Thursday, June 07, 2007

Putting your best face out there...

Okay, so Marlena has a new favorite TV show. It is campy, and cheesy, and the special effects are much closer to soap effects than they are to movie effects, but Marlena thinks "Charmed" is the end all be all of afternoon television. Having indulged in the guilty pleasure of watching that show (positive all the while that liking it meant I had burned all my brainpower or was suffering from some sort of head injury), I know it does not contain inappropriate language, sexual activity beyond kissing, or realistic violence. It does have demon vanquishing, and the witches wear some skimpy unrealistic outfits, but there is little for me to complain about. It has the added benefit of strengthening her belief in magic and magical creatures, a belief I still desperately hold onto myself, as the workaday world does it very best to violently wrest it from me.

SO... I am letting her watch it. It is the only thing she is interested in watching. She will forgo every other show or movie for a chance to watch "Charmed". She will often suggest forgoing any other activity, including seeing friends, if there is a small chance "Charmed" is on. She often laments having missed it when we return from some other type of activity. She is officially addicted to "Charmed".

I am not particularly upset about this addiction so much as I am bemused. However, yesterday we were in the car and she was muttering to herself in the backseat while I concentrated on navigating the route home from school. After a while my brain began to notice what she was muttering and tune into it...

Marlena: "mutter...mutter... the drama continues on TNT with Charmed.... mutter... brought to you by Jergen's lotion, Put your best face out there."

Hmmm.....

Maybe I should watch the commercials in between "Charmed" to see if there is anything inappropriate there. We have already had to stop watching the Simpsons, as Network TV execs seem to think 6:00 is a good time to show gruesome advertisements for all the latest hack and slash and horror movies. Boy did she not need to see any of those!

Happily, the commercials during the day aren seemingly not inappropriate, and while I am disturbed with the power of the TV to convince my child that she needs to use a particular lotion or she will not be putting her best face out there, I have to admit it is better than having her beg me for the barrage of toys shown on other channels. (Channels we have never watched, preferring ones with children's programming and no commercials.)

This did bring me to two commercials commonly seen during the day that I think are potential bombshells. Commercial One: KY warming and personal lubricant lotion. What exactly do I tell her when she inevitably asks me what a personal lubricant is used for? Commercial two: Erectile dysfunction medication. Yeah, so making her dad explain that one when and if she asks. But why are these ads on our daytime programming along with all the tv considered appropriate for young people?

Okay, so most kids do not prefer "Charmed" to Noggin. Marlena is not most children. But still, these programs are not rated in way that warns parents not to let their children watch them, unlike most evening programs, and I believe the commercials should match the friggin programming! KY lubricant belongs with Jay Leno, not "Judging Amy"!

Anyhoo... here are some cute chubby baby pictures, as I have chastised for failing to post them more often.


This one is doctored to censor... but I had to share with you all his cute pudgy thighs! And you just can't see those baby thighs with a diaper on.. so here he is, with frogs.

Look at those creases in his thighs! Look at that balloon belly!! And those chubby little arms!!! There is absolutely no failure to thrive in this house!!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a darling child.
As for "Charmed," I always sneered at it when "Buffy" was on, but have watched it since. The writing's not that good, but I admit to its being a guilty pleasure. (I just wish that all the men on the program weren't so wimpy.) And I'm endlessly fascinated by the skimpy work clothes. Love & hugs.

Coni Sanders said...

OMG - Is that Lee in a diaper?????? Oliver looks so much like Lee........ I love seeing the pictures of the children. You must be so proud of Marlena, she is an absolute doll!!!!!!! Sounds like she is having a lot of patience with the new noise maker - whatta good big sis!!!!!

Love you guys,
Coni

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