Hissy Fit

"I'm Pregnant and.My Husband Wants to Become a Woman". Now before you run off to the gossip mill, please realize this is the title of a television show. It has nothing to do with my personal life, except for the fact that this is the type of rubbish I find while channel surfing. I am concerned about what we, as a society, have lowered ourselves to for the sake of entertainment. As wise women, why do we choose to continue to look the other way, or worse yet, support (by viewing) these totally messed up, civilly and morally threatening television shows? There will be major ramifications for watching this stuff and allowing our children to watch it, too. How can anything good ever come from it?

Knowing I was in the midst of writing this article, I tuned into "I'm Pregnant and." It was utterly pitiful. A 22-year-old girl had met a similar aged boy online. After dating only a few months, she was pregnant. They married, and then he dropped the bomb on her-he has always felt that he should be a woman. So now, he dresses up every night in women's clothing. She is saddened and concerned this environment won't be good for the baby. ARE YOU SERIOUS? This is wrong on so many levels; I don't even know where to begin. But what's even more disturbing is that no one is taking a stand and saying, "NO MORE!" Either everyone is so worried about being politically correct they don't want to say anything, or we're just so numb to it all, we actually believe if we don't watch it, then it doesn't affect us. Wrong again. We share this world with people that find these pathetic scenarios entertaining, even laughable. Even those with decent morals have been lulled into believing it's all o.k. It's not o.k. and hopefully, it never will be.

What about the show "The Bachelor?" Mothers and daughters are cozying up on sofas across America to tune in to see who Joe Bachelor is going to ultimately ask to marry, but not until he sleeps his way through the harem of girls throwing themselves at him. Correct me if I'm wrong, but is this not spitting in the face of the progress women have made? Meanwhile our daughters see us wholeheartedly condoning things such as getting in a hot tub with a guy who obviously has multiple partners, with those multiple partners in tow, in the smallest swimsuit possible, letting it all hang out, and scheming as to how to get their turn in bed with the fellow who may choose you.if you're good enough. As a loving mother, that's a situation in which I pray my daughter never finds herself. I hope I have raised her to have higher expectations and want more for herself. But how can our words combat such actions when our own actions speak so loudly? We are clearly conveying a "do as I say, not as I watch" message. "The Bachelorette" is just as bad; it used to be frowned upon to sleep with the whole team.

Then there is "Toddlers and Tiaras." Again, pathetic-mothers, who are obviously still devastated over not making their own high school cheerleading team, are seeking acceptance and approval vicariously through their children. While we don't know exactly what the outcomes will be from putting very young girls-hence the name toddlers- in false teeth, false hair, and even false padding in all the "right" places so they will be beautiful, I can assure you it won't be pretty. Sorry girls, you all lose.
In addition to being morally degrading and borderline "societycidal", these shows just plain dumb us down. Take "Swamp People" for instance. Have you seen this show? Viewers will watch this program for an hour, but my guess is if they actually came in contact with the swamp people, most would turn their noses up at them. This show follows alligator hunters into the swamplands of Louisiana. Although it tries to have a plot, other than killing alligators, it takes stupidity to a new level. In one episode, viewers were reduced to watching two brothers shoot and eat squirrels. I'm not judging, I'm just wondering how these shows are making a positive difference in anyone's life. It's really bad when your brain consumes information and is dumber for it.

Then there's the pawn store shows. Most of us won't even drive to the side of town where pawn stores reside, but now we're making celebrities out of pawn shop owners.

Finally, there is a show that follows an exterminator. That's right.exterminator.as in dead bugs. You can tune in to watch the pest control guy go from house to house killing bugs. The cinematography on this one must be amazing-pan out to catch the cockroaches on all three shelves of the cabinet. Occasionally, on an especially riveting episode, the exterminator will kill a rat or a snake.

Speaking of rats, don't even get me started on Jerry Springer-the embarrassment of America.

I'm taking a stand, even if no one else will. I'm seriously worried. Aren't you?