I’m not a big television person.  Give me the news and Jeopardy and I’m pretty much all set.
My husband, on the other hand, is totally, completely and utterly addicted to it.  He can’t even surf the net and listen to webcasts with his earpiece unless he also has the TV on (typically loud enough for me to hear 2 rooms away).

Our vast differences in the need for electronic entertainment means that we had to reach a detente when it came to managing the television AND a 7 year old child.   Our simple guidelines:

-during the weekdays, TV is off by 9am and not turned back on (unless tuned to a music channel) until 5pm.
-children’s programming until 9am and then from 5-6pm
-news at 6pm
-family friendly programming until 9pm
-weekends are pretty much the same but I’m not strict about the “no TV from 9-5″ (even I need a couch potato day sometimes).

Sounds reasonable right?  With the 492 channels afforded by satellite television there’s usually some family programming in the evening (prime time) hours even if it is old reruns of America’s Funniest Videos that we’ve seen three times already.  Yes, I’d like to see some consistent family programming (remember when Sunday nights featured a movie from the Wonderful World of Disney or Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom?).  Some NEW programs would be grand too.  But we CAN make do with what’s available as long as there is:  no cursing; no blatant references to sex or sexuality;  minimal “suggestive” comments, clothing, jokes, etc.; only a smattering of bathroom talk.

This works pretty well – - – - until the commercials start.    What braniac positions commercials for adult issues/topics during family programming?  Which high IQ genius thinks that a sound bite for “how to have better sex” is appropriate for a commercial break during “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?”  I get the fact that you can’t control the commercials for the upcoming nightly news that scream “Man convicted of raping a 9 year old” or “Priest accused of sexual assault” but for goodness sakes, where is the logic in having “viva Viagra” playing during “Wheel of Fortune”?

I want to ask THAT person if they’ve been faced with “Mom, what’s erectile dysfunction?” from a 6 year old or asked for a definition of rape or sexual assault from a 7 year old.  I want to know if THAT person is a parent and the age of their children when they introduced those concepts to them or if they were FORCED to have a conversation earlier than planned.  I’d sure like some lessons in how to address these issues in an AGE APPROPRIATE fashion (hah!).

It’s all about the benjamins baby, isn’t it?  The almighty advertising dollar wins out over good common sense. Gotta get paid.

Before you think I’m off my rocker (I don’t even own one), let’s remember:  I’m not referring to programming after 9pm or obscure channels that may need to fight for every advertising dollar they can get.  This is programming at 8pm on a Friday evening on a major network (which is rolling in the benjamins).  Are these commercials necessary? Really?

This is not about choices either  – as in “just change the channel”.  It’s kind of too late once the words are out, ya know?  I suppose I could just turn off the television period and banish the hubby to the man cave to watch it solo.  I could stick with only the Disney Channel or Nickelodeon or those types of channels but that is CHILD programming and not family programming (read: Mom and Dad don’t want to watch those stations).

I thought I was doing a good parenting job by reviewing and choosing television programming that was age appropriate and fit in with our family’s moral standards – and I’m not asking “the industry” to change those things.   I am, however, seriously contemplating dropping them a note asking if it’s NECESSARY to have products/advertisements related to sex featured in commercials aired during typical family programming time (say before 9pm).  Who is their target audience for “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader” anyway?

Some low-level junior intern will get the joyful task of reading emails/letters and will probably do a little eye rolling and snickering thinking that another lunatic, left-wing/right-wing, control freak, anarchist, helicopter parent is complaining about their programming.  He’ll get it wrong on all accounts of course.  Maybe I’ll get some standard form letter thanking me for “my interest and concern” but that’s as far as it will go.

Sigh…..I’ll have to get the hubster to go on a search for televisions/devices that allow us to block TV commercials.
That or just stop watching the major networks before 9pm.