Scenarios: A mother asks me to stop watching ‘Squid Game’ on a flight, and I refused. Was I wrong?

On the Gee and Ursula Show, hosts Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin take listeners’ advice questions and discuss what they think you should do.

Scenario: I was recently flying, the plane was packed, and I was watching ‘Squid Game’ on my laptop. I know, I know, I’m late to the party, but I’m catching up. I was in the window seat, and next to me was a woman. Next to her was her young daughter in the aisle seat. She asked me to turn off my computer and stop watching the show because she was afraid her daughter would be traumatized if she saw my screen. I told her it wasn’t my responsibility to manage what her daughter sees or doesn’t see, and suggested that she really can’t see it anyways, because she’s in the aisle seat. I put my headphones on and kept watching. Then, she called the flight attendant and complained. The flight attendant nicely asked if I would turn it off to make this problem go away. I explained that there was some violence, but it wasn’t sexually explicit and nobody else could hear it. Anyway, I told her I turned the screen more towards the window and kept it as private as possible. But it’s really the mom’s responsibility to manage her daughter. What’s the problem here? Really? I’m not the only one that watches mature content on flights. Did I do anything wrong?

Ursula: Okay, I know nothing about this show. But I’m going to take your word for it that it is not sexually explicit. It’s not porn. It’s not anything like that. I think the mom is just being too nosy. I’m sure that the kid probably isn’t even paying attention. The more attention you draw to it, the more the kid will start paying attention. I think this person has the right to watch whatever it is that he wants, as long as it’s not bothering other people to the point where the noise is too loud. I mean, he’s already said that he’s going to turn it to the window. I think she’s being excessive. It sounds like he put his foot down and said, “hey, it’s not my problem. It’s your problem.” And I actually agree with him.

Producer Andrew: You know, having just spent about 32 hours on international flights, it is impossible to avoid other people’s entertainment. And sometimes, that entertainment is infuriating. You find yourself having to watch whatever the person in front of you is watching just because your eyeballs can’t close at that particular moment. And I have my five-year-old son, who we’re trying to keep away from the gun stuff because that became an issue on the playground recently for him, and he’s watching like full-out gun battles in a show in the seat in front of us. And his eyes are just popping open like dinner plates. Did I say anything? No. Did I want to smack those people on the back of the head? Yes. That being said, we also had two children, five and under, on international flights, and my patience was about this thin. So try to be sensitive.

Gee: Real simple man. Just be nice. Like, I mean, you don’t have to, but if I was playing something and the lady says her daughter was seeing it, I would change it. But that’s just me. Nick, what you got?

Nick: Well, Heavens to Betsy. What do you expect to get going on a plane? It isn’t their responsibility for the other kid to cover their eyes. Mind your manners. Mind your business. Maybe come more prepared on the plane? Maybe some Disney? A little Nickelodeon game for the flight. Come on now.

Gee: And real quick. It also all depends on how the mom asked me. If she said, “excuse me, sir, hey, would you mind?” No problem. If she said, “excuse me, you need to turn that off.” Probably a different reaction.

Listen to Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin weekday mornings from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.