| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"johac" |
| Date: |
20 Oct 2005 02:02:30 AM |
| Object: |
Parents' Group Warns Against 4 Fox Shows |
Small things occupy small minds.
Except for occasionally 'Family Guy', I haven't really watched many of
the shows, but again, if you don't like the show, change the cannel or
shut the TV off.
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Parents' Group Warns Against 4 Fox Shows
Wed Oct 19, 7:28 PM ET
Four Fox network programs, led by the comedies "The War at Home," "The
Family Guy" and "American Dad," topped a parents group's annual listing
of the worst prime-time shows for family viewing.
The Parents Television Council rated two aspirational reality shows,
ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and NBC's new "Three Wishes," as
the best programs for family viewing.
The group's president, L. Brent Bozell, said he was alarmed that the
three Fox Sunday night comedies are being marketed as family friendly.
"Families should not be deceived," he said. "The top three worst shows
all contain crude and raunchy dialogue with sex-themed jokes and foul
language. Even worse is the fact that Hollywood is peddling its filth to
families with cartoons."
A Fox spokesman said the network never comments on reports by the
Parents Television Council.
But TV Watch, a lobbying organization started by the networks to oppose
governmental regulation of television, objected to the list.
"It is far more constructive to encourage parents to decide what their
children watch on TV by using ratings or screening shows than to hurl
insults at shows enjoyed by millions of Americans," TV Watch spokeswoman
Kathy Roeder said.
The Fox drama "The O.C." was fourth on the PTC's list of worst
prime-time shows for families. Add in "That '70s Show" and "Arrested
Development," and the network that tries to be hip for young viewers
makes up 60 percent of the list.
Television's two most popular programs CBS' "CSI: Crime Scene
Investigation" and ABC's "Desperate Housewives are also cited as bad
family viewing. So were "Two and a Half Men" and "Cold Case" on CBS.
The group said it makes its determinations based on the amount of bad
language and sexual and violent content, giving more weight to shows
that appear earlier in the evening when children are likely to be awake,
said Melissa Caldwell, its research director.
Fox's "American Idol," which returns in January, made the group's list
of best family viewing experiences. Two new shows, CBS' "The Ghost
Whisperer" and UPN's "Everybody Hates Chris," also made it.
Bozell said the group couldn't even come up with 10 prime-time shows it
would recommend for family viewing. Its list stops at nine.
---
http://tinyurl.com/ex25c
--
John Hachmann aa #1782
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
-Voltaire
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| User: "Kenneth P. Turvey" |
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| Title: Re: Parents' Group Warns Against 4 Fox Shows |
21 Oct 2005 02:08:59 AM |
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On Thu, 20 Oct 2005 00:02:30 -0700, johac wrote:
Except for occasionally 'Family Guy', I haven't really watched many of
the shows, but again, if you don't like the show, change the cannel or
shut the TV off.
These people are always way off. I think the "Family Guy" is great. I
don't really watch much T.V., but this show is almost worth scheduling
time for.
I guess we aren't really the demographic they had in mind when they said
"family television" on alt.atheism and all. I am the father of two and
I don't mind if they see "Family Guy" also.
I did have some difficulty explaining what a prostitute was to my nine
year old while watching an episode of "King of the Hill". It was
particularly difficult to explain the societal views of prostitution and
how it can be widely looked down upon and at the same time widely
available and used.
Even she understood enough to think it was funny. If you haven't seen
it, it is the episode where a prostitute moves in with the family. Of
course the family doesn't know she's a prostitute.
I just want to differentiate it from any of the other "King of the Hill"
episodes revolving around a prostitute. :-)
- --
Ken
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| User: "johac" |
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| Title: Re: Parents' Group Warns Against 4 Fox Shows |
22 Oct 2005 01:47:25 AM |
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In article <pan.2005.10.21.07.08.59.92851@squeakydolphin.com>,
"Kenneth P. Turvey" <kt-usenet@squeakydolphin.com> wrote:
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1
On Thu, 20 Oct 2005 00:02:30 -0700, johac wrote:
Except for occasionally 'Family Guy', I haven't really watched many of
the shows, but again, if you don't like the show, change the cannel or
shut the TV off.
These people are always way off. I think the "Family Guy" is great. I
don't really watch much T.V., but this show is almost worth scheduling
time for.
I guess we aren't really the demographic they had in mind when they said
"family television" on alt.atheism and all. I am the father of two and
I don't mind if they see "Family Guy" also.
I did have some difficulty explaining what a prostitute was to my nine
year old while watching an episode of "King of the Hill". It was
particularly difficult to explain the societal views of prostitution and
how it can be widely looked down upon and at the same time widely
available and used.
Even she understood enough to think it was funny. If you haven't seen
it, it is the episode where a prostitute moves in with the family. Of
course the family doesn't know she's a prostitute.
I just want to differentiate it from any of the other "King of the Hill"
episodes revolving around a prostitute. :-)
I didn't see the episode, but I think that your remarks go right to the
point. You were OK watching it and explaining it to your daughter,
others might not be. In the latter case, all they needed to do was to
tell their kids that the show was inappropriate and switch to another
channel or turn the set off.
\
The producers will never make a show that pleases everybody so let the
consumer decide. If enough people won't watch a certain show and the
sponsors won't support it, it will go off the air. At least that was the
way that I thought it was supposed to work.
--
John Hachmann aa #1782
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
-Voltaire
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| User: "Ken" |
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| Title: Re: Parents' Group Warns Against 4 Fox Shows |
22 Oct 2005 02:09:07 AM |
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On Fri, 21 Oct 2005 23:47:25 -0700, johac wrote:
I didn't see the episode, but I think that your remarks go right to the
point. You were OK watching it and explaining it to your daughter,
others might not be. In the latter case, all they needed to do was to
tell their kids that the show was inappropriate and switch to another
channel or turn the set off.
In some instances this is how I would have handled it. It just seems
foolish to me to get upset about sex in a cartoon when my daughters hears
about murders, and rapes, and beatings on T.V. pretty much when it gets
turned on. If not TV, they discuss these things on the radio.
Have to have a slightly uncomfortable discussion with her about
prostitution while watching an animated comedy was much easier than
explaining two her what some body went through on CSI (something I don't
let her watch).
This is even more ridiculous when one considers that the average 14 year
old can go the movies with the only goal in mind to be watching a
decapitation, and the odds are he will be able to find a movie on any
given evening.
This could be used to argue for more censorship. I think that is really
part of the problem. We can't come up with uniform standards for every
child that will match what the parents really want. Sex? I couldn't care
less about the sexual content of movies my daughters see, assuming it is
consensual and not degrading. Drugs? I'm uncomfortable with images of
successful people regularly using hard drugs. I'm not so uncomfortable
with it I wouldn't want them to see it, but it is something to think
about. Now there are movies that are centered around drugs I would not
mind my daughters watching: Blow, for example (based on my memory of the
movie). I would just want some time to put the movie in a historical
framework. Violence is the one thing that bothers me. I don't want my
kids watching explicit violence. It isn't that they will never encounter
it in their lives, but they want encounter a Hollywood version of it. I
want them to understand violence and how to react to it, and when it is
justified, and what are the rules of the use of force. I want them
to know these things someday as they get older. Right now they don't
really need it in their entertainment.
The producers will never make a show that pleases everybody so let the
consumer decide. If enough people won't watch a certain show and the
sponsors won't support it, it will go off the air. At least that was the
way that I thought it was supposed to work.
- --
Ken
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| User: "johac" |
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| Title: Re: Parents' Group Warns Against 4 Fox Shows |
23 Oct 2005 01:38:16 AM |
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In article <pan.2005.10.22.07.09.06.28665@volkswagon>,
Ken <nobody@nowhere.com> wrote:
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1
On Fri, 21 Oct 2005 23:47:25 -0700, johac wrote:
I didn't see the episode, but I think that your remarks go right to the
point. You were OK watching it and explaining it to your daughter,
others might not be. In the latter case, all they needed to do was to
tell their kids that the show was inappropriate and switch to another
channel or turn the set off.
In some instances this is how I would have handled it. It just seems
foolish to me to get upset about sex in a cartoon when my daughters hears
about murders, and rapes, and beatings on T.V. pretty much when it gets
turned on. If not TV, they discuss these things on the radio.
Have to have a slightly uncomfortable discussion with her about
prostitution while watching an animated comedy was much easier than
explaining two her what some body went through on CSI (something I don't
let her watch).
I don't have kids, but if I did, I would be more concerned about them
watching violence then sex.
This is even more ridiculous when one considers that the average 14 year
old can go the movies with the only goal in mind to be watching a
decapitation, and the odds are he will be able to find a movie on any
given evening.
Perhaps we need to redo the movie codes and make sure that the theaters
enforce them, But again, I think that parents have a responsibility to
know what movies their kids are watching.
This could be used to argue for more censorship. I think that is really
part of the problem. We can't come up with uniform standards for every
child that will match what the parents really want. Sex? I couldn't care
less about the sexual content of movies my daughters see, assuming it is
consensual and not degrading. Drugs? I'm uncomfortable with images of
successful people regularly using hard drugs. I'm not so uncomfortable
with it I wouldn't want them to see it, but it is something to think
about. Now there are movies that are centered around drugs I would not
mind my daughters watching: Blow, for example (based on my memory of the
movie). I would just want some time to put the movie in a historical
framework. Violence is the one thing that bothers me. I don't want my
kids watching explicit violence. It isn't that they will never encounter
it in their lives, but they want encounter a Hollywood version of it. I
want them to understand violence and how to react to it, and when it is
justified, and what are the rules of the use of force. I want them
to know these things someday as they get older. Right now they don't
really need it in their entertainment.
Perhaps the industry could help if they did a better job of informing
the audience as to exactly what the show was about. Instead of a brief
graphic warning of 'Adult Content', 'Violence', etc. They could show a
brief plot summary listings things that parents might find
objectionable. Perhaps these summaries could be published in a "TV Guide
for Parents".
For the record, I do not like violent shows myself and do not watch
those CSI, or COPS type programs. As a matter of fact, I watch very
little on commercial TV these days.
The producers will never make a show that pleases everybody so let the
consumer decide. If enough people won't watch a certain show and the
sponsors won't support it, it will go off the air. At least that was the
way that I thought it was supposed to work.
- --
Ken
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--
John Hachmann aa #1782
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
-Voltaire
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| User: "Alisson" |
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| Title: Re: Parents' Group Warns Against 4 Fox Shows |
20 Oct 2005 12:17:02 PM |
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Two things:
1) Kids shouldn't be parked in front of the TV. They should be in bed
by 9 or 10 and if they're awake they should be playing, doing homework,
etc.
2) I'm going to be really upset if anything happens to these shows.
Because some people are too lazy to parent their kids correctly doesn't
mean that i should suffer, does it?
I'm gald that organizations like TV Watch are around to provide some
balance to the PTC.
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| User: "johac" |
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| Title: Re: Parents' Group Warns Against 4 Fox Shows |
21 Oct 2005 12:49:28 AM |
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In article <1129828622.613067.69440@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
"Alisson" <aleroona@yahoo.com> wrote:
Two things:
1) Kids shouldn't be parked in front of the TV. They should be in bed
by 9 or 10 and if they're awake they should be playing, doing homework,
etc.
I don't understand why many parent's, especially the conservative ones
would want to hand over the responsibility for monitoring what their
kids watch to the federal government.
2) I'm going to be really upset if anything happens to these shows.
Because some people are too lazy to parent their kids correctly doesn't
mean that i should suffer, does it
I agree. Adults should not be condemned to watch kiddie TV just because
some parents are to lazy or too self absorbed to watch their own kids.
I'm gald that organizations like TV Watch are around to provide some
balance to the PTC.
Some organizations are OK, but the prime responsibility is with the
parents.
--
John Hachmann aa #1782
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
-Voltaire
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| User: "Alisson" |
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| Title: Re: Parents' Group Warns Against 4 Fox Shows |
23 Oct 2005 12:01:36 PM |
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I agree that the responsibility is with the parents, and I think that's
the major platform that TV Watch argues from.
To me, although I do not watch a number of these programs, its
important to at least have the choice there. I have no room to allow
the government or anyone else to step on my first ammendment rights.
Its more of an "in principle" thing. Make sense?
I did some further research about TV Watch...I signed their
anti-censorship petition. Its a step. I would encourage anyone else
who cares about the issue to do the same:
http://www.televisionwatch.org/site/c.dqLSI7OCKlF/b.505663/k.CBBE/Home.htm
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| User: "johac" |
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| Title: Re: Parents' Group Warns Against 4 Fox Shows |
24 Oct 2005 12:53:03 AM |
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In article <1130086896.798109.316080@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
"Alisson" <aleroona@yahoo.com> wrote:
I agree that the responsibility is with the parents, and I think that's
the major platform that TV Watch argues from.
To me, although I do not watch a number of these programs, its
important to at least have the choice there. I have no room to allow
the government or anyone else to step on my first ammendment rights.
Its more of an "in principle" thing. Make sense?
I did some further research about TV Watch...I signed their
anti-censorship petition. Its a step. I would encourage anyone else
who cares about the issue to do the same:
http://www.televisionwatch.org/site/c.dqLSI7OCKlF/b.505663/k.CBBE/Home.htm
Thanks. I did too. I don't have kids, but I don't want the government
deciding what I can or can't watch on TV. To me it's not such a giant
step from censoring shows for naughty language to censoring them for
political content.
--
John Hachmann aa #1782
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
-Voltaire
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| User: "Alisson" |
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| Title: Re: Parents' Group Warns Against 4 Fox Shows |
26 Oct 2005 04:34:12 PM |
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Glad to hear that you joined TV Watch. Did you sign their petition
too??
I also don't have children, but I don't think that really affects the
arguement at all. The government regulates television enough, I don't
need them to regulate anything else.
the TV Watch site has some interesting blog tid-bits that touch on that
same subject.
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