So we're in the midst of watching Science Channel's "How do they do that" and the program cuts to ads...
WHAM...Ultimate Fighting Club's 'Brock Lesnar' mega-matchup is shown in all it's gory glory to our 2.5 year old son. Full roundhouse to the jaw. We're in the middle of a light snack at the kitchen island and I'm now scrambling to put my hand over sensitive eyes.
What comes to my mind is the case of the 11 year old Florida boy that killed a young girl while doing wrestling moves he saw on TV. Now I know the wisdom of growing up in a household that had no TV.
So I can easily solve this for my son...but what about when he gets to school and meets fellow TV ad audience members who have not been supervised or shielded?
Legislative question:
Do we need ads to be rated to match the underlying content?
Why should kids and young teens see violence (movie trailers, fight ads) and sexual content (beer commercials, etc) during innocent programming that passes the DirecTV 'G' filter?
If the FCC can get involved in barely-there nip-slip incidents, why can't it get involved with in-your-face violence and sexuality that's inserted via ads into child-accessible programming?
Do we need legislation that forces advertisers and all networks (public Over-The-Air and private satellite/cable) to allow for an advertising content-flag that also applies to ads and therefore can be blocked by set-top boxes at user's discretion?
P.S. I generally don't consider myself a prude and generally don't like censorship legislation. Having a European wife and some Scandinavian living experience, I think American adults have far too many hangups about sexuality. However, I do draw the line when it comes to kids and young teens. No need to expose them to adult activities.
So do we put together a letter that reads: "Please Mr. President, no monster nightmares in the short-term and no embedding of violence or drink-fueled partying in the long-term."?
P.S.S. Yes, I'm aware of how this might change the NFL Superbowl ads...but wouldn't it be nice to grab the headlines from the Republican party on 'Family Values'?