How Much TV is too much TV?
OR
"The Guy's Got A Fuckin Pink Toilet"
Renee Russo, Get Shorty
Many adults feel that since they freely watched television when they were young and don't think that they were too negatively affected, TV doesn't have a significant impact either on their children, or themselves as adults. No comment so far...
The difference, though, lies in the nature of the programs that were prevalent in the 50's, 60's and 70's (As opposed to some of the lifestyles? *cough*hippies*cough*), as compared to now. By and large, today's parents were brought up on wholesome or family oriented programs that emphasized traditional, Judeo-Christian values which make our families today so goddamned bitchin. The most worrisome of the shows incorporated hard-to-explain "situation ethics," or just simple (but fun) frivolity.
Many of today's most popular youth and "family" programs, however, include varying degrees of sexual promiscuity (people don't actually have sex these days) , profanity (Is nothing sacred?), coarse joking (First I want a definition of coarse and secondly the only people this sheltered are ON television i.e. 'Seventh Heaven'), and anti-family/anti-Christian plots and sub-plots. Occultism, violence, and self-indulgent materialism are also found in a huge percentage of Hollywood's offerings. Now more than ever, discretion is essential. I have this mental picture: Girl #1 oh lets give her a name...okay Jenny Bundt (like the cake) is sitting in her room with Billy Masculine, here is some dialogue: Jenny: "Oh Gee Whiz, Lets Fuck!". Billy: "I Heard A Humorous Tale About Fucking, Allow Me To Pantomime It!" (coarse fuck jokes ensue) Jenny: "Ah Hah! I Am Amused By Your Eloquent Tale, I Bet My Parents Would Not Approve Of 'Fuck Humor'! But I Don't Like My Parents Because They Don't Love Me, They Love Judeo-Christian Related Television Programming!" Billy: "Golly, Lets Go Involve Them In An Act Of Gratuitous Violence!"
Although Hollywood has a lot to answer for, it's important to remember that not everything that comes through TV is bad just evil. It's not our intent to alienate you from your TV. In fact, in our book How To Get the Best Out of TV (See we don't give a fuck we just want to sell our book!), we present many refreshing, creative ideas of how you and your family can gain lasting control of, and benefit from, this valuable communication tool. A carefully programmed TV can be a beneficial ally against Satan and his minions! So buy our fucking book!
However, because the average child between 2 and 11 years old watches over 27 hours of poorly supervised television per week, we feel that you should watch your children watch television; because the only thing that kids do more than watch television is sleep, and because we are convinced that most parents are unaware of the indecent liberties that modern media take with our children, we implore... "Your attention please!"
VIOLENCE AND AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR
Dr. Jay Martin of the University of Southern California found that "in a multi-year study of 732 children, conflicts with parents, fighting with peers, and delinquency were correlated with the total number of hours of television viewing."After a lively meeting where we had been invited to challenge a large group of Christian teens about their TV habits, a teen-aged girl shyly came to my wife, Karen. The girl was heartbroken by the way that television stood between her and her parents, and between them and God. She was convinced that she was not as important to her mom and dad as were their TV sets. This teen actually wanted to get closer to her parents. But the way that TV was used in her home made true closeness an all-but-impossible dream. Most disturbing of all, her parents would be surprised, even angry if anyone were to suggest that maybe TV rated too high a priority in their average Christian family. And this is television's fault? Wait no its Hollywood's fault...BUY OUR BOOK!.
Don't Blame Bad Parents On TV. I Mean Come On: #1. Parents Ignore Their Kid #2. They Watch TV Instead...I Don't Think The Problem Is That They Watch TV...So I'll Have To Go With #1 On This One...Maybe Shes Just A Bad Person? =)
If someone in your home wants some uninterrupted time to share some problems or feelings, do you sometimes respond with, "Shhh, I'm watching TV"? or "Fuck You"? That phrase is a strong indication that television is the basic presence and all others are considered interruptive. When we put TV ahead of people, it reveals a lot about the value we place on others. Yeah Feel Guilty, Guilty Enough To Go To The Bookstore.
Remember, children learn from parental example (No They Don't They Learn From TV!) -- whether that example is lethargy or loving involvement, harsh words or gentle speech. Will you give prime time to your family, friends, church? Probably not without this book! Make a commitment for just one or two weeks to improve your viewing habits. Refer to our reproducible forms, TV-alternative activities, and helpful video evaluations to help you in the process. It’s really true, you can get the best out of TV, without letting TV get the best out of you! You see television is a demon, but if you buy our book you can BEAT THE DEMON!! FIGHT THE POWER!! KILL WHITEY!!
People Are People Regardless Of What They Watch On TV. Say A 'Bad Person' Watches TV. Are They A 'Bad Person' Because They Watch TV? No, Its Because They Wear Shoes. All Shoe Companies Are Part Of The Massive Conglomerate That Is Satan Inc. Thus If You See Someone Wearing Shoes, Save Their Immortal Soul And Steal Their Shoes.
Notes and References
Authors: Dale and Karen Mason...the bad motha fuckas.
Content adapted by permission of the authors from How To Get the Best Out of TV by Dale and Karen Mason, published by Broadman & Holman, 1996.
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