I don’t know how much truth there is to this story (It comes from OneNewsNow, so take it with a grain of salt):
In January, a study conducted by the Parents Television Council (PTC) found 94 advertisers for the CBS show Two and a Half Men. According to the PTC, the show features countless jokes involving adult themes, and many include dialogue with a child actor.
Glen Erickson with the PTC says sponsors were contacted about the show’s content. “So often we find the advertisers are not aware of the content issues the show has,” he points out. “We are continuing to bang our drum, and we have seen some terrific success.”
…
So far, 31 advertisers have dropped the show.
Really, PTC? “Two and a Half Men” is too edgy for you? You would think they’d go after the show immediately after it, “The Big Bang Theory”…
Come to think of it, what does the Parents Television Council deem worthy and unworthy for children to watch?
There’s a color-coded chart on their own website that tells parents what they should allow their children to watch or not watch:
Green = Ok
Red = Not Ok
Yellow = Somewhere in the middle (perhaps similar to a PG-13 movie)
Gray = Not yet rated
For example:


So let’s see…
PTC green-lighted two game shows that encourage risk-taking with money (and, frankly, the idea that you can win money without having any real knowledge or education). In fact, they green-light most game shows.
They think “Survivor” and just about every drama on television are unsuitable for children.
Meanwhile, they still haven’t gotten around to rating “Cougar Town.”
I guess one upside is that “The Simpsons” is no longer considered absolutely unsuitable. When that show premiered twenty years ago, groups like PTC were denouncing it left and right.
It just seems so useless to rate shows this way. It’s up to every parent to decide what they want their children to see, and it’s fine that PTC has their recommendations. But there is a lot to be gained from watching shows that discuss controversial topics. Based on their lists, the PTC seems to want to discourage children from seeing them. I find that unhealthy. Parents ought to watch those programs with their children and discuss them afterwards.
I wonder how many parents who try to follow the PTC’s recommendations have kids who find ways to watch these “red-light” shows, anyway. I suspect many of them do…
Is there anyone reading this who was not allowed to watch certain shows as a child?
How did you subvert the system?
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