TV sucks!

[vovat]

3x1minus1 linked to this list of the best and worst shows for family viewing, as rated by a group of pro-censorship busybodies. Some of my favorite parts include:

1. Four of the "good" shows are reality ones, while none of the "bad" shows are. Apparently, scripted television is bad for children.

2. "Even worse is the fact that Hollywood is peddling its filth to families with cartoons like The Family Guy and American Dad." Because if it's a cartoon, it HAS to be for kids, regardless of the time slot and censor ratings, right? What a narrow-minded thought. Besides, what does "peddling their filth" even MEAN in this case? Do they think that a kid who watches Family Guy is going to become a porn addict or something?

3. "Such subject matter would be bad enough on an adult-drama, but The O.C. was created for and is marketed directly to impressionable young viewers. One episode last season featured a party in which teenagers were shown smoking pot, snorting cocaine, and engaging in drunken threesomes." And if kids see those things, they're going to want to DO them, right? [1]

4. "Also last season, Marissa experimented with a same-sex relationship (which just happened to coincide with the February sweeps)." So, was this relationship unhealthy or damaging in any way? I wouldn't know, since I don't watch the show and have no intention to ever do so. But the Council seems to think that having a same-sex relationship is bad in and of itself.

5. "7th Heaven is one of the most wholesome and inoffensive programs on television." These people must be on more drugs than the characters on The O.C. if they think that. 7th Heaven is a show I'll watch BECAUSE of how horrendously offensive it is.

6. And, as 3x1minus1 pointed out, there are only nine good shows. It's called "Top Ten," but they couldn't find a tenth! What a damning condemnation of prime-time television THAT is!

Anyway, I'm going to see if I can get my driver's license picture taken today. Hopefully the crowds at the center won't be too bad. Then maybe I can get a picture that actually looks like me (although I wouldn't count on that).

[1] That isn't to say that this never happens or shouldn't be a concern, but there are usually other factors at work. People like the Parents' Television Council members seem to think it's impossible for kids (and maybe even adults) NOT to want to do what they on TV. They also totally ignore context.

Comments

[revme.livejournal.com]

Heh. I thought that it was funny that they objected to the "Haley-sleeps-with-Bullock-And-Stan-Doesn't-Mind-Because-He'll-Get-A-Promotion" storyline for the same reason that, you know, the storyline existed. (hint, parents tv: It wasn't to say Stan was right.)

I have to agree with them on "The War At Home", though. That show is excruciating.

And it looks like this season is PARTICULARLY Bad, since I just checked and last year actually HAD a 10th good show! Wiggy.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I didn't see that American Dad episode, but that just bears out what I said about how these people always disregard context.

I have to agree with them on "The War At Home", though. That show is excruciating.

I've never watched it, but it looks really bad. The thing is, these sites will often mention shows that actually ARE awful, but then give really dumb reasons for their dislike. Like how a lot of them will attack Will & Grace because "OMG IT HAS GAY PEOPLE!!!!!111" rather than because it's excruciatingly unfunny.

There seem to be a lot of "family" shows coming out as of late where the people really don't function as a family. I'm not talking about "family values," but simply how you couldn't even tell the parents WERE the parents if they didn't point it out. I remember watching one or two episodes of the thankfully short-lived That 80's Show that gave me that impression, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if The War at Home is the same way.

[revme.livejournal.com]

I actually pretty much agreed with their asessment of The War At Home, too, although that was probably because about 90% of the blurb was copped from the Post's review of it, heh. I mean, it IS awful because everyone involved is utterly vile. (Although I wouldn't object to the Masturbation Lubrication storyline on the grounds they presumably did (GOD HATES ONANISM!!), but I would still object to it (is it even possible to do well?).

[bethje.livejournal.com]

"There seem to be a lot of "family" shows coming out as of late where the people really don't function as a family."

Well, groups like that are in love with shows where the parents are parents and the kids are kids. And there's none of the talking back and the questioning the rules and the outsmarting the parents crap (like in All in the Family). I don't think that's often a problem. I think there are great shows that can work either way. I mean I simultaneously love All in the Family, The Brady Bunch, and Leave It to Beaver. But I guess I can't count old shows in the list they're going for. But I have to wonder why they don't encourage kids to watch classic shows.

Anyway, That 80's Show stunk up the place, because it was a crappy show, and not because parents didn't act like parents, or rather the dad wasn't dad-like. But did he have to be? His kids were all grown. Another good, but since canceled show where the parents come across as dumber than the adult kids would be Seinfeld. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. I'm not saying that the kids in That 80's Show came off better than the dad. They were ALL frigged up.

One more thing I wanna say about the list is this: Can't they at least acknowledge the totally amazing cleverness of Arrested Development's analyst + therapist = analrapist? If they don't think other people's kids should see it, they could at least say, "it's pretty smart, but not for tha youngstas"? I swear, if I raise kids, my own personal rule is that you can watch things as long as they're clever, and they can watch crap as long as they're aware that it's crap. It's importance that kids know the difference, I feel.

Oh, I guess I do have another comment re: that list. Now, I know that Two and a Half Men is crap, but I love how they say that kids would watch it, because there's a kid on there. What sense does that even make? Kids think it's a kids' show, because there's a kid??? Doofuses. Maybe four-year olds will watch The Exorcist, because there's a little girl in it!

Oh, and it seems like they really don't think that childrenless adults should be watching any of hte bad shows either.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

But I have to wonder why they don't encourage kids to watch classic shows.

I guess it's possible that they do. I haven't examined that entire site.

Anyway, That 80's Show stunk up the place, because it was a crappy show, and not because parents didn't act like parents, or rather the dad wasn't dad-like.

That's true. I was just pointing out that I had noticed that about the show, not saying that that's why it was bad. I guess the larger point is that I didn't find any of the characters convincing.

I don't think these people even notice cleverness, because their approach is so cut-and-dry. I can imagine them sitting down with a checklist, making a mark when they see something on their list of offensive stuff (sex references, violence, drug use, curse words, homosexuality, questioning of their own ultra-fundamentalist form of Christianity, etc.), and making a note of particularly "bad" things. When your mind works that way, it might be difficult to actually ENJOY anything.

[listenesmerelda.livejournal.com]

i like that, more or less, this is a list so that parents don't actually have to put forth the effort of actually checking out what their kids are watching and deciding whether or not they find it appropriate - now they can just say, "well, the parents' television council says it's bad!"

and i mean, really. if you're too dumb to realize that desperate housewives probably isn't really appropriate for your kids, then i think you've got bigger problems going on.

and these people WOULD like 7th heaven.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Interestingly enough, there's another similar site (http://www.pluggedinonline.com/) where they think 7th Heaven is too racy and anti-Christian (http://www.pluggedinonline.com/tv/television/a0001297.cfm).

[skylark-king.livejournal.com]

The parent's televsion council is about the furthest thing form parents I can think of. The fact that this even exsists shows that parents know that the TV have more control over the development of thier child than they do. Whatever happened to *gasp* parenting? Whatever happened to "You know this is just TV right?" Parents are so afraid to talk to thier children about drugs, sex and other problems that kids have to deal with that they let the TV do it for them... Then they get upset when the TV does it wrong.

Sorry folks, until the TV starts spitting out kids of its own the responsiblity lies SOLELY on your shoulders. If you can't handle that responsiblity I suggest you pull out a little earlier next time. You are unfit for parenthood.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Stuff like the Council seems to me to encourage half-assed parenting. Instead of actually talking to your kids, or watching shows yourself to find out what you might not want them seeing, just rely on this checklist!

[loz]

*snickersnerk* The only shows I'd ever watch are on the 'bad' list. Oh no, I'm immoral.

See, now, they mention Joan of Arcadia and I really did enjoy that show and thought it was well written - but it got axed. And judging by "Episodes so far have contained only minimal foul language, mild violence, and virtually no sexual content." The Ghost Whisperer is just about to be too :p

! And I object to this about Family Guy: thanks to the success of DVD sales among young males. Uhmm, hello?!

Desperate Housewives presupposes that statutory rape, murder, drug abuse, suicide, murder, and kinky, adulterous sex are sources of hilarity. --
It's so bad it has double the murder.

Thanks for the link, that was amusing.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Well, see women COULDN'T be buying DVD's, because they're too busy learning to cook, clean, and bear children. :P

[obsessical.livejournal.com]

it is hard to get to the store when you're giving birth. i usually make my christian, conservative husband go.

[slfcllednowhere.livejournal.com]

And if kids see those things, they're going to want to DO them, right?

"Like if someone says ninja, you'll become a ninja."

I think it's pretty exciting that they actually even know what Arrested Development is.

This stuff always amuses me a great deal. Have you looked around the CAP site?

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I love how CAP asks for money on every single page. One of my favorites is on the page about music affecting kids: "Maybe the environment of the sensory-depriving solitude of headphones blaring hate and aggression inside the subject's head where nothing exists but the voice in it augmented by the emotion-boiling music is equal to or even greater than the influence of the big screen? And on a side note, maybe video games are of even more severe influence than music and movies since music only lets the consumer hear aberrant behavior such as killing and movies only let the consumer watch the killing while the video game lets the user do the killing? If we find enough funding, we'll let you know."

And that design on the front page is horrible. If they really want anyone to take them SERIOUSLY, it might HELP for them to stop underlining and CAPITALIZING seemingly RANDOM words.