Sad State of TV Sitcoms© 2011 Lynn Rebuck

Monday, April 25th, 2011

This past Saturday I had the privilege of addressing a group of parents at a church about youth, media, and technology.  As a former television producer, media researcher, and mother of three, it is a subject about which I am very passionate.  Some would call me rabid. Those would be my children.

Not only did I address pressing issues about social media, cell phones, safeguarding families, and music (don’t even get me started on Lady Gaga), but I talked about television. Frankly, there are things that TV producers don’t want you to know.

Consider this statistic: according to a 2005 study, an overwhelming majority of television shows contain sexual references, and situation comedies appear at the top of the list with 87 percent containing sexual content.    The sitcoms show scenes of sexual content at an average rate of almost 9 scenes per hour.  That was six years ago; the trend has only worsened, IMHO (that’s text-speak for “In My Humble Opinion” for those parents who have yet to attend one of my seminars).

Clearly, what’s happening to sitcoms isn’t funny.

The terrain of television is vastly different than years ago. We have gone from one deserted island (Gilligan’s)to another (Lost).  Ozzie and Harriet were replaced by Ozzie and Sharon. Television is now about “Leave it to Cleavage.” What would June and Ward think?

In all honesty maybe we should reframe how we look at the above statistic and at television in general.  Perhaps researchers should state how many of the sex shows on television contain humorous references.  It’s time we wake up to what is really happening right in front of us, in living color, and in many homes, on very large screens .  Things that were considered pornographic not long ago make up the mainstay of broadcast television and commercials. The CBS eye is looking the other way and the NBC peacock is burying its head in the sand.

The Parent Television Council is an organization that cares about what kids are seeing on television.  They evaluate shows for content including sex and violence. The PTC provides a color-coded, easy-to-read weekly guide to television shows that evaluates shows based on content.  For the week of April 7-14, there was only one network sitcom that made their list of “best picks” for family viewing: ABC’s “The Middle.”

While the scarcity of family-friendly fare came as no surprise, the fact that there is only one network program deemed worthy of watching should be a point of shame for television producers and network executives.

I have been a fan of “The Middle” since last year, when it began its first season.  The show airs on Wednesday evenings at 8 p.m. on ABC. It appeals to my warped sense of parental humor which you likely share if you enjoy reading my column.  It’s real life, and it’s funny. Check it out and let me know what you think.  I’ll share my thoughts on the show next week.

Lynn Rebuck is a nationally award-winning former television producer, journalist, and speaker who is passionate about helping parents navigate the issues of media and technology with their teens and tweens.  To contact Lynn about speaking to your church or community group about these or other issues, email her at LynnRebuck@gmail.com. For more information about Lynn and to read her blog, go to www.LynnRebuck.com. © 2011 Lynn Rebuck

Tags: ABC, Entertainment, media, motherhood, NBC, Neil Flynn, parenting, Patricia Heaton, sex, sitcoms, teens, Television, The Middle
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