2008 Woodie Awards
Mass media cater to kids all too often
Joseph Froemming
Issue date: 9/27/07 Section: Opinions
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I'm sick of everything in entertainment pandering to the interests of children.
I see athletes in the news being publicly humiliated for being bad role models for kids.
I have to pay extra for premium channels to watch quality TV shows like "The Sopranos" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" because those shows don't treat audiences like 10-year-olds. I'm sick of watching censored movies on TV, even late at night, because of the off chance some little kids might watch and hear a dirty word.
If you listen to the radio, all the songs are censored because a child might be listening.
People blew their tops off when Janet Jackson lost hers for a few seconds at a Super Bowl halftime special. Most viewers didn't see anything, but if some kid recorded it and paused it at just the right moment, well, their life just might be ruined forever by a partially exposed nipple.
We live in a culture that bases almost everything on how media might affect some kids. People then wonder why, after years of living with this mentality, our own government treats us like we are all 10-year-olds.
People have been shocked in the past decade that our presidents have lied to us. Children are shocked when an authority figure lies, but adults should not be. Adults should know those in power lie, especially parents who lie to their children about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.
So we elect childish presidents. We elect childish senators and representatives. Bill Clinton famously uttered a childish phrase when he asked for the definition of the word "is." George W. Bush has so many childish quotes it is redundant to list them here.
Our culture needs to grow up. I want adults to be treated like adults. Our news and entertainment and culture should not be distilled because parents don't want to keep tabs on what their children watch or listen to.
I see athletes in the news being publicly humiliated for being bad role models for kids.
I have to pay extra for premium channels to watch quality TV shows like "The Sopranos" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" because those shows don't treat audiences like 10-year-olds. I'm sick of watching censored movies on TV, even late at night, because of the off chance some little kids might watch and hear a dirty word.
If you listen to the radio, all the songs are censored because a child might be listening.
People blew their tops off when Janet Jackson lost hers for a few seconds at a Super Bowl halftime special. Most viewers didn't see anything, but if some kid recorded it and paused it at just the right moment, well, their life just might be ruined forever by a partially exposed nipple.
We live in a culture that bases almost everything on how media might affect some kids. People then wonder why, after years of living with this mentality, our own government treats us like we are all 10-year-olds.
People have been shocked in the past decade that our presidents have lied to us. Children are shocked when an authority figure lies, but adults should not be. Adults should know those in power lie, especially parents who lie to their children about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.
So we elect childish presidents. We elect childish senators and representatives. Bill Clinton famously uttered a childish phrase when he asked for the definition of the word "is." George W. Bush has so many childish quotes it is redundant to list them here.
Our culture needs to grow up. I want adults to be treated like adults. Our news and entertainment and culture should not be distilled because parents don't want to keep tabs on what their children watch or listen to.