Two days ago I received my coveted Netflix DVD in the mail and was excited to see the First Season of Weeds had arrived. I have received a few reviews on it – some said it was definitely ‘adult’, but hysterical and I’d love it. Others said it was their favorite show of all time. Still others said it was definitely in their Top Five.
Having pretty much missed nearly every sitcom rage since the first American Idol (when we finally ditched our cable and settled for grey fuzz or rented movies), I saw it available at Netflix and decided to check it out. I will admit RIGHT NOW to being naive about what kind of ‘weeds’ they were talking about. Der, check out the image of the cover next time Heather.
OH.MY.STINKIN.HECK.
If that show is in any way indicative of what I’m missing with cable, I am blessed indeed. Is this kind of programming the norm now? Truly? This is normal? Have you seen it? Do you like it? Can you admit if you do? What is it that attracts you? I recognize there are many popular actors/actresses involved with this sitcom, and it probably does a great job of weaving a story line that keeps the audience coming back for more, but more of WHAT?
More…
- …of a mom selling/dealing drugs to maintain her current level of living in a back-biting community?
- …scenes of teenagers meeting at an abandoned house to drink, smoke pot, and have sex?
- … angry & disrespectful children – flipping off parents and talking to them as if they were less than peers, without any idea the muffins on the counter are laced with weed?
- …of an uncle Instant Messaging his nephew’s deaf girlfriend asking her to disrobe and describe her body while he masturbates?
- …diminutive attitudes about the effects of drugs in general – because, y’know, weed is medicinal, not that bad – a lightweight drug, right?
- …scenes where homosexual teenage boys have ‘relations’ with significantly older, rich, adult men? Was he prostituting himself? I don’t even know.
- …adultery – now with tennis rackets up the butt!
- …poking fun at Christians (“Chris died for our sins.” t-shirts being a side theme of one show.) – of course that is so intolerant of me to point out.
Look around. Younger and younger kids are making poorer and poorer decisions. CAN WE BLAME THEM? What are we feeding them as entertainment? We welcome, embrace, even program things into our homes through our televisions and call it entertainment, but that same ‘entertainment’ IS destroying the family life. We swing wide the door and invite in our biggest fears as comedy.
The more ‘normal’ this becomes – the more we embrace a lifestyle of ‘do what feels right’ and ‘don’t judge me for my decisions’, the more downhill we can expect things to go.
- Teens having sex in abandoned homes can become teenage pregnancy, increased abortion, fatherless children, jealous rages, insecurity, STDs.
- Teens taking drugs and drinking can become more poor decisions, DUIs, car wrecks, deaths, pregnancies, abortions, or increased need for welfare from a state sinking in debt.
- Teens telling their parents to F*ck Off! leads to a disrespect for authority, head on collisions with teachers, bosses, caregivers, and the law; possible time in juvenile detention facilities, prison, or at the minimum, a life lived for ‘self’ – egotism (the greatest robber of all).
- Teens watching their parents infidelity can breed a lack of trust of the opposite sex, boys that are ‘players’, girls that ‘use’ guys, a lack of respect for the act of sex in general, insecurity, anger, confusion, an incomplete understanding of commitment and what it takes to grow in a marriage.
- Parental adultery can lead to emotional hardship, STDs, torn families, divorce, secrets, insecurity, jealousy, violence, anger, frustration, child abandonment, BROKEN LIVES
I know there are so many things missing on this list, but I’m sure I’ve scraped the top.
The old adage, “Trash in – Trash out” is probably the best short descriptive of who we are and where we’ve come. What our parents tolerated, we now embrace. What we tolerate, our children will embrace. It is a downhill slide.
On top of our television there is a card that says, “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes… Psalm 101:3″. On the back of it there is the verse Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.”
The American Heritage Dictionary defines a weed:
“A plant considered undesirable, unattractive, or troublesome, especially one growing where it is not wanted, as in a garden.”
And that is exactly what this sitcom is to me – undesirable, unattractive, and very, very troublesome.
I know many won’t agree. I know many will find me intolerant, ill-humored, blowing things out of proportion, looking for strokes, or whatever. Let me make clear I AM intolerant of this kind of entertainment. I do NOT find it humorous. I’m not looking for anyone to agree, but I do hope to make people think…I know I am.
87 Comments
christina in mo
exactly why my child is covered in mosquito bites, chiggars and a sun tan. She has mastered a cart wheel, riding a two wheel bike and learning to bake..well everything.
This post yet again has me begging the question. Betcha wish you had a flush button on your brain! I know there are times I do!!
Mama Needs Coffee
Shows like ‘Weeds’ are exactly why we only let the kids watch PBS. Thanks for writing this!
Boyd Smith
I linked to this post, thanks to my sister, Stacey Tate.
I may be the only guy to leave a comment. I hope I am not the only guy to read your well thought out, post.
I may be backwards from everyone else, but I keep my dish so I don’t feel the need to watch trash.It is not often, that you will find my TV on one of the major four stations (with the exception of my wife watching dancing with the stars.I seem to disappear at that time).
One of the comments, that I read, is “sex sells”, which is not true.The greatest story ever told is the true story, of how Christ took away our sins, by sacrificing himself.Every other great story ever written, or performed, will have an element of that same self sacrifice.
Thank you for your post, and thank you raising what I am betting are some great kids. Boyd
elizabeth
My husband put this on our “queue” because “people said it was good” and “critics say it’s good”. It was barely tolerable for me to watch the first episode! It was so boring to me that I didn’t even get to see all the rest of the questionable material you listed, but I’m glad I didn’t stick around to see it.
You are certainly right: watching things like this can lead to a general disrespect for everything.
I know people that love this show and I’m sorry to say, they have those certain kinds of “attitudes” and questionable morals of people that WOULD like this show.
KC
Hi Heather,
I have debated commenting, I both agree AND disagree with you and some of the comments. I think the comments by a select few bother me most of all.
I have never seen Weeds but have seen commercials for it and am aware what it is about. I think it is on when I am watching something else.
I am quite surprised you ordered it without knowing what the premise was. It is NOT a sitcom per say. It IS on Showtime and it clearly states that the show is for adults only, contains profanity and nudity etc. I could understand your feelings if this show was readily available to Children. It is not. I would like to think that the majority of Parents would not allow their child to view Showtime let alone Weeds. I am a little surprised anyone would recommend this show to you. That no-one told you what it was “about”. I have read your blog long enough to know that you would not enjoy it.
There will come a time when your children will be old enough to make their own decisions and so long as we raise them knowing right from wrong by the time they come into contact with a show such as Weeds or any show like it they will know that it is for entertainment purposes only and not real life. You and some others make it sound like if you watch the show you then you must condone such behavior and may even think about emmualating it. IT IS A TV SHOW. Viewer beware. No-body is making anyone watch it.
There are things in the world we cannot protect our children from forever, we can try and I can understand Parents that want to keep their children sheltered as long as possible but eventually they are going to learn about the real world. Sadly.
I was actually offended by a comment made my Bethany Actually. She stated that as adults we should not be watching such shows as Weeds and we should be doing better things with our time.
I am sorry but last time I checked it is a free world and what some people deem as entertainment and good use of their time I do not and vice versa.
No-body is forcing the show WEEDS on anyone and a quick goodle tells you all you need to know about the show and then you can make your own choice. The key word is CHOICE. You made a choice to order it and then you found out that it was not for you. It is a cable show that you do need to pay for and as I already said it is not a “situational comedy” per say.
I am all for freeedom of choice and if some folk enjoy the show for entertainemnt purposes then so what?
Who am I to judge them?
Personally I enjoy a few television shows for entertaiment purposes. I enoyed Melrose Place and I enjoyed Sex and the City and I also enjoy the crime shows such as Cold Case, Without a Trace, Law and Order and 48 hours to name a few. I have been raised well enough to know that a lot of the shows depict things that are just wrong. I am old enough to know that some of the things depicted on the show are not things I need to go out and do just because I saw it on televison. That is why a show like WEEDS is adults only. It is over the top and extreme, not for everyone.
I did read that is was one of the highest watched shows in the history of Showtime. Television is for entertainment and if people enjoy that show then who are we or anyone to judge?
A word of caution…do not watch Californication :)
I also enjoy cable for sports. My Husband enjoys the History Channel but he also enjoyed the Soprano’s.
At the end of the day I do not see anything wrong with adults sitting down and watching some television. Different strokes for different folks. My point is that WEEDS is not for kids and most kids should be in bed when it is on. I don’t judge anyone that enjoys the show or do I feel it right to tell them as Bethany Actaully did that they need to find a better use of their time.
I read a lot of blogs and yours would be in my top 5. I personally do not have time for a blog. A lot of them that I do read have a common theme…..they do not have time for daily chores. You are NOT one of these bloggers. I read these other blogs and they are spending huge amounts of time blogging and using IM all day and all night long. I don’t have time for that and personally think there are better things to do with one’s time than hours and hours on the internet with twitter and IM and so forth. But that is their choice just as it is for an adult to watch a show such as WEEDS.
As a parent I would be more concerned with shows such as Gossip Girl and The Hills and other such shows geared toward teenagers.
We can shelter our children for only so long.
I’ve a friend who sheltered her girls for a long time, I was so impressed on how they carried themsleves through HS and figured it was the Parenting and how they had been taught right from wrong and had little exposure to the perils that face teenagers. Then the oldest left home for College. Now on her own the daughter is seeing the real world and in that real world are drugs, alcohol and sex. She was ill prepared and a straight A student went down some really bad paths. One thing that we CANNOT fully prepare them for is peer pressure. This young lady was ill prepared for what faced her in College and in the real world.
There is a fine line on what we expose them to and what we do not.
Sorry for the ramble.
Let us not judge people for owning a televison and enjoying some shows that are not for everyone. I know you are not judging but some of the commentors are.
I’d like to talk to a few of them when their kids are off to College or teenagers. You do your best and hope for the best. Trust me when I say that there are going to be so many challenges when your kids are teenagers. It is the hardest thing. It’s so easy to say what you will and will not allow/do when your children are teenagers. But in reality….it is so hard. I would like to think that if my teenagers were to ever see a show such a WEEDS they would not for one minute think that they need to go out and do what is depicted on that show. What entertains one adult does not another and vice versa. Evidently you had a lot of people tell you the show was good. I am still stunned they thought you would enjoy it :)
Tori
Thank you for posting that…I have felt that as the world goes on things are getting worse and it is scary what they can get away with on cable!!
Bryssy
I can’t agree with you more! We got rid of our TV because of just this kind of thing. (We have since gotten one and hooked up a VCR that the hubby and I enjoy occasionally.) The fact that shows like this and much more are on TV just tells you how our society accepts it. Our family is taking a stand – we do not, and will not support this kind of garbage. Period.
Julie
KC: I’m with you on this one. You put it a bit more eloquently and “gently” then I would have.
I don’t believe in censorship in general. I do believe in choice. If something is offensive I don’t watch it. I can’t judge what other people consider entertainment.
When my adult daughter was young I prevented her from exposure to lots of things I deemed inappropriate.
But had she not had some exposure to the outside world she would have indeed been ill-prepared for her adult life. “Be in the world, but not OF the world,” is probably a good way to look at it.
I’ve learned that getting on one’s soapbox can often open one to close scrutiny that can result in making one appear hypocritical. You never know what other people find offensive (drinking, smoking, tatooing, reading material, movies, whatever…).
Lanna
Good thing we don’t have those pricey movie channels, yeah, that show would probably make me a bit squeamish if that’s all in a single episode.
Hey, for a change of pace – Looney Tunes is out on DVD – the honest to goodness ones you may have watched back in the day. I cringe every time I see an anvil, but it’s got to be better than Weeds.
KC
Thanks Julie.
I cannot believe the judgement being put forth, not on the the show WEEDS so much anymore on anyone that may watch it? Someone called them immoral? Oh for goodness sake. I guess those folk that enjoy WEEDS or showtime or even heaven forbid TELEVISION…well they are going to hell in a billy wagon.
I REALLY enjoyed Sex and the City and saw the movie and recently bought it. It’s NOT real life. It’s entertainment. I am not immoral. Who are we to judge what others watch or enjoy or do?
You can keep your kids sheltered and unaware of what the real world is like for so long. I am not saying let them all watch WEEDS, not at all. It’s for adults. How and when you expose your kids is your choice.
I just cannot get over the judgement here over anyone that might enjoy WEEDS.
Ellen is on now and she is a Lesbian as we all are aware. There are some folk that will not watch her because of that.
For what it is worth I am a Republican. I mention that as for a Republican I am very tolerant.
Folks need to lighen up and tend to their own and let the rest of us tend to ours.
You are so right on the drinking/smoking etc. What one does with their time/life/body is their business and as far as I know there is no one person that is PERFECT. Some folk need to “check themselves”
Pamela
Holy conversation starter, Batman! Looks like the nerves have been touched, and I must say, it’s refreshing to have a load of comments completely unrelated to a) the economy or b) the election. Good work!
OMSH
I am reading all comments and am thankful for ALL the contributions. I do want to say that I would like to hear what everyone thinks – which is why I asked the question, of course.
This may end up rolling into another post because I feel there are a few things touched on in comments I’d like to discuss further.
KC – I received your email on my phone while at the soccer field. I giggled as I scrolled on and on and on – you think it looks like a novella HERE … try viewing it through my phone!
Julie – You said “I’ve learned that getting on one’s soapbox can often open one to close scrutiny that can result in making one appear hypocritical. You never know what other people find offensive (drinking, smoking, tatooing, reading material, movies, whatever…).”
I want you to know I recognize how this opens me up. I see my faults and how far I can wander from the fray of the basis of my own belief system. I am a walking hypocrite, and not because I want to be or mean to be, but because hard as I try (read my about page), I screw up daily.
But I am trying.
Thanks again everyone.
Reb
I don’t have kids but if I did, I wouldn’t let them watch it. But that goes for most anything these days. have you seen that Charlie Sheen show on regular tv? Kinda racy.
Bryssy
I went to be last night thinking about this and what a few posters have mentioned about being judgemental.
I am a high school teacher. I see what kids and families accept as okay on a daily basis. I really think that one way to influence society is through the family. If families (their influence is the strongest on children) choose not to accept what is being shown on tv, what is being sold in stores, and portrayed in the media, it will stop. It all comes down to the almighty dollar.
We choose to use our buying power to influence retailers. We don’t watch TV and we don’t buy toys that sexualize children (seen a Bratz’ doll lately?) As a parent and teacher I see myself as an advocate for children. I write to companies who pander to children. Who allow sexual and foul content on television during “family” hours(NBC, CBS, ABC and local stations) and let them know exactly how I feel.
And, maybe my emails go right to the trash bin. And maybe not. But freedom is just that, being allowed to choose what you will and will not be exposed to.
Thanks Heather!!
Mandy
KC and Julie – I really do think it is good that you expressed your feelings here (and in length) and didn’t just go with the crowd, so to speak, but I think we must remember….this is Heather’s PERSONAL blog and she is simply stating her feelings on what she chooses to have in her home. And I could not agree with her more. I am a single mom with three girls and the crap kids are exposed to these days is astounding! Do I think watching Weeds makes you a bad parent? No. Do I think not watching it makes me a better parent? No. But I must say, “hoping for the best” wouldn’t be my preferred method of parenting. True we can only shelter them for so long, but cable is completely ridiculous these days! We have 54 channels and literally 4 or 5 show things appropriate for children. And what happens when my kids are old enough to stay home alone until I get off work? I just pray I raise them well enough to recognize what is inappropriate for them and turn the channel. Someone mentioned the song “I kissed a girl” (sung by a girl). Do I think it is a person’s right to make their own choice in their sexuality, yes? Do I secretly burst with pride when my 8 yo old screams “Ahhh mama this is “I kissed a girl” turn it!!” Oh yes, I definitely do!!!
Di
I am not a Christian, but an Agnostic, BUT, the show did not appeal to me only because, um, it simply bored me. Did the smoking pot thing in the 70′s and it was boring… raised my daughter so no young eyes in the house to hide any TV show content from. I swear and say ‘bad words’ every day so no need to watch TV to get my fill of that. Have a husband so watching others have sex is pointless….. I am surprised that you did not ask us first before ordering the DVD, Heather…. Would have saved you the money and the disappointment too. That’s what we are here for!!! Sheesh Girl.
Jenni in KS
Huh. I think I saw this in the video store last week. I thought it was a movie. There was no cover picture or info though. I’m kinda a weed fanatic. I mow around wildflowers and unidentified weeds that could become wildflowers. My farming/ranching neighbors probably think I’m nuts. Anyway, I held up the case for dh to see. He just looked at me with raised eyebrows and said, “Riiiiight.” He thought it sounded about as interesting as dirt. (Hey dirt can be interesting.) I had no clue what kind of weeds this movie (or TV show) must be about, but I was intrigued. A whole movie about weeds! Wow! I take it from your post that they do not mean the same kind of weeds that I was thinking of though. Boy am I naive. And very glad I didn’t rent it.
Alison
I have seen it, but only some of the first season. My husband loves it, so I’ve seen bits and pieces of it since. If you thought the first season was bad, do NOT watch any more. It gets ten times worse. I can’t watch it. It makes me anxious. Not to mention to watch people put themselves in those types of situations is too hard for me, hence the anxiousness.
It is on HBO, so I assume a lot of people don’t have that channel. And if they do, they don’t allow their children to watch. Though you can watch it online, which my husband does. So, there is no telling how many kids can find it that way. But I know what happens when you assume, but I just hope that America isn’t that far gone to allow their kids to watch it.
Alison
oops, not HBO, showtime. All the same, it is a channel that not everyone has.
The True Vine
Amen! We haven’t had broadcast television for years and we have become so re-sensitized to offensive content (that most of our society appears to accept as “normal”) that when we are at my parents’ house we end up only watching HGTV. (Wait, someone will probably claim that they are offended by HGTV…and I want to say that I can see that point of view, too!:-))
Laurie
AMEN, Sistah!
What boggles my mind is how many people have not actually researched the studies that speak to what level of influence tv has on a child’s life, and think that television is no big deal. ANYTHING children (or adults) are exposed to comes to seem normal after a while. That behavior not something I ever want to seem normal to my child.
And the arguement that one should expose their children to all this gritty reality so they are prepared for the world makes about as much sense as advocating sex for children because, after all, they are going to be married someday and have sex so they might as well be exposed to it now. Some things are just not developmentally appropriate.
Curt
Put me in the “all-time favorite show” category, and also squarely in the Christian category.
The issue is isn’t whether or not you embrace or approve of that lifestyle (any more than a fan of Johnny Cash necessarily embraces the boozin’ and womanizing he sings about – and lived – or to love John Grishom implies one is condoning murder etc.) it is ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT. My God what a boring life if art had to pass that test! The issue is,and solely is: do you find this show funny, or not?
I am always surprised and disappointed when adults can’t make that connection. Or choose not to.
That’s the beauty of a pro-choice America (pun absolutely intended). Don’t like it? Then don’t watch it. Choose something else; click the remote. No need to rant.
There are many truly offensive things out there, but Weeds isn’t one of them.
There’s a wonderful way I’ve discovered to prevent your children from getting involved in drugs, it’s called PARENTING.
One’s choice of a cable show is so utterly and obviously besides the point; a true red herring.
Kim R.
I thought nothing of your title and picture. I obviosly have not seen the show. And thanks to you I will not. My husband and I often say how awful television is today – to bad people can’t see through the slime.
KC
@ Mandy
Heather understands that my comments were not directed at her perosnally. My comments were a direct result of all the comments I read in reply to Heather.
Lord help us if we parent with “hope for the best”.
Parenting is the HARDEST job. They do not come with a manual. Cable is the LEAST of our worries. We can absolutley control that. We can control pretty much everything in our own home. It’s outside of the home where they will be faced with the hard choices. How does one prepare their child for the “curiosity factor?”.
I believe in trying to parent somwhere in the middle, I don’t agree with extremes and I think we can all agree that Parents that allow their teens to run amock are asking for trouble. I also believe that over sheltereing can result in problems. I could go into detail but want to keep this short :)
I also think my views are a little different to those that have younger children than to teens. Your will change to as mine were similar when they were younger.
I think we all try to do our absolute best and with the tools we have. I think Heather and Jeff are raising 3 very well rounded children.
WEEDS is the least of our worries in this world. What happens when your kids are old enough to stay at home while you are at work? Well cable is the least of your worries. I’d be more concerned about the internet and I AM more concerned about the internet.
It’s like driving a car…I trust myself, it’s the others out there I don’t trust.
@ Curt
HA…trust a man to get everything I was trying to say into a paragraph or less!! Well done.
Julie
Obviously, I am not a member of the targeted audience for this blog, and only came across it via a link from somewhere else.
From now on I’ll keep my comments to myself or just not read this blog anymore. But, in my defense, I am NOT advocating exposing impressionable children (or adults) to whatever comes along.
There are plenty of things out there I CHOOSE not to watch or partake in. I know nothing about “Weeds.” In fact I had never heard of it (I get basic cable!), but I’m not so naive and “un-worldy” as to not have figured out the subject matter. I just wanted to say that there are lots of things that offend me that other people think are enjoyable and quite benign. At the risk of being hurtful I don’t advocate tatooing or smoking. I’m sure I do things that offend people, but I try not to judge others regarding the choices they make.
I think putting myself on a self-righteous soapbox makes people look for my shortcomings. I’m not comfortable with that.
Mandy, yes, I do know that this is Heather’s “personal blog” but it is very public if you haven’t nothiced. I don’t think she would’ve posted this if she didn’t want comments. And I would imagine she was not going to think everyone agreed with her.
I AM a Christian, and was raised in a conservative Anabaptist church; so was my daughter. My husband is a preacher’s kid. And, of course, I tried to teach my daughter about moral behavior, and protected her as best I could from what I felt was harmful or too mature. She is now a well-adjusted thriving college student who, I am convinced, is makinge healthy moral decisions.
I do think that there is moral decay in this country. I am appalled. My stand is more about censorship; and looking for the “beam” in my own eye before considering the “mote” in someone else’s. (See Matthew and Luke)
OMSH
Julie – I do hope you don’t keep your comments to yourself…I’ve let all comments flow freely and did not intend to censor responses.
I did comment above to what you wrote – I do agree that speaking strongly against/for ANYTHING will open me to judgment in other areas of my life.
****
I absolutely did expect disagreement. I put on my big girl panties and can handle it just fine *smerk*
MidlifeSlices™
I’ve never watched “Weeds” but have a friend who keeps telling me to, but frankly I haven’t seen anything about it that entices me to rent it. I’m so glad to see you’re able to look at both sides (I don’t have a side, btw) objectively and without taking offense. I’ve commented on other blogs (usually political) where if my opinion didn’t match their opinion then I was as much as told not to leave any more comments. This makes me laugh because I’ve never left a mean comment in my life and never will. Oh well, I just assume everyone is fighting some sort of battle and we should all cut each other some slack. You did just that!
Kris
ITA. it’s despicable. You said it well.
Valerie
I had never heard of this show, and it sounds like I’m not missing a thing. We have TV, and even cable, but it’s very limited!!
I agree that with all the junk on the tube these days, no wonder kids are behaving the way they are. Thanks for your review!
amy
YESSSSS!!!!! i was SO excited to get my Weeds season 1 blockbuster DVD in the mail the other day. we don’t have cable so i thought i’d start with what i thought would be a pretty good show to watch. um, no. terrible. i turned it off 15 minutes into the 1st season’s 1st show. i could not watch anymore. so wrong- on so many levels. sent the DVD back as soon as i could. thanks for writing so well about this. like the pastor said at the church i visited yesterday, our country has lost its ability to say “that is just wrong.”
Mel
As a devout member of my faith, I hold true to the verse in Philipians. We have used it in an explanatory article on what we believe: “We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul- we believe all things, we hope all things, and if thereis anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”
Something I realized as a teenager was that even though I liked sitcoms such as Frasier that are usually clean, there was always that chance that the episode would include something that grated against what I believe to be good. I would hurry and change the channel, but what I saw or heard was already in my head. That was when I decided I would just not watch any sitcom. I have never seen a rated R movie. Some PG-13 movies I don’t even watch. We just turned off our cable because all we were paying for was trash… and a little HGTV in between. Seeking after the things which Paul spoke leaves no room to allow those things in which aren’t.
I realize that people who aren’t really religious or have different religious or media views will think I am a prude or naive, but I don’t feel as though I am missing out on anything. I don’t ever feel out of the loop.
The children in our church sing a song entitled, “If the Savior Stood Beside Me” in which one line asks, “If the Savior stood beside me, would I do the things I do?” Though it is a child’s song, I often have that line run through my head and change my actions so that I would feel that my home is a place where the Savior would feel at home.
It is important for me to teach my children how to discern right from wrong, and to be able to say no when something doesn’t feel right. That way, when they do go off into that world of possibilities, they can choose the right for themselves.
Melanie @ MelADramatic Mommy
I’m late to this party but will chime in anyway. I love the show. I think it’s funny, well written and entertaining. Good thing we all have something called choice and free will at our disposal.
If this type of programming doesn’t appeal to you, don’t watch. Judging people who do or questioning their morals doesn’t seem very Christ-like. Some of the things I’ve read here bother me a bit. Glass houses and let he who has no sin and all that.
Telling someone they have no morals just because they don’t align with yours is just not right.
I absolutely agree that kids today are growing up too fast. I’m trying to shelter mine as best I can for as long as I can.
But please don’t automatically assume I’m a bad person or parent because of the way I choose to spend my free time.
@Curt- Rock on! I’m way more concerned about monitoring my son’s teachers, friends, coaches and internet usage than him somehow catching an eyeful of Weeds.
KYouell
Wowza! We don’t have cable (cuz we’re poor) and have Netflixed Weeds. I think we watch it like a traffic accident, with our jaws on the floor at the unbelievability at the things those people do. I guess it’s like a soap opera for us. And not having a lot of money, the main character really makes me think about what I would do to keep my family intact through bad times. To me it is a morality tale: don’t lose my certification because I might *need* to go back to work someday, don’t be so worried about keeping the kids in any specific house that I’ll do anything to pay that mortgage, etc. I think I’ve done a lot of self-analysis as a result of watching this show. So I guess I’m glad I’ve seen it. Plus I’m a sucker for anything with any ASL or Deaf people in it so I really wanted to see the beginning of the series.
I do think that exposing your children (at the appropriate age) to something like this could generate some good discussions, but you would have to be present as a parent and have those discussions. That’s a lot different from just saying “don’t watch that” to me. I know that we will have a lot of discussions about advertising and how it attempts to manipulate you because that is something both my husband and I find entertaining. I think that “mature” shows are just an extension of that.
Can wait to read the next post!!!