Who's Really Raising Your Child?

            The second issue I wanna talk about is somewhat related to my last entry. I’ve continuously heard parents say things about television and music influencing their children and…it really annoys me! Recently, I met one parent who wouldn’t let their child watch Spongebob Squarepants because they thought it was “too inappropriate.” I’ve heard another parent say they’re child couldn’t listen to the song “Baby Got Back” (which has been featured in everything from commercials to tv shows to movies like “Charlie’s Angels” and “Shrek”) because it was “too inappropriate” for them. In both cases I became very annoyed with the conversation because all I kept thinking was…”are you serious?!?” And both parents mentioned influence on their children and their behaviors. Now, I would be more understanding if these things were more…negative (like images of a strip club or songs encouraging drug use). But Spongebob Squarepants??? I might be missing something but…isn’t that a CHILDREN’s show?

                Maybe it’s just me but when I was growing up, there were so many songs, movies and tv shows that could be considered inappropriate for children to see. However, I still managed to be exposed to these things and I still never went out and actually imitated what I’d observed. My parents firmly instilled in me the idea that music, movies and television are entertainment methods and should never be confused with how you should behave in real life. I was taught that no matter what you see or hear, there are still rules to follow and your entertainment methods should not be an excuse or validation should you choose to go out and do something stupid. I think that’s the issue today. Too many parents are letting their children be raised by television and radios instead of actually teaching them what’s right and wrong. And when their child does something that’s considered inappropriate, the parent blames the entertainment source asserting that they must have been improperly influenced to do it. I don’t get it. I guess I’m biased because my parents were very easygoing and not as strict. But, at the same time, they still managed to raise me properly to behave in an acceptable manner.

                On a side note, another part of the issue is that a lot of people have become so judgmental and quick to believe anything they hear that they are actually believing things that aren’t true. For example, I once saw a video on YouTube that tried to push the idea that all Disney movies have a sexual subtext or drug reference in them. The story had become so popular that people were actually saying they believed it enough to stop letting their children watch Disney movies. Now seriously, do you really think that people make these cartoons FOR CHILDREN and purposely put those type of things in them to secretly manipulate your children’s brains?!?  Another example is how people have made popular characters like Bert and Ernie of Sesame Street appear to be gay, or doing things that the average child wouldn’t even consider. These two characters were simply friends/roommates and were part of a show that was meant to educate and entertain children of all ages. BUT, because some ignorant person decided to start the rumor that they were gay all along, now I hear an endless amount of people say they truly believe Bert and Ernie are gay characters. They’re children’s characters for crying out loud! Get a clue people!

                Back to the main point of this…parents please take the time to explain to your children the difference between what they see in tv/movies or hear in music and what is acceptable in reality. It’s that simple. If I acted out based on everything I saw and heard as a child (from movies like “Players Club” to shows like “In Living Color” and songs like “Push It”) I would be one wild human being! I even observed people in my childhood cursing like sailors, having sex on a regular basis and doing all sorts of drugs. But my mother and father let me know that that was unacceptable for me to imitate and therefore I grew up knowing how to act! Take note and know that these children shows are meant to entertain and sometimes educate your child…not raise them! It’s your job to be the proper influence and allow them to see the difference between reality and entertainment! Your child should be able to see the most inappropriate thing in the world and still know how to act appropriately based on what you have taught them!

p.s. Everything you don’t expose them to now, they’re gonna want to explore later…with or without you!

The Reality of...Reality TV

I wanted to touch on two different things that are somewhat related and equally bothering me!

The first is all the negative talk about reality tv shows. In particular, I continue to hear negative talk about shows like Basketball Wives, Love & Hip-Hop and Bad Girls Club (all of which are shows that I watch faithfully). People keep saying things like “those shows are garbage; they depict black women in a negative light; they are embarrassing themselves; etc.” My response to that is this: Why don’t people take these shows for what they really are…entertainment? When I watch these shows, I see it solely as entertainment and I’d even go as far as to say I consider it all to be fictional entertainment. It’s called “reality tv” because it shows real people interacting in real settings. However, I never would think the situations are 100% real or the things that take place are truly realistic.

I think these women put on a show for the cameras and entertain the audience, which is their job when they are cast for these shows. We have to face the fact that the negativity and drama is what keeps an audience engaged and money in their pockets. I remember I was watching a particular show that was known for keeping the drama going. But whenever there was an episode that didn’t have as much drama, people would say things like “oh, that was boring!" I remember another reality show that was new and, because there was no drama in it, people naturally had no interest in it. The cast of that show were professionals and maintained positive activity but America simply had no interest in it! Why is that?

I don’t know why people are naturally drawn to the negativity on tv but it’s…the reality of our people. Please understand though that these shows are often staged, situations are put together by producers and things happen on these shows that we all know would not really happen if there were no cameras around. So why bash these people and these shows? Just like any other actor or performer, they are putting on a show for the entertainment of the masses. If you’re not entertained (or even interested) then quit watching it, quit discussing it and quit bringing it up! These shows should not be regarded or criticized any more than a dramatic or violent film would be. While you’re talking so negatively about these women and these shows, they’re still making thousands of dollars (if not more) and living their lives as professional business women and entertainers.