Newsgasm: Reality TV judged best for kids - 
by Tabloid Baby
Note to TVgasmers: Pass your reality TV recaps to your little brothers, sisters and kids (or, depending on your age, your pals). Turns out reality TV is not the end of civilization as all the pointy heads have been warning us, but in fact, the best, most wholesome and cleanest stuff on the box for America's youth.
American Idol, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and Dancing With the Stars (even with all those tight pants and porn scandals) are cited as the "cleanest," most kid-friendly shows around by the Parents Television Council, one of those groups that gets money to do this kind of study every month or so. American Inventor, Deal or No Deal (we guess germophobic Howie Mandel helped with the "cleanest" title) and Monday Night Football rounded out the ""Most Suitable" pack.
Only one scripted show got the semi-seal of approval for kids and teens.
"Of the most popular broadcast television shows watched by children, the best and cleanest shows are reality shows," says its president, L Brent Bozell, who apparently was tuned to another channel and missed the Sara Evans scandal, Paula Abdul's behaviour, the scary mole on the arm of that Inventor judge in the Hawaiian shirt, and every football game. "And children are in fact flocking to shows with positive values, like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, or wholesome content like American Idol.
"Every single scripted show that children watch is characterized by graphic sexual content, violence, and coarse language."
The group judged the Nielsen list of the 20 most-watched programs among kids aged 2 to 17. Six were deemed okay, nine not okay, and five were "questionably suitable."
Half of the most popular series were scripted. The one to make even the "Questionably Suitable" list:
The Simpsons.
''It's not a hard-and-fast rule," says Bozell, not choosing the most kid-friendly language, "but the odds are if it's a scripted show, it's going to be problematic."
Read the whole study here-- but here's the list of the shows deemed Not Suitable for kids, ranked "Best to Worst":
Lost, House, The War At Home, Grey's Anatomy, Prison Break, American Dad, Family Guy, Desperate Housewives, C.S.I.
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Comments
Um NO SHIT parent tv council! All of those shows are shows for grown-ups. Prime time television is geared toward adults, not kids. That's part of the reason why there are channels specifically for children, so there are options when adult programming takes over in the evening. where can I write these people and tell them they're stupid and wasting time and money? When I was a kid, most everyone of the kids I knew were not allowed to watch The Simpsons, cause we weren't old enough! This study is ridiculous.
Posted by: tigereye![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.tvgasm.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 2, 2006 9:58 AM(#1 of 4)
I think I might send a letter to the editor (or email, if you will) to ptv people telling them what I think.... hmm.... ranting. mwaahhahaha
Posted by: tigereye![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.tvgasm.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 2, 2006 10:01 AM(#2 of 4)
Why do "studies" from these little special interest groups get any play at all?
I just founded the "Cool Parents Television Council". I am officially issuing my first study right here on TVGasm.
Here our list of the best entertainment for children:
1.) The porn DVD collection that we left out on the computer table.
--We recommend leaving the liquor cabinet open to encourage "experimentation" with the other neighborhood kids.
2.) Walker Texas Ranger Season 3 on DVD, which is really another porn DVD hidden in the WTR sleeve.
3.) Anything on TV accompianied by the stack of Penthouse Forums "hidden" underneath the bed.
Posted by: grandemocha![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.tvgasm.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 2, 2006 10:32 AM(#3 of 4)
Why is everything in italics on this page???
Posted by: Ms. Tumnus![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.tvgasm.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 2, 2006 1:58 PM(#4 of 4)