
https://n2v.paloaltoonline.com/square/print/2009/12/31/what-minimum-age-to-watch-south-park
Town Square
What minimum age to watch "South Park?"
Original post made
by Chen Kai Wen, Midtown,
on Dec 31, 2009
Please be calm, civil libertarians, I am completely on your side and wish only a personal opinion. Palo Alto parents, students, and teachers, what say you? I have mixed feelings for many reasons, not the least of which is that among the 'kick your ba**ls' and 'gd-its! and sob's, and you bleep-holes! et., al, is a very smart show--a Clash fan might even argue it's the 'only show that matters' because it values free-thinking, ethical decision-making, and especially the citation of information (as if learning and education are good things). Concerning the latter point, compare the satire of the SP' Scientology episode, or the one crucifying 'Family Guy' or more recently, Kyle the Jewish kid as Jesus leading the U.S. out of the recession and back towards unnecessary conspicuous consumption, with the "Simpsons" show where Bart tells Side Show Bob, "you smell like my butt." Information presented on the Simpsons is always 'uncool' in Barts and Homer's opinions, and 'self-aggrandizing' and sophistic from Lisa's. I really hate the fact that wife will allow the latter--The Simpsons, but not the former (S.P.) for my almost k-garten kids.
That being said, I can understand my wife's argument that a 5 yo is not going to realize like a 12 yo that Eric Cartman is a jerk--a borderline sociopath and possible future criminal even, whom we should not try to emulate (certainly not try to talk like in public). I do understand that society's acceptance of slang words changes since my own childhood's shock and TV hells and damns, and yes, kids today don't watch all that much TV, in comparison to computer and video games. Lastly, although I come from lower middle rather than upper middle class, I like rap, but I am not in any way 'ghetto fabulous'. Trust me from personal experience: with the exception of Berkeley grads up in the hills, people in Oakland's insults at P.A. are envy-and so are those from rural Oklahoma (well, they WOULD be if they read books).
Do you think k-garten kids go now to say El Carmello, and talk like Eric Cartman? What do teachers and other students do? Is this even a problem? I would like my kids to be seen as politely spoken, nice little P.A. residents. So, what age do you think? Thanks very much for response.