I'm just another working mom seeking a few moments of Zen and zinfandel between soccer practice and supper. My former beach bartender husband founded 
I took a break from writing at Deep South Moms for several months but I’m back in the saddle again and kvetching about a commercial that aired on ABC last Sunday during Extreme Home Makeover, one of the few shows that we all sit down and watch together as a family.
Go check out my post, Dear ABC: Throbbing Manhood My A**, and let me know what you think.
We don’t turn on the nightly news in front of the girls and we don’t watch Jerry Springer, but I really don’t want to start pausing and fast forwarding through commercials.
Or do I?
If you have cereal heads at your house, which we do, you might also want to visit my review blog over the next few days. I’m hosting five consecutive daily giveaways for limited edition cereal featuring Mr. Men and Little Miss characters. I’m also hosting a great giveaway for a cute custom Christmas card holder from Oh So Spoiled, launched by a teacher mama from Texas.
Any Judgy Judgypants parents out there could conclude that I don’t want garbage infiltrating my girls’ minds, but I’ll let them eat junky cereal. Yep.
As my 76-year-old Daddy says, “Everything in moderation,” including Cocoa Puffs.
p.s. The swelling in Miss A’s eye is gone, but now she’s sporting an impressive dark purple black eye. Her stitches come out Monday afternoon and I’m hoping that appointment goes as well as the actual sewing up her eye part at the ER. Because that was nothing short of amazing.
Just read your post on the commercial.
You know, interestingly, I was cleaning the kitchen and had that show on last week and heard that commercial. No one was in the room with me at the time. But when I heard it, I thought, “what did he say?” Then, I remember looking at the clock, thinking, “wait! this is the 7 o’clock hour!”
I, too, was not allowed to watch “Three’s Company,” et al. But, holey moley, that show is absolutely tame compared to what is on today.
Anyhoo, I could go on and on. I have no problem teaching my kids about sex—at age appropriate intervals, on my terms, from my perspective—but I resent being forced to broach such a topic because of a stupid commercial and an offensive euphemism. Thank goodness Miss A was oblivious.
And great to hear her eye is doing well.
.-= Mary@The Writer’s Block´s last blog ..A Little Grammar Lesson =-.
I agree with you and Mary – these broadcasters need to make the “family hour” appropriate for families again, and that commercial WASN’T IT
And yes, it went over her head, but it doesn’t go over parents’ heads, and then we’re worried and tense and don’t turn on that channel again or start discussing topics we shouldn’t have to (Mary, my discussions were probably a little early thanks to President Bill and the Catholic Church in Boston).
Glad to hear her eye is doing well. Hubby would tell her to tell anyone who comments, “Yeah, you should see the other guy!”
.-= WorkingMom´s last blog ..The Fair =-.
Yikes! That’s not good! The SAME situation happened to us the other night watching an episode of Glee! (the second episode, I think. Have you seen it yet? It’s great!) except….
I have 3 girls – a 13 year old and 8 year old twins. The 13 year old was working on homework during the commercials and the twins just happened to come in and sit down and watch part of it. They were in “getting ready for bed mode” so they weren’t actually watching the entire episode, but just happened in and sat down just in time for this gem:
Cheerleader girlfriend: “If you do this (I don’t remember exactly what), I’ll let you touch my breasts.”
Boyfriend: “Over the shirt or under the bra?”
I about died. My husband was on the computer and wasn’t really paying attention so he didn’t hear it. I froze. I was afraid to look at my 13 year old, and was just waiting for the twins to say something. No one did. I finally gave my 13 year old the “that wasn’t appropriate” look and she gave me the “you are right, that was not good” look back. The twins never did say anything but I encouraged them to proceed to the bathroom for the teeth brushing part of the evening. I guess they didn’t really know what it meant and thank goodness I wasn’t pressed further b/c they are definitely the type to ask questions b/c they want to know EVERYTHING.
A couple of episodes later on Glee, I was watching alone (learned my lesson, ha ha) and one of the reporters for the school newspaper was soliciting a “peep” of the main character’s breasts for a favorable review in the paper. Good for her, she flatly turned him down and was pretty upset about it. But still. Are these breast references necessary in a show at 8???
The thing is, it is an enjoyable show – but obviously not for kids. Which is difficult b/c it is obviously inspired in part by High School Musical (but no safe, virginal Disney-esque situations here). The music and singing is GREAT, especially if you are a fan of 80’s music like me, the dance #s are fun to watch, the storylines are funny and watching Jane Lynch as Cheerleader Coach Sue Sylvester will require you to don some Poise for fear of having an accident from laughing so hard.
I’d like the 13 year old to be able to watch this b/c of the themes of perseverance, setting goals and achieving them, the exposure to some great music and singing, and working hard to succeed. Unfortunately, I’m too afraid of what is going to come out of some side characters mouth to allow her to do it!
Glad to hear your first ER visit was so smooth, considering. Hopefully there won’t be many more. I’ve been in many times, the 13 year old has been in for stitches in the lip at 11 months (I broke a glass in the kitchen and she found a stray shard and proceeded to slice her own lip open), stitches again at age 7 in the eyebrow (basketball hit her in the face and shoved her glasses into her eyebrow so hard they cut through the skin), broken arm at age 12 (rode bike into the mailbox and instead of letting go and falling, she held on for dear life and rotated both wrists forward and the left one snapped) and the coup de gras, at 13, a toothpick shoved underneath her big toenail all the way to the top (she tripped in the living room and somehow it got jabbed under there). If I could have looked at it without panicking, I might could have pulled it out, but I was scared to death and just ran her to the ER. That was by far the worst, I shudder to think about it.
As far as the twins, let’s see, Twin A (respiratory difficulty as a baby), Twin B, anaphylaxis to peanuts at age 4 and dog bite on the bottom lip at age 4.
I guess that’s it, phew. Sorry so long!
I have no problem teaching my kids about sex