The Darker Side of Cartoons

CNN.com - Group: Children's TV Isn't Kid Stuff - March 2, 2006

Hey parents, throw your TV's out your windows! TV is a sh**ty world of trash!

HAHA, I was just exagerating Pat Robertson. Anyway flipping through TV this morning for the weather I happened to find "Xiaolin Showdown" on WB 20 - no not that show a clip from it in a "700 Club" report on TV violence and its effects on children. I found that story very retarded and ultra-conservative. In fact, later today I found this story on CNN, thanks to an anime forum I use regularly - thank you StealthSeeker for bringing it up. If I went on CBN's site I'm sure I could've barfed. Now, on topic, lemme evaluate some of the crappy points they made:

"The report also criticized the networks for airing children's programs with questionable language -- such as "stupid," "loser" and "butt" -- as well as sexual innuendo, insults, bullying and putdowns." What happened to parents and how THEY are the ones who are supposed to teach the kids what's right to speak? Besides, kids don't hear this sh** on only TV, they hear it all the time in books, school, real life too, so why aren't THOSe sources getting condemned?

"Professional health organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Association and American Medical Association have concluded data show at least a casual link between extensive TV viewership and aggression in children." Yeah right. Hey AAP, APA, AMA, you were using kids who don't know the difference between fantasy/reality and right/wrong and were totally stoned! OMG! THIS IS F**KING PROPAGANDA!!! AAAH!!!!! I've seen lotsa violent TV, I'm still a civilized and peacful human being. So are lotsa my friends.

"The Parents Television Council said its report included everything from characters running into a door to depictions of death, fire and off-screen violence that is heard but not seen." Sure, why don't parents sue the owners of a burning building for indecent exposure? Or sue people who bump into other things for indecency as well?

"On its Web site, the Parents Television Council says its primary mission is 'o promote and restore responsibility and decency to the entertainment industry in answer to America's demand for positive, family-oriented television programming.'" Hmm, I don't necesarly see a problem with parents wanting this kind of stuff if they want good, ethical kids...but if that's the only stuff their kids can watch until age 18, that's f**ked up. Look, America, you gotta accept that times and acceptances are changing and that kids should be able to watch what they want, and parents should TEACH their kids, not shelter them, as it's becoming unavoidable to sheild kids from indecency now that we've accepted it as "fun" and that the real world and other places that aren't TV show indency too.

So overall this article and research was just a waste of time and money. I mean, look at the CHINESE government - they regulate all media - books, TV, music, movies, radio, newspapers, magazines, and the Internet. And then turn on Chinese state-run TV anytime and you are 60-65% likely to see something objectionable to children. Hey, why not spend more time and money on America's EDUCATION and SCHOOLS rather than trying to solve just one side of the problem (TV). I laugh at how American soccer moms complain of how indecent TV is and that there should be more done by FCC and then complain of how our schools are underfunded.