Disrespectful, smart-aleck children are not funny.

I just watched this movie for the first time. After hearing all the negative reviews of it, I wanted to see if it was as bad as everyone said it was. My final verdict is yes, it is complete crap, but it's not just because of the reasons most people list. There is the bizarre premise of "divorcing" ones parents and looking for new parents, an idea I find cringe-worthy. There is also the ethnic and cultural stereotyping, the tasteless jokes about dead fat people and the silly panic attack scene at the beginning. However, the single worst thing about this movie, was, in my opinion, the casual portrayal of children as smart-mouths who talk to adults like they are adults' equals. In every culture, teaching children to respect their elders is extremely important. I was raised with the belief that children were to honor their mothers and fathers, and that you were to address your elders as "Ma'am" and "Sir." Don't get me wrong, I know this is just a movie, and not real life, but, at the same time, you have to be aware that kids often imitate what they see in films. If a kid sees this film, which portrays disrespecting your elders as being funny, they might start sassing their parents, expecting to be rewarded with laughter or smiles. I wouldn't be be at all surprised if many kids saw this movie when it came out, and then spoke to their parents the way they heard Winchell speak to adults, only to get spanked or smacked in the mouth.