Glee 2

[zobothehobo]

When I was three, my mom was pregnant with my sister. Mom was a science teacher so she never lied to us... when she got pregnant, she told us the baby was in her uterus... so I knew the term and I knew the baby was not in mommy's stomach, she didn't eat my sister... On the way out the door one day, I asked mom why I didn't have a baby in my uterus. She said "you have to have a daddy." I said "I do, his name is Barry" (my father's name is Barry). She said "No, you have to have a husband... a daddy for the baby." And I said "Oh, well I'm going to marry Nathaniel (a boy who was a child of a family friend and went to my pre-school). Mom then explained that his sperm had to fertilize my egg first. That was fine with me until I was about six... and then I asked "Mom, I know the sperm has to fertilize the egg... but how does it get there and how does the egg become a baby?" So she explained to me about pensises and vaginas and the mechanics of sex... and also basic development in the womb. Again, I was six years old. By 8, mom was showing me funny pictures of an old guy holding a fish with his penis hanging out of his bathing suit. By 9, she was asking to show me how to put a condom on a banana. So because of my background, I don't see last night's episode of Glee to be too risqué at all. I understand I am an exception to a societal rule (as I often am)... but I'm having a hard time seeing it. Also... since when did "8:00 time slot" become synonymous with "child friendly"? This is 8:00 on FOX on Tuesday. 8:00 on FOX on Monday is House. Yup... the one with the drug addict doctor and the medical mysteries... and is most of the time really kinda of graphic and gross.. not to mention the CONSTANT references to sex.... 8:00 does not mean "child friendly." It never has.

 

[likefireworks]

I agree about the 8pm timeslot not meaning child-friendly, and have no idea why the women on that show were saying it was... they should know better than that!

But...

By 8, mom was showing me funny pictures of an old guy holding a fish with his penis hanging out of his bathing suit. By 9, she was asking to show me how to put a condom on a banana. So because of my background, I don't see last night's episode of Glee to be too risqué at all.

For me, there's a huge difference in kids knowing age-appropriate answers to the questions about the mechanics of sex, their bodies, and safe sex... and the stuff that is on teen shows that I think kids have no place watching. For example, the references saying that someone who is choosing not to have sex is frigid etc ( I can't remember the exact quote), but there are definitely some screwy values being portrayed on this and other shows, that shouldn't be seen my kids who are old enough to know what it means but too young to realise it's not the truth.

 

[zobothehobo]

I agree about the 8pm timeslot not meaning child-friendly, and have no idea why the women on that show were saying it was... they should know better than that!

But...



For me, there's a huge difference in kids knowing age-appropriate answers to the questions about the mechanics of sex, their bodies, and safe sex... and the stuff that is on teen shows that I think kids have no place watching. For example, the references saying that someone who is choosing not to have sex is frigid etc ( I can't remember the exact quote), but there are definitely some screwy values being portrayed on this and other shows, that shouldn't be seen my kids who are old enough to know what it means but too young to realise it's not the truth.

I just want to say I hate that term "age appropriate." Age appropriate for who?! I told you my background with the sex talk stuff... but my youngest sister... mom waited a while longer for her. Age appropriateness is relative. to be honest, when you say that... it kinda of feels like you're saying my mom didn't do a good job raising me because she told me stuff that wasn't "appropriate" for my age. I kind of take offense to it. It was appropriate for me and honestly, I see absolutely no problem in telling children about the mechanics of sex. I mean it's not like I heard that when I was six and said "OH MY GOD I HAVE TO GO FIND A GUY TO DO THAT WITH!!!!" I didn't care and I understood that that was something that happened when I got older... because mom explained that too. I just wanted to know what happened. Sex wasn't taboo or nasty or anything in my house... it was a fact of life. When I got old enough to start having sex... I was educated. I knew the mechanics (which was way more than Finn did) and I knew the dangers and the risks. I knew my options for safe sex and I knew what to do if stuff went wrong. My sisters had this knowledge too. Because sex was never a taboo subject in my house, I had plenty of education when I came of age. Mom also helped some of our friends (the ones that were super close to the family) giving them the education they needed to make smart sexual decisions... even if that decision was to abstain from sex. She always told us we should feel like it's our choice to have sex with someone... and if we don't feel like that... we need to get out of that situation fast. There was nothing wrong with the way my mother raised me. It prepared me to make smart, good decisions and I see absolutely no downside to it. So I ask, what is this age inappropriateness? What did my mother do that was so wrong? What makes the mechanics of sex inappropriate for a child to hear? And I do realize people are going to see that question and think I'm nuts... but I'm serious. All I know is my experience and as a six year old hearing about the mechanics of sex... I was intrigued that that happened... but I felt no desire or need to go explore it for myself. I mean I was six. As a six year old, I was intrigued by pretty much every new thing I learned. Mom answered my questions... she told me what I wanted to know... no more, no less. And as a child, I thanked her for that. As a young adult, I thank her for that now.

 

[likefireworks]

I just want to say I hate that term "age appropriate." Age appropriate for who?! I told you my background with the sex talk stuff... but my youngest sister... mom waited a while longer for her. Age appropriateness is relative. to be honest, when you say that... it kinda of feels like you're saying my mom didn't do a good job raising me because she told me stuff that wasn't "appropriate" for my age. I kind of take offense to it.

No no no!!! You took what I said in a completely different way that what I meant (and felt like I was clear in saying). What I said was that there was no problem with what your mom did. That there is a difference between what your mom did (something completely fine and normal) and the things that are portrayed on tv (things that I don't think young children should usually be watching, and should definitely not be watching without a parent's guidance).

By "age-appropriate" I mean exactly what you mentioned several times in your post - answers to the questions they ask, not not more detail than they are equipped to handle. It sounds like your mom answered your questions as they came up, and as is normal with kids (whether they communicate them is another story) you seem to have asked for more information the older you got and the more you were able to understand and process it.

It's hard to think of an example off the top of my head (as a nanny, I'm able to redirect the initial and major questions off to parents) but for example... if a 3 year old girl points to her dad's penis and says "What is that?" and age-appropriate answer might be something along the lines of "that's a penis (or insert-whatever-terminology-your-family-might-like-to-use). Daddy is a boy, and boys have a penis. You and Mommy are girls, and we have a vagina." Most likely.. there aren't going to be any more questions right away (except maybe "Why?" and the answer to that might be "It's just the way boys and girls were made" or possibly "What is it for?" to which the answer might be "it's used to go potty"....

A non-age-appropriate way of dealing with the first question of "What is that?" (at least, the way I see it) would be to say "That is a penis. A man has a penis and a woman has a vagina. It is used to go potty and also to make babies, so when men and women have sex the penis goes inside the vagina..." etc etc. Too much information at once, and nothing a child of that age is generally capable of processing.

So please don't take offense, I did not mean at all what you seemed to think I meant. Maybe "age-appropriate" isn't the best term, but it's what I (and many others) use as a label for what is appropriate for any given age of any particular child. And, as you said, there are definitely differences in children. What is appropriate for 1 child at 1 age might not be appropriate for a different child at the same age. But it goes for everything, not just sex/body talk, it also applies to all questions kids ask about life and death and everything in between.

 

[zobothehobo]

No no no!!! You took what I said in a completely different way that what I meant (and felt like I was clear in saying). What I said was that there was no problem with what your mom did. That there is a difference between what your mom did (something completely fine and normal) and the things that are portrayed on tv (things that I don't think young children should usually be watching, and should definitely not be watching without a parent's guidance).

By "age-appropriate" I mean exactly what you mentioned several times in your post - answers to the questions they ask, not not more detail than they are equipped to handle. It sounds like your mom answered your questions as they came up, and as is normal with kids (whether they communicate them is another story) you seem to have asked for more information the older you got and the more you were able to understand and process it.

It's hard to think of an example off the top of my head (as a nanny, I'm able to redirect the initial and major questions off to parents) but for example... if a 3 year old girl points to her dad's penis and says "What is that?" and age-appropriate answer might be something along the lines of "that's a penis (or insert-whatever-terminology-your-family-might-like-to-use). Daddy is a boy, and boys have a penis. You and Mommy are girls, and we have a vagina." Most likely.. there aren't going to be any more questions right away (except maybe "Why?" and the answer to that might be "It's just the way boys and girls were made" or possibly "What is it for?" to which the answer might be "it's used to go potty"....

A non-age-appropriate way of dealing with the first question of "What is that?" (at least, the way I see it) would be to say "That is a penis. A man has a penis and a woman has a vagina. It is used to go potty and also to make babies, so when men and women have sex the penis goes inside the vagina..." etc etc. Too much information at once, and nothing a child of that age is generally capable of processing.

So please don't take offense, I did not mean at all what you seemed to think I meant. Maybe "age-appropriate" isn't the best term, but it's what I (and many others) use as a label for what is appropriate for any given age of any particular child. And, as you said, there are definitely differences in children. What is appropriate for 1 child at 1 age might not be appropriate for a different child at the same age. But it goes for everything, not just sex/body talk, it also applies to all questions kids ask about life and death and everything in between.

Oh... I get what you're saying now. yeah... Mom handled the questions and answers just fine. Giving us enough information to answer our questions but not enough info to be like she was just shouting it out because she could. I think that when it comes to things your children watch, you should think about each child individually and where they are with development. I don't think a 7 year old would be ready for talks of condoms... on average... but there are always going to be exceptions to to the rule. My general policy on all things related to age appropriateness (I'm including crude language and stuff here) is it's not the rest of the world's responsibility to know what you want your child to know and what you don't. Parents who complain about last night's episode of Glee, I feel, are expecting the world to know what they want to show their kid and what they don't... also they're expecting Glee to just BE a children's show... although it never was. It's the same with people who complain if I say a word like "shit" in public. I drop my phone and say "shit" and it's not my fault if your kid hears me. It's not the world's responsibility to change to what you want your kid to know... It goes for everything, violence, sex, language.. the whole enchilada.

 

[likefireworks]

Glad that's cleared up! 🙂

...Now I will just bite my tongue and not get into a discussion about swearing in public when there are kids around... 😛

Yeah, appropriate media for kids varies so much on the child, the age, the situation.. It's a tricky business and decisions that only a parent/caregiver can make for each of their children. I just hope most parents are making conscious decisions (which, from the impression I got from the complaints and the discussion about the complaints on the talk show, unfortunately many aren't)!

 

[BuffyElevated]

For me, there's a huge difference in kids knowing age-appropriate answers to the questions about the mechanics of sex, their bodies, and safe sex... and the stuff that is on teen shows that I think kids have no place watching. For example, the references saying that someone who is choosing not to have sex is frigid etc ( I can't remember the exact quote), but there are definitely some screwy values being portrayed on this and other shows, that shouldn't be seen my kids who are old enough to know what it means but too young to realise it's not the truth.

Definitely. That "frigid" quote really pissed me off and got under my skin. I don't understand why it's so difficult for Hollywood to accept that not all teenagers want to have sex in high school, and that this is a perfectly natural choice and a great decision. I wish there were more shows that glorified waiting til marriage (or at least til you find the person you want to have sex with).

 

[Marisa]

Definitely. That "frigid" quote really pissed me off and got under my skin. I don't understand why it's so difficult for Hollywood to accept that not all teenagers want to have sex in high school, and that this is a perfectly natural choice and a great decision. I wish there were more shows that glorified waiting til marriage (or at least til you find the person you want to have sex with).

Agree with this. I understand they are trying to be funny but sometimes i think this show goes to far with certain things. They call her frigid, promote sex yet have a pregnant teen everything almost works out and then the girl who doesn't want to have sex is frigid. For me it is stick to one message and don't overlap them it comes across wrong, plus these days with all the STD's teens shouldn't be doing stuff if they don't know the consequences or they should not be made fun of for not wanting to partake in sexual activity. I thought this show was good in giving a person for someone to relate to but now I am beginning to think they are going for controversy only. Rant over now.

 

[zobothehobo]

Definitely. That "frigid" quote really pissed me off and got under my skin. I don't understand why it's so difficult for Hollywood to accept that not all teenagers want to have sex in high school, and that this is a perfectly natural choice and a great decision. I wish there were more shows that glorified waiting til marriage (or at least til you find the person you want to have sex with).

I was just in high school. The reality is you are considered frigid if you don't want to have sex. There's nothing wrong with it in my opinion... you should wait until you're ready whenever that is. But you are considered frigid in high school today if you don't want to have sex by the time you graduate.

And you can say they mirror the views of Hollywood, but I tink in this case, Hollywood is mirroring high school. if you want to blame some form of entertainment, blame the music industry. But in reality... blame the taboo of sex. That's what makes it so desirable to a teenager... it's unknown and mysterious and "makes you an adult." Also.... adults don't want you doing it. As someone who just got out of high school... that's why kids have sex before they're ready. but if you talk to them and act like it's just a part of life, you take some of that away. also evolutionarily, that's when we as humans are going to start having sex. I don't think Glee this week glorfied sex... I think it said "if you're going to have sex, be educated and safe." and that's really all we can ask of our teenagers...

 

[Ollehh]

sisterofmercy agrees: E4 has shown much worse than that- Shameless/Skins/Misfits,etc
MinwaraYana agrees: I heard that too.
Marisa agrees: lol E4 airs Skins and Misfits like someone said way worse.

I don't think it's to do with the actual content, I think people are annoyed because Gary Glitter will be getting royalties for it, since his song is on there. I can see where they're coming from, but all you'd have to do is edit out that scene, and it's not even an important part of the episode.
😕

 

[Marisa]

I was just in high school. The reality is you are considered frigid if you don't want to have sex. There's nothing wrong with it in my opinion... you should wait until you're ready whenever that is. But you are considered frigid in high school today if you don't want to have sex by the time you graduate.

That right there is the truth. I myself only had a few friends that didn't feel this way. To my other friends it was lets do it and brag about it, also why don't you do it? You need to what is wrong with you? So I can agree with that I was just in high school too and man is that a right statement.

 

[MinwaraYana]

I can't wait to hear new songs tomorrow. We already heard "Loser Like Me" and "Get It Right", but tomorrow we'll hear two songs of The Warblers and

Spoiler

Santana's ORIGINAL song "Hell to the no!". She must be so angry. ^_^ Plus, new spoilers said Karofsky will slushie her🙂() and Santana, Puck, Mercedes and Rachel will rock this ep.

 

[BuffyElevated]

I was just in high school. The reality is you are considered frigid if you don't want to have sex. There's nothing wrong with it in my opinion... you should wait until you're ready whenever that is. But you are considered frigid in high school today if you don't want to have sex by the time you graduate.

And you can say they mirror the views of Hollywood, but I tink in this case, Hollywood is mirroring high school. if you want to blame some form of entertainment, blame the music industry. But in reality... blame the taboo of sex. That's what makes it so desirable to a teenager... it's unknown and mysterious and "makes you an adult." Also.... adults don't want you doing it. As someone who just got out of high school... that's why kids have sex before they're ready. but if you talk to them and act like it's just a part of life, you take some of that away. also evolutionarily, that's when we as humans are going to start having sex. I don't think Glee this week glorfied sex... I think it said "if you're going to have sex, be educated and safe." and that's really all we can ask of our teenagers...

I don't know, maybe I'm just an old fogy (at 28??) but I don't agree with this. I felt like the show is trying so hard to glorify sexuality and being comfortable with your sexuality, and while that is great, I don't think it's good to have a show geared toward young people that encourages young people to have sex or makes it seem like if you're not having sex, something's wrong with you.

 

[likefireworks]

I was just in high school. The reality is you are considered frigid if you don't want to have sex. There's nothing wrong with it in my opinion... you should wait until you're ready whenever that is. But you are considered frigid in high school today if you don't want to have sex by the time you graduate.

I find that incredibly sad, if that's the way your school or your group of peers at your school thought. Not all schools are like that nowadays (speaking from working with kids and teens). Also, when I was in high school it wasn't like that. Some other schools I know, had the majority of people feeling that way, but not all schools that I knew of. It's definitely something that varies from group-to-group and school-to-school.

 

[Zeppo]

Holy after-school-special, Batman. This last episode felt like a sex-ed class. I also think the show-runners are listening way too much to their fans on some things here, which I think it dangerous territory.

They really played up Holly, it was pushing it to be honest. I don't remember her being so ... blunt in her first appearance. It always seems like once the creators see what worked, they revisit it and break the speed limit.

I like this show but it always has a direction that is a little "too much." Something isn't balanced in the show and I can't put my finger on it.

 

[msfantastico87]

Holy after-school-special, Batman. This last episode felt like a sex-ed class. I also think the show-runners are listening way too much to their fans on some things here, which I think it dangerous territory.

They really played up Holly, it was pushing it to be honest. I don't remember her being so ... blunt in her first appearance. It always seems like once the creators see what worked, they revisit it and break the speed limit.

I like this show but it always has a direction that is a little "too much." Something isn't balanced in the show and I can't put my finger on it.

I can see where you're coming from, but I have to disagree. I think this episode was perfectly well done. Sure, they finally gave the viewers what they wanted, which was the whole Brittana thing...BUT it doesn't play out the way we wanted it to, and for that I am grateful. I figured Brittany would have just jumped the gun, but she didn't. She stayed loyal to Artie, which was unexpected, but shows she has morals.

I wrote a review ish on my thoughts on the episode. If anyone is interested, you can find it here: http://msfantastico87.tumblr.com/post/3740063726/do-not-read-if-you-dont-want-to-be-spoiled-on-glee

 

[Wishing Oceans]

Finally finished watching Glee! And uh...

Artie.

:stomp: :banghead2: :cry4: :ewhip: :fuming: :Axesmilie

 

[PrincessBuffy16]

Finally finished watching Glee! And uh...

Artie.

:stomp: :banghead2: :cry4: :ewhip: :fuming: :Axesmilie

Yes Ori. Smack him, burn him, kill him! 😉

 

[Ollehh]

Channel 4/E4 have decided they're gonna show Sexy. 😀

And I just noticed, when the group are dancing in the line around the piano during Do You Wanna Touch Me, Sam is following Quinn, then the next shot Santana's following Quinn, with Sam behind her. Made me laugh.

 

[MinwaraYana]

I heard they won't show Christmas episode in the UK. Good for you then. 😀 (This is a personal opinion. ^_^)

New songs preview. Love every ND songs, especially Loser Like Me. 🙂 They missed out a Warblers song, though.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y42y7x_MhVY[/ame]

Spoiler

What the hell? 4 Warblers songs!!? And Raise Your Glass is supposed to be ND song. 😡 But well, good bye for good and never see you again, Warblers.(This is also a personal opinion.)