Thursday, June 9, 2011

ABC Family: FAMILY?!?!

When you hear "ABC Family," what comes to mind?  Perhaps a cable station dedicated to providing programing and content which is suitable for--well, the whole family, right?  Well, that really depends.

Have you seen any series or episode trailers for the shows on ABC Family?  On commercial breaks, ABC showcases their newest series and upcoming episodes.  One of the most popular series on the channel is called "The Secret Life of the American Teenager."  Does that sound like family programming to you?  I know what secrets teenagers lived when I was one.  I expect to see that kind of stuff on major network prime-time or on channels like HBO and Showtime (which I choose not to subscribe to).

"Secret Life" revolves around a group of feuding teenagers who wrestle with sexuality, get pregnant and converse with gay/lesbian adults.  Channel-surfing one evening with my wife, I actually saw two adult women engage in romantic mouth-kissing.  Mind you, this wasn't at 11:30 p.m.  It was 7:00 p.m.  Here's the episode synopsys:
"Amy’s excited for a night away in a hotel with Ricky. She bonds with his mom and foster mom and they both agree she is the best thing that happened to Ricky. Even though Adrian did all that she could to take care of her unborn baby, the baby dies. Adrian and Ben are devastated and Adrian asks to see Amy. The girls hug and cry together. This terrible tragedy brings Amy closer to Ricky, the father of her child, and she decides to have sex with Ricky."
I know this sort of thing happens on television all the time, but keep two things in mind: one, these are teenagers; and two, and this is ABC Family.

It wouldn't be so bad if this station had bad programming all the time (if it did, kids wouldn't necessarily want to turn to it), but it also runs movies like "Finding Nemo" and the "Karate Kid" next to raunchy sitcoms like "That 70's Show" and Adam Sandler movies.  So, is this what you personally consider to be "family" programming?  I think it really depends on what kind of family you want to have!

Instead of filling our homes with filth, let's strive to create an environment where the holiness of God's Word is the strongest influence.  Adults should set the example of choosing wholesome entertainment, and select movies and shows that are age-appropriate for whomever is allowed to watch them. 

No comments:

Post a Comment