If parents are really worried about their kids’ cultural exposure, the real issue isn’t the sex one, it’s the quality one.

To clarify, obviously I don’t mean you should let them explicit sex scenes in a good movie, but that I think you will find that really good movies don’t have explicit sex scenes. There were never better movies than during the time of “censorship” when the production code forbid the stuff that shows up every five minutes in our theatres today. There might be some innuendo in the classics, but kids won’t get it. And as for adults, it’s a whole lot sexier than anything a glorified streetwalker like Meghan Fox could ever provide.

Kralizec on July 14, 2009 at 12:59 AM

She’s also going to be 17 in a week. I don’t think she’s still jailbait then.

Their mom left the tv on not realizing that in the middle of the night animated pornography was broadcast on that network. I can’t imagine and network that plays cartoons for kids would broadcast that at night. I’ve heard it referred to as “adult swim”.

boomer on July 13, 2009 at 10:12 PM

Heh. Um, no. They do not broadcast animated pornography on Cartoon Network, though the material late at night on Cartoon Network is not intended for children, hence both the title “ADULT Swim” and the disclaimers before the shows.

If they really are kids, they shouldn’t BE up late watching television. They’ve put adult programming on late at night since cable existed. There’s no reason kids should be up till 2 watching anything. Hell, when I was 13-14 and I stayed up late, I was watching PBS. Granted, there are certain degrees of British Comedy that are just as risque, but at least it was somewhat cultured.

Instead I find I have to keep my ear to the ground to find anything good. My latest discovery? A currently airing Japanese animated show called Cross Game. I know, I know… Japanese animation??? And yet, there are no giant robots, no martial arts, and no blue hair. Instead, Cross Game is a old fashioned coming of age story. All about life, death, and baseball!

I like to think of it as The Wonder Years minus liberal politics plus The Natural. It’s that mythical product: entertainment that really is for the whole family.

Oh, and if the first episode doesn’t make you cry, then you have no heart.

So take courage. There still is good media being produced out there in the world. It just takes a lot more effort to find it.

The Other McCain on July 13, 2009 at 9:08 PM

I wouldn’t have my children watching the left-leaning pap on the Disney Channel anyway. That channel has been awful for the last decade. I’ve been without any television service for years, and I’m anticipating staying that way once I have kids. I’ll have tons of DVDs of all kinds of shows from my childhood for them to watch. They can watch the Disney Afternoon from way back.

However, again, if your complaint is with a saucy tango being danced by…what is she? 16? Then maybe you shouldn’t have kids so far under 16 watching it. I seem to recall things nearly as raunchy on Saved By The Bell, but I wasn’t interested in the show till I was in my teens.

Where’s Chris Hansen when we really need him?

At least the tango is classy.

Fine. I’m overreacting. Watch the video of the “classy” dance and imagine walking into the room while your children, ages 6, 8 and 10, were watching that.

A lot of people missed that point, though.

At least the tango is classy.

Watch this dance scene from Another Cinderella Story starring Disney teen sensation Selena Gomez:Granted, there’s probably more provocative dancing than that at the typical high-school prom nowadays, but is this sexy tango really appropriate for Disne…

Jon chuckles and says, “That’s so funny, a cat watching Mouseketeers.”

And Garfield gets a thought bubble that says, “Shake it, Annette.”