What do we think, folks? I remember watching "Saving Private Ryan" and some other movies in high school that were notable because of violence, but is sexual content another issue?

You have worded the question to get the answer you want. The proper question should be: Should the children of parents who object to R-rated content be forced to watch it over their parents' objection?

No one has suggested preventing students from watching these films if their parents consent to it. That's silly.

And please don't hack back into the "It's an elective" rubric, or the "he can sit out in the hall during that movie" line of argument. This class satisfies a graduation requirement, and is only quasi-elective. And no one wants to sit out in the hall, isolated from class, even if he has to watch objectionable material to avoid it.

But the same issue could easily arise in a required course. Similarly, please don't question the bona fides of the particular parent - this could be any parent, and could concern any variety of issues: teaching creation, or teaching religious practices,or global warming/cooling/climate-change. On and on.

Come on, Joe - get to the real issue. Let's all face up to it. Casting it in terms of how you want it to come out isn't fair to any of us - or our kids.

I think my poll question is about as simple as it gets and I think I've presented two sides to the argument, which there are. What is the real issue, Proud Teacher? (Again, full names are very much encouraged on Patch.)

I am a parent who is so glad that I do not have a student in that district. What has happened to the common sense of our schools. There is no way that they can tell me that there isn't another film that would give a similar expression without the use of sexuality. I have 2 daughters at Downers South and I would be not only disappointed but angry if our school chose to show movies with this content. Do you know how embarrassed my daughters would be to sit through the movie and to have to discuss it in front of peers. And what would their choice be, sit in the hall and feel isolated. I can't even believe this is an issue. I feel so sorry for my kids that things have gotten to this point. We look to our teachers to be role models. We hold higher standards to the Miss USA contest then to our own teachers and school administration. Shame on then for being pitiful role models.

To address both Proud Teacher and ks, the idea that a teacher of a film studies class (or any art class for that matter) can construct a syllabus of any value while avoiding sexuality is absolutely laughable. Sex is the foundation of so much of our art that it wouldn't be a stretch to liken it to trying to teach a math class while avoiding arithmetic. It would be one thing if the movies in question were cheap works of pornography or shock art, but they aren't; they are generally regarded as two incredibly fine examples of filmmaking. I'm sure the teacher will come up with some type of solution to appease Victor Casini's sense of modesty, but the fact that this is even an issue is a small example of the misguided puritanism that cheapens the education of many kids.

I myself am a teacher and I find it a shame to think that these films, although as you put it "are regarded as two incredibly fine examples of filmmaking" are the only choice the teacher had in this regard. While I agree that sexuality has become a large part of our culture, I'd hardly call my views puritan. Why is it that students need to be subjected to constant sexuality? My classes seem to do just fine without offending anyone's beliefs. I find it sad that because a parent doesn't want his son or daughter to view this, the parent is thought of as modest. If you call this an education, than in my opinion, you are misguided. I am sure the students will do just fine viewing a different movie. This is a "public" high school, not a college class. I am sorry but in my opinion it is views like yours that is the downfall of our education system.

Certainly the teacher could have chosen other movies over Brokeback Mountain and American Beauty, but to have him or her only choose movies that avoid any sexual content that could be considered controversial would rule out a tragically large number of the greatest and most important movies for, I would argue, no good reason. And I take issue with your statement that sexuality has become a large part of our culture, as if it were a recent phenomenon. Though the ways in which it has been expressed have morphed over the ages, sex has always been and always will be a cornerstone of our culture. I don't know what subject(s) you teach, obviously sex doesn't really have a place in a math class, but to avoid sexuality and to try and treat your classroom as a haven from it for whatever reason is to ignore its crucial importance, which is the antithesis of what a teacher should be doing. Not only is it bad educational policy, but like you said, this is a high school, where thousands of hormonal teenagers are crammed in close quarters for 7 hours a day. They could be watching Toy Story, the simple fact that a couple dozen kids are in a classroom together means they're being subjected to near constant sexuality. Any attempts to try and avoid it are absolutely futile.