The Best of Teen Culture?

So earlier tonight we watched the return of the "Secret Life of the American Teenager."

Stephanie told me I should blog about the shame it is that that is what our succeeding generation has to look at. And, unfortunately, imitate. I mean, I don't want to go all flip out like mothers of the 1950's did over Rebel Without A Cause and the *gasp* sexy James Dean. It is clear that not all teenagers spend their science lab period talking about who is sleeping with who. And, ultimately, it is not a reflection on teen culture if your child does end up acting that way because it doesn't have the power to sit down and have a conversation with your child and say "sex or no sex, you have always been and will always be loved." It doesn't have the power to discipline your child and say "this is not acceptable." A parent does. The real issue is when that is missing from a household. The real issue is that instead, parents sit their hormonal teenage girls down and say "you don't have to wait on sex, you don't even need to have sex, just masturbate."

Literally. On national television. On a "family" show.

I'm not saying we should keep kids from anything ever that might have a harmful influence on them, but I think the world is missing out on ample opportunities to be a good influence on teenagers. It's not so much about sheltering them from the world as it is setting boundaries in it.

So then maybe the contestant on "the Bachelor" might know how inappropriate it is to tell a guy on their first night together that he is welcome to land his plane on her any time. In Cambodian. And since when has love become a contest?

But now you know I really can't call the kettle black, get on a high horse about unwholesome teenage culture since this pot here spent 2 hours of her life watching television of equal value. Or lack thereof. Trash.

Give me back my Father of the Bride. Which I also watched today. It almost redeems my having viewed the Bachelor*.

Maybe my kid will live on videotapes of 90's romantic comedy. There's a plan.

*another redeeming factor is that I watched both varieties of junk tv with one of my besties. And the best sister-in-law ever. And Baby Smith. ;-)