Do you ever look back ashamed of old TV shows and movie you used to watch? With Amazon Prime, Netflix, Disney + and many other streaming channels, you can watch these reruns. So, today, I want to talk about life with TV Shows I Left Behind.
Sometimes we don’t think of what comes into our minds. The same thing with music, which is a post for another day. So, looking back, I want to share things that I’ve noticed now looking back.
Note that this is my personal revelations, not self-righteous judgement for you to obey.
So let us begin discussing some TV shows I Left Behind.
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The Simpsons
When my mom became a Christian, one thing she did was say, “No Simpsons.” Note: I thought O.J. Simpson was a member of the Simpsons cast, so what do I know, right? Anyway, we weren’t allowed to watch The Simpsons anymore.
Now, over twenty years later, I find myself watching a Simpsons movie with my wife. While perhaps we can find funny moments in the movie, I keep on watching a boy who is frightened of his father. A father who, whenever the kid steps out of line, chokes his son. Of course, people brush this off as, “Oh, it’s just a silly sitcom.” But, oh my goodness, how can we expect our society to survive if we feed it that. We raise our kids to be kind and respectful, but sit them in front of this?
Now, in the show, they have a Christian character/ family named Flanders. This family is used to laugh at for their religious family values. But, in this movie we watched, Bart (the son) chooses to go on a fishing trip with Ned Flanders. At one point, I think he loses a lure or something, and immediately is expecting his father to strangle him.
Isn’t it great to make strangling a child funny? Bart sticks out his tongue and makes a funny noise.
But instead of strangling Bart, Ned Flanders says something like, “Whoopsie doo.” And Bart is left with a new revelation that, “Oh, you’re not angry.”
Don’t we need a revelation like that about Christians? And, more importantly, do we, as Christians, make sure we’re portraying love in our lives?
Friends
Ok. I know that a lot of people like this show, but looking back I see a horrible story. Let me explain the basic plot: Ross’s is sad because his wife broke her marital vows because she’d rather be with a woman. Rachel runs into the scene in a wedding dress because she’s decided not to get married. Later on in the episode, Chandler and Joey help Ross movie into a new apartment. At which time Joey makes fun of Ross for getting married. Joey would also share his surprise of Ross only having sex with one woman ever.
So, in this opening episode, I see the whole plot being about Ross’s failed marriage. Furthermore, Rachel fleeing from her wedding adds to Ross’s drama because of a lifelong crush on Rachel. Episode one says that marriage is bad. The second last scene of the show, after 11 or 12 seasons, is Ross and Rachel finally being together.
If you watch the whole show, Ross, the only one with a doctorate degree, is laughed at. He had many failed marriages in the story line. When he dates Rachel, he shows how little he cares for her after the break up (on a break) and sleeps with another woman.
This whole premise of sexual promiscuity runs through nearly every episode. So, looking back, I’ve recognized this being a background story: Have as much sex as you can until life, marriage, happiness randomly falls into place.
Two And A Half Men
Just like the show Friends, Alan’s wife breaks marriage vows because she decides to be a lesbian. Don’t hate on my use of the word “decides” because she later marries another man.
Alan is criticized by his playboy brother he moves in with and his mother for his failed marriage.
While living with his brother, Alan also has his 10 year old son every weekend. This doesn’t stop brother Charlie from having casual women coming by the house every night.
Again, marriage is for losers. It’s better to be single.
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother follows a story quite similar to that of Friends. The story follows the main character Ted, as he relives his life by sharing with his children how he met their mother. While sharing for nine seasons about dating tons of women and sleeping with any number of them in hopes of finding The One.
Again, it’s like Friends: Sleep around until life falls into place. And who cares who gets hurt on your process. And if a person is traumatized, it’s obvious that it’s that person who has issues, not your fault for treating them like garbage.
Furthermore, another friend, Barney, sleeps with many woman. Barney would show a completely disrespectful, perverted view of women. Then, when he finally gets married, he’s surprised how hard marriage is and gets divorced.
I Repeat
I repeat: This is not me telling you what to or not to do. There are so many shows that I love that have dirty background stories. And I have to wonder, should I be watching this?
- Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air was a funny show. But didn’t Will Smith laugh at his cousin Carlton for being a virgin? There is an episode where Will stops Carlton’s wedding and ashamed of people thinking he’s a virgin, shouts, “I ain’t no virgin.”
- Happy Days was a great show. Who doesn’t love Fonzy? But is he not just a playboy who snaps his fingers and the girls come running?
- Even my favourite show Bonanza. Who doesn’t love Adam, Hoss, Little Joe and Pa? It’s a great western where this family of three brothers and their dad living on a piece of land called the Pondarosa. They have a new visitor on the land to help or have to help a damsel in the big city. But I felt convicted because every few episodes Little Joe was making out with a new woman.
Again, I’m not judging you if you watch certain shows. This is just things that came to mind recently. I focused a lot on the sexual aspect of TV today, but maybe I should focus on the violence in the Rambo movies. Or the language in others.
Tell me some shows or movies that you have been convicted of.
Click Here To Read More by Michael Furlonger
I grew up in an era when TV was just coming into homes. But we never had one at home because my mother considered it “Satan’s box”. We were visiting my aunt (on my father’s side), who had a black and white TV and the “I Love Lucy” show was on. This night was the historic night when Lucille Ball kissed Desi Arnaz (1960?). My mother was flabergasted. How could they kiss publicaly like that in front of millions of viewers! How shameful! Nowadays that would be considered a sweet moment between husband and wife. Furthermore, we have come along way since that episode (not necessarily in a good way). We are now desensitised to acts of violence and sexual explicits.
My mother’s influence still lingers on and I am not much of a TV watcher. I’m not saying I don’t ever watch anything that isn’t good for me, but my mother’s words live in me.
That’s so true. I’m embarrassed at what is portrayed these days. Of course, I’m not perfect, nobody is, but I’ve been very careful about what I watch. And you’re right, how much I wish they would stop at the sweet kiss between husband and wife/ boyfriend and girlfriend.