Authored by: Timmy on Tuesday, January 13 2009 @ 03:30 PM GMT+4

The world would be a much duller place if it were not for the brilliance of South Park.
Clearly, the responsibilities for monitoring tv viewing lie with parents.

Authored by: javanyet on Tuesday, January 13 2009 @ 11:25 PM GMT+4

I watched South Park with my nephews. I found it juvenile and obvious, but hardly a threat to America's youth.

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"No guts, no glory."
Bette Davis

Authored by: cgrotke on Tuesday, January 13 2009 @ 04:25 PM GMT+4

Chuck Jones often said that Bugs Bunny cartoons were not designed
for kids. They were made by adults to be shown in theaters before big
(grown up) movies. Studios made the decision to recycle them for TV
and to aim them at kids.

Most children need help decoding what they read, listen to, and watch.
Adults are responsible for guiding them through all of the things they
stumble upon that they may not be ready to understand. Whether it is
a copy of Playboy, a DVD of South Park, a gun in the closet, or the
pharmaceuticals in the medicine cabinet, it doesn't really matter. Kids
need adults to help keep them safe.

Authored by: Maus Anon E on Tuesday, January 13 2009 @ 05:09 PM GMT+4

There's a famous Chuck Jones quote where he says something like "We weren't making them for adults, and we weren't making them for kids. We were making them for ourselves."
He also said that a good children's story also appeals to adults.

I never tried to shield my children from any issue or controversy. I prefer discussion over censorship. I think I've been rewarded with two smart, thoughtful adults.

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Freemarket economy: A socialist system in which workers' earnings are redistributed to affluent citizens.

Authored by: MaryRothschild on Wednesday, January 14 2009 @ 01:07 AM GMT+4

I'd be curious to hear if any of the people who posted comments - or any other reader - listened to the show. The whole point is that satire and adult humor has a place in the conversation that is needed for a free society. I don't agree with last week's guest that SP is responsible for bullying. For instance, the episode in question, "Ginger Kids" was, from my point of view, a brilliant send up of racism and group hysteria.

On the other hand, it is a bit facile to just drag out the old platitudes about it all being up to the parents.

Authored by: cgrotke on Wednesday, January 14 2009 @ 01:32 AM GMT+4

I listened and you are right, the guest was making very good points
about satire, and was almost saying the same thing - that he didn't
think the creators we're intending this for children.

I've noticed that children seem to get different kinds of jokes at
different ages - I certainly did. Going back to Bugs Bunny for
instance, for many years I never understood the jokes where things
were "censored" (usually a big sign saying "Censored"). I didn't know
what the word meant yet. Even after knowing what it meant, I didn't
"get" the jokes until I was older.

Bugs in drag is funny as a little kid because the hero of the cartoon is
in a silly outfit doing silly things. Later on it is Bugs in drag...

Parents do have a lot to do with the media their kids are around, but
they can't be everywhere all the time. Maus' discussion about media
being consumed with his kids is great. It helps model critical
viewing/listening skills, and makes the experience less passive.