Teacher busted for showing ‘Kung Fu Hustle’ in class

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by Mark Pollard | November 18, 2009

KUNG FU HISTLE

It was meant to be a reward for academic achievement but now a junior high school teacher who screened portions of Stephen Chow’s martial arts comedy KUNG FU HUSTLE to a classroom full of sixth graders is in the crosshairs of two angry parents who object to their son being shown an “R” rated movie.

This all came about after Caleb Gonzalez played a portion of KUNG FU HUSTLE for his sixth grade class at Standard Middle School last Friday. Like any normal kid, Heidi Flook’s son wanted to see the rest of the film and asked his parents to rent it. After looking at the movie, Pa Flook was shocked, claiming the movie contained “a lot of violence …. some foul language and nudity scenes.”

Apparently, Pa Flook missed the “R” rating on the box at the video store which references “sequences of strong stylized action and violence.” He may also have gotten the wrong movie altogether considering the closest thing to “nudity” in the movie is Ho Man-fai’s partially exposed butt crack.

The fallout from the Flook outrage included calls to the school principle, vice-principle and district superintendent.

In speaking to local news, principle Tonny Gizbertz said, “It’s clearly inappropriate, and it’s something I need to talk to the teacher about, and make sure it didn’t happen again.”

Ma Flook was not satisfied. “I think it’s my right as a parent to know what happened to a teacher that chooses to play an ‘R’ rated movie in front of my son,” she said.

Flook said that parents need to ask their kids what they did in class and if they’re not happy with the answer they need to start asking school officials a lot of questions.

“If something like this happens, to hold teachers, and staff, the superintendent — everyone accountable.”

I wonder what others think. Is KUNG FU HUSTLE too raunchy for an 11 or 12-year-old and should it have been shown in class without prior approval from parents? Any suggestions for other martial arts movies that Mr. Gonzalez could have shown instead? Should Stephen Chow movies be added to the curriculum in American public schools?

Source: Bakersfield Now

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  • TrueWiseman
    It's like the Episode of The Simpson - Lost Verizon. Parents (mostly mothers) are too attach to there kids. Don't want then to watch violence on TV or movies. Don't do this, don't do that. Pamper then enough, they will be little pantsy. I had my kid watch lots of KungFu fighting movies and he turn out great. A little Wing Chun figher. KungFu Hustle is a great movie for kids and adults. It's funny and the action is really decent. There wasn't alot of killing and plus the killing was pretty funny also. Have it being rated "R"? That's funny. I've seen plenty of PG-13 movies that was way more violent then KungFu Hustle.
  • Totallly bad my perants let me wtach asian films since I was at least nine.
  • Kung Fu Hustle is rated R? What the deuce? Then again, I remember trying to buy Jet Li's Swordsman II back in high school, and finding out that that was R too. I guess MPAA is just hella retarded when it comes to rating Asian movies.

    To whoever said that Ma and Pa Flook were being "good parents" for "being concerned about what their kids were watching" - it's not good parenting if they don't bother to do the research.
  • KHoward
    The mother needs to get her head checked...or possibly bombarded on facebook. Any takers?
  • georgeclarke
    The Flooks need to shut the fook up and appreciate the introduction this teacher has given their child!! My 3 and 6 year old kids love it - and I'm sure Pa Flook had no probelm letting his kid watch X-amount of Hollywood crap, rated 12 or so, that depicts many worse things.

    Let me just say that in my whole 3000+ collection of Asian cinema (and almost every Chow Sing Chi film) I can't honestly think of one that needs drug fuelled humour and sex to get a laugh - unlike most Hollywood teen comedies that are disgustingly saturated with those ingredients. Look at Transformers 2... Drugs and sex in a 12a shown in a positive and fun way, that I'm sure Pa Flook took his kid to see with much encouragement!

    This is why Chow's comedies, and Hong Kong comedies in general, surpass the comedy hits of Hollywood ...

    Shame on you Flook!! Shame!!

    Now get your kid the uncut version for Xmas!!

    Peace.
  • Well, knowing parents today, he should've been a lot more careful about choosing the movies he showed. That said, I won't condemn the guy, considering that the first Bruce Lee movie I saw was "The Big Boss," which I watched uncut in a middle school classroom that doubled as the chess club during lunch hour (and the teacher didn't catch any flack at all for that).
  • Kobalatse
    My 6 year old loves this movie, especially the extended cut with added blood and violence
    the north American cut is a god damed joke and its unreal live action cartoon "violence" is transparent to even a 4 year old

    those "parents" should simply admit their child has a low IQ and wets his bed at the sight
    of blood. Get real people, this is the Dumbest article i have ever read. Even the news is worse than kung fu hustle
  • True it was a bad idea (and prob broke school rules)..but it is overreacting. Have the parents even talked to the teacher (maybe honest mistake), or watched the movie? To many people jump the gun on issues without being informed. BTW I have 3 kids, and if this happened I would
    A. WATCH THE MOVIE ( as stated the nudity is misleading) Talk to the teacher, find out all info (blaming the whole district/Superintendant is a bit silly...they hardly have the time to check EVERY decision made by ALL teachers in their district.

    Bad idea, yes, overreaction, yes.

    Funny to as many times these same kids see as bad, or worse at home on tv/cable.
  • albertv
    I think both sides have made valid points. The teacher was somewhat wrong for showing Kung Fu Hustle off the bat. Perhaps if he had been able to get some sort of approval from the principal, then it wouldn't be a big deal. As for the Flooks, they apparently only saw the video box if I'm correct and saw the R rating. Perhaps if they were to view the film themselves before making a brash decision before ultimately deciding, then it wouldn't be a big deal.
  • Every school district has rules about what media can be used in class and at what times. I'd be surprised if the teacher didn't break at least a few of them. As much as I like Kung Fu Hustle (and don't think it deserved an "R" rating) it probably doesn't have any reasonable use for middle school education.

    The people who have accused the Flooks of "TypicaL Over-Reaction from White Anglo *Mock* Outrage" probably don't have kids. Or a brain. The Flooks are actually concerned about what their kids are exposed to, which is unfortunately rare. The tone of their quotes comes off as shrill and obnoxious, but since none of us actually know them (or their race, CirenzSonG), the animosity shown by some of the commentators here is not only misplaced, but disgusting.
  • B-diddy
    Parents are just plain silly. Ms. Flook needs to find a better use for her time. If Ms. Flook was a good parent her son would already know the difference between right and wrong and fiction vs reality to where an R movie shouldn't be some type of huge impact in her son's life. My favorite movie when I was ten? The Rock with Sean Connery. I haven't stabbed, shot, or exploded any one yet so I'm assuming my parents did a good job raising me. Maybe because they spent their free time with me as opposed to embarrassing their child with some crazy phone campaign that will result in the other kids hating her son for ruining their movie time.
  • Rhythm-X
    KUNG FU HUSTLE had no business being rated R in the first place. That's the MPAA's fault for being really bad at classifying movies. The US version was just the toned-down Mainland China version without the Mandarin dubbing. Still, any teacher who shows an R rated movie to a bunch of middle schoolers, even if it doesn't actually deserve to be rated R, is an idiot for not seeing this sort of thing coming. (This is no defense of the appropriately named Flook parents, though. This whole story is a battle of stupid versus retarded, loser takes all. The teacher and the Flooks should settle the matter in the Thunderdome for my amusement.)
  • darrinkemp
    Here's a question:how many of these same "outraged" parents are going to let their kids see that half ass bull shit New Moon movies which is going to have a lot more blood and violence that Stephen Chows entire output combined?
  • iman
    I suggest everyone drop a quick email to the school defending the teacher. They are going to get a lot of mail from "concerned parents" thinking that the is movie is filled with graphic violence and nudity.
    http://www.standard.k12.ca.us/sms/index.cfm?fus...
  • Phil
    I grew up watching all of Stephen Chow's stuff in the 90's and I'm 26 now. This stuff and 80's-90's HK cinema was a staple of my youth. If anything, I'm glad this sort of entertainment, especially Stephen Chow's comedy, was available to me. They're nothing like say, T2 and I'm sure most kids have seen that.
  • MisterFoo
    I don't think KFH is too raunchy or violent or anything for a middle-school aged kid, but that's really irrelevant. The fact of the matter is the most effective way to ensure that movies shown in schools are age-appropriate is to go by the rating, not the teacher's subjective discretion. If a child's parents think he can handle watching an R-rated film, they can show it to him on their own time.
  • liho
    You can also find Kung fu Hustle on Spike t.v.So if it's edited(like it is on t.v.)and if thats where it was coming from. I don't see whats the problem.
  • iganinja
    lol this is DUMB!
  • TypicaL Over-Reaction from White Anglo *Mock* Outrage, Seriously these folks need to loosen their sphincters with some lube, so that the STICK that's Lodged up their @SS wiLL Remove itSELF...Stephen FUCKING CHOW?

    Seriously, Oh, Boo hoo, F--- these Losers...

    They have the right 2 be upset, but their poor attitude needs 2 be adjusted

    Losers
  • pokez
    wtf? this is dumb! why would a parent trip all over the place for this kind of thing. everyone has seen this kind of things for way too long now. its not like the parents could stop them, with technologies these days you can find this stuff anywhere. if a kid was to attempt these things, its the kids fault. im sure the kids know wat they're getting themselves into. they know the consequences. plus, kids would grow up laughing and saying how stupid it was for this "situation" to happen. wat about those BRATZ dolls, aren't those kinda slutty? teaching little girls to look and act a certain way, wtf is that? dang, i swear!
  • Bah. My kids are 7 and 10 (each of which have friends that watch Family Guy and Robot Chicken) and watched Kung Fu Hustle for the first time last week. I thought it was fine and they actuallly requested it as their 'bedtime movie'.

    It's rated R, but it's actually 14A in Canada.

    Before parents freak out on teachers, they should actually WATCH the movie and see what the fuss is about. And besides, the teacher showed 'portions' of the movie.

    Did anyone ask him which portions?

    God forbid someone watch kung fu flicks, but reading about racism, slavery and war is just dandy.

    For kid-friendly kung fu, I'd throw on pretty much anything with Jackie Chan.
  • stdthagreat
    No f'n way. It depends on the parenting of the child and the child's maturity. I'm sure all of these kids have seen much worse on tv and on the internet. I've played Mortal Kombat, Conker's Bad Fur Day,..etc when I was a kid. My father threatened me "don't you ever try this shit in real life, it's not real!" Thats all it takes. Kids these days.
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