Did you see ABC's Modern Family?
One of the daughters invited her boyfriend to live with her - she asked her dad to square it with mom. Clare and Phil were trying to be cool dad - cool mom. In the end they told the boyfriend he had to leave. But they were okay with it at first and let them sleep together. I know - it sounds so square to even comment on it.
(My parents did that with my brother and his girlfriend - they were just so happy he was straight.)
Did you see ABC's How To Get Away With Murder?
Nothing less than soft porn - no genital shots - but very realistic sex scenes - and yep - gay sex too.
Disney is the parent company.
Just think, single parents with kids, home alone while mom or dad are gone, and the kids get to watch this stuff. Just think, kids with parents like mine who let them watch what they want so long as they are home.
There is a lot to be said for not watching TV. As in not just watching in order to find something to watch, like flipping channels.
ReplyDeleteWe stopped cable about 8 years ago. We watched so much crap before that. Now we have Netflix and Prime. There's crap to be found there, but you have to choose it. You don't see it when flipping channels.
I think there is a huge difference in how media affects us between passive reception and active seeking. It's so much safer to say "I want to watch ______" and then call that up instead of just "I want to watch" and then taking what you get.
That being said, there is truth in "the medium is the message," so I'm sure I would be better off spiritually if I just didn't watch TV.
Best part of no cable is not being exposed to commercials. Yes, the shows are nearing peak moral bankruptcy, but the commercials are the brainwashers. Ugh. I have an internal freak-out everytime my kids are at my in-laws or BIL's house and watch Nickelodeon (they just leave it on all day in the background?!?!). Those shows and commercials are clearly designed to create little monsters.
The commercials have subtle gay themes too. I've seen two pretty girls hugging after they climb a mountain - are they sisters, friends or ??? Another commercial has two young handsome guys bringing home a little Asian girl baby they have just adopted to the new - and accepting - grandparents. The grandparents are probably just thrilled they have a grandchild as their other straight kids are too busy getting another degree or travelling or sleeping in. IKEA is more obviously gay friendly. My grandchildren are watching all of this and just blindly accept it.
ReplyDeleteLooking back on when I was a child, I was surprised what my parents let me watch. Now it was the 70's and things were tamer but I used to watch the soaps with my mom and they were much more explicit than prime time back then. I think sometimes my parents were in a kind of denial and I wonder if parents are the same way today. It seems like they thought if it was on tv it couldn't be THAT bad. But I have a hard time believing anyone thinks that the networks, govt, whatever, have their best interests in mind.
ReplyDeleteLooking back on when I was a child, I was surprised what my parents let me watch. Now it was the 70's and things were tamer but I used to watch the soaps with my mom and they were much more explicit than prime time back then. I think sometimes my parents were in a kind of denial and I wonder if parents are the same way today. It seems like they thought if it was on tv it couldn't be THAT bad. But I have a hard time believing anyone thinks that the networks, govt, whatever, have their best interests in mind.
ReplyDeleteMy kids don't watch that particular trash.
ReplyDeleteThis issue comes up all the time with all forms of media. I personally don't believe in locking it away from kids, because that almost always has the opposite effect of what the parents want.
I've seen many questionable TV shows and movies and read many questionable books in my 45 years. However, I had a fairly solid Catholic upbringing. I was able to say, just because they're showing this on TV doesn't mean it's right. I still do this to this day.
If kids are exposed to this crap, and they know it goes against their values, talk to them about it. My mom had that open door policy with me, and I have it with my kids.