# Which TV Shows Were You Not Allowed To Watch? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 12, 2011, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376 "2011-10-12T01:38:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376/21 "2011-10-12T04:26:55Z")
> [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > I wasn’t allowed to watch “Soap” Huh, me too. It was “too adult”. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376/22 "2011-10-12T04:33:23Z")
I wasn’t allowed to watch GI Joe because it was too violent. I also wasn’t encouraged to watch the Simpsons, mostly because it was too much noise. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376/23 "2011-10-12T04:43:12Z")
As far as I can remember, just South Park. My parents hated The Simpsons but didn’t forbid me from watching it. That said, I wasn’t allowed to buy or play rated “M” video games, and I wasn’t even allowed to buy rated “T” games for quite a while. “Goldeneye” was notably off-limits, though I did get to play it at friend’s houses. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376/24 "2011-10-12T04:47:39Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I was never banned from watching anything. > > My kids have the same liberty. What’s the point? So they don’t hear swear words? More so they don’t start saying them. This is an anecdote, one data point, etc but the one kid I knew growing up who had zero censorship (he watched South Park, rated R movies, and probably porn) would swear constantly and was a terrible kid. I think he got sent off to an institution or something for trying to stab his parents. The kicker… his step-father was a children’s psychologist. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376/25 "2011-10-12T04:52:39Z")
My dad banned TV all together for awhile. My mom didn’t have restrictions. Looking back on all the confusing crap I saw as a kid, she should’ve. Some things are just not appropriate for children. Ach, my eyes. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376/26 "2011-10-12T06:01:49Z")
We only had 3 channels back in the '50s, and we watched whatever we wanted. There wasn’t much on that wasn’t “G” rated anyway. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376/27 "2011-10-12T06:08:39Z")
_Soap_ for me too, it had “concepts” that were “beyond me” at the time. Since I regularly watched real soap operas with my mom, aunt and grandmother this was clearly a response to the Jodie storyline of sexuality and gender. I was in high school when _The Simpsons_ debuted, and my mother was less than pleased with it, which was an influence from our church at the time which was quite up in arms with the “disrespect” that was “taught” by Bart’s behavior and his provocative catchphrases. There was no word about the cartoon violence or Homer’s drinking, Patty & Selma’s smoking or the Flanders’ mockery of Christianity, but “eat my shorts” was horrifying to them. The show wasn’t banned outright, but it was clear that it wasn’t considered “appropriate” viewing. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376/28 "2011-10-12T06:17:27Z")
Father Knows Best, because the show could lead to disrespect for father according to mother. Dennis the Menace because my mother didn’t want to encourage bad behavior. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376/29 "2011-10-12T06:49:48Z")
The _Simpsons_ was off limits. The way my mom described it, I thought it was like _South Park_. I think she got her information second hand from some sheltered person who thought Bart’s disrespectfulness was beyond the pail. I know mom didn’t think that was that big a deal, as she let us watch many other shows where kids were disrespectful to their parents. The only other forbidden thing I remember is watching anything else when the local news was on. We could only change it after the weather, as no one in my house cared about the sports segment. (Grandpa just watched the real games. The rest of us were either only social sports watchers or didn’t watch at all.) I wasn’t technically forbidden from watching _Ren and Stimpy_, but my mom made a big deal about it if I even paused there for a second. This was especially odd since I didn’t even like the show. I was also discouraged from watching anything that had magic and a dark color scheme. Apparently the literal darkness made it evil. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376/30 "2011-10-12T07:13:11Z")
I don’t remember any specific restrictions, but if I was watching something and someone said a four-letter word, or a bloody shoot-out or a particularly raunchy sex scene came on, my mother would come over and turn the set off. I never understood why it didn’t occur to her that any hypothetical damage to my fragile mind would _already have been done by then_. :smack: In fact, if anything, I’m pretty sure that having all those shows cut off at mid-point permanently screwed up my sense of proper narrative progression, which would explain a few things about my later life. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376/31 "2011-10-12T08:10:19Z")
I don’t recall ever being told I wasn’t allowed to watch certain programmes. I think I was pretty self-regulating in terms of what I was interested in watching. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376/32 "2011-10-12T10:28:17Z")
My mom restricted our TV watching a lot - not by specific shows, but by amount of time. She was always telling us to go play outside or read a book. But there was one show she absolutely refused to let us watch - _Laugh In_. She thought the women dancing in bikinis and body paint were vulgar. She was probably also offended by the jabs it took at the Catholic Church - that was a big no-no in our house. Still, I managed to see it often, so either she relented or she was out of the house when it was on - too long ago for me to remember specifically. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376/33 "2011-10-12T10:34:04Z")
When I was a kid the big bad show was Dark Shadows. Later it was Space:1999 because being syndicated it aired in my area on Sunday 11:30 pm a school night and I was not permitted to stay up that late. ---
**Author:** ![ASanders](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asanders/32/3367_2.png) [@ASanders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASanders)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376/34 "2011-10-12T11:04:59Z")
I wasn’t prohibited from watching any shows, but mom controlled the single TV in the house so I didn’t have much say in the matter. TV sure has changed, though. Now I send my kids from the room when we’re watching True Blood or anything with zombies, just because they won’t sleep after that. They remove themselves from the room when there’s anything sexy. I imagine that were shows like this on when I was a kid, the rules would have been different in my house. ---
**Author:** ![Sally\_Mander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Sally\_Mander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sally_Mander)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376/35 "2011-10-12T12:29:45Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#): > > My mother was/is kind of wacky. I was allowed to watch Soap, but not Three’s Company. My mother must be related to yours in an “Evil Twin” kind of way. I was allowed to watch Three’s Company, but not Soap. Saturday Night Live was off limits as well, but I think part of that decision was its late-night timeslot. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376/36 "2011-10-12T12:32:59Z")
_Popeye_ was the only one. My mom loathed his grammar and didn’t want me to speak like that. She always really disliked \*Mister Roger’s Neighborhood. \*There was something about his demeanor that set her off, but she’d just leave the room instead. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376/37 "2011-10-12T12:58:29Z")
_Welcome Back, Kotter_. Delinquents who were disrespectful to their educational overlords. _Laverne & Shirley_. My mom was convinced, after never watching a single episode, that the unspoken subtext was that they were prostitutes. What’s ironic is that when cable television first came to our neighborhood (late 70’s), my parents ordered it and got HBO and The Movie Channel. But to keep me and my siblings from watching movies that we shouldn’t, they got a ‘lockout box’ that was actually a small metal box that hung off the back of the set-top box; it had a coax input and output and performed its ‘lockout’ function literally with a key. When locked, HBO and TMC were blacked out. Here’s the thing- they kept the key in the lock. So whenever they weren’t around, I’d unlock the box and watch anything I wanted. It was my first introduction to topless women in movies. But a primetime network sitcom with two dopey broads? Off limits. ---
**Author:** ![grama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@grama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grama)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376/38 "2011-10-12T13:35:27Z")
I had no explicit restrictions about what i watched on tv, i had one in my room actually and i also didn’t have a bedtime so… let’s say i was a happy 12 year old lol. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376/39 "2011-10-12T13:47:08Z")
_Married with Children_. Too much sex, Mom said. I’ve still never seen more than 20 total minutes of the show, but between Al’s conversations with his wife and Applegate’s character’s escapades, I’d have to say she was right. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376/40 "2011-10-12T14:01:15Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > _Welcome Back, Kotter_. Delinquents who were disrespectful to their educational overlords. > > _Laverne & Shirley_. My mom was convinced, after never watching a single episode, that the unspoken subtext was that they were prostitutes. > > What’s ironic is that when cable television first came to our neighborhood (late 70’s), my parents ordered it and got HBO and The Movie Channel. But to keep me and my siblings from watching movies that we shouldn’t, they got a ‘lockout box’ that was actually a small metal box that hung off the back of the set-top box; it had a coax input and output and performed its ‘lockout’ function literally with a key. When locked, HBO and TMC were blacked out. Here’s the thing- they kept the key in the lock. So whenever they weren’t around, I’d unlock the box and watch anything I wanted. It was my first introduction to topless women in movies. But a primetime network sitcom with two dopey broads? Off limits. My “lockbox” had the charming feature of being channel-dependent. So if you kept the TV on to channel 2, all the unpaid premium channels were scrambled. However, if you turned your TV to channel 3, then they were unscrambled. Couple this with: 1. I was 15 2. One of the premium channels was The Playboy Channel 3. I had my own TV in my room And I was one happy camper! 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-tv-shows-were-you-not-allowed-to-watch/599376.md?page=3)