Television shows that you could not watch.

by shamus 36 Replies latest jw friends

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  Swan

  Shows I remember not being allowed to watch and the ridiculous reasons why (with my commentary in parenthesis):

  Bewitched -- Magical, featured gay actors/actresses (although my folks watched Perry Mason regularly)

  I Dream of Jeannie -- Magic, genie's are evil demonic spirits

  My Favorite Martian -- God only created life on Earth (what about angels?)

  All In the Family -- They make fun of other races and nationalities (wasn't that the point; to show how stupid bigotry is?)

  Three's Company -- Living together, Jack pretends to be gay

  Bosom Buddies -- Too sexy (come on, Tom Hanks in a dress was not sexy!)

  Nanny and the Professor -- Magical (although the Nanny never claimed to have magical powers; things just happened when she was around. Mary Poppins was okay though, why?)

  Laugh-In -- Too sexy or worldly or something like that.

  The Flying Nun - A "Catholic play" (It was really a bad show; I only watched it because it was forbidden)

  My Partner the Ghost -- The afterlife

  The Avengers -- I don't know why on this one, maybe too British

  Most Saturday cartoons were banned at one time or another, even Bugs Bunny and Road Runner for being too violent (I suspect thsi was to make it easier to coerce us into Field Service. As for violence, what about the shows like Gunsmoke, Combat, and 12 O'Clock High that my folks always watched?)

  The Odd Couple almost made this list just because of the title. My mother watched the first episode to see if it was okay for us kids.

  Tammy
• 

  d

  I remeber told not to watch Are you Afraid of the Dark. Because they said it had ghosts in it.
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  Jim_TX

  There were all sorts of 'do not watch' this one, or that one...

  One time, way back when I was still a JW, I compared notes with my JW wife. Here is a partial list of our can watch, cannot watch, when we were growing up.

  I Dream of Jeanie - me: could watch my wife: could not watch

  BeWitched - me: could not watch my wife: could watch

  Hogan's Heroes - me: could watch my wife: could not watch (I'm not sure why... <shaking head> parents make up all sorts of 'rules')

  Oh - now for movies...

  Disney - Escape to Witch Mountain - nope. It had the word 'witch' in it. I remember reading the Sunday comics, which had this every week, and it had little if anything - to do with witches.

  Wizard of Oz - which had witches and 'wizards' in it... was ok - as my mom grew up watching it.

  White Christmas - which had Bing Crosby in it - any movie with him in it was A-OK as far as my mom was concerned.

  I'm sure there were other series on TV that we weren't allowed to watch... funny... some that should have been on the 'no' list, we were able to watch... Laugh In - was okay.

  When I was married to my JW wife, she had all sorts of 'rules' about not renting R-rated movies. I tried to oblige her (I was no longer an active JW, and wanted to watch good movies). It was really difficult to find movies that were G or PG-13 that I liked and wanted to see.

  I then saw how hypocritical she was... she let our daughter buy (not rent - buy!) The Matrix. She also bought Ghost, and would swoon over certain parts.

  I finally put my foot down, and let her know that I would rent what I wanted. If it offended her 'sense' of right and wrong, she didn't have to be present when I watched it. She whimpered a little bit and let me do as I wanted.

  Regards,

  Jim TX
• 

  Band on the Run

  We had TV tubes removed as very young children. The Saturday children's lineup in NY was awesome. Rin Tin Tin, Lassie, My Friend Flicka, Robin Hood, Disney. It was punishment for being too worldly at four or five.

  My big stand was over the Beatles. I was old enough to leave without permission. A tv clip made me a fan before Ed Sullivan. Mostly, I listened to the radio. There was no allowance to purchase singles or albums. Later, I used working papers and had part time jobs. I had a British penpal who sent me Beatles junk for Monkees junk. It worked well. I was an original fan club member.

  I can cry looking back at what a straight arrow I was. Adults told me to stop acting like adults. I was too afraid to even look at boys. No dances. My friends went to a TV station and danced on the air. My father timed my trip home from school. I had to run to make the curfew.

  My Beatles stuff was constantly confiscated. I worried he would burn it. He did not care about the music. It was only to hurt me. John Lennon drove him nuts. Imagine being home when the Beatles are more popular than Jesus remark was reported, completely out of context.

  I would lose TV so I would use the radio, which was confiscated. I sewed for enjoyment, sewing was forbidden. His statement that he Jehovah on his side and I must comply and be beaten b/c spare the rod. My mom would take my side and quote Paul on not exasperating your children. He screamed spoil the rod. She would say Paul is Christian. He would say I am a man. Therefore, I am holy and infallible. All night. Proverbs vs. Paul.

  Most people would have given anything for such fine, obedient children. It wasn't only my father. There was never praise at KH. Praise was plentiful at school. I was too embarassed to tell the teachers I wanted to join Bethel. I said JW jobs. They insisted I had to college, regardless of my parents. There was no debate. Today I assume that a teacher would be too afraid of being sued to be so bold. I was placed in the college track. My parents were never consulted.

  Sorry, OT but related. There was only one TV per family so if we could watch TV shows neither could my parents. If the tubes were in the TV, we could see anything but Twilight Zone. Hangings in westerns were a problem.

  The Simpsons ran an episode about Homer not attending church and Marge taking the kids. My mother overidentified and said not to watch it. No matter how many times I explained satire and parody, she refused to sit for even a second. She was very worked up about it.
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  transhuman68

  Yeah, it would have been nice to have even owned a television. My dad wasn't a Witness, but he agreed with all the WTS literature that demonized television.http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/12789/1/Television-the-Internet-of-the-1950s
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  smiddy

  Hey guys/gals I`m one of those dads who banned my children from watching" Astro Boy"( so disrespectfull of parenthood) when he was little & when he and his brother were teenagers he brought home the" Life of Brian" to watch on dvd ,that lasted about 5 minutes b4 it got turned off,how blasphemous,and my youngest son got hooked on the group" KISS" boy did that get trashed,then David Bowie, OMG the trouble us parents had trying to keep our children in the" truth"Thats just a couple of things that come to mind.

  We all have a good laugh about it now though.The things they tell us now they and other jw youth got up to that us parents didn`t know is just typical of youth growing up finding their own take on life ,mistakes are made ,thats part of growing up,wrong decisisions are made ,they should not be accountable by shunning and disfellowshipping,ruining their lives ,they are children and teenagers who are going to make mistakes and that is where they learn to be adults,who the can be accountable for their actions in later life.

  smiddy
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  St George of England

  Here in the U.K. two shows we were not allowed to watch:

  Benny Hill (Too rude and too many scantily clad nubile females)

  Callan (Too violent)

  George