Tastes vary, obviously, but I think some of the problem is people take these shows too seriously or expect them to be family friendly. They’re not intended for kids and they’re not meant to be taken as a serious model of morality.. People at my job are obsessed with Modern Family, Blackish, and the Mick. I’ve tuned to all three and tuned out just as fast, they’re absolute slime.
This is a Catholic forum and Catholics should encourage one another regarding living out their faith.Tastes vary, obviously, but I think some of the problem is people take these shows too seriously or expect them to be family friendly. They’re not intended for kids and they’re not meant to be taken as a serious model of morality.
If you don’t think a sitcom is funny, that’s fine,but don’t hold it up to a standard of “family friendly, faith reinforcing entertainment.” That’s not what it’s trying to be.
(I’ve never seen the Mick, so no opinion there.)
Sure, but what threatens someone’s faith may not threaten someone else. A kid who is impressionable might need to be kept away from certain things that an adult can just laugh off and not take too seriously.This is a Catholic forum and Catholics should encourage one another regarding living out their faith.
Ed
If a Catholic is taught as a child that certain things are wrong, they are still wrong when they become an adult.Sure, but what threatens someone’s faith may not threaten someone else. A kid who is impressionable might need to be kept away from certain things that an adult can just laugh off and not take too seriously.
Certain things are “wrong” based on the context. Is it “wrong” to show violence in a TV show? Well, it might be wrong to let a kid view it: it might scare them, they might not understand the distinction between TV and reality and start acting violently, etc. It’s not necessarily wrong for an adult to view it: presumably the adult understands that it’s just a TV show and he or she isn’t supposed to emulate it in real life.If a Catholic is taught as a child that certain things are wrong, they are still wrong when they become an adult.
It’s not relativism: there’s still an absolute principle: people shouldn’t intentionally expose themselves to things that are going to undermine their faith or character. You just have to recognize that different people have different levels of resiliency or suggestibility. What might corrupt one person, another person can look at as just a silly TV show and enjoy it on that level, not taking it as a model for behavior.That would be relativism.
Ed
The problem is though, people are seeing these shows are some kind of morality model, Modern Family is a good example, the writers are trying to convey that having 2 homosexual men in a marriage as friends or in your family, as well as adopting and raising a child is fine, and not just fine, its great, their love should be celebrated and accepted like anyone elses.Tastes vary, obviously, but I think some of the problem is people take these shows too seriously or expect them to be family friendly. They’re not intended for kids and they’re not meant to be taken as a serious model of morality.
If you don’t think a sitcom is funny, that’s fine,but don’t hold it up to a standard of “family friendly, faith reinforcing entertainment.” That’s not what it’s trying to be.
(I’ve never seen the Mick, so no opinion there.)
I agree with most of that, which is why I think that the proper response to most of these shows is “viewer discretion advised” not “pull them off the air.” People who aren’t particularly well formed in their faith and morals, or impressionable kids, need to exercise a lot more caution.The problem is though, people are seeing these shows are some kind of morality model, Modern Family is a good example, the writers are trying to convey that having 2 homosexual men in a marriage as friends or in your family, as well as adopting and raising a child is fine, and not just fine, its great, their love should be celebrated and accepted like anyone elses.
The people who write these shows are not stupid, they are very good at taking hot button issues of the times and making them relate able to the average viewer, in hopes they will take on the same morals and eventually pass them on to their children and that is exactly whats happening.
You can see easy proof of this by watching shows from the past decades and some of the situations portrayed.You can also kind of gauge what kind of morals they are hoping for in the future by watching current tv, you can see some of the issues they are beginning to tackle, this is all methodical conditioning, if done right and done enough, it can sway millions of people.
Yea, I see what you are saying.I agree with most of that, which is why I think that the proper response to most of these shows is “viewer discretion advised” not “pull them off the air.” People who aren’t particularly well formed in their faith and morals, or impressionable kids, need to exercise a lot more caution.
I think about a show like “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”, which, incidentally also stars the woman from the Mick. It’s incredibly raunchy. The characters are all, objectively speaking, awful people. They get in horrible situations due to their own drunken stupidity basically every episode. There’s a recurring character who is a debauched ex-priest.
That said, some of the episodes are absolutely hilarious. And I, a 32 year old man, can watch it, laugh at it, and simultaneously be aware that A) it’s just a TV show and B) acting this way in real life would justifiably get you arrested. Would I let my kids watch it? Absolutely not. Do I think it should be available for adults who can bear in mind that it’s just a TV show? Sure.
I mean, virtually everything can corrupt someone’s values, if we’re not discerning in who we show it to. If we just make everything safe for the most impressionable, we’re basically all going to have to watch nothing but Teletubbies.
I think a lot of this is people start with the assumption that if something is on before 10 PM, it must be family friendly. It’s obviously not. We’re a long way from the Waltons. But just because something isn’t appropriate for kids doesn’t mean we need to take it away from adults as well.
As a final aside, you sort of need to have people behaving badly on TV, particularly in comedies. A comedy about a bunch of people acting responsibly and morally would…kinda dull.
Are you familiar with the Parents Television Council? It has a lot of members and a lot of media clout, I believe, and is trying to make TV healthier for kids.I know this all goes back to the FCC though and I have wondered about them before, its interesting such an agency exists in these times imo, especially when morals and standards are pretty much out the window, but the FCC still insists on censoring certain things from television??? Im surprised there are not calls to do away with this altogether and why no one has questioned the FCCs directive, since they are basically a govt agency tasked with deciding what is moral and what should be censored or bleeped out on tv, whether its 8pm or 3am!
Those sound like people who have a hard time changing the channel. How would poorly formed adults, or impressionable kids, know to exercise caution?I agree with most of that, which is why I think that the proper response to most of these shows is “viewer discretion advised” not “pull them off the air.” People who aren’t particularly well formed in their faith and morals, or impressionable kids, need to exercise a lot more caution…
I Love Lucy? All in the Family? You can be silly and extremely funny, or outrageously bigoted, you don’t need to be immoral or irresponsible to be humorous.As a final aside, you sort of need to have people behaving badly on TV, particularly in comedies. A comedy about a bunch of people acting responsibly and morally would…kinda dull.
You don’t think outrageous bigotry is immoral? Archie Bunker was a great comedic character, precisely because he was often rude and bigoted. Imagine if every episode had featured him having a respectful, polite conversation with his son-in-law. Kind of a snooze fest, no?I Love Lucy? All in the Family? You can be silly and extremely funny, or outrageously bigoted, you don’t need to be immoral or irresponsible to be humorous.