What the HECK is that on my TV?!!

[iLander]

Does it seem that the TV shows are just getting too gross?

On the latest "Two and a Half Men" Charlie walks in on Allen when Allen is NAKED and masturbating on the bed! I am not a prude, but COME ON! That was GROSS! There's suddenly a naked masturbating man on MY TV! Charlie walks in on Allen not once, but TWICE in the same episode!

Then "How I Met Your Mother" is gross too, with so many sexual references (Marshall wants to "Plow" Lily, "Like a Field") I can't watch it with my teenager!

Does anybody else feel they are going too far?

This is not funny by any stretch!

I used to like both of these shows, but they are over the line!

 

[random_thought]

Honestly, it doesn't bother me. I'm sure 50 year ago people would have thought the shows we had today were inappropriate as well. If you don't want to watch it with your teen daughter, I'm sure there are other quality shows on that you could watch right?

 

[Tuckins1]

Doesn't really "bother" me, but I have noticed that a lot more "adult type" material is being aired.... Look at these crappy reality shows like "Jersey Shore" "Kardashians" and the like!....

 

[Loves Vintage]

Honestly, it doesn't bother me. I'm sure 50 year ago people would have thought the shows we had today were inappropriate as well. If you don't want to watch it with your teen daughter, I'm sure there are other quality shows on that you could watch right?

Such as? I hate to be a debbie-downer, but there is seriously nothing good on tv! I will admit I watch shows like Real Housewives and Bridezillas, but I certainly wouldn't call any of this "quality tv". I joke about the sheer ridiculousness of these shows. I call them my waste-of-life tv. The only tv program that I watch that would I would consider borderline quality is House Hunters International!! I do not watch shows that involve murder, so that takes out a large percentage of what's on tv. I do not watch any of the few sit-com type shows on tv because I don't find any of them funny!

The only two GOOD tv shows that I can think of are "Mad Men" and "In Treatment", though I wouldn't consider either family entertainment.

 

[Steel]

I agree.

For me, I expect to feel comfortable watching anything on the television before 9pm and do so with my drapes open. That is not the case anymore. I often have the TV on as background noise so have no clue what programmes are actually on. I have gone into the room and seen entirely inappropriate scenes before the traditional watershed. If I want to watch (mild) soft **** (or any **** for that matter ) I certainly will, but I don't expect it to be on before the watershed and feel it is absolutely extraneous in most programmes.

 

[random_thought]

Well some that come to mind are

Extreme Home Makeover
A lot of shows on disney (I realize she is a teen but heck I am 26 and still enjoy shows on there)
AFV
Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution
I've heard The Middle is good although I haven't personally seen it
The Simpsons are usually pretty decent, I don't think I've seen any episodes of real concern
So You Think You Can Dance/Dancing With the Stars
The Office isn't bad

These are just ones that come to mind and as always are my opinion...

eta: a lot of shows will have sexual references even if they are intended for kids so that they appeal to a wide audience. Also, as a teen if there was a sexual reference on tv and I was watching with my parents it really wasn't a big deal. We all knew what sex is, we knew what the innuendo is and we moved on to the next part of the episode.

 

[Kismet]

Oh for the Dick Van Dyke days when it was too racy for a 'married' tv couple to share a double bed.

I agree, though, that there seems to be way too much gratuitous sex and violence on tv these days. I generally just tune into HGTV or the FoodNetwork.

 

[Amber St. Clare]

This is why NetFlix is my best friend...also TCM and FCM.

Altho I have to admit to adoring EVERY BAD TASTE MINUTE of Absolutely Fabulous. Edina Monsoon is my secret alter-ego

 

[Steel]

Well some that come to mind are

Extreme Home Makeover
A lot of shows on disney (I realize she is a teen but heck I am 26 and still enjoy shows on there)
AFV
Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution
I've heard The Middle is good although I haven't personally seen it
The Simpsons are usually pretty decent, I don't think I've seen any episodes of real concern
So You Think You Can Dance/Dancing With the Stars
The Office isn't bad

These are just ones that come to mind and as always are my opinion...

eta: a lot of shows will have sexual references even if they are intended for kids so that they appeal to a wide audience. Also, as a teen if there was a sexual reference on tv and I was watching with my parents it really wasn't a big deal. We all knew what sex is, we knew what the innuendo is and we moved on to the next part of the episode.

I know you were asked what other shows are available, but I wonder if that the fact that other 'traditional family show' are available on television, is not the point? For me, it is the introduction of gratuitous nudity and overt sex scenes in shows where the presence of such scenes does not advance the characters or plot and merely sees dropped into place for (pardon the pun) pure titivation at a time slot where such scenes are unexpected. Again IMO, it is not that I could watch another show, it is that the show in question does not need to plaster (to use iLander's example) 2 masturbatory scenes in an episode. We know sex sells, but if nobody is buying then is it not unwarranted, and if these shows need such scenes to gain ratings then are we watching much more than neatly wrapped up ****?

 

[random_thought]

Well some that come to mind are

Extreme Home Makeover
A lot of shows on disney (I realize she is a teen but heck I am 26 and still enjoy shows on there)
AFV
Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution
I've heard The Middle is good although I haven't personally seen it
The Simpsons are usually pretty decent, I don't think I've seen any episodes of real concern
So You Think You Can Dance/Dancing With the Stars
The Office isn't bad

These are just ones that come to mind and as always are my opinion...

eta: a lot of shows will have sexual references even if they are intended for kids so that they appeal to a wide audience. Also, as a teen if there was a sexual reference on tv and I was watching with my parents it really wasn't a big deal. We all knew what sex is, we knew what the innuendo is and we moved on to the next part of the episode.

I know you were asked what other shows are available, but I wonder if that the fact that other 'traditional family show' are available on television, is not the point? For me, it is the introduction of gratuitous nudity and overt sex scenes in shows where the presence of such scenes does not advance the characters or plot and merely sees dropped into place for (pardon the pun) pure titivation at a time slot where such scenes are unexpected. Again IMO, it is not that I could watch another show, it is that the show in question does not need to plaster (to use iLander's example) 2 masturbatory scenes in an episode. We know sex sells, but if nobody is buying then is it not unwarranted, and if these shows need such scenes to gain ratings then are we watching much more than neatly wrapped up ****?

Beats me, I personally only tend to watch more family friendly shows and stay away from 2 and a half men if possible.

 

[TooPatient]

Well some that come to mind are

Extreme Home Makeover
A lot of shows on disney (I realize she is a teen but heck I am 26 and still enjoy shows on there)
AFV
Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution
I've heard The Middle is good although I haven't personally seen it
The Simpsons are usually pretty decent, I don't think I've seen any episodes of real concern
So You Think You Can Dance/Dancing With the Stars
The Office isn't bad

These are just ones that come to mind and as always are my opinion...

eta: a lot of shows will have sexual references even if they are intended for kids so that they appeal to a wide audience. Also, as a teen if there was a sexual reference on tv and I was watching with my parents it really wasn't a big deal. We all knew what sex is, we knew what the innuendo is and we moved on to the next part of the episode.

I know you were asked what other shows are available, but I wonder if that the fact that other 'traditional family show' are available on television, is not the point? For me, it is the introduction of gratuitous nudity and overt sex scenes in shows where the presence of such scenes does not advance the characters or plot and merely sees dropped into place for (pardon the pun) pure titivation at a time slot where such scenes are unexpected. Again IMO, it is not that I could watch another show, it is that the show in question does not need to plaster (to use iLander's example) 2 masturbatory scenes in an episode. We know sex sells, but if nobody is buying then is it not unwarranted, and if these shows need such scenes to gain ratings then are we watching much more than neatly wrapped up ****?

Exactly right Steal!

It isn't so much that there isn't anything else on -- if you look hard enough you CAN find other stuff. But why should you have to actively search out decent stuff to watch and actively avoid the rest? Even Discovery, NatGeo, and the other science & history channels are running shows that are of this lower quality. (anyone see commercials for a show called "Taboo"???)

It's so bad recently that FI and I have been re-watching Frasier and using Netflix to get decent stuff to watch (Rumpole of the Bailey, The Pallisers, Upstairs Downstairs, Foyle's War...).

Other than that, we tend to stick to DIY (Blog Cabin, Run my Rennovation) and Food Network.

 

[VRBeauty]

Ilander - I agree with you. I remember waiting for a plane with my boss when some particularly titilating scenes from Gray's anatomy were showing on the TV in the waiting area. Not comfortable. I think some of these shows just aren't smart enough to get the point across subtly so they go for the shock value.

As for 2 1/2 - I've never understood that show's popularity, and that's especially true now that it's pretty much nothing but sexual innuendo.

 

[dragonfly411]

I pretty much only watch The Food Network, Animal Planet, and Dancing with the Stars these days, and American Idol. If you have Netflix, and want a good show, The Young Riders is on live stream. It was my favorite as a kid, and is very wholesome.

 

[iLander]

Honestly, it doesn't bother me. I'm sure 50 year ago people would have thought the shows we had today were inappropriate as well. If you don't want to watch it with your teen daughter, I'm sure there are other quality shows on that you could watch right?

Actually the NAKED Allen scene was so offensive that, even though I was watching it ALONE, I turned it off. He was literally laying naked on a bed, completely UNcovered, no sheets, no blanket, peering at a computer laptop (presumably a **** site) and he dove over the side of the bed when Charlie walked in. Charlie says "Getting a little me time, Allen?". This show has been borderline for quite some time, but now it's over for me.

I'm a liberal, raised in the '70's and not a prim, uptight lady. This was just plain Tacky.

My question is, where will WE be 50 YEARS from NOW? It will kill the fashion industry because we will apparently be naked!

We have also taken to using the DVR for Frasier, Cheers, Becker, etc. That was QUALITY Writing, not tacky, still funny. All I can think is that this younger generation of writers is just such a bunch of talentless hacks that they can't think of anything that is actually funny. . .

I'm on a rant, I know . . .

 

[vintagelover229]

I miss the shows like the Golden Girls, The Nanny, Frasier, and Becker. I'm only 22 and I found those funny as a kid, and I got (most) of the jokes back then and I thought it was pretty good clean fun with a lot more double meanings than they have now.

I watch 2 and a half men and I find it getting worse also. But the same goes for movies...has anyone seen Bad lieutenant with Nick Cage? I had to close my eyes for half of it because it was so FILTHY
*warning graphic description below*
(theres one part where the "bad cop" (Nick Cage) is screwing this drugged up girl and smoking crack with her and she does it bc she doesn't want to go to jail (He went there looking for rich young kids to steal their drugs so he can get his "fix"). He points the gun at her bf who's trying to leave so he doesn't have to watch and tells him to watch! )

Anyways, I just remember when shows were better and it wasn't so "out there" disgusting! And I'm in the generation this is geared at! It's beyond filthy and I have no clue what I'm going to let my kids watch (no kids yet btw).

 

[MonkeyPie]

Even Discovery, NatGeo, and the other science & history channels are running shows that are of this lower quality. (anyone see commercials for a show called "Taboo"???)

I watch anything, if I think it's funny, and I apparently have very "open" views on stuff like this. But have you actually SEEN Taboo? There is nothing "lower quality" about that show - everything on it is about cultures unlike our own and is the truth, even if you don't like it. I don't get why that would make it cheap.

I watch NatGeo pretty much all week long. House on Mondays is my favorite, though, and recently House and Cuddy have spent a LOT of time in bed naked. I guess that means it's gone down the tubes, too.

Not trying to belittle anybody, but really...if you don't like it, you can change it. Even before nudity and cursing became commonplace on television, there were always people that disagreed with what was aired. And those people found better channels for them. That's all you can do.

 

[Siamese Kitty]

This post hits close to home! I am always made fun of in my house about my cynical tirades regarding America's sharp decline into low culture and questionable values, particularly within the context of television programming. My brother calls me "Debbie Downer".

What happened to the wholesome comedy sitcoms of TGIF? And yes! The abundance of murder, forensic, crime shows is astounding, and I can't watch them if I want to sleep. Don't even get me started on the show that centers on watching people's property be repossessed! Is that really entertainment? Tirade over, sorry. Oh wait, one more: Dance your A** off Do you remember when they didn't even bother to star the a** in the listings? The commercials still irk me, though. Do we really want our 5-6 yr olds walking around with this vernacular?

I've come to terms with the fact that reality shows dominate, and I try to at least watch the ones that demostrate some type of useful knowledge or ingenuity, i.e.:

Project Runway (love to see the originality of the contestants)
Chopped/Top Chef (again creativity, using everyday items in new and interesting ways)
Amazing Wedding Cakes (I can appreciate this as an impressive form of artistry.)
House Hunters Domestic and International (International especially, since it gives insight into other cultures)
Pawn Stars (Believe it or not, many people bring in historical items and you can learn a lot from the experts evaluating them.)
Mad Men (I don't watch it, but the other half does, and I think it's a creative and well-written show.)

Haha, I'm really not a stick in the mud, I swear! I guess I'm just one of those types who values creativity and learning in TV programs. It's one reason I love PS. Aside from the diamond info, the people here are very educated and intelligent, and discussions/debates are usually very insightful.

 

[TooPatient]

I miss the shows like the Golden Girls, The Nanny, Frasier, and Becker. I'm only 22 and I found those funny as a kid, and I got (most) of the jokes back then and I thought it was pretty good clean fun with a lot more double meanings than they have now.

I watch 2 and a half men and I find it getting worse also. But the same goes for movies...has anyone seen Bad lieutenant with Nick Cage? I had to close my eyes for half of it because it was so FILTHY
*warning graphic description below*
(theres one part where the "bad cop" (Nick Cage) is screwing this drugged up girl and smoking crack with her and she does it bc she doesn't want to go to jail (He went there looking for rich young kids to steal their drugs so he can get his "fix"). He points the gun at her bf who's trying to leave so he doesn't have to watch and tells him to watch! )

Anyways, I just remember when shows were better and it wasn't so "out there" disgusting! And I'm in the generation this is geared at! It's beyond filthy and I have no clue what I'm going to let my kids watch (no kids yet btw).

The Nanny and Frasier were great! Loved Golden Girls and Designing Women too.


SK ---- I loved TGIF!!!
Boy Meets World, Full House, Step By Step, Family Matters, Sabrina the Teenage Witch

Oh... and Reba --- Family faces difficult times, works together (or not), and gets through stuff

 

[random_thought]

I have to agree that I do wish that T.G.I.F. was still on, I was a huge Boy Meets World fan

 

[TooPatient]

Honestly, it doesn't bother me. I'm sure 50 year ago people would have thought the shows we had today were inappropriate as well. If you don't want to watch it with your teen daughter, I'm sure there are other quality shows on that you could watch right?

Actually the NAKED Allen scene was so offensive that, even though I was watching it ALONE, I turned it off. He was literally laying naked on a bed, completely UNcovered, no sheets, no blanket, peering at a computer laptop (presumably a **** site) and he dove over the side of the bed when Charlie walked in. Charlie says "Getting a little me time, Allen?". This show has been borderline for quite some time, but now it's over for me.

I'm a liberal, raised in the '70's and not a prim, uptight lady. This was just plain Tacky.

My question is, where will WE be 50 YEARS from NOW? It will kill the fashion industry because we will apparently be naked!

We have also taken to using the DVR for Frasier, Cheers, Becker, etc. That was QUALITY Writing, not tacky, still funny. All I can think is that this younger generation of writers is just such a bunch of talentless hacks that they can't think of anything that is actually funny. . .

I'm on a rant, I know . . .

My guess about where we'll be in 50 years ---
I think it is likely that people will get sick of all the stuff (nudity, violence, etc) that is out there and "common" to see on the streets, in magazines, and on tv/movies and it will start to turn around.... Not just start, but keep going until people are VERY conservative in how they dress and what gets printed/shown. There will always be people who want to see this sort of stuff but I think they'll watch it in their own homes and the material (magazines/dvds/etc) will be something you have to specifically go look for rather than having it plastered everywhere.

 

[TooPatient]

I have to agree that I do wish that T.G.I.F. was still on, I was a huge Boy Meets World fan

Gonna have to Netflix this....

Cory and Tapanga were great to watch. I always looked forward to it. I loved seeing them grow up, get married, deal with life....


And the way it ended --- Mr. Feeny saying good-bye to them and telling them to "Do good."

 

[lyra]

There's nothing good on tv these days. I stick to HBO for all my guilty pleasures, the movie network and sci-fi channel. For regular tv we watch the home shows (house hunters, etc.) and my DH always has news on. I do like Big Bang Theory but wait to buy it season by season instead of watching it as it premieres. We've watched pretty much every episode of Two and a Half Men because my husband defaults to it at 10pm. I don't care about it one way or another really, but think it's pretty much run it's course by now.

 

[diamondringlover]

I like the show 2 1/2 men, but I kinda found that one a little over the top as well, heck all of the "new" season shows for 2 1/2 Men have been a little over the top and I have not enjoyed them very much

 

[diamondringlover]

I have to agree that I do wish that T.G.I.F. was still on, I was a huge Boy Meets World fan

Just seen this one, I loved T.G.I.F.....I love all those shows, they were clean funny shows.

 

[february2003bride]

That's why I LOVE Modern Family. I don't think anything on that show has offended me yet or made me think that my 13 year couldn't watch it with us.

 

[Amethyste]

... I NEVER watched the show. Anything with Charlie Sheen in it just can't be good. And this thread reinforced my first sentiment!

 

[IdLikeToBuyAVal]

DH and I are the same! We've actually watched a couple of episodes of "Taboo" and it is truly SHOCKING! We liked the episodes about cultural differences (one culture drinks a weird "brew" that basically causes them to hallucinate which they feel brings them closer to God. They let their toddlers drink it!)

Our biggest hangup recently has been movies. We both LOVE movies but have only been to a handful in the past several years because they're all either wayyy too gorey (like the Saw series), really dirty/sexual, off the wall humor we don't get (like Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist) or just too violent! Sadly, Up and Wall-E were some of our favorites because they actually had STORY lines! We just watched Easy A and it was pretty funny but it has that thread of dirty/overly sexual teenagers that doesn't appeal. We also watched The Social Network and it had it all - the sex, the drug use, language etc. That said - our favorite movie is Fight Club which is full of sex and violence and horrible language but the story line actually makes it all worth it.

I totally feel like a grumpy little old lady for complaining about tv and movies but I just don't feel like a lot of QUALITY shows/movies are being made anymore.

ETA: I've never really liked Two and a Half Men but my FIL watches it so I've seen a few episodes. It seems really overrated to me.

 

[Cehrabehra]

I love the racy stuff! It makes me grin But it's not family time TV with the kiddos. 2 1/2 men NEVER was family fodder. Neither was How I met your mother. Neither of those shows were ever family entertainment.

 

[Cehrabehra]

That's why I LOVE Modern Family. I don't think anything on that show has offended me yet or made me think that my 13 year couldn't watch it with us.

that is a great show

 

[atroop711]

I get what you're saying. In my opinion TV and commercials have gone too far. I feel like I can't wait TV with my kids because even though we may be watching a family show (like Top Chef), the commercial is for some movie or sitcom and they're showing a sex scene. I feel so caught off guard that I DVR a lot of the shows and just skip commercials..so much easier to watch TV with your kids this way.

Don't get me started on the ads in the street with half naked teen girls in a sexual position with a few teen boys. I don't think my 10 and 6 yr old need to see this BUT I guess I'm in the minority because others feel it's ok. I admit I'm old school at my old age of 42 but I think ad execs (and those hiring them) should be more responsible with content.