From rssfeeds@jmason.org Thu Sep 26 16:41:29 2002 Return-Path: Delivered-To: yyyy@localhost.spamassassin.taint.org Received: from localhost (jalapeno [127.0.0.1]) by jmason.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9C20516F16 for ; Thu, 26 Sep 2002 16:40:48 +0100 (IST) Received: from jalapeno [127.0.0.1] by localhost with IMAP (fetchmail-5.9.0) for jm@localhost (single-drop); Thu, 26 Sep 2002 16:40:48 +0100 (IST) Received: from dogma.slashnull.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by dogma.slashnull.org (8.11.6/8.11.6) with ESMTP id g8QFRqg24249 for ; Thu, 26 Sep 2002 16:27:52 +0100 Message-Id: <200209261527.g8QFRqg24249@dogma.slashnull.org> To: yyyy@spamassassin.taint.org From: "hyatt@mozilla" Subject: More fun with the PTC Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 15:27:52 -0000 Content-Type: text/plain; encoding=utf-8 URL: http://www.mozillazine.org/weblogs/hyatt/#85378428 Date: Not supplied I received some feedback in email (from several of you actually) regarding my earlier blog about the Parents Television Council[1], which recently published a report in which they labeled Buffy as the worst show on television for children. Let me clarify why this organization bothers me so much. Buffy as a show is clearly inappropriate for children under 12, and a game like GTA3 is as well. The PTC, however, has a clear agenda that goes beyond simply warning parents about the dangers of television shows or video games. There is a belief on the part of the PTC that the hour from 8-9pm (the first hour of primetime) must be designated a family hour, and that no offensive shows should air during that time. I don't believe that it's the networks' responsibility to restrict the kind of content aired during a particular hour of television. The shows that air during primetime run the gamut; some are family-oriented and some aren't. There is, however, no shortage of suitable content should parents and children wish to watch TV together during this hour. It should be the parent's responsibility to police a child's television viewing. If you don't want your kids watching _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_, then don't let them, but don't campaign to have the show removed from the air or shoved into a late hour that would only result in its cancellation just because you don't like its content. If you don't think a show is appropriate, don't let your kids watch it. The PTC also seems to find shows offensive that are family-oriented. An example of one such show is _Malcolm in the Middle_. I would hardly call this show inappropriate for kids. Apparently the only shows that the PTC deems appropriate are those that have been sanitized to match their ultra-conservative agenda. Even then, I wouldn't really mind, but the idea that all other shows must be relegated to some later hour is just ludicrous. [1] http://www.parentstv.org/