Just because they put the word “family” in the title, I’m not buying itMay 29th, 2007 @ 7:01 am
It being a 3 days weekend, I had some extra time on my hands. What did I do with that time? For no apparent reason, I spent it watching crappy movies. By choice.
The first crappy movie I watched was the Amanda Bynes made-for-television movie Lovewrecked. Unfortunately, I found this movie to be very entertaining. And also horribly unbelievable, although it did make me want to sit on the beach and eat fruit and drink pretty drinks.
The second movie was Cheaper by the Dozen 2. While I’ve seen the first one, the second one seemed cuter. I may or may not have even shed a tear at the end. (It’s hard to admit to that.) Interestingly enough, both movies had Jonathan Bennett in them. In one he plays the typical love-struck teenager and the other he plays a no-nonsense expectant father. His acting range is very broad. Apparently.
Speaking of squeaky-clean movies, have any of you watched ABC Family lately? It’s not a channel that we typically watch at our house. While I wouldn’t say that The King and I watch smut exclusively, we don’t search out family oriented Grounded for Life programming either.
While searching through our guide I decided to TiVo a show we’ve always liked; Grounded for Life. You’ve seen this show, right? You know it’s about what happens to a couple who got pregnant and married while in high school. They are now all grown up and have three kids. It’s a funny show and we’ve always liked it. So you know, I decided to TiVo it this weekend.
Remember, this was on the ABC Family channel.
The episode we saw was about their daughter turning 16 and deciding it’s time to lose her virginity. And not even to her boyfriend. She ends up doing it with her neighbor boy. She gets caught postcoital by her Mom who all but high-fives her.
It was a funny episode. The King and I both laughed.
But then….
Oh wait, this is on the family channel! That really isn’t what I’d call a family oriented show.
Again, not that I’m a prude, but they market themselves to be a family channel. Doesn’t that mean it should have cheesy, clean shows like Lizzie McGuire and Hannah Montana? Shows that you would feel comfortable with your kids watching when you aren’t around. Shows that don’t talk about teenagers having sex. Save those shows for the regular network channels to air.
A coworker of mine (who is also not a prude) and I were talking about this same subject last week. She said her and her boyfriend don’t even let their kids watch the ABC Family channel.
When I think about this subject it all makes sense in my head. When talking to others about it, I feel like it makes sense. But typing it out and getting ready to share these thoughts with the interweb, well that makes me feel like such a Mom. The kind of Mom that puts a lock on her TV for fear that her kids will hear words like condom and postcoital. A Mom that won’t let her kids see PG-13 movies until they are 18. The kind of Mom that hides in the backseat of the car when her kids go to Prom. The kind of Mom that I’m not really wanting to become.
I’m disappointed in myself for being disappointed in ABC Family.
Random
Frema
said,
May 29, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Don’t be disappointed in yourself; I would’ve been P.O.’ed, too. Casual sex between teenagers who barely know each other’s last names isn’t what I’d call family programming.
heidikins
said,
May 29, 2007 at 5:14 pm
What happened to “family” shows like Lassie and Ole’ Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows? (And why does my idea of “family TV” have a dog as the star of the show… interesting, I must ask someone to psycho-analyze me)
xox
Carrisa
said,
May 29, 2007 at 5:28 pm
I totally agree that a show like that should not be on ABC Family. Don’t they also air The Bachelor reruns on that channel? I wouldn’t let my kids watch that. If I had kids.
Thank God for those remotes that let you block shows. I’m going to need that someday when my kid wants to watch Nip/Tuck when I’m not around.
Do as I say and not as I do kiddo!
Emily
said,
May 29, 2007 at 5:30 pm
What else did you do this weekend, Isabel? Buy a mini-van?! Haha…just kidding!
Operation Pink Herring
said,
May 29, 2007 at 5:43 pm
I watch ABCFamily all the time… it’s where I get my Gilmore Girls and Seventh Heaven fix (in my defense, I really only watch it at the gym, when you’re allowed to watch crap and not feel bad about it, right?). But I agree with you — and it’s not just ABCFamily. Seventh Heaven thinks it’s THE family show, and they’re always preaching (literally) about not having sex until marriage, not smoking, not drinking, etc etc… but it’s totally OK that TWO of their kids secretely got married without telling their parents? How is that family-oriented?
ABCFam also plays a lot of Smallville, which has a lot of violence and sex…
I”m not sure why they call it “Family” at all. But I’m glad you liked Lovewrecked; I forgot to watch it, but I love that sort of cheesy, totally fake movie. Hopefully The Fam will re-air it soon.
Operation Pink Herring
said,
May 29, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Dude, also, 16 is time to lose your virginity??? I am so old. I am fighting not to say something about “when you’re ready to be responsible is when you’re ready to have sex”. FIGHTING.
Rachel
said,
May 29, 2007 at 6:21 pm
ABC Family is definitely not always family friendly. I’d rather my kids watch Disney than anything else. That being said, I agree with not wanting to be that type of mom, but I guess when you actually have kids, all that stuff you said you would be like kind of goes out the window!
Laurel
said,
May 29, 2007 at 7:11 pm
So, you may not want to share ABC Family with the family, but I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one willing to secretly watch the oeuvre of Amanda Bynes. Hee.
Stephanie
said,
May 29, 2007 at 7:29 pm
I am not even a mom, but I seriously worry about my little brother who is 6 and what will happen when he is 12 or 13. I can’t even imagine when I have my own kids. I think it is being a responsible adult, not a mom mentality. After several days with my quite immature 24 year old sister-in-law it makes me never want to have kids. I felt like I had a teenager with me the entire weekend.
Neil Tennant
said,
May 29, 2007 at 7:52 pm
Hey, from time to time ABC family is just trying to help little children understand how to make a little family. Nothing wrong with that.
Audrey
said,
May 29, 2007 at 8:39 pm
The devil’s advocate in me wants to say “well at least the show showed the daughter and mom openly discussing it like a healthy mother-daughter relationship should be rather than the daughter being all secretive and sneaking around.”
But the daughter in me wants to say “oh hell no, I would never ever have had a conversation like that with my mom because hello, awkward! That is seriously unrealistic.”
And the someday-mom in me wants to say “no way in hell would i consider that ‘family programming.’”
So, to sum up: I agree. Not family programming. Tim and I enjoyed that show, but it was never something I would have felt comfortable watching with parents/young children present.
motomom
said,
May 29, 2007 at 9:05 pm
Sadly even the “kid” movies have adult humor in them. My 11 and 12 year old have begun to get some of the jokes that once sailed right over their heads. We do monitor what the kids watch and have frequent conversations with them about quesionable material. (Even if they don’t see the show or movie their friends have and tell them all the “good” parts.)
I have threated my kids that if they are copying the words, attitudes, or behaviors of the shows they watch I will duct tape them to a chair and de-program them with endless episodes of Barney. So far I haven’t had to follow through.
angela
said,
May 29, 2007 at 11:37 pm
I don’t even have kids and that stuff bothers me too!
Alyndabear
said,
May 30, 2007 at 1:04 am
I can’t wait to be a mom, JUST so I can play around with the parental lockout system on our cable remote.
But in all seriousness, that’s hardly, er, family oriented stuff to be on that kind of channel. I wonder what its rating was? And are your ratings even the same as ours over here?
SJ
said,
May 30, 2007 at 2:45 am
Yeah, I think I would have been a little disappointed too. But then again TV has changed SO much in recent years - what used to be taboo on TV, is now common.
Crazy isn’t it?
slackermommy
said,
May 30, 2007 at 3:39 am
My kids pretty much only watch Nick and Disney which I felt okay with until I watched a couple Fresh Prince reruns with my nine year old. I was shocked by the sexual innuendos on the show. That’s a show I watched as a teen but I don’t remember thinking anything of the sexual content. I guess that’s why I thought it was an okay show to let my kids watch. Roseanne is another one that has some questionable content and I believe those reruns are also on Disney. BTW, I’m here from Midwestern Mommy.
MK
said,
May 30, 2007 at 3:06 pm
This post made me laugh! Thanks! I needed it! I hear ya though on loving some of those movies and that one just didn;t seem to fit!
Amy W
said,
May 30, 2007 at 3:17 pm
That was on the Disney owned Family channel??
You should feel lucky, I watched Lake Placid 2…Yes, they made another movie about a huge alligator eating people. And I watched it.
Britt
said,
May 30, 2007 at 4:19 pm
This is embarrassing, but I really liked Lizzie McGuire (I always watch the Disney channel at my mom’s house-I’m pathetic). Did you see the movie, though? Lizzie’s not so wholesome. She ran off with some Italian boy and then macked with Gordo. Did I just ruin the Lizzie McGuire movie for you? I hope not!
Anth
said,
May 31, 2007 at 4:36 am
Oh bah. That kind of mom rocks. Is the kind of mom whose kids can’t stand her while teenagers and then look back as twenty-somethings and say (very quietly so their mom doesn’t hear) “Thanks Mom.”
And I have a weakness for Amanda Bynes. I totally LOVED She’s the Man.
Christar
said,
May 31, 2007 at 10:45 pm
I commend you for thinking this way. Because I, who is merely 21~years~old, am totally on the same page as you. Thank goodness I don’t have kids of my own, because I don’t think they’d be allowed to watch anything except for the Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and PBS. I totally love Disney! I’d pick a Disney movie or show any day! Especially Lizzie McGuire and Even Stevens! Those shows were awesome…