Family Friendly?

One more thing; am I the only one a little put off by the entertainment on last night’s show?

DWTS is the one show a week I allow my children to watch. Remember, we do the “No TV Monday through Thursday” rule at our house. No cartoons, no Disney channel, no movies, no DVDs, no PBS, no Nick at Night, for God’s SAKE no prime time; nothing. And yes, I realize breaking that rule just so **I** can watch DWTS is cheating, in a totally convenient, self-serving sort of way. Whatever.

I convince myself that it is ok, because we all enjoy the show, we spend our time together, watching it, and talking and laughing, and I count it as “quality family time”. My kids get a big kick out of the fact they get to stay up “late”, and last night I smeared peanut butter on bananas (gag) for them as a snack at 9pm, and they really thought they were living large. Simply put, it’s a fun way for our family to spend our evening together. (Bogus, I know, but I really love this show and will go to great lengths to justify my obsession.)

I’ve also felt it was an appropriate show to allow my children to watch because it’s family friendly --- no cursing, no violence, no sex (unless you count the unfortunate McStiffy comment, and the “juggling balls” statements which were cracking me up and left my kids with quizzical looks on their faces, asking me “What’s so funny, Mom?”) It’s just a good, clean show, and for someone like me who is pretty anal about what her kids watch on TV, I was happy with it and thought it was ok.

But last night’s “Save A Horse, Ride a Cowboy” performance? Completely inappropriate for children, in my opinion. Entertaining, yes. I enjoyed it immensely. But not OK for my kids. Not only the suggestive nature of the words of the song, but the dancing as well. It just wasn’t essential for my 7-yr old to see that. Not wanting to make a big deal of it and perhaps make them even more curious, I tried casually muting it so they couldn’t hear the singing. But damn that public service closed-captioning!! {shaking fist at the tv} They could still read all the words. Damn that public school system, for teaching them how to read!! {shaking both fists now}

I could have gotten over that, but What. On. Earth. is up with the previews for Grays’ Anatomy and Desperate Housewives????? The naked people in bed, the kissing, the no-so-subtle innuendo, the heaving bosoms? Are those previews SERIOUSLY considered appropriate for 9pm television? It goes without saying we don't watch the shows .... but even the previews were over-the top and inappropriate. And here on the East Coast, prime-time doesn't even BEGIN until 8pm, so those previews are on during the very first house of prime time, which I think is way too soon. If you live in CST, you get prime time starting at 7pm. I know of very few 10-yr olds who are in bed before 7pm. Even my kids had some reactions:

Kendrie: “What on earth are they doing?”

Brayden: “Um, THAT was inappropriate!”

Kellen: “Gross”

And before any of you suggest that I TiVo it and fast-forward through the commercials, no thanks. Don’t own one, have no intention of buying one. We watch one tv show a week, and this is it. I’m not buying a DVR just for that one show. And no, *owning* the DVR won’t be the greatest thing I’ve ever done, because I just don’t watch TV. It would be the second biggest waste of money, since I bought that clothes rack/treadmill in my bedroom.

(Yes, I know, I’m all snobby and superior about how I don’t waste my higher-quality brain cells on television, with its inferior and lowly entertainment qualities …. But you try and take my computer away from me and I will rip your arm out of its socket and beat you about the head with it. Right after I read People magazine online, and then download some porn for my kids to watch tonight, since Dancing With The Stars doesn’t come on again until next Monday and I guess they need something to watch in the meantime.)