TV Censorship

[dzfan]

Curious how everyone felt on the topic? Personally, I think that parent activists should take responsibility and deal with their problems they are having in their homes and quit making it everyone else's business... if the government controls TV, then TV will not be the same. Glad that there are groups like TV Watch who are out there to protect our shows...thoughts?

[LeslieAGD]

I think parents need to take responsibilty for their children, but parents can't watch their kids every second of the day and TV keeps pushing the line further and further. As an adult, I can handle what I watch, but I don't think little kids watching shows like The OC, etc, can handle the cursing, sex, and violence.

[KSig RC]

Originally posted by LeslieAGD
As an adult, I can handle what I watch, but I don't think little kids watching shows like The OC, etc, can handle the cursing, sex, and violence.

The OC?!?

Personally, when I have a child, he will be well prepared for lesbian scenes supported with cheesy Ben Gibbard musical numbers, performed by 30 year old "high schoolers" - and he will LOVE IT.

LOVE it.

Oh yeah, apparently he will be a dude too.

[AGDee]

Parents can't do that job if they have no idea what's coming next on the screen. While I don't think that things should be removed the air because of their content, I am glad that there are ratings for TV so that I can oversee what they're watching. I can use the SuperBowl incident as an example. I wasn't quite ready for my kids to witness something like that, and neither were they. I didn't expect it and wasn't pleased about it.

[DeltAlum]

Consorship in broadcasting is illegal. It's one of those First Amendment things.

Control of content by making rules and regulations regarding the retention or loss of a broadcast license isn't, and the FCC has done it for years.

Special interest groups have tried to do it with boycots, letter writing campaigns, etc. with some, but not a lot of success.

It is much more difficult to do to cable programs, because they do not broadcast on the "public airways," and the FCC has much less clout.

Things like the "V Chip" are supposed to allow parents to set schedules so their children can't watch programs with certain ratings.

Bottom line is, though, I don't think parents can control what their children watch in all cases.

It's a sticky situation.

[wrigley]

Aren't most tv's equipped with that V-chip now so parents can monitor what their kids can or can't see based on the tv codes when they are not around?

Dzfan, the standards for programming were way more stricter in the past than they are now. Do the research and you'll be quite surprised at how far they've come.

The problem I have is that the ratings do not provide enough detail. Because the standards are self-made the borders between ratings is a slippery slope. There are some programs that should be adult rating get instead PG-13.

Again parents are the ones who should control the tv.

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by wrigley
Aren't most tv's equipped with that V-chip now...

Yes. I don't remember the date, but all sets produced past a certain time were required to contain the "V Chip" technology.

[dzfan]

Originally posted by wrigley
Aren't most tv's equipped with that V-chip now so parents can monitor what their kids can or can't see based on the tv codes when they are not around?

I am sure that most TV are but I think that most parents don't know how to set them but I was looking through the TV Watch site and it looks like it is pretty easy. It is as "easy as toast"

http://www.televisionwatch.org/site/...C49F7}&notoc=1


Speaking of TV Watch, anyone a member?

[TNPhiMu]

Oddlly enough, I turned in my senior thesis this morning on this very topic. Some stuff should probably not be on tv. But who am I to draw the line for anyone but myself and my family? I wrote alot on it, but really, no conclusions.

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by TNPhiMu
Oddlly enough, I turned in my senior thesis this morning on this very topic. Some stuff should probably not be on tv. But who am I to draw the line for anyone but myself and my family? I wrote alot on it, but really, no conclusions.

Congratulations, you've gotten about as far as Congress and the FCC.

[dzfan]

Originally posted by TNPhiMu
Oddlly enough, I turned in my senior thesis this morning on this very topic. Some stuff should probably not be on tv. But who am I to draw the line for anyone but myself and my family? I wrote alot on it, but really, no conclusions.

So TNPHiMU, I agree that there is some inappropriate things on TV nowadays but I don't think that it is up to the government to decide whether what we can and cannot watch...thoughts? As I have said before, I think it is up to the parents to take on this responsibility themselves and set parental controls that is why there is tv ratings out there

[AchtungBaby80]

Originally posted by dzfan
As I have said before, I think it is up to the parents to take on this responsibility themselves and set parental controls that is why there is tv ratings out there

I don't think the goverment should dictate what is "OK" for us to watch, either. It is part of a parent's responsibility to monitor what his/her child watches on TV. I know some may argue that parents can't be around every single moment, but keeping an eye on your child's television viewing isn't impossible. My parents did it. I'm talking about young children here...by the time I was a teenager, it really didn't matter what I watched. It wasn't really about morals...my parents didn't want me watching certain things when I was little not because they thought it was "bad," but because I wasn't emotionally or psychologically mature enough to handle it. Now, if parents are really concerned about their child watching something they feel is inappropriate, they need to learn to use the v-chip or something like that.

[dzfan]

Originally posted by AchtungBaby80
I don't think the government should dictate what is "OK" for us to watch, either. It is part of a parent's responsibility to monitor what his/her child watches on TV. I know some may argue that parents can't be around every single moment, but keeping an eye on your child's television viewing isn't impossible. My parents did it. I'm talking about young children here...by the time I was a teenager, it really didn't matter what I watched. It wasn't really about morals...my parents didn't want me watching certain things when I was little not because they thought it was "bad," but because I wasn't emotionally or psychologically mature enough to handle it. Now, if parents are really concerned about their child watching something they feel is inappropriate, they need to learn to use the v-chip or something like that.

I completely agree! My parents did it too -- they would constantly come in and see what I was watching... I remember I was not allowed to watch MTV, Roseanne or the Simpsons-- they set strict rules about it and I obeyed. Back then the V chip was not around and my parents were still successful. I agree that some shows are inappropriate for some ages but that is the parents responsibility to monitor.

Just frustrating to think that my shows could be canceled one day or completely modified... good to know that there are groups out there like TV Watch who are standing up for what we believe in. I just signed up. You should check them out and sign their petition if you agree

http://www.televisionwatch.org/site/....BE7A/Home.htm

[TNPhiMu]

Originally posted by dzfan
So TNPHiMU, I agree that there is some inappropriate things on TV nowadays but I don't think that it is up to the government to decide whether what we can and cannot watch...thoughts? As I have said before, I think it is up to the parents to take on this responsibility themselves and set parental controls that is why there is tv ratings out there

Oh I definitely think parents should take on the responsibility as well... it's just unfortunate that there are too many parents out there that don't take on that responsibility. And I wasn't saying I necessarily agreed that the government should have control over it... just that they do to an extent.

[dzfan]

yeah, it is unfortunate that these parents are not taking responsibility -- they just need to be more educated about ways to monitor their kids tv watching and need to learn how to set parental controls...like that what I posted on from tv watch. Just wish parents were more knowledgeable on what to do so there would be less controversy over it, ya know?

When I was a kid, I was restricted from watching certain shows because my parents did not agree with them and it worked -- I didnt watch them. I think parents should take that approach on top of v-chips, etc

How was it when you were growing up? Did your parents monitor your tv watching?