WANTED: Parental Supervision

While reading Kayla's post regarding the Girls Next Door, I feel that Kayla makes an excellent point regarding the necessity of parental supervision. Yes, shows like The Girls Next Door and Rock of Love do provide some explicit material, but they aren't going to disappear anytime soon. Sure, it would be easy to be able to trust the rating systems that are often found on the top corner of your television screen, but the reality is that sometimes these rating systems aren't that trustworthy.

As you flip throughout channels, sex and violence have become more common to see throughout many programs. On MTV, every other word on a majority of their programs has been “bleeped.” Society has become more liberal towards what is shown and spoken on television. Words like sex were not common words spoken on family comedies in the 1950’s. Network Censors had a stronger restriction to what could have been said on television. In fact, The Brady Bunch only used the word “sex” until the last episode. On the “I Love Lucy” show, Lucy and Ricky were forbidden to sleep in the same bed. So instead, the characters had slept in twin beds. Censors did not want to promote sexuality to viewers.

Shows like The Girls Next Door are allowed to display such content with protection from the United State’s Constitution. Due to the First Amendment, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The media does indeed have a right to produce and display what they would like, but parents should take more of of a responsible stand to monitoring what their children are actually watching on television.

Viewers do have the choice to watch what they please, but what is needed amongst many families is more parental supervision. By our constitution, the entertainment industry is guaranteed to produce what they please and will continue to do so. Parents should become more proactive and take a responsive stand to what their children are watching. Violence and sexual content is everywhere and our children must be protected. But the protection they require doesn’t happen overnight. If parents do not look after their children, who will?

May The Force Be With You,
Lauren