All the times we watched awkward sex scenes with our parents

Sometimes a fun viewing experience can become mortifying beyond belief.
 By 
Proma Khosla
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Awkwardly watching a sex scene with your parents is a tradition almost as old as the teen sex comedy itself. With Universal Pictures' Blockers in theaters today, we couldn't help reminiscing about the most awkward experiences we've had with our parents, the O.G. blockers in all our lives.

We originally wanted to keep this to teen sex comedies, but it turns out there are all sorts of ways to mortifyingly witness a sex scene with your parents (yes, Game of Thrones makes an appearance). Tune in below and be glad it isn't you.

"I remember watching Titanic with my parents. And Jack started drawing Rose. Me and my dad were both laughing as my mom hit us both and told me to cover my eyes." –Robert Wnorowski, Campaign Specialist

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"I saw The Hangover in theater with my dad, the two of us thinking it would be a fun comedy to watch together and bond over. Sadly, I was only 15, and the movie was rated R for more than just profanity, jokes, and drug use. I saw Ken Jeong’s penis. I saw several breasts and quite a few butts. It was a lot to handle sitting next to my dad as we both laughed uncontrollably and refused to make eye contact the entire time. I was relieved when the credits started, only to find out that Zach Galifianakis’s penis is in the credits." –Kellen Beck, Entertainment Reporter

"Just boobs on boobs on boobs on boobs. I had to leave the room."

"I watched Wedding Crashers with my dad once it came out on demand (I actually have no idea how we watched it – this was pre-Netflix, I think?) The opening montage to the song Shout where Owen Wilson's and Vince Vaughn's characters have sex with a ton of women in rapid succession proved almost immediately to much for me to watch in our small "Family room" across the couch from my father. Things got worse when the women started bouncing down on the bed, and then suddenly, they all started becoming topless. Just boobs on boobs on boobs on boobs. We had somehow chosen to watch the Unrated version. I had to leave the room." –Rachel Kraus, Editorial Fellow

"I watched Wolf of Wall Street with my mum and dad and brother and it was one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my existence. My mother had to turn her whole body away from the screen at certain, uh, key moments." –Rachel Thompson, UK Lifestyle Correspondent

"So, when I was 12, I watched You Don't Mess With the Zohan with my dad, which features Adam Sandler having sex with a bunch of elderly women. I can't remember if it was explicitly shown on the screen, but there was very candid discussion of it. And I was totally MORTIFIED and my dad to this day thinks nothing of it.

And then that same summer, my mom took me to the Sex and the City movie for a girl's night out and unlike my dad she's pretty conservative and she came out nearly SOBBING because she was like 'I RUINED YOUR INNOCENCE.'" –Petrana Radulovic, Editorial Fellow

"I was playing a video game called Killer is Dead, and one of the shopkeepers in the game is a sexy nurse who, with certain upgrades, you can see in lingerie. As I was interacting with her, my dad walked in and started talking about how hot she looked. Sidenote: he didn't know at the time that I'm gay." –Carlos Cadorniga, Ecommerce Intern

"I had a bunch of friends over in high school and my mom walked in on us watching Bruno...when his dick yells. Everyone got sent home."

"I was in the theatre at the same time my parent's were watching Sex and the City and I had to go get some dinner money from my mom, but came in at the same time as that 'sexy guy shower scene.' Also, I had a bunch of friends over in high school and my mom walked in on us watching Bruno...when his dick yells. Everyone got sent home." –Carley Sposta, Video Intern

"When I was 14 I went to see Sweeney Todd with my dad, but the projector in that theater broke or something and the venue offered people admission to any other film that was playing. The only other movie that was just starting was Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. So we went in not knowing what to expect. And almost right away there's a naked orgy scene and a long, comical close-up shot of a dick. It filled the big screen." –Tara Flanigan, Associate Producer

"In high school I was on vacation in Mexico with my parents and best friend and my friend and I were flipping through channels and landed on Zach and Miri Make a Porno (lol) and my dad comes downstairs to sit and watch with us and I could tell a sex scene was about to come on so I got up and ‘went to the bathroom’ leaving my friend alone to suffer through watching the very graphic and loud porn shoot scene sitting next to my dad." –Alex Humphreys, Associate Producer

"My mom took me to There's Something About Mary. In the hair gel scene I turned to her and screamed 'I know what that is,' and started giggling. Still remember the color of her face. I was only 12." –Isak Nahmias, Lead Engineer

"My dad decided to watch Game of Thrones for the first time ever with me – during Season 7. As fate would have it, it was the episode when Grey Worm and Missandei consummate their long-burning desire. This might have been the best sex scene in Thrones history, but I couldn't enjoy it one bit because I was staring at my laptop screen really hard and hoping to be absorbed into another dimension. It only lasted two minutes, but my entire life flashed before my eyes. Knowing my dad, he probably made a comment afterward to defuse the tension, but I can't remember it. I blacked out. We've never spoken of this and it's still way too soon." –Proma Khosla, Entertainment Reporter

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Proma Khosla

Proma Khosla is a Senior Entertainment Reporter writing about all things TV, from ranking Bridgerton crushes to composer interviews and leading Mashable's stateside coverage of Bollywood and South Asian representation. You might also catch her hosting video explainers or on Mashable's TikTok and Reels, or tweeting silly thoughts from @promawhatup.

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