DadMode: Parenting, Gaming, Streaming, Life
"DadMode" is a podcast where two gaming-loving dads discuss everything from live streaming to fatherhood in a humorous and relatable way. Join Josh aka Moorph and Bearded Nova as they share gaming adventures and parenting anecdotes, offering a unique blend of entertainment and insight for fellow gamers with kids.
DadMode: Parenting, Gaming, Streaming, Life
Navigating Violent Games and Shows with Our Kids
What happens when Captain America doesn't have superpowers? Join us in dad mode as we passionately discuss the latest Captain America trailer featuring Sam Wilson, and share our mixed feelings about Marvel's recent releases. From the post-Endgame cinematic landscape to reminiscing about the grittiness of Netflix's "Daredevil," we dive into the highs and lows of Marvel's journey. We also take a trip down memory lane, comparing the action-packed movies of our childhood like "Commando" and "Bloodsport" with the media our kids consume today. It’s a nostalgic rollercoaster you won't want to miss.
Ever wondered how today's media impacts children, especially those on the autism spectrum? We open up about our personal experiences with our kids mimicking violent behaviors seen in video games and movies. Reflecting on our own childhoods filled with "Mortal Kombat" and "Doom," we discuss the evolution of violence and sexual content in TV and cinema. We also talk about guiding our children as they transition from kid-friendly shows to more mature themes, stressing the importance of parental involvement in media consumption. Whether it's finding family-friendly horror or navigating the complexities of modern media, our conversation offers valuable insights for every parent.
Josh aka Bearded_Nova
I'm from Australia and am what you would call a father who games. I have 5 kids so not as much time to game as I used to. But I still game and stream when I can. So come join me on Twitch in chat as we chill out.
Business Inquiries: Bearded-n0va@aussiebb.com.au
Josh aka Moorph
I'm a US-based husband and father of two boys. I work full-time and have been a content creator since 2000. I'm a YouTube partner, Twitch and LiveSpace streamer who founded a content creation coaching company called Elev8d Media Group (elev8d.media). I'm a blogger, streamer, podcaster, and video-er(?).
Business Inquiries: josh@elev8d.media
Turning off normal human mail mode. Switching to dad mode. Welcome in to dad mode With your hosts Bearded, Nova and Morph just yeah, I mean, I'll just all right.
Speaker 2:That was good. Yeah, I was meant to message you the other day. I mean you see the new captain america girl, I mean I'll just yeah, I mean I'll just pretty cool it looks. I don't know why they, why they released it so soon though yeah, I was surprised that they're getting a trailer so early, but I came for it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I am too. You know, I do. I know in the comics that sam wilson's captain america doesn't have powers, but I really wish he did, because I feel like he's gonna get his ass kicked. Yeah, I mean, you know, yeah, although the trail looks like he was flying like the speed of sound and stuff. Yeah, I don't know which. I don't know how you could do that with just goggles on. I feel like it would fuck up your ears and like, yeah, I don't know that, but I was.
Speaker 2:I just saw the. I watched the trailer like hey, you know what this is. This is some exciting. Yeah, marvel happening here. I'm keen. It's like.
Speaker 3:It's like they got their mojo back all of a sudden I hope they do, because they've had definitely a string of like I've seen them all, yeah, but they've had a string of movies that just were like I think the only. Thing after uh end game, it feels like they didn't know quite from a story perspective, where to go yeah, marvels yeah, I mean I'll just watch that one.
Speaker 2:Maybe I'll just watch that and I haven't watched it, liked it.
Speaker 3:I've never watched eternals yeah, oh, and I haven't watched the eternal and it was so bad yeah, that's why I just kind of like it's.
Speaker 2:It hasn't affected any other storyline. There's no, there's no reason for me to watch it. Oh, if I get, if I want to.
Speaker 3:I think they came up with plans for the sequel they did, which is crazy because they left it as a cliffhanger at the end of the first one. Oh, did they?
Speaker 2:they did keen to see reborn daredevil Reborn. I did like Netflix's Daredevil. I really did enjoy Netflix's Daredevil. I didn't mind. I didn't mind all of the Netflix series. Iron Fist Iron Fist was fine. I didn't have a problem with Iron Fist. I still thought it was for a TV series. It was acceptable. Jessica Jones was pretty. Luke Cage was pretty. Luke Cage was pretty. Luke Cage was alright. It didn't for a TV series, netflix series. I think it was perfectly acceptable for what it was.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but Daredevil was definitely the class of. Yeah, I mean, jessica Jones was really good, though, especially the first season or two. Yeah, yeah, I mean All Jones was really good, though, especially like the first season or two. Yeah, yeah, I mean all right. Cage was all right. I thought like some of the characters were just sort of comic-y. You know what I mean.
Speaker 3:Yeah yeah, and then Iron Fist People complained about the action scenes. I didn't mind them. I didn't mind them. I didn't like the main character. Yeah, yeah, just that he wasn't a good actor, you know but yeah I thought that everything else was okay about it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's what I thought, like the acting could have been better, but the action and like what? What iron fist is about was pretty, they solid, they did that right, they did that justice. Same with even she-hulk. I didn't mind she-hulk, I find that's a bit of a shame.
Speaker 3:That's gone I didn't love it, like I know. Just know it's probably my least favorite thing that marvel has done was the she-hulk series. Then it started off. I'm like, oh, it's gonna be cool. Then it just got goofy and then it just like they want to break the fourth wall and like, what are you doing? She's the only other character that does break the fourth wall.
Speaker 2:Besides deadpool, besides deadpool, yeah, yeah, I mean like technically, that is her like they. Oh, I can't wait for that one either.
Speaker 3:I mean, like it's like, oh, I want to go see it. Like it's hard bud, no, like, no, you know, I was gonna bring that up too as a topic. I don't think it's a full episode, though, like you know, the boy wants yeah, you know, and he wants to play video games.
Speaker 2:No, we could do that because we both let's. Let's be honest what we watch as children and what our children watch is totally two different things yeah, I mean I watched like it was bugs bunny and I'll just know.
Speaker 3:Oh shit, watching like really.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean I'll just oh man, like by by the time. I was, like you know, my favorite movies in as a child, like through primary school, where the likes of like commando and predator and yeah, I, I love blood sport. I was still proud. I was like any of that shit no, that shit. I was a young primary school kid watching Bloodsport, that was fantastic, wow yeah.
Speaker 3:When I turned 16, I had a better paying job and I bought myself my own TV and VCR at the time and then I was just renting whatever I wanted. My mom didn't pay attention, but up until that point, no, I was completely sheltered.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow, oh wow, no, no, no, I I was. Yeah, I mean I was polar opposite, like we'd watch scream. I was late primary school but you know, seeing the screams, I watched mortal kombat at the, at the cinemas. Yeah, I was there for the launch of mortal kombat, just yeah, I mean there was nothing Like there's a channel here Australia, it's called SBS.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean it's kind of like a BBC, australian ABC. It's a free-to-air channel Usually. It used to have a lot of international stuff on it, like news, sky News, et cetera, and then growing up it got into weird categories as well. So late at night I watched Evangelion Beyond Genesis as a young child. Yeah, I mean that was on SBS. It was always late, like 9.30 at night, but we watched it in our room. We had a TV in our room so I'd watch it in my room.
Speaker 2:I mean I was in South Park, I was on there, so I watched South Park watch it in my room. I mean, like in south park was on there, so like I watched south park from being. I had a south park watch with cartman as a kid that used to tell people to fuck off. They advertise that towards children over here, type of thing, really, really, oh yeah, yeah, there was a whole, is it all in the toy section, south park stuff as a, as a child? Yeah, I mean the other thing that we call sbs was like, yeah, before sex, yeah, I mean like that, because you'd also get the really adult shows. Yeah, yeah, on there as well, late at night. Um, some, especially a lot of the, the, the fucked up anime on that would also be on there. Yeah, I don't know if you, I don't know if you ever seen the movie ninja scroll? I mean, I haven't seen it. Classic. Watch it as an adult. Watch it. Don't watch it with your children.
Speaker 2:No, I'll watch that, yeah, I mean that's an r-rated anime, just yeah imagine the type of scenes that are in a japanese r-rated. Yeah, I mean, I'll just like it a bit. Yeah, I mean, I was exposed to all everything, everything as a child. There was yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Watching my kids now. You know we're very much against not against but you know they don't watch a lot of things. Or even the teenage kids. You know they watch, like some of the movies that were younger, like the 90s, late 90s. You know she's All that, that type of thing and they'll talk. You know they might have kissing or something on it and half my kids will go like this.
Speaker 3:I mean, I just think that you shelter your kids from like movies and games Way too much, way too much.
Speaker 2:Like compared to me, way too much compared to me, way too much. I'm like no, no, no, no, no type of thing to to so much. And then I find it hard because I think about my own childhood and the things that I was watching and I'll be like whatever. But nowadays I'm like, no, you can't. Yeah, I mean, I'll just watch that. There's, you know, boobs in it, right, any year old me boobs, yeah, man, totally, totally also 40 year old dude.
Speaker 3:Same reaction my whole life. But that's yes, like you know what I mean. I was really sheltered till I was like 15, 16 yeah, and then I I just did whatever I wanted and like when I I stopped my kids from like watching or consuming something I'm like. But I did it and I turned out okay. At least some I would say okay, not everybody would say that, but it's like I don't like. When I think back, I'm like I feel like I was too young for some of the stuff that I watched.
Speaker 2:100 100 I was way too young for. So I don't know. I I know scenes of movies and stuff in my head that I don't even feel like that I watched as a child, that I feel like it's not even safe to describe on this podcast is the best way to put it Like anyone that's heard any of the stuff that I've said so far, like the TV shows or movies that I've watched at a young age, and they know, they probably even know some of the scenes where they're like, oh God, yeah, I mean I just know that, but I don't feel like it changed me and I guess it goes back to right. I guess it goes back to that. Yeah, I mean of, say, mid 90s with mortal combat, you know, violence in video games and it's going to affect our children, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Yeah, I mean.
Speaker 2:I just I don't feel any different. It's a video game. Yeah, I mean it mean it's the same with a movie. I guess everyone absorbs it differently, but it's kind of understanding that the fact that this is fictional you know what I mean. Yeah, yeah, I mean logistically it's all made up. Yeah, I mean logistically it's not.
Speaker 3:I definitely agree. But I will say, my younger son, you know, know, he's on the autism spectrum. He tends to take things a little too literally sometimes. So, like he'll see something violent, he's like oh cool, I can do that. I'm like no bud, you can't. You can't do that to people, right? Just, we understand that, right? Um, like, his favorite thing is to put me in a choke hold constantly, because every time I want to give you a hug, I'm like, at this point, I'm like point, I'm putting my hands up around my neck because I know he's going to try to choke me. He goes Dad, I learned this new movement from a show and he'll kick me in the stomach. I'm like dude, stop, stop doing that, yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean, that's boys though. I used to do that with friends. We'd watch the wrestling or something every Sunday morning and then next thing you know the lounge room's just got cushions all across the floor and someone's older brother is fucking you know pile driving them into. None of us are professionals, yeah, I mean. None of us realise the possible physical injuries that could occur. I mean, we did them. You know what I mean.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean.
Speaker 2:I watch mortal combat and and street fighter and all that in the cinemas. Yeah, I mean, I was playing the video games and that was cool and it was cool to. It was cool to act it out. I know I couldn't rip someone's head out, right, you know, I definitely could punch someone in the balls, though like gora, but it was, I guess, knowing that it wasn't real, but still fun to to pretend to be. You know, I'm going to be Sub-Zero, you're going to be Scorpion and we're going to fight and someone's back out, get over here. Yeah, exactly, yeah. Yeah, my kids and I'd see that it's like, yeah, totally different. I mean like, yeah, I mean like, yep, you know, fortnite is as violent as it gets, or Minecraft, or you know, we were playing like I was playing Doom and Quake and you know, and it was to be honest I'm not going to lie as a young primary school kid, you know, late 90s playing it was a bit scary at the time of the game, but it was still cool.
Speaker 3:It was still cool like you know, I mean, I mean like immortal combat was pretty graphic, so yeah it's nothing compared to the mortal combat up today. Oh my god, the the fatalities nowadays.
Speaker 2:Jesus especially, you got the blood. The boys now starting to show up in mortal combat too.
Speaker 3:I think homeland is in mortal combat now, man, it is there's an omni man is in there too from the invincible series. So yeah, it's, it's it's. Yeah, I mean level of violence that has has ratcheted up a little bit. Like I don't want my kids to see the boys. You know, I I think the show, the show is good and funny, but you have to, you have to be more mature to watch it. It is, it is incredible. It is, it is incredible. Half thick.
Speaker 2:Would you think that TV and cinema, besides the quality, the effects, the CGI it's?
Speaker 2:kind of, I guess, blended the idea of you know, some things are a little bit more detailed compared to other things. You know like I was talking about. I watched Bloodsport as a child. Yeah, I mean I've just seen where someone gets his leg snapped in half and the bones poking out. Yeah, I mean I look at Bloodsport which is just basically a martial arts film, something like the boys. Yeah, I mean I'm violence in that. That's totally two different things and I feel the same time the sexualization of things like 80s. You know 80s movies had. Yeah, I mean like the sex scenes in them and etc. You know we all know photo recall three boobs. Yeah, I mean like. But you know, when you say that I can still picture it, yeah, exactly, every boy does.
Speaker 2:And that's, yeah, I mean, let's just say sex scenes in another movie, an adult movie. I guess movies as such don't have that sexual side of things like they did in the past. But TV definitely has a new level. It's way more elevated than TV. Absolutely. I just feel like TV's got way more adult content than what movies ever could, when we were growing up yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:But but the movies seem to have like wound it back a little bit. Yeah, I mean like the tvs ramped it up. So when you, when you're comparing something like mortal kombat movie to the boys, both are violent. One looks like you know a kindergarten sorry, compared to the other it's totally different.
Speaker 3:The, the deaths and the boys are like fatalities from mortal combat. There was a scene in the recent man of the boys where homelander puts his arm on a guy's shoulder, puts his other hand on the other guy's other shoulder and literally just rips him, rips him apart. Yeah, I mean, like what it just? I mean it wasn't like they cut away, though. They saw him just rip the guy in half. It was insane.
Speaker 2:You wouldn't you know. Yeah, I mean the Commando series, that's Schwarzenegger, or even Predator, predator let's go with Predator, because I think that's a bit more. Think of the violence in the Predator movie as something I watched as a child. It was great. Yeah, there's birds that make similar noise to what the Predator does. Yeah, that bird freaked my brother and myself out at times because it would have that noise. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. And you know you get a little bit of freaked out there. And there was, you know there was skeletons in there.
Speaker 2:You know a couple of beheadings, I guess, in it. But the violence in that movie compared to the violence in the Boys, totally different Again, like the Boys is just a whole new. If you had to choose one of those two options for your kids to watch, you would pick Predator over the Boys.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, I would absolutely love to watch predator over the boys. You see, you see what I mean yeah, I mean.
Speaker 2:It's hard, I think, because, uh, entertainment's changed in a different direction. Now some I guess classification in a way is, even though it's very similar to what it was, things have changed so dramatically. It doesn't look like that to us because we've we've grown, we've grown up with that change.
Speaker 3:Yeah, think about like the original jaws.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was rated pg man today would be r yeah, I mean I'll just yeah, I mean I'll just bad a movie that compared to things that we've got, like the things that kids can watch really, you see blood in the water but, like you know, you don't really see it.
Speaker 3:like today, they would show someone literally just getting ripped apart. Yeah, they would. They would keep pushing the envelope more and more and more Exactly.
Speaker 2:And that's a hard thing for us parents to do nowadays is trying to find that right content, what's acceptable, what's not, Because even I find it's like the girls are watching some of those late 90s, early 2000s, freddie Prinze era, I guess of.
Speaker 2:Of those late 90s, early 2000s, yeah, I mean like the prince era, I guess of. Uh, yeah, I mean like that's those teen movies. Yeah, I mean like it's in that that I've walked past the lounge room and gone whoa what, what they're talking about, that like, oh, should they be watching this? Yeah, I mean. Yeah, I mean like just that it is. I mean even at the time. I don't even know if I picked up on these at the time when I was younger, but I mean it's changed.
Speaker 2:Again, I don't think classifications have changed as much with it as well. I mean, like Yep, I think it's all about letting, talking to the children about what's in some of these things and what they will see, and understanding that it's fictional, explaining that to them way more detailed, choosing the right way to, I guess, bring them in, do a new form of of content. That's something, yeah, I mean again. I think 12 year old had watched a scream movie. I think scream 5 or something like that, not in order. I think she'd watch one movie at a friend's house and she didn't mind it. So we actually watched the entire.
Speaker 2:I mean, yeah, my wife and I and her watched most of them together with her, even the ones I hadn't seen, and I'll admit, some of the first two screens were actually worse than a couple of others. But she understood it was a horror movie, she didn't mind it, she enjoyed it and I thought, in a sense, when I'm looking at the slasher horror, I guess, is the best way to put it that was probably the best one to introduce it to that genre. The next one and the wife, we were looking through TV and then I Know what you Did Last Summer popped up on there, oh yeah, and my wife goes well, that's probably the next one, or she wants to watch something similar. That's probably the next step, which is yeah, it is, it's the same vibe, it's it's vibe, it's the same vibe, but it's slightly I guess a little bit more mature in sense of yeah, I mean darker, I guess would be the better way to put.
Speaker 2:It's got a little bit more of a darker tone to it. It's finding that right movie or right tv show in that category. That's not as hard as others. You know it's like yeah, I mean I didn't open her up with like the hills have eyes or something like that as her first slash. Yeah, I mean that's, that's totally, or hostile, or you know the source, you know saw series or something like we're not, we're not saying we're gonna go hey, let's, let's have a. Yeah, I mean let's watch these. But yeah, I mean I'm like well, I think scream was an acceptable teen slasher. It's a better way to put it the teen slasher.
Speaker 3:You gotta look up better way to put it the teen slasher, you gotta look up to those other ones you were mentioning.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly, it's a teen slasher, so she you know she'll come and talk to us about it, but you know we were okay with it. That's how we've introduced it to that genre. I guess that's the best way to put it.
Speaker 3:My boys. Both of them don't seem to be interested in the scary stuff at all. They thought dr strange in the multiverse of madness was too scary, oh god. And I'm like, okay, well, I guess you, I guess I don't have a buddy to watch horror movies with any. You know, yeah, I thought I was to get one of those, but I don't, because my wife is. She could not be less interested in in scary stuff like that, and it seems neither my kids are.
Speaker 2:So I guess it'll just be me, I'm I mean I'm not either like I, like I I think we've talked about before. I kind of dropped off around, yeah, I mean the hostel, the sore floor, that one stuff. Yeah, yeah, I mean that was kind of where I was like, yeah, I'm over the genre. You know, I dropped off before the purge series started and a couple of like smile and a couple of. By then I was like I'm, I'm done, I don't. I've kind of seen it all. Now I'm not feeling refreshed in this series. I haven't bothered, yeah, I mean. That being said, I still like all the older stuff. Yeah, I mean like ifrey krueger's and I am some reason.
Speaker 2:Recently I had the idea of wanting to watch the newer halloween series. Okay, just just because I'm like I haven't seen any of it. Yeah, I mean it's all finished now maybe I could watch that. I think my wife is slightly interested in it. She's normally not that type of I mean, but I think she's mentioned it. I was like, oh, we could watch this if you want. Yeah, I mean, like you know, that's a series I can't show. I could show the old. That's a brilliant one to talk about kids. Yeah, I mean like, I mean the newer, the newer one, or even the Rob Zombie. I mean, like I loved the ones, the ones, yeah, I liked, I watched them, I thought they were great, because those ones are totally different to the original.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean like yeah, I mean like it's scary, but it's so tame compared to everything else that's what I mean by we're talking about here with children and what they can watch and what they can't watch. That, yeah, I mean like kids are gonna watch a halloween series. I would, I have no problems with my kids watching one of the originals, because I think that's way more yeah, I mean compared to if they came to me with the rob zombie one. You know, I mean, if I had to choose between those two. That's the path I'm going to go and I think that's what parents need to think about when they're moving into that more mature content or the next level of content that they can absorb in their minds. Where's the entry point? What's the best way to dabble those into it?
Speaker 3:Another piece of advice for parents. I'm sure we've said this before, but pay attention to what content your kids are consuming. Yeah, because maybe you'll hear something called the hills have eyes. Maybe it doesn't sound that bad to you, but it's not appropriate for yeah, you know. So like look into stuff before your kids watch it, or whatever. I mean, I'll just, and that's just important to do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I guess so when that teenager I always speak to that in last episode is teenagers and changing, that there's a time where the kids are no longer watching the disney channel. You know what I mean? They're not, they're not, they're no longer a disney kid.
Speaker 2:They'll start yeah, I mean they'll start wanting to venturing to, yeah, and I think, hopefully you can talk to them, at least pay attention to what they're watching to see what that changes. Because, okay, a great example of changing for kids. I carly, I mean I watched I carly as a show, but the girls did, yeah, I mean, back then to the new. I carly, the new, I carly grew up along with the show. Yeah, I mean like it's no longer the same. I carly as a whole. The topics have changed, I guess, and I guess the topics that are on these shows or the movies that your children have to want to watch. It's a great idea to know what those topics are and if that topic is appropriate for them. You can't shelter them. You can't shelter like we talk about on the internet and safety. There's so much you can shelter, but just don't limit.
Speaker 3:Yeah, with media as well just right, they're going to find out about this stuff. Yeah, I mean, I'll just. I think that most kids are going to be better off if you, as the parent, yeah, I mean, I'll just blame this stuff to them before they encounter it, so that they're not surprised and it's not like you know, they're like oh okay, I got it. My mom, my dad, told me about this thing. You know, but you can't prevent them from seeing stuff, because, no matter what you try to stop them doing, their friends will. They'll find a way to see it.
Speaker 2:Whatever I mean if you're friends with parent, other parents, yeah, I mean like the similar ages, or even you know you have conversations with your children's friends, parents probably not a bad idea to see what they're watching and try and keep. Yeah, I mean, let's just see if your child's head or and or I want to put it as a race or such, it's not, but I guess, understanding where your friend, where your children's friends are as well with what they're watching, yep, because it does. It takes one child to start the, the momentum, I guess, and that's how I watched a lot of the yeah, I mean shows that I was talking about start on sbs was from other friends that would go oh, yeah, did you know you stay up till you know a 10 o'clock on a sunday. There's this show that appears. Yeah, I mean that's we got used to.
Speaker 2:Like 9 30 on a friday was south. That was when the new south park episode would come out and that was. That took, yeah, I mean, just five weeks. That was season one of south park, but it took all of around five weeks before majority of the boys I knew growing up all knew that was. Yeah, I mean I'll just. And if, to be honest, if one person's parents didn't like them watching it, then they were going over to a friend's house that friday and they were probably watching it there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I'll just yep because that parent is doesn't care as much, or you know, is oblivious, or whatever so yeah, I mean even, even, even the video shops back in the day, the blockbusters and that sometimes like they only really cared. Yeah, I mean like just going into behind the curtain area, like that and but yeah I mean like the curtain.
Speaker 2:Yeah, goodness, sure that's weird, it's like a changer. Um, yeah, I mean but, but but you know, I mean like the m rated movies. I could, I could walk into a yeah, I mean one of those shops and just rent an m rated movie. You know, as a 12 year old, they don't want to check an id back then and and netflix doesn't check id now.
Speaker 3:I mean no and's there's stuff on Netflix. Yeah, exactly you know.
Speaker 2:So I mean you need to pin, put a pin on the account. If you really want to show you know, lock them away.
Speaker 3:But if you're a parent right now thinking, oh my God, there's so much to think about and worry about, yeah, I'm not going to tell you any?
Speaker 1:otherwise, there is. Yeah, I mean, it's a lot. You've been listening to Dad Mode. Our passion is navigating this wild journey of parenthood and modern life, from balancing family time to managing your career and still squeezing in some gaming and content creation. And no matter what the women say, they will never be able to pry the controller out of our cold dead hands. Anyway, we hope you enjoyed the show. If you did, find us on Twitter, tiktok and YouTube at DadModePodcast, and we can be found on every podcast site at Dad Mode Podcast. Y'all be cool. See you next time.
