2 BROKE GIRLS AND THE 'FAMILY' HOUR

[justpassingthough]

Is anyone else surprised by what gets uttered on CBS Mondays at 8:30p during "2 Broke Girls"?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a prude and I've actually grown to like the show as they've further developed the characters. Still, I'm surprised by some of the dialogue, specifically last night's episode about the Kosher cupcakes for the Bar Mitzvah and the 13 year old boys hitting on the girls.

I just never thought I'd hear the line "how are you going to talk when your mouth is full?" on CBS at 8:30...

 

[FreddyE1977]

The "Family Hour" was invalidated by the courts within a year of it's imposition.
Networks continued to honor it informally for a number of years, until Fox came
along and scheduled Married With Children at 8:30. (moving sex into the 8-9
time period was called "Foxing your lineup". It has pretty much been non-existent
since then.

 

[landtuna]

I thought the "Family Hour" disappeared 8 years ago when C(BS) aired "Two and a Half Men" at 8 in my market. Clearly this isn't for younger teens or children.

 

[justpassingthough]

I know the family hour was invalidated long ago. I was speaking in terms of the networks monitoring themselves for content. I should have made that more clear in my original post.

I hate the PTC as much as the next person, but I imagine they'll be all over CBS for some of the dialogue on last night's episode. Isn't it easier to police yourselves instead of dealing with any fallout?

 

[dmargalotti]

I hate the PTC as much as the next person, but...

Why? Did they do something to you or a loved one? Or are you just generally opposed to people fighting for what they believe in? And no, in case you're wondering...I am not a member of the PTC nor do I necessarily agree with many of their positions.

 

[justpassingthough]

I hate the PTC as much as the next person, but...

Why? Did they do something to you or a loved one? Or are you just generally opposed to people fighting for what they believe in? And no, in case you're wondering...I am not a member of the PTC nor do I necessarily agree with many of their positions.

I'm just generally opposed to people trying to squash free speech and expression rather than targeting uninvolved parents and/or advocating for the proper use of widely available technologies for having your children avoid seeing what many adults deem appropriate for their own viewing.

 

[FreddyE1977]

As a parent I have had the opposite experience of having something negative and
corrosive that you'd wish to shield your children from come sweeping back to them
through their social contacts since all other parents are not as diligent.

That being said, ideas like Family Hour from a practical standpoint are unenforceable.

Clearly lots of people started watching when Fox put Married With Children on
at 8:30, causing the gentleman's agreement to break down. It would have
happened sooner or later.

 

[dmargalotti]

Parents are and should be the first line of defense, justpassingthrough. On that you and I agree. However as a parent I can tell you that unless you keep your children locked in the house and keep them away from the TV, the Internet, etc. all together, it's very difficult to keep them from being exposed to those things which you as a parent would rather have them not exposed to. They do not live in a bubble of isolation.

When encountered with those situations (especially with older children), you can make it a teachable moment by discussing how and why the objectionable material conflicts with your personal morality and values. And as parents we hope to arm our children with enough information so that they will make intelligent, healthy choices for themselves when they are older.

However the problem remains (and this is where I get what the PTC is trying to do) that there are various segments of society that are trying to push their morality on the rest of us and they do it all in the name of "entertainment". Yes, I have the right to turn off the TV (and I exercise that right FREQUENTLY) but that does not always solve the problem and in a free society, I support people who use whatever legal means they have at their disposal to stand up for what they believe in whether I agree with them or not.

 

[justpassingthough]

This begs the question...isn't it still easier for the networks to monitor themselves and just avoid pervasive sexual content and dialogue in the early hours of prime time altogether than risk being targeted by outside groups like the PTC and/or risk just plainly alienating viewers who are turned off by the, perhaps, overreaching sexuality of prime time television?

Or does CBS feel it isn't operating outside of the norm and that families have other viewing options if they're offended by their programming?

Again, I wasn't offended, but I could certainly see plenty of parents or adults who would be offended by most of the dialogue on "How I Met Your Mother" and "2 Broke Girls".

 

[landtuna]

It's not only a problem for the networks. Both "Two and a Half Men" and "Big Bang Theory" are now in syndication and are broadcast in my market at 6PM. Prime viewing time for the little people.

 

[justpassingthough]

Do syndicaters offer "family-friendlier" versions of adult shows like "Two and a Half Men" or "Family Guy" or "Big Bang Theory"? I feel like I've seen episodes that had some of the more racy elements removed by the time they get to early fringe and are airing in syndication.

 

[landtuna]

Do syndicaters offer "family-friendlier" versions of adult shows like "Two and a Half Men" or "Family Guy" or "Big Bang Theory"? I feel like I've seen episodes that had some of the more racy elements removed by the time they get to early fringe and are airing in syndication.

I watched both series when network-broadcast and have not yet noticed any change in the syndicated versions.

 

[nomadcowatbk]

Do syndicaters offer "family-friendlier" versions of adult shows like "Two and a Half Men" or "Family Guy" or "Big Bang Theory"? I feel like I've seen episodes that had some of the more racy elements removed by the time they get to early fringe and are airing in syndication.

I watched both series when network-broadcast and have not yet noticed any change in the syndicated versions.

other than cuts for more commercial time?

 

[landtuna]

Do syndicaters offer "family-friendlier" versions of adult shows like "Two and a Half Men" or "Family Guy" or "Big Bang Theory"? I feel like I've seen episodes that had some of the more racy elements removed by the time they get to early fringe and are airing in syndication.

I watched both series when network-broadcast and have not yet noticed any change in the syndicated versions.

other than cuts for more commercial time?

I do not record BBT for posterity but I have recorded the first 7 seasons of "Two" and have seen virtually no difference in run times. They all seem to be between 20 min and change to 21 min and change.

Perhaps individual stations add in more commercials and my local indie doesn't?

 

[mnradiofan]

I find it absolutely hilarious that the argument started by this thread was over an episode in which the writers demonstrate that the harder you try to make your kids "perfect", the more they are going to "act out" behind your back.

I saw it over and over growing up, and even I've faced it as a kid. My parents wouldn't let me watch Married With Children, Simpsons, etc, and now I watch whatever I want. My friends at school were a far worse influence on me than any of those shows ever were.

As a contrast, I had a friend who was raised strict Luthern, wasn't allowed to watch or listen to anything. By 19 he was married with one kid, and now he's divorced, has two kids (one out of wedlock) and lost his house in foreclosure. Guess protecting your kids really does work!

 

[FreddyE1977]

Your parents wouldn't let you watch The Simpsons?

Did Dad say "Don't worry, it will still be there when you grow up?" ;D

 

[vchimpanzee]

It's one of my favorite new shows. If not for "Last Man Standing" it would be my favorite.

That doesn't mean I like how naughty they get, although I do like those girls a lot. The dirty stuff, I suppose, is what keeps it from being my favorite. I can take raunchiness from the girls m,uch more easily than the immigrant chef. "Are You There, Chelsea?" is another show I like, mainly because it's Laura Prepon, and she gets pretty raunchy too, also at 8:30.

I've been watching censored reruns of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" since they've been available. Now they get away with much worse, but it's at 1 in the morning.

 

[FreddyE1977]

"Are You There, Chelsea?" is another show I like, mainly because it's Laura Prepon, and she gets pretty raunchy too, also at 8:30.

The first five minutes of last week's show might be the raunchiest discussion between three women you're
likely to encounter outside the pages of Cosmo.

 

[justpassingthough]

Maybe I just brought this up because its women and women being equally nasty on television as men is a relatively new phenomenon. "Two and a Half Men" has been chugging out this base humor for nearly a decade, along with shows like "Its Always Sunny", where the casts are primarily male. So is it a sexist thing and is 8:30 really too early to hear some of this dialogue?

In my group of friends in our 20s and 30s, the women are just as crass as the men, so it shouldn't really be surprising.

 

[LKellerIII]

Compared to my childhood (1950s and 60s), Americans are much less circumspect in what they say, and in their behaviors. Any child or teen living in an urban environment will hear words, and occasionally see things happen - that would never be shown on network or basic cable television.