I know my dad tried to keep me away from explicit movies and videos, but I just went over to friends houses and watched there. Did I turn into an ax murder? No, but I am sure it did steal my innocence and alter my interpretation of what amounts to "normal" behavior. And that was the 80's. That was when MTV showed videos, not what basically amounts to soft porn or "reality" shows of sweet sixteen birthday parties where children dress like hookers and their parents shower them with sports cars and designer gear.
It makes my heart sick, just as I'm sure it made my dad's heart sick to find his little girl listening to Prince or me plastering my walls with posters of men wearing eyeliner. Somehow my enthusiasm that Prince played all of his own instruments didn't impress my dad. Just as I'm sure my grandparents weren't impressed by Elvis' hip swivels or Jerry Lee Lewis' piano playing.
Still, it's a slippery slope. In just 50 years we've gone from where hip swinging or saying the word "pregnant" was inappropriate for TV to where you can say basically anything and see murders, drug use and sex on non-cable TV all before noon. And don't get me started on the Internet . . .
I know what all of this REALLY means. I'm a parent of a small child. I'm on the "wrong side of 35" (according to Jane Austen novels). Simply, I'm getting OLD.
See my friend from high school Misty's blog entry linked in the menu on the right about how she and her husband's favorite radio station's format was switched from easy listening to "top 40", and they can't stand it. I've always thought that top 40 radio stunk - but that's not the point.
The point is that all of this is normal. It will be OK. I need to remember that Dennis and I will have the single biggest influence on our child. Even when she's telling us she hates us for not being able to watch ax-murder movies, dress like a floozy, eat junk or whatever it is she'll end up hating us for, it will all be OK.
It will be OK. It WILL be ok. Won't it?
