Family Friendly

Just because a movie is made by Disney or claims to be family friendly, doesn't mean that it is. Yes Disney is still the number one maker of family films, but they too are starting to push the envelope. My daughter and I just went to go see the new Hannah Montana movie for her birthday. I'll admit I enjoyed it. It has a great message of family, home, growing up, and making the right choice no matter how hard it may be. It was about stepping back and taking a look at your life to realize what's really important. I'm glad I have a child to use as my excuse to see all these movies! In the movie her dad was a big part of bringing her back down to earth even though he is not that big a part in the T.V. show. He pops up every once in a while but not as much as it seems I appear in my own kids lives.

If you watch the shows as much as I do, you will notice there is usually one thing missing from them. Parents. Let me jump over to another kids network, Nickelodeon. They have two very popular shows on right now without parents. Tru Jackson is about a 15 year old girl who is able to rise to the top of a huge company to be a top fashion designer, no college degree required. Then there is I-Carly. Yes she has an older brother who takes care of her but the only parent in the show is the neighbor lady who of course is portrayed as crazy. The Disney shows all have parents and adults who are written to be, well, stupid. Sure I know these shows are suppose to be funny. They are every kids dream to grow up and be able to raise yourself with your own rules. As a parent these shows really have me torn. On one hand, they are pretty much the only things on T.V. without sex or the homosexual lifestyle. On the other hand, I am not too sure I like their underlying message.

Let me tell you about a show called Drake and Josh. If you don't know anything about it, it's a show about a blended family where two teenage boys, one popular, one not so popular, become brothers. I like watching this show. It does make me laugh. And I like the way they always refer to each-other as brothers not step brothers. I don't like the fact the little girl has her parents completely fooled into thinking she is an angel when in fact she is a mastermind troublemaker! I also don't like that Drake maintains a D average yet he is never grounded. Not only is he never grounded but he is a rock star who is able to travel to other states with no parents.

Let me switch gears a minute to the shows that include parents as mindless people who just take up space. There is Disney's show, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. This show is about twin troublemakers who live in a hotel. Not only do these kids usually do what they are told not to, the hotel manager runs around totally helpless. Oh but the best part had got to he the heiress that lives in the penthouse. Her father owns the hotel and leaves her there to live while he travels the world. She is all about her money. It does not matter that she is not smart because she is rich. It does not matter that she does not have true friends because she is rich. And it does not matter how she treats people who are beneath her. What does this say to our children?? "They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him." (Psalm 49:6-7 KVJ)

Teenagers these days don't understand that they can not do what they want to do yet. One of the most recent things that really caught my attention was a new T.V. series called The Secret Life of the American Teenager. It is a show about teenage pregnancy. It does feature a Christian family but it also has a gay couple who want to adopt a baby. Yes, this show is only bringing to light a very real problem but it is also promoting teen sex and homosexuality.

What channel is this on you ask? ABC Family. When I first heard of this channel, I thought "That sounds great!" They call themselves A new kind of family. Say that out loud as you think about it. "A new kind of family." What does that mean to you? To me, it just seems to say, a family with no morals. A family that has adapted to the world, an anything goes family. A family I don't want my family to imitate. "For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous; but the way of the ungodly shall parish. (Psalm 1:6 KJV)


These days we have to work extra hard to make sure what comes into our homes, through the T.V. or the internet, is family friendly.



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