Mandy’s Musings: What Are Our Kids Watching?
By Mandy Bates
There are very few things I won’t let my son watch. I don’t want to “shelter” him, but I don’t want to overexpose him, either. So it is with great confusion that I have to prohibit him from watching the Disney Channel.
The kids on the shows are horrible. They are mouthy, they are disrespectful, and some of them are downright slutty, re: Sonny With a Chance cast members. Of course kids today are going to be acting like those they see on TV. I remember when I was a kid, acting like DJ Tanner on Full House (which he IS allowed to watch) and Carol Seaver on Growing Pains (which I would let him watch if I could find it…). But Zack and Cody are way too mouthy, and when I hear him repeat things he’s heard them say, it makes me cringe. And London, that girl is nothing but a narcissist. We don’t need our children thinking the world revolves around them. We have enough problems with contradictions we throw at them every days, such as, no one is better than anyone else, yet you’re “too good” to behave like that other kid.
This brings me to Hannah Montana. Why in the world is a teenager calling the shots? I mean, I know Miley is the boss in her real family, but why would Disney Channel allow it’s shows to portray snotty teenagers who not only boss around the parents but have the ultimate say so in their siblings’ lives as well? I find this appalling and ridiculous.
And it’s not just Disney. I used to love Nickelodeon, and never had a problem with iCarly, until the sexual harassment episode, “iHire an Idiot.” In this episode, the gang decides they need an intern to help with the show. After interviewing several qualified people, and one very qualified person, they hire the cute guy. Repeatedly during the episode, he is shirtless and referred to as “Baby.” Not to be outdone, the male cast member hires an “idiot” of a girl and says she won’t get fired till the dumbass guy gets fired, and it turns out the girl is really smart and was doing a research paper. But give me a break! This is NOT the kind of thing we need our children to be watching! As of now, we’ve boycotted the Disney Channel altogether (except when they show The Princess Diaries, because I still love that movie) and iCarly.
Having to ban iCarly makes me pretty sad. Miranda Cosgrove is just trying to keep her star status, since her singing career obviously isn’t going to get her anywhere. They keep trying to sexify her as well, but I believe she is resisting. But the episode showing them fawning over a shirtless guy who is completely incapable of doing even the most menial of tasks is where I have to draw the line.
By Mandy Bates
There are very few things I won’t let my son watch. I don’t want to “shelter” him, but I don’t want to overexpose him, either. So it is with great confusion that I have to prohibit him from watching the Disney Channel.
The kids on the shows are horrible. They are mouthy, they are disrespectful, and some of them are downright slutty, re: Sonny With a Chance cast members. Of course kids today are going to be acting like those they see on TV. I remember when I was a kid, acting like DJ Tanner on Full House (which he IS allowed to watch) and Carol Seaver on Growing Pains (which I would let him watch if I could find it…). But Zack and Cody are way too mouthy, and when I hear him repeat things he’s heard them say, it makes me cringe. And London, that girl is nothing but a narcissist. We don’t need our children thinking the world revolves around them. We have enough problems with contradictions we throw at them every days, such as, no one is better than anyone else, yet you’re “too good” to behave like that other kid.
This brings me to Hannah Montana. Why in the world is a teenager calling the shots? I mean, I know Miley is the boss in her real family, but why would Disney Channel allow it’s shows to portray snotty teenagers who not only boss around the parents but have the ultimate say so in their siblings’ lives as well? I find this appalling and ridiculous.
And it’s not just Disney. I used to love Nickelodeon, and never had a problem with iCarly, until the sexual harassment episode, “iHire an Idiot.” In this episode, the gang decides they need an intern to help with the show. After interviewing several qualified people, and one very qualified person, they hire the cute guy. Repeatedly during the episode, he is shirtless and referred to as “Baby.” Not to be outdone, the male cast member hires an “idiot” of a girl and says she won’t get fired till the dumbass guy gets fired, and it turns out the girl is really smart and was doing a research paper. But give me a break! This is NOT the kind of thing we need our children to be watching! As of now, we’ve boycotted the Disney Channel altogether (except when they show The Princess Diaries, because I still love that movie) and iCarly.
Having to ban iCarly makes me pretty sad. Miranda Cosgrove is just trying to keep her star status, since her singing career obviously isn’t going to get her anywhere. They keep trying to sexify her as well, but I believe she is resisting. But the episode showing them fawning over a shirtless guy who is completely incapable of doing even the most menial of tasks is where I have to draw the line.
2 comments:
Ther's a lot to be said for TV in the good old days.I know some of the families were too perfect but I think I prefer that to some of the stuff thats on Tv now!
I agree. I told Mandy that I remember when full episodes were devoted to kids being sassy.
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