For the last 5 years or so our family has had access to cable or satellite television. These have been the basic channels mind you; like CNN and Disney and NOT HBO or MTV. But its been a lot of stations to flip and stuff to watch for a long long time around here.We are through paying for our television programming with the leaving of this house. Back to being content with PBS and network news.
It isn't a hard choice for me. Not only do we now have access to our favorite shows via the Internet, but we've come to realize that our big kids get to do the channel flipping and our little kids get to watch Hannah Montana instead of Sesame Street.
no more I say, no more...
Its time for me to let my little ones be little ones again. And to find other entertainment avenues for my big ones besides commercial riddled - Disney propaganda promoting - sitcoms where boys act stupid around girls and girls act stupid for boys. We can be more selective, more careful, and more fun too. With our saved cable budget I'll purchase Apple TV and all our DVD's (and hopefully someday VHS's) will go onto itunes and be played, scratch free, on any tv in the house. I'd even be up for more Wii and Rockband and fewer commercials or made for tv movies where girls hike up their shorts and boys comb down their hair.
a couple of weeks ago I cam across a DVD collection of Sesame Streets that were made when I was 5 years old. Hours and hours of the Count and Cookie Monster. Songs from folk singers about fishing and the forest. The girls are glued whenever they get "screen time" to watch it. The simple shows that kept me so visually content as a child have still got the good stuff. Safe television, educational for them. A chance for me to remember that a child's media experience does not have to include Spongebob in order for that child to be to be completely content.
I know our big ones will pitch a gnarly fit at the next address when they don't have Zach and Cody to hang out with on Friday night. But I hope after a few weeks of Wii fit and old episodes of ICarly off of the net they'll see that, in the end, no Disney is good Disney.
8 comments:
We made that same change 6 months ago. I had hoped the TV watching would reduce, but it hasn't. Although it is refreshing to watch Aurthur over Sweet Life. Lee was actually flipping channels and couldn't believe the commercials on channel 4. So we're going to be eliminating TV all together and sign up for Netflix (sp?)
We've made the same decision. New home = no tv (I'm blaming it on the more expensive housing market). The only thing that convinced me in this house was the desire to watch General Conference in my family room. I figure we will just watch it on our computer from now on, or invite ourselves over to our more technology-savvy friend's house. I like the idea of Apple TV...you've got me thinking.
I agree! We have been tuning into PBS more than anything. The big kids would rather watch a movie or play on the wii for their limited time anyway. With the world the way itis today, tv is just going downhill.
Funny you should mention the two shows I have banned in our house. Zack and Cody - because we don't want out girls to think they have to be dumb to get a guy, and sponge Bob - which I find the noise from this show agitating! Good job!
Way to go! Disney Channel makes me gag!
AMEN SISTA!!! this is the number one reason we have never gottne cable. I can't stand the Disney Channel. way to go! I have been thinking I'd like to borrow your gidget DVD's and look for old movies that the girls would love. Musicals and Fankie and Annette. but bottom line they don't need more to choose from - they need me to help them unplug. thanks for the inspiration!
Sesame Street Old School?!? I LOVE IT!!! I bought it for my son, who's only 14 mos old. He couldn't have cared less, but I watched the whole thing and sang along. I'm not ashamed!
I don't mind so much the Disney movies, where you can usually find some moral lesson in it, but the Disney TV? My nieces are obsessed with it, and I just don't get it.
hear hear!
Post a Comment