

Great show great action for kids under 10

Ah, this is every boys dream. I hate this though because it's very boring. It's nothing but I've-seen-this-before action. As well as the jokes.

My son of four has been hooked on Ben 10 and I've noticed a whole lot of negative changes in behaviour and language. Now slowly trying to wean him off it until he's older.

I watched the Cartoon Ben 10. The standard rating in NZ is PG (Parental Guidance Recommended for younger viewers) noted on the DVD cover: Low level violence. I viewed a great deal of violent acts, which I deemed not suitable for a ten year old. Also I was concerned with the behavioural attitude of the main character Ben 10. His lack of respect for adults and siblings was not “cool” it simply showed poor writing and poor role modelling by the creators of the show. Simply put, I will not be letting my son watch and imitate this poorly constructed cartoon show. Interesting facts: Effects of TV Violence on Kids *://*med.umich.edu/1libr/yourchild/tv.htm * Children ages 8-12 years who view violence are often frightened that they may be a victim of violence or a natural disaster. * Scary-looking things like grotesque monsters especially frighten children aged two to seven. Telling them that the images aren't real does not help because kids under age eight can't tell the difference between fantasy and reality. * Symptoms of being frightened or upset by TV stories can include bad dreams, anxious feelings, being afraid of being alone, withdrawing from friends, and missing school.

Ben 10 is humorous and very entertaining for those who has common sense. There is nothing of violent or innapropriate material that should not be seen. If your child has problems, tell them to see the doctor. My siblings and I, ages of 12, 13, and 18 all love the show. If your children can not handle the simple greatness of this show, stop watching. Clearly they do not have a mature level of thinking and should watch lame shows like Qubo. Ben 10 is an amazing show and I would not like to see these disgraceful comments from ignorant people. Thank you.

I Let My Son Watch This For A Long Time. To Tell You The Truth...I Actually Liked It. I Encourage Imagination And Creativity And This Show Seemed To Give Him A Sense That He Can Carve His Own Path, Do Whats Right No Matter What And Have Fun With It Too. But After A While I Noticed A Change In My Son...All Of A Sudden He Just Started Being EXTREMELY Disobedient, This Was Very Unusual...I Couldnt Figure Out Why He Was Behaving Differently...So One Night He Was Up A Little Too Late Watching Ben Ten, So I Asked Him To Turn Off The Tv As Soon As It Was Over. The Episode Was Done, I Knew This Because I Heard The Theme Song For Another Episode. So I Scolded Him And Told Him To Go To Bed NOW...After A While Of Struggle He Stomped Off To His room... The Tv Was Still On...I Was Curious As To Why He Would Stay Up Soo Late JUST To Watch Ben Ten...I Gave Thew Show A Closer Look, And THERE IT WAS...I Noticed That In EVERY Episode Even Though Ben DOes The Right Thing In The End He Always Does The EXACT OPPOSITE Of What His Grandpa Or His Cousin Tells Him To Do ! And Most Of The Good Deeds He Does He Does It Mostly For Fame And Attention..Not Really Because It Is The Right Thing To Do. Every Child Is Different Some Children Can Actually See The Error In Ben's Ways And Get Frustrated When He Does What He Feels Like And Acts Stubborn. But Other Children Cant Tell The Difference, As Long As You Do Whats Right At Last Minute No Rules Apply. But Then Again Its The Parents Choice...And NEVER Allow A Child To Watch Something Without Fully Inspecting Its Morals First.