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By Allison McDowell Enstrom
Special to MSN TV
When did it become acceptable to use "b----" and "ass" on prime-time TV? It
used to be less common and might have even caused a gasp of indignation. Now
it's just part of the fabric of our television lives. But I'm not OK with
that! In fact, I'm sort of p---ed about it!
Season 19 of "Survivor" is under way and, like
millions of other families, we've been watching it. "Survivor" has been sliding
down the slippery slope of questionable material for a while now. But the latest
season has put me over the edge and I don't feel like my kids can watch it with
us anymore. To be clear, I'm not some puritanical schoolmarm. I realize there's
language out there that you can't protect your kids from. I'm even OK with
blurred and/or bleeped material. But when we're watching television as a family
at 8 o'clock at night, I shouldn't have to race to the remote to find mute
when the latest villain calls a group of women, "my dumb-ass girl
alliance." That was in the first 15 minutes of the first show. The third episode
ended with another enraged villain spouting, "She was a b----," at tribal
court. And I wasn't reading lips; it went unbleeped.
Video: Kid-friendly clips | More: Reality TV on MSN TV
I'll also watch "Top Chef" with the kids, which
seems to be a decent family show. And usually, we watch reruns during various
hours of the day. Not too long ago, famous D-lister and marginal comedian Kathy Griffin was promoting her Bravo special called
"She'll Cut a B----." I don't care
so much about the show; my TV has that power button, too, so I can turn it off.
But Bravo tends to promote its shows ad nauseam, and this one was no
exception. So, we may be watching TV in the middle of the day and see multiple
promotions for "She'll Cut a B----." Apparently the network has so few
qualms about language that it can put that in the title of an
oft-advertised program.
The examples are endless, especially once you enter MTV or FX terrain. But the broadcast channels
are just as guilty of promoting their most sensational moments of upcoming
shows, which inevitably contain very violent clips, reality show contestants
boiling over, or your garden-variety bleepage of bad language. My main objection
is the unpredictability of the ads. I expect content to be too mature for my
kids during a 10 o'clock show. And, realistically, probably even at 9. If I
let my kids sit through "Law & Order" with me, I'm choosing to
subject them to content that's not meant for young audiences. I just don't think
you should have to expect that at 8 o'clock. The commercial breaks are
usually when I walk away to unload the dishwasher or start another load of
laundry. Do I really need to sit through them to make sure my kids can put the
earmuffs on in time to avoid content that's too mature? (And, do I even need to
mention the commercial by Conoco/Phillips telling people to use their pinkies as
a "thank you" instead of a middle finger in road rage, all the while
blurring out the bird?)
I'm not known for my prudish language. I could hang with some salty dogs if I
had to, but I expect a little more for my kids, especially since they're still
kids! I can't, in good conscience, send my son to second grade thinking
it's OK to talk like the guys on "Survivor." Ultimately that means I can't,
in good conscience, let my kids watch certain networks or prime-time shows.
"What about the FCC?" you ask. (Story Continues On Next Page...) |
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