The column that I read was called "What Children Watch" the link is as follows:
http://townhall.com/columnists/BrentBozellIII/2007/11/28/what_children_watch#postComments

I commented on his post, but I feel like I had a little bit more to say. So these are my thoughts and feelings on the opinion stated in his piece:

First: I disagree completely with the opinion given about Youth Nation. I believe the show was created to show that politics do not have to be as complicated as they are. It feeds off of the phrase "ignorance is bliss". And I think it portrayed that very clearly.

Second: It's such an over-worked subject that Family Guy and American Dad are "bad for youth". I am a firm believer that if you don't want your kids watching it, don't let them. There are so many tools to utilize now; they have channel blockers on TVs now.
In my own personal experiences, I have found that children who watch shows like Family Guy, and American dad grow up not adopting those habits but retorting them. If a child does watch shows like these and his or her parent doesn't agree with the shows content, the parent has the ability and could exercise the right to sit the child down and say "it's fine to laugh at these shows, but they are cartoons and not real so we shouldn't take examples on how to live by watching them. That behavior is for entertainment only."
With my own child I added "if you want to act like that, then when you grow up you can be an actor and pretend like everyone else".

My son absolutely adores Family Guy and American Dad, as do I and my husband. We watch these shows together as a family and laugh as and enjoy them as a family, and has never once portrayed any behavior similar to that of the characters he watches on TV.

I understand that not all parents are as liberal in raising their children as I am, television corporations understand parents' concerns as well, so not only are they coming out with equipment to block channels, but the corporations have devised blocks of time in the schedule based on a census of a typical day in American life and they air shows accordingly. Shows that are more child oriented are played in early morning and throughout the day, after five o'clock the "prime time" television begins. This is the time for the family to watch shows together. It is less child oriented, but also PG rated. After eight is when most children are put to bed and thus, night time television shows air. Ones such as family guy and American dad, etc. There are some channels that break the "schedule code" like TBS, TLC, FX etc but they announce ratings before each show and they are usually always adult oriented so your child shouldn't have a desire to watch those channel anyway.

Basically, if you don't like the way television works it isn't going to change so as the old saying goes "if you can't beat them join them." --enjoy the laughs you can have. Nothing is different because you say "I don't like this". If you don't want your child watching certain shows  do not bring that to their attention because that makes them want to watch it; take the necessary precautions; block channels and for God's sake, just sit down with your kid while he or she is watching TV and keep an eye on what they watch. You can monitor them. If you are afraid they will be exposed to it outside the house then go a step further; if your child stays at a friends house politely tell his or her parent "I monitor my child's television consumption and I would prefer if he wasn't exposed to anything over a pg rating." and explain to the parent that you aren't trying to criticize the way they raise their child but you would like to continue to enforce the way you raise your child even outside the home. My parents did this for me, being such conservative Catholic people, I was only allowed to watch two channels as a child. Nickalodeon was the racier channel that my parents would have prefered I not be exposed to until an older age, but I had two older siblings who enjoyed that channel so they bent the rules a bit on that one. The other channel was Disney Channel, which, at the time, had not even reached a parental guidance rating. They took this to my school as well. I went to a Catholic Academy any so we didn't watch too much that was over a general rating, but my parents requested that all programs, and field trips be screened by the parent before hand and permission slips be signed, and the school took that seriously and followed through with it. So if you're as anal as my parents, tell the school that you would like to be alerted about these things.

Nothing is going to change; you can cover it but they are still being exposed to things like that. Other children will share with your child and your child sees and hears things every where they go. Especially at home. So make sure before you criticize a television show for the things it says that you screen your own life daily. Count how many times in a day (with our without your child around) you say something that you think you would find inappropriate for him to see/hear on the television or anywhere else. I promise you; the number will be high.

Consider opening yourselves up a little more. Step outside your box, and your personal comfort zone. Most importantly do not base what you think your child is going to do on what you do or have done. Just because you may have been exposed to these things at a young age and took it for granted, do not assume your child will do the same.

Just let childrent enjoy being children. Let them watch whatever they deam worthy and don't criticize them for it. I let my son choose his own television shows and because of that he has absolutely no desire to search for television shows that he thinks I would disapprove of, just to see what I am so upset about. My child has free reign over our directTV (which for you unfamiliar with the DirectTV program listing has hundreds of channels some including "The PlayBoy Channel" and other unwanted smut) and he utilizes it in the most innocent way possible.

Give kids some credit. By the time they are old enough to know what TV shows are which they have developed a good sense of right and wrong and they can sense what types of activities, television shows, etc are something of disaproval.

That's how I see it anyway, and I understand many people don't follow my logic on this one, but it's worth stating my case, and perhaps someone can read this and it will open their eyes. If not, that's fine too.

I don't want any readers to assume I am posting this to criticize another persons views or to "rag" on Brent Bozell or anyone else who may follow in his opinion. As I stated, I just think it's worth bringing up the other side of the issue.


(Also, Family Guy is hilarious, I just can't understand why anyone would want to bring an end to a television show that has brought so much laughter into a home for so many years. Family Guy is something that even my older brother and sister and my parents in their old age will watch and laugh at. We all come together and mimic these jokes in a mocking way once in a while)