Let me start by saying we do not let Emma watch commercial TV as a rule. Her television viewing is quite limited - she watches Sesame Street and The Wiggles and that is it, and most of the time those are off the TiVo, not even "live" when she watches them, so I FF through the "brought to you by" stuff that precedes both "noncommercial" programs. During the week, I never, EVER have the TV on when Emma's up, we prefer to listen to (or make) music instead. The only times she is ever around the TV while it is on have been while DH watches baseball, football or golf (
) or when we're at my parents' house, where Fox News or NBC are on CONSTANTLY (my mother will say that "the dogs like it on" and will leave the TV on even when they're not home..........) and when Em is in the room, I tend to turn the TV off - even over my parents' objections.
Okay, so on Sunday, DH is watching golf and ironing his shirts for the week. I get Em up from her nap and bring her downstairs, where she is playing in the same room as DH and the TV. All of a sudden, a commercial comes on and there is SWEARING in it.
!!!!! It was just the H word, but criminy, it was like 4 in the afternoon and this wasn't cable!!! I said to DH that I couldn't believe they'd show a commercial (it was for an upcoming movie) with a curse word in it, and he responded that he didn't even notice the word since he hadn't been paying attention. This led to a general discussion of how much everyday language has degraded and how words that were once considered completely inappropriate for "polite" conversation are now de rigeur. I said I didn't care how commonplace the amount of vulgarity in today's speech has become, I still didn't appreciate it being so out there and easy to expose our 2 year old to without even meaning it. Needless to say, DH switched the TV off then and there.
The same thing even applies to commercial radio. I have occasionally put the radio on while driving Em somewhere in the car, and then found myself switching back to one of the ubiquitous Sesame Street CDs instead, after hearing some "bad" word in a commercial. Grrrrr. Now, I don't even bother putting the radio on when Em is in the car!
Now please don't think I'm some sort of prude or dainty chick who gets the vapors from a cussword being said in my presence.
One of my all-time favorite TV series is The Sopranos, after all. I just find it highly inappropriate for them to be airing shows or commercials during the middle of the DAY with any sort of curseword. Am I out of my mind to think this??? I've kept a closer ear on the TV since Sunday (when I'm not FFing through the commercials anyhow as 99% of what we watch is off the TiVo...) and I've noticed a lot of words in shows that air well before evening hours that are things I know I try very hard not to say in front of Emma or any other kid for that matter.
Sigh. I never expected I'd be this "un-hip" as a parent. I think I'm turning out to be more uptight than my parents were, which I always swore I'd never be......
Please someone, tell me I'm not the only one who wants to resurrect Tipper Gore's committee to clean up language........
Heather the possible fuddy-duddy