Holy crap, I've never seen it - maybe I should pay a little more attention! [img]eek.gif[/img]
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">It's a good show. It touches on a lot of modern issues. I can see where some ultra-right winger bible-thumper (or self-loathing prude) might object to some of the themes, but it really just expresses modern life. I don't think any show has ever had so many gorgeous cast members in it across the board.Originally posted by LanDroid:
Holy crap, I've never seen it - maybe I should pay a little more attention! [img]eek.gif[/img]
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Letsee, Marissa hung out with stud-jock Luke, then left for Ryan, then decided she was a lesbian, got a girlfriend and shacked up with her. That lasted for a few episodes. Now she's hanging out with Ryan again. Meanwhile, Marissa's mother (Julie?) is now married to Caleb, who is the father of the woman in the family who lives next door who acts as the guardian for Ryan. Caleb doesn't know that 40-something Julie is sleeping with Marissa's former boyfriend, Luke (who is in high school).Originally posted by LanDroid:
Holy crap, I've never seen it - maybe I should pay a little more attention! [img]eek.gif[/img]
I watch the show maybe once every few months.
The one thing that strikes me about the show is that teens are routinely put in very adult situations. I've already seen "high school students" move in together as lesbian lovers. They take unsupervised trips together and share the same bedrooms, which seems to be a common theme in the show. They went to a Hollywood party at an LA strip club (thought the parents did object when they found out).
This IS a soap opera, so I've got no problem watching it myself. But I do think the show glamorizes a lot of the stuff it portrays as scandalous, and it's hardly material for impressionable pubescent teenagers, even though it's something that greatly appeals to that demographic. It titillates by pushing the envelope a bit, and that's why it's so alluring.
That's just my opinion - not judging anyone else. I don't have kids of my own, so who am I to say?
<font color="#FFFFAA" size="1">[ April 27, 2005 09:24 AM: Message edited by: Captain Whizbang ]</font>
My only problem with the show is that is sets unreasonably high standards in the minds of the teenagers who are watching it. Everyone is beautiful, no flaws, no physical blemishes (plenty of mental ones though) but ofcourse that's a Hollywood thing anyhow, for just about any show. I guess if they made the characters too ordinary it wouldn't be as popular...
When it comes right down to it, there are any number of prime time sit coms I'd feel uncomfortable letting my 14 year old watch (If I had a 14 year old). I know it's easier said than done, but I cringe when I think about some of the underlying messages casually set to laugh tracks on various shows.
I think about stuff I've seen on That 70's Show, Will and Grace - and even Friends - and I know I wouldn't want my child's attitudes molded first by what they see and hear on some of these shows. I picked these three because reruns are shown during the dinner hour.
There's one episode of Friends where Chandler and Joey are confronted with the possibility of having sex with the same woman - at the same time. They discuss the awkwardness of this scenario and work through who will go where. This is not the stuff a 9 year old should be watching.
That 70's Show embraces stupidity, vanity, and promiscuity in it's main characters.
It has been a while since I've watched Will and Grace, but it's more of the same that I've mentioned above.
I wouldn't want kids watching some of the cartoons Fox runs on primetime either. "Family Guy" seems to be the worst. Even the Simpsons isn't really suitable for kids. Funny to adults, but the wrong message on so many levels for impressionable kids. Just my .02 cents.
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