What's annoying me now?!?

[wednes]

I was about to make my second run of oatmeal butterscotch cookies for giving away this weekend. But my vanilla extract seems to have grown feet and run away so as not to become part of my cookie batch. I've look absolutley everywhere and can only conclude that it got thrown away or drank by a visiting alcoholic (kidding! But does anyone remember that Tom Hanks appearance on Family Ties where he drinks the vanilla and punches Alex?).

So I guess I'll go ahead and make some almond pastries because those require almost no ingredients and no time. I was also going to put together some vegan lemon baklava, but I can't do it tonight because I haven't yet thawed the phyllo. Wow, this post is incredibly boring so far.

In better news, here's a delightful article on how the FCC is actually NOT cow towing to puritanical housewives...for a change.

This cracked me up even as it angered me:

The council's primary targets included an episode
of CBS's popular "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" that
included references to abuse of a man's private parts,
as well as profanity during the ABC network's broadcast
of the Live 8 concert that drew attention to poverty in
poor countries.

Do they really think eliminating "naughty words" is more important than helping the poor? And why in hell are children watching CSI in the first damn place? I guess I'm really to the point where whenever I hear of an organization with "parents", "family", "decency" or "traditional values" in their names, I cringe. These words have become synonymous with bigotry, prejudice, and the curtailing of the freedoms that supposedly define our great nation.

Of course, I have never understood the idea that all programs should be modified to suit the tastes of the most vocal viewers. As N would say "if there's not a market for it, it wouldn't exist". How many truly great shows have been taken off TV for not having a large enough audience? And yet popular/good shows (Family Guy, NYPD Blue, etc) are often targted by these groups as "unacceptable".
I know it's a drag how TV caters to the lowest common denominator; but taking out the boobs and the swears is not the way to fix TV. Plenty of fantastic shows have curse words and nudity, and guess what? They are excellent shows...for adults. And the tacit assertion is that a show is "family appropriate" if it doesn't have nudity or swearing is equally appalling. Ten minutes worth of network "reality show" ads should cure anyone of such an assumption. They are not for kids; they are for idiots.

South Park is the one show that every moron on earth should know by now is not for kids. But that didn't stop the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights from blocking the replay of the South Park season finale. Aparently Viacom is leaning toward not releasing the episode on DVD. That is amusing to me, because it doesn't mean fewer people will own the episode, only that fewer people will have actually paid to own it. That said, I have a pretty crisp DVD copy if anyone needs one. ;-} But please, don't let any kids see it.

Comments

[1-woman-army.livejournal.com]

I'd name my second-born after you, for a copy of that dvd. Ok, that's a lie...I'm not having more than the one kid. But I'd still love to see that episode!

[wednes.livejournal.com]

It's likely that I'm going to ask my buddy to run off a bunch of copies, and then I'll send them out. I'll make sure you get one, never you fear.

That said, "Wednesday" is a much cooler name now than it was when I was in public school, less freaky and all. But I still would advise against naming a kid that. I think the next wave of names we'll see will be Harry Potter related:

"But Mom...there's 2 other girls named Hermione in my class!!!"

[1-woman-army.livejournal.com]

Seriously, you think so? I've never understood that whole naming your kid after a movie star or a character in a movie. I'd much rather name my child after a great character in a book that inspired me, if I were going to choose the name in that fashion.

Wednesday is a hellaciously cool name.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Wednesday is a hellaciously cool name.

Thank you. I didn't think so as a kid, since I had no where near the self esteeme required to be so unusual at such a young age. I didn't really like it until college; after "turning into" the skid of freakiness.

I was named after a TV character, since my mom probably still hasn't read an issue of New Yorker.

Oh, and Psst. Hermione is a book character, silly.

[1-woman-army.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but the parents naming their kid Hermione...that's the impact of the movie out of probably 85% of them.

[lickingtoad.livejournal.com]

'Harry' or 'Harold' is fine.
'Ron' or 'Ronald' you can also get away with.

I will punch everyone named Hermione I meet, ever. Because their parents are jackasses, that's why.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I think if they are from England, you'll have to cut them a break. They had that name from before.

[anathon.livejournal.com]

profanity during the ABC network's broadcast
of the Live 8 concert that drew attention to poverty in
poor countries.

This is the best part of the quote. It makes it seem like no one really knew about poverty in poor countries until swearing about it happened. It took some ruffling of feathers for people to hear about it I guess. Pretty funny.

Not as funny as kanye west saying bush doesn't care about black people but I still laughed.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Yeah. It is pretty funny, if also a bit sad. Not to mention the very idea that they want a charitable organization fined for a supposed FCC violation...as if no one expects a rock star to swear during a concert. I'm assuming they haven't been to many concerts.

[itches]

Yeah, somehow I can't picture these people attenting rock concerts

[anathon.livejournal.com]

Exactly what I was thinking.

But the fact remains that they wanted to fine the charity. Go big business. Crush everyone!

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Great.

Way to use your LJ to force a rip in the space/time continuum...

[itches]

Well if someone was going to do it, I'm glad it was me.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Come to think of it, so am I.

[nate101000.livejournal.com]

The part that irritates me the most is... In addition to the FCC resolving complaints expected in 2006, Congress is expected to consider whether to try to put some restraints on cable and satellite broadcasts, which so far have escaped such regulation because they are subscription services.

It already bothers me that broadcast programs are censored. But no child can view cable or satellite shows without at least the implicit consent of their parents.

If it were up to me cable channels after 10pm would be allowed to play uncut HBO stuff. If you don't want your child to watch it, then turn the channel.

[everythingtold.livejournal.com]

I agree with you. We had this lady writing to our local newspaper about how all this 'terrible stuff' is on TV and how the cable people (or someone) should be disallowing it to be played for the general public to 'protect the children'. she finished her letter by saying, "I know parents could monitor every little thing their kid watches but why should me have to?" I was so tempted to say "Um . . . because you're the parents?"

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Why should we have to?

I guess for the same reason you're supposed to tell kids not to smoke, drink, or steal a car...because that's the job of a parent. That's what parenting is. So you either have to equip your child with the skills they neeed to make good choices; or you have to make those choices on their behalf until they can.

It is not, nor has it ever been, the responsibility of society to remove/edit everything that might be harmful to a child. If it was, we wouldn't have fire.

[everythingtold.livejournal.com]

I agree


:)

[sudrin.livejournal.com]

The Japanese long ago got the idea that "Animation = Kids" out of thier head.. I guess Walt Disney (Thru no malace I'm sure) has made it so that its taken longer for the US to get this idea thru its head. Better parental controls on Televisions and cable boxes seems like the answer to me, but unfortunately that doesnt' control what peoples kids see when they go OUT OF THE HOUSE. Lets keep kids even more sheltered! that's the answer! I strongly believe however that the value system you instil in your children will survive any boobage or swearing they hear should they actually be allowed to leave the house.

[lickingtoad.livejournal.com]

Dude, my parents kept me in a cage in the basement 'til I was eighteen! Where were you then, ya bastard?! :-D

(The best part is, since they let me out? I haven't stopped swearing and using the word 'boobage' in conversation! Boobage!)

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Boobage!

Yes?

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I totally agree. I think we've all met that one wierd kid whose parents never let them do anything or know anything until they moved out and went to college. That was the kid who almost died from alcohol poisoning; or got beaten up for being a rascist or homophobe because no one ever taught them differently; or embarassed themselves by arguing intelligent design or some other fundie crap in a science class. Those are the kids that have the hardest time adjusting to everything because they have no idea what's going on in society. Even I felt bad for them.

easily top 5 best quote of 2005

[anathon.livejournal.com]

"I know parents could monitor every little thing their kid watches but why should me have to?"

Classic that is. People apparently have no idea whatsoever is involved in raising a child.