Kevin's Watch

Being very sensitive as a child, due to finding my grandmother dead at when I was only 3, it was the job of my brothers to shelter me from certain things.

In hushed voices, I remember being told never to watch "Night Gallery" which was so scary that even grown ups were frightened by it.
Now thanks to streaming internet television, I am able to watch it. What a treat! Like "the Twilight Zone" but scary! So far my favorite episode is "When Aunt Ada came to stay" starring one of the iconic character actors of my childhood, "Lost in Space's" Johnathan Harris.

I wasn't allowed to watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Too violent.

There was a show in Australia called Number 96 which equates to an early seventies version of 90210 meets sex in the city meets coronation street. It dealt with a lot of 'adult' themes such as racism, rape, marriage problems, homosexuality, adultery. Very popular with adults back in the 70s but i was never allowed to watch it because of the naked people running around and the references to sexuality etc.
Its pretty tame compared to whats on offer these days.

The only thing I recall being forbidden to watch was the movie "The Thing" [the original version]...which was constantly being shown on "Creature Feature"...and some other similar recurring 'horror' themed show...and the reason was because my mom had nightmares for a couple days after seeing it.

Fun fact about "the Thing..."
The original was nothing like the short story it was based on... John Carpenter's version was, in fact, the more faithful rendition!

I wasn't allowed to watch Scoobi Doo. Too Satanic. I'm serious.

There were lot's of shows like that we couldn't watch. Movies, too, like Escape to Witch Mountain. A friend of my parents had to reassure them that Tolkien was a Christian before they'd let us watch the old Hobbit cartoon.

And there was a whole plethera of things that were entirely harmless in themselves (i.e. no witchcraft), but were still seen by my parents as a "Jesus substitute," and I could only have the Real Thing. Substitutes like: E.T. and The Superfriends.

I had so much fun growing up.

Now I'm an atheist.

My parents were pretty cool about not restricting me. I can't think of anything they said no about, both with television and movies. Then again, I was pretty good at self-censoring. I was easily scared, so if I had the balls to watch a scary movie, then I was allowed.

Actually, the only censoring I can remember is my sister picking up a Richard Pryor album, and my dad returned it due to language. In fact, I remember us being a bit restricted from a Shelley Berman album too because of language. But they were fine with the same things being said in the Steve Martin albums we had. Strange that comedy was the only restriction I can remember.

My parents didn't want us watching the early Japanese animation (Gigantor era). They thought it was too violent. Strangely, they didn't have a problem with us watching Jonny Quest when we were younger.

I avoided horror movies as a kid. Inadvertently saw a segment of some movie on TV when I was 6 and home sick. Bunch of dead bodies that made no sense to my freaked child mind.

When I grew up we had a small black and white TV on top of a large but broken color TV.
We only got about 7 channels.
It wasn't a question of what we could watch it was more of what we were able to watch.

Cagliostro wrote: Then again, I was pretty good at self-censoring. I was easily scared, so if I had the balls to watch a scary movie, then I was allowed.

I think this is an excellent point. I let my kids watch pretty much whatever they want. My teen can look up porn on his computer (as long as it's legal) [Edit: granted, he is 18 himself now, so technically not a kid anymore.] My 10-yr-old can watch R-rated movies. And they are great at self-censoring. I've checked up on the teen's computer, and can't find much evidence of any porn viewing at all. You'd think with that kind of freedom, he'd have a real addiction at this point. But his history is all Facebook and shopping for clothes online. My 10-yr-old, on the other hand, will actually leave the room if tits pop up in a movie. We've tried to tell him that breasts are natural and there's nothing wrong with them, but he still feels like he shouldn't see it, so he leaves. The same thing happens when a movie is too violent for him. He will walk out of the room.

I think we should trust kids more and not baby them. Sheltering doesn't protect them, it only softens them and leaves them unprepared for the inevitable confrontation with this stuff when they are not under your supervision. They'll go crazy at the first opportunity, because everything has been made into the "forbidden fruit" and they've got 18 years of repressed curiousity to unleash upon the world.

Now as for censoring comedy ... I don't get that one at all. If someone thinks that laughter is in any way dangerous, I'd like that one explained to me. Yes, I know the language and subject matter can get raunchy. But if a child can find humor in it, then they're probably ready to hear it. After all, there is nothing funnier to a kid than bodily functions. We all start out on poop and fart jokes.

Zarathustra wrote:I think we should trust kids more and not baby them. Sheltering doesn't protect them, it only softens them and leaves them unprepared for the inevitable confrontation with this stuff when they are not under your supervision. They'll go crazy at the first opportunity, because everything has been made into the "forbidden fruit" and they've got 18 years of repressed curiousity to unleash upon the world.

Yeah, I remember a very uncomfortable viewing of Debbie Does Dallas as a teenager with my dad and uncle. Sure, I wanted to see it, but preferably alone. This was after my mom left my dad, so his porn wasn't hard to find, and we had Cinemax, and what was frequently heard in the house while watching a movie was "Where's the tits?" That revulsion I felt could be accountable for some of my sexual hangups, but at least it was restrictive. It became self-restrictive more than anything.

Now as for censoring comedy ... I don't get that one at all. If someone thinks that laughter is in any way dangerous, I'd like that one explained to me. Yes, I know the language and subject matter can get raunchy. But if a child can find humor in it, then they're probably ready to hear it. After all, there is nothing funnier to a kid than bodily functions. We all start out on poop and fart jokes.

I've never understood that was either, especially Shelley Berman. He was much tamer than Steve Martin. It wasn't raunchy, and after finally getting my hands on the albums my dad had, there was only maybe one or two "dirty" words. Oh, and my dad did not have a problem with my sister's George Carlin album with the 7 Words You Can't Say On Television. I'm still a bit confused over all that, but then again, I'm the baby, and it might have been carry-overs from my older siblings.

Heh, Cag, now I have an image in my mind of those Wendy's "Where's the Beef" commercials, but, now, the old lady is now yelling, "Where's the tits"

I never understood wanting to watch porn with a bunch of guys [which was a pretty common pass-time at college and in the military...if I'm gonna watch porn with a bunch of people, a bunch of women would be better...in case someone gets...ummm....inspired.

On the words, though...censoring public use of words has an upside, cuz it supports an impact/value to them. A kid hears/says "fuck," adults freak out...I mean...perfect, really...Kid asks what it means, is told "shut up" "don't say that" "it's bad"...love it. Now, we just need to change the list to get them interested. My replacement suggestion for Phase 1:
Shit=shoal
Piss=pinguescence
Fuck=fulminate
Cunt=cullion
Cocksucker=covariant
Motherfucker=morosoph
Tits=titubant
Phase 2 institutes a new list. Phase 2 begins when 90% of parents are shocked to discover that 100% of third graders hear them every day.

I was not allowed to watch tv......period..... My parents refused to buy a television for most of my years. Then along came William Shatner and Star Trek. I screamed, begged, pleaded, pouted, tantrumed until finally, at 14 there was a tv ....but it came with numerous caveats. My mother put a piece of paper on the fridge. My brother and I were each allowed to watch a 30 minute show each day and watch each others show. We had to write down on the fridge what we were going to watch for the week. It wasnt as horrible as it sounds. We learned to work together, negotiating deals so we could watch one hour shows. I got William Shatner and he got Batman. We also learned to read, do artwork, play outside........

sindatur wrote:Heh, Cag, now I have an image in my mind of those Wendy's "Where's the Beef" commercials, but, now, the old lady is now yelling, "Where's the tits"

Yikes! A scary lesbian Clara Peller. I also am now picturing her as a zombie as well, maybe for obvious reasons. Thanks. Now I'm really creeped out.

I loved watching Night Gallery! I also liked to watch The Night Stalker.

Kolchak! Awesome! I actually paid for videotapes of that show many years ago before it was possible to watch streaming video on the internet...