Yes, I'm talking about Nick. Nick Jr. to be more precise. Monday afternoon, I recorded The Backyardigan's Super Spy Adventure for my kids. We love The Backyardigans around here. Specifically I love all of the music and dancing that these adorable little animals perform in each episode.
So I was watching it with the kids Tuesday, and was shocked not only by the sheer number of commercials that kept interrupting the show, but the content of these commercials. During one commercial "break", I counted 10 commercials in a row! Three of them involved Barbie or Polly Pocket shopping with their credit cards or having a "race to the mall" cuz that's how they roll over there at Mattel. In Barbie's commercial, it offers a little shopping center complete with 11 outfits including shoes and accessories. This part doesn't bother me so much as the line that the little girl who is playing with the toy in the commercial says. In her sheer joy she exclaims, "Wow, so many outfits! I have my credit card, and the money never runs out!"
This totally bothered me! I don't want my kids thinking that money never runs out or that they can buy whatever they want when they want it! Don't get me wrong, I like shopping and clothes just as much as the next girl. But I don't go overboard and I don't just run out and "charge it" whenever I feel the urge for a new outfit.
I've always been bothered by the number of commercials specifically targeted for children, and Nick Jr. is one of the guiltiest offenders in my opinion. Yes, yes they need advertising to pay the bills and all, but honestly, 10 in a row? So thanks Nick Jr. for your help, but no thanks! I don't need to hear my kids constantly saying "I want that", or "I neeeeeeeeeed that mom". I've got their needs and their wants pretty much covered without your assistance!
All right, the rant is done. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...
Thursday, September 20, 2007
The brainwashing of our children, a.k.a. Nickelodeon
Posted by tharker at 1:33 PM
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Yeah, I know some people might think us moms are a little sensitive, but you know what? I've always been worried about the latent messages that come through programming. I was actually raised without a tv and we are doing that with our boys. There are some things on tv that I think are definitely worthwhile and lovely to have, but I have to admit I'm sure not crying over missed commercials. :)
xo
Good luck screening out what you don't want. I wouldn't have liked that Barbie comment, either. I can see why you were upset by it.
Oh, don't get me started! Ryan and I are constantly taking opportunities to teach our children the value of hard work. I would have shut the tv off after hearing that statement and given them a 20 minute lecture on why laziness, instant gratification, and credit cards, if used inappropriately, can make people miserable. The world teaches our children that they are entitled to anything they want whenever they want it and we have to counter balance that with messages of hard work, and earning everything we have. It's a difficult job, especially when we have to battle with Barbie and other toy advertisements.
I wholeheartedly agree. We live in a society all about instant gratification and entitlement. It really makes me so scared for our children's generation.
I agree so much with your rant. The amount of commercials is ridiculous. Commercials always seem to give my children the "I wants". but luckily Brandon and I have gotten into the habit of making the children purchase any "extra toys" with their own money. They are less likely to want want want, if they know they will use their own cash.
I agree... it's frustrating to sit down and be bombarded with all of this. My least favorite commercials right now are the Visa ones. You know the ones where it show everyone moving around in this kind of dance through the store. Then the one guy pays with cash and it MESSES EVERYTHING UP!! That's a fantastic message... use your credit card. It's faster and easier and if you use cash, everyone else will be totally annoyed...
I had to turn off the tv the other day because one of the cartoons Kendle was watching said something with the word "butt" in it and she thought it was so funny she kept rewinding it over and over again with the DVR. If you really listen to what some of the plot lines and underlying themes are in some of these shows it's pretty scary. I miss the days of Smurfs and Carebears. Then you add the commercials on top of that, oh.....Sometimes I feel bad that we hardly ever buy Kendle toys, but then I see all of the useless junk they are trying to get you to buy on tv and my conscience clears. Why doesn't someone invent commercial free tv, just like satelite radio.
Yeah, I'm glad we are back to PBS and Disney videos... it may be ghetto but I love it.
Last saturday Tia saw a play kitchen on TV and WANTED IT SOOOO BAD for her birthday. I explained to her that we can't have everything we see blah blah blah. Then at her birthday party that night G-ma and papa got her a play kitchen. She turned right to me and said, see we can have eveything we see on TV! I couldn't believe it, what are the chances? I try to use DVD's when the kids want to watch something, that way I don't have to deal with commercials!
My kids don't watch TV so much anymore, but when they do it is Playhouse Disney (which has no commercials, except a McDonald's commercial at the top and bottom of every hour) or PBS kids. We prefer to save our "I want that" melt downs for when we are at the store so that other people can point their fingers and stare at us. Just Kidding. Actually, Samantha has been dying to get a camera. I told her that she could certainly get one once she saved up enough money to buy one. So now, instead of begging me for toys and such, she is begging me for jobs that she can do to earn money. Now that I can handle.
I wanna see a pic of your ring set.
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