Sexual references in TV programs

Tim Robbins

What are your opinions in sexual references in programs that have a format for young people?

A good example would be 'Glee'.

It is edited like a disney movie. The characters are a mixture of air heads and dizzies who break into song and dance at the drop of a hat. The script has very few big words. It comes across as all very sweet and innocent.

All fine each to their own. But my problem is that it is clearly aimed at young girls and the stories start up all innocent such as who is going to make the Cheer leading team, then they move onto Sex.

I have a problem with this. If it has sexual references or stories based on sex it should be on after the water shed. Or they should just be removed and then can stick to the sweet, innocent stuff and the simple humour.

Your thoughts...

Note: I put this thread in the television forum, it ended up in Glee forum and it went down like a lead balloon. I thought it was a valid discussion so henece I put it here.

The Recliner

Tim Robbins wrote: »

But my problem is that it is clearly aimed at young girls and the stories start up all innocent such as who is going to make the Cheer leading team, then they move onto Sex.

Isn't that the progression that teenagers go through anyway though?

Tim Robbins

The Recliner wrote: »

Isn't that the progression that teenagers go through anyway though?

Plenty of men may have s*x on the brain and that's what they go through but that doesn't mean that alll out porn should be shown on tv.

Your point is valid and the people who make these programs know that 's why girls will want to watch it. But that doesn't mean society hasn't a moral role in the issue.

Ash.J.Williams

Tim Robbins wrote: »

Plenty of men may have s*x on the brain and that's what they go through but that doesn't mean that alll out porn should be shown on tv.

Your point is valid and the people who make these programs know that 's why girls will want to watch it. But that doesn't mean society hasn't a moral role in the issue.

Are you sex on the brain?

The Recliner

Tim Robbins wrote: »

Plenty of men may have s*x on the brain and that's what they go through but that doesn't mean that alll out porn should be shown on tv.

It is a bit of a stretch from Glee to porn though, unless some of the actors fall on hard times

Your point is valid and the people who make these programs know that 's why girls will want to watch it. But that doesn't mean society hasn't a moral role in the issue.

Are you saying that no programs which reference sex should be on before the watershed? That would push most Soap Operas back and there isn't enough time after the watershed for people to watch adult based shows

Society has a role to play and it does, programs in general are shown at responsible times for the audience they are aimed at, it is up to parents to decide if something is or isn't suitable for their children and allow them to watch it accordingly

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Crucifix

What time is Glee on at anyway?

Tim Robbins

Tim Robbins wrote: »

All fine each to their own. But my problem is that it is clearly aimed at young girls and the stories start up all innocent such as who is going to make the Cheer leading team, then they move onto Sex.

Then they moved onto "have some self respect and insist on being treated well" and "wait if you want to"
I think it was pretty good

Zombrex

In America Glee has a TV-14 rating. I think 14 plus kids are old enough to understand sexual references.

Tim Robbins

Wicknight wrote: »

In America Glee has a TV-14 rating. I think 14 plus kids are old enough to understand sexual references.

If Glee did a cover version of this what would people make of it...

http://www.youtube.com/user/groovearmadalive?blend=1&ob=4#p/u/3/eDlYmWm--kk

Nevyn

Glee is not aimed at pre teens, any parent who thinks it is should do better research.

The Recliner

Tim Robbins wrote: »

If Glee did a cover version of this what would people make of it...

http://www.youtube.com/user/groovearmadalive?blend=1&ob=4#p/u/3/eDlYmWm--kk

Glee is rated TV-14, they would do a TV-14 version of

What would be the problem with that?

Tim Robbins

Thaedydal wrote: »

Glee is not aimed at pre teens, any parent who thinks it is should do better research.

You are not really saying much here. Do you think it should be on after the water shed or not?

Could you give reasons why 10 or 11 year olds would not want to watch it? Better than insulting parents who think otherwise?

Valmont

I don't see the problem at all. I've seen the program once and it isn't that bad. There are worse things that kids could be watching. That culture decaying Hills program springs to mind!

Nevyn

Tim Robbins wrote: »

You are not really saying much here. Do you think it should be on after the water shed or not?

Could you give reasons why 10 or 11 year olds would not want to watch it? Better than insulting parents who think otherwise?

Parents should control what is watched in the family home, with all the different channels now available the water shed is a thing of the past.

I watch programs with my kids and when I am not I monitor what they are watching and reading.

If a parent is happy that they are able to answer in an open and informative manner any questions thier child has after watching an episode of glee then I would say watch it with your 10 or 11 year old.

There are episodes which I would have no problem watching with my daughter who is currently 9 and 3/4, there are some which I would not let her watch as she's not mature enough yet, but when she is mature enough I'd consider the show to be a really good way of kicking off discussions about sex and sexuality and peer pressure with her.

Zombrex

Tim Robbins wrote: »

If Glee did a cover version of this what would people make of it...

http://www.youtube.com/user/groovearmadalive?blend=1&ob=4#p/u/3/eDlYmWm--kk

It's hardly sexually explicit, that song was used in an ad for a car

Dudess

Glee is kinda an ironic programme anyway isn't it? A bit of a piss-take of High School Musical, no? It appeals to adults in a way HSM generally wouldn't.

I remember watching Home & Away in the late 80s aged 10/11 and the schoolgirl character Roo getting knocked up, I also remember Degrassi Junior High (anyone else? :pac:) around the same time, a real cheapy Canadian series, where a character who was, I think, 14 got pregnant. I had to ask my brothers every so often what they were going on about on the show and the answer would be a very loud "Sex, they're talking about sex!" to which my response would be a small bit of shock, but then I'd go back to listening to my Kylie tape/reading my Nikki magazine or whatever.
Then sex was explored on My So-Called Life five to 10 years later. All of these programmes are aimed at teens, and all recognise what teens are thinking about. Even The Simpsons, whose audience includes children, often contains sexual references. When you're too young to understand what these mean though, you filter them out. I remember I used to watch Blackadder at the age of 11 and there are a lot of bawdy double entendres on that programme - I didn't have a clue what they meant though.

I think a lot of shows before the watershed can contain sexual references - e.g. soaps, prime-time TV series.

Glee may appear to be doing the Disney thing, but that's (I think) for humour value. It's a pretty good show - sharply written. And yes, it's a lot better than The ****ing Hills. :mad:

Valmont

When I heard one of the wooden characters butchering one of The Doors classics, I said never again!

I agree with Thaedydal, the watershed seems almost moot when you have one of the Sky packages with hundreds of channels you don't even know anything about.

Tim Robbins

Valmont wrote: »

When I heard one of the wooden characters butchering one of The Doors classics, I said never again!

I agree with Thaedydal, the watershed seems almost moot when you have one of the Sky packages with hundreds of channels you don't even know anything about.

You can't absolve one stakeholder from responsibility just because others already have. I think that's a nonsense argument.

If you knew the main stations stuck to the watershed ethos then you'd know that once you were on the main stations you were ok. Besides, a lot of people couldn't be *rsed paying for the cr*ppy sky stations.

Hitgirl

I understand the point you're trying to make OP, but i think Glee is not the example you should be using. Glee is not aimed at pre teens, it is never on earlier than 9 0'clock and has a very mixed audience. There is sexual innuendo and references in almost everything nowadays, from tv ads, radio ads, magazine ads etc, be it for a packet of crisps or washing powder, so it's hard to protect your children from sexual references in general. If you feel you're child is not yet mature enough to watch certain programmes, then it's up to you to monitor what they watch. As someone has already stated, there are much worse things on television that your kids could be watching.

ChocolateSauce

I see no problem whatsoever. Either they'll old enough to have it explained to them in a calm and reasonable manner, or they're not and the reference will go right over their head.

I'd be far more worried about violence.

I wonder how many children noticed the beastiality reference in the third Pirates of a Caribbean film?

Valmont

Against my better judgement, I watched another episode of Glee. I think you're overreacting OP, it's harmless stuff really.

Motley Crue

The OP made some interesting points, however, I have to disagree with him regarding who Glee is aimed at. There is a common misunderstanding that just because it's all happy and laughable that its for young girls, aged maybe 8 to 12, but its not aimed at them - its aimed at people older, who are responsible enough to deal with sex, and also people who are old enough to know fully what sex is and what relationship it has with romance....

Glee doesn't pretend not to be for adults, but the marketing forces it to younger audiences, in the same way that in Europe comic books and WWE were seen for a long time as "just for children" and yet in America they were embraced by children and adults alike...

A good example of this would be a reality show with Stan Lee about people who wanted to become superheroes - in America it was adults playing the roles of those who wanted to become superheroes - in the European edition it was a childrens programme....

I'm sorry the OP has a daughter who likes Glee, prob because her friend likes it, but its not actually made for children and its more the marketing and allowing children to get into programmes not for them....its close relationship/resemblance with HSM doesn't help either

The Recliner

Some people just don't get it either

One being the continuity girl on 3E, after one of the episodes she commented "I would love to have gone to a US High School"

The whole bloody show is about how horrible an experience it is if you aren't a Jock or a Cheerleader (and even if you are) and don't conform to the strict social hierarchy

Valmont

The Recliner wrote: »

and don't conform to the strict social hierarchy

Easier said than done! We had a recent example of what can go wrong when trying to challenge that hierarchy:

http://www.independent.ie/topics/Phoebe+Prince

Nevyn

The Recliner wrote: »

Some people just don't get it either

One being the continuity girl on 3E, after one of the episodes she commented "I would love to have gone to a US High School"

The whole bloody show is about how horrible an experience it is if you aren't a Jock or a Cheerleader (and even if you are) and don't conform to the strict social hierarchy

Sounds like she needs to watch
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freaks_and_geeks

Some people will gloss over the horrors that the show holds a mirror up to and just focus on the singing and the laughs, alas as subversive as Glee is aiming to be I reckon it will go over a lot of heads, we can't force people to think.

The Recliner

Thaedydal wrote: »

Sounds like she needs to watch
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freaks_and_geeks

Some people will gloss over the horrors that the show holds a mirror up to and just focus on the singing and the laughs, alas as subversive as Glee is aiming to be I reckon it will go over a lot of heads, we can't force people to think.

I have the boxset of that show, great stuff

Riddickcule

Wouldn't it be nice if we didn't have America telling us what to do all the time? Mainly through the media, we are always being brainwashed by yank culture. Does my head sometimes. And when people say american things like "awesome" or "later man".

Come on, that just sounds so lame.(lol)

Fuinseog

Tim Robbins wrote: »

What are your opinions in sexual references in programs that have a format for young people?

A good example would be 'Glee'.

It is edited like a disney movie. The characters are a mixture of air heads and dizzies who break into song and dance at the drop of a hat. The script has very few big words. It comes across as all very sweet and innocent.

All fine each to their own. But my problem is that it is clearly aimed at young girls and the stories start up all innocent such as who is going to make the Cheer leading team, then they move onto Sex.

I have a problem with this. If it has sexual references or stories based on sex it should be on after the water shed. Or they should just be removed and then can stick to the sweet, innocent stuff and the simple humour.

Your thoughts...

Note: I put this thread in the television forum, it ended up in Glee forum and it went down like a lead balloon. I thought it was a valid discussion so henece I put it here.

the simpsons would be another good example

Kooli

My mum tells me she used Neighbours and Home and Away as a way of initiating discussions about moral issues when I was a kid!

I reckon it could be the same with any tv that references sexuality. I don't see what the problem is if the message is positive. I don't have kids myself, so I'm not sure, but I would imagine I would never pretend to my kids that sex doesn't exist? (although obviously wouldn't feel the need to give them the full details until they are old enough)

muffy

Thaedydal wrote: »

Glee is not aimed at pre teens, any parent who thinks it is should do better research.

Exactly. I enjoy Glee, it reminds me John Water's Hairspray. Its so stereotyped (Rachel the lead character-adopted Jewish daughter of a mixed race same sex couple who wants to be a broadway star-stereotype overload!)- that it is positively creepy/offensive. The sexual references I imagine are reflective of life in an American High School. I enjoy Glee the same way in enjoy South Park tbh.
This programme was never aimed at young girls. Rather I see it as a series of sinister stereotypes put forward in an innocuous way...make of that what you will.

You could argue the news is not suitable viewing for children/shouldn't carry references to violence,sexual assault, etc- it depends what school of audience theory you subscribe to. Do we simply absorb all the information thrown at us passively or are active in our understanding of the media we consume? Who gets to decide what is suitable for children or public viewing in general? Some see the ratings (pg,15,18) as a form of censorship.