Saturday, July 04, 2009

ABC Family channel: you FAIL. FAIL FAIL FAIL

Imagine my horror and disgust when we're freshly home from the pool and watching Scooby Doo (my 9 y.o. daughter, 12 y.o. son and I) and a commercial for upcoming ABC Family programming comes on. The girls in the spot are driving along listening to a tape from Dad, apparently, where he warns them about venereal diseases.

Explicitly.

When the fire quit coming out of my ears, I wrote this, using the contact information on the ABC Family site:

"I am absolutely furious that you're blasting commercials on your family-friendly programming that feature the words "gonorrhea, syphillis, and genital herpes" over and over. My nine-year old is trying to watch Scooby Doo, of all safe and family-friendly shows, and was subjected to this garbage. I expect better of you and am very disappointed that you are letting down your target demographic in such a huge and awful way."

Since when are venereal diseases funny? Or --and hey, ABC "Family" -- family-friendly topics?

Anyone who has read my books knows I'm no prude. But there's a huge difference between what adults choose to read and what young children have blasted at them on a channel touting itself as family friendly.

Change it, ABC Family. Change it, now.

5 comments:

Escape by Fiction said...

I absolutely agree. What ever happened to family friendly shows like Family Matters, Full House and Growing Pains? Why can't our children watch primetime network television with us without something inappropriate mucking up the night? You'd think ABC Family wouldn't air shows like Greek, Secret Life of a Teenager or the other countless non-family friendly shows it does. I'm no prude either, but it is called the 'family channel' - it should live up to its name.

Unknown said...

I'll give you a whole hearted "AMEN".

I don't have kids but do have lots of nieces and nephews. And am very conscious of what is age appropriate where they are all concerned.

What's wrong with people thst they don't realize this is part of what's causing the problems with children today.

Let them be children! They don't need to be grown up by 10.

Okay, off my soap box now.

Anonymous said...

where can I go to make a complaint about the commercials on the Family channel? I am sooooo.... upset with this network. Today I was watching Pinocchio with my 4year-old. Then a tastless crude ad for a program for the E program "Kourtney & Khloe takes Miami" the hyper-sexual Kardashian sisters came on. It was for the premier tonite so you know it was let's just say, nasty. I was horrified!!!! I was totally cought of gaurd. I turned it immidiately cause I already knew what to expect when I saw thier faces. Then I saw the whole commercial, it features thier "exploits" in Miami. They should be ashamed of themselves for advertising this trash in the middle of the day , on a "family" channel, during a cartoon. Partent's need to be alerted to this. This is why I choose to support this network, in effort to find quality programs for my daughter that didn't subject her to this type of garbage. Unfortunately, this network standards and respect for family values is non-exsistant. I am a very open minded hip mom. But this was an assult on my senses that I was underprepared for, I wan't to warn some parents and do something and make a complaint. Do you have any ideas where I should start? Please advice.

nalipatt@hotmail.com

Alyssa Day said...

I just searched the website until I found a contact form, but I have to warn you that nobody from the channel EVER bothered to respond to me. Losers.

Anonymous said...

I too am disgusted with ABC Family. My 7 year old recently discovered Full House, a cute show from the 80's and early 90's, but we have to turn the channel during the commercials because they are so NOT family oriented! There is a show about high school students called Degrassi and every commercial for it shows girls taking their tops off and jumping onto a boy! I am disgusted at what those in charge of programming deem acceptable behavior for teens! Today we say an advertisement for an upcoming show about a group of school age girls who purposely get pregnant. How can we make this stop. If anyone has an answer please let me know.