South Park v. King Kong

I substituted in a fifth grade class recently. While taking attendance I asked each student to name his or her favorite TV show. I've done this before. Their choices always give me an instant insight into the kids and what kind of home life they have. Because what kind of home allows its children who aren't over 11 years old to watch South Park, Family Guy or even The Simpsons? Just because they are cartoons doesn't make them all right for kids.

When I told the class that I thought South Park was inappropriate for fifth graders, they jeered. "But it's a great show!" I might try to comfort myself and say they're too young to understand most of the humor, but I'm not comforted by the fact that they're witnessing egregious examples of disrespect for adults, each other and themselves.

Then yesterday I substituted in a kindergarten class. The boy who had no impulse control whatsoever, the boy who had dark rings under his eyes, volunteered that his favorite movie was "King Kong." He said he had watched the DVD several times and even had the videogame. I asked him if the movie scared him at all. "No, but the ending made me cry. King Kong dies, you know." I told him my daughter who is in fifth grade was not allowed to watch the movie because it was rated PG13. The boy then said that there was nothing wrong with the movie-- "just a few cuss words. My mom let me watch it. She doesn't care."

Honey, you said a mouthful.