Wrestling on TV
Advice, discussions, and reviews from the
Parents of Teens weekly email newsletter.
Berkeley Parents Network >
Advice >
Teens, Preteens, & Young Adults >
Wrestling on TV
Jan 1999
Did everyone know that wrestling (the fake kind) is incredibly popular
right now especially with young men?
I think it's gross and brain-dead. My 16-y-o son thinks it's great
entertainment. The other family members don't watch it but they consider
it harmless fun. So: assuming that there is only one TV, and it isn't on
all that often, and everyone gets a turn watching the TV show of their
choice, is it fair for Mom to say "It's disgusting and I hate it and you
aren't watching it in this house even if all your homework is done and
it's your turn to have the TV because I don't want to catch a glimpse
of it when I walk through the living room." Is that fair?
Ginger
Oops, sorry Ginger, but no, that's not fair. A 16-year-old boy needs all
the safe outlets he can get for testosterone-endorphin loading. I mean, ask
me again in 12 years, but I think you should just live with it. I'll bet
you've watched a few TV shows he couldn't bear.
At 16, he is almost an adult and he should be able to choose what he watches.
Let him know you don't approve but you should just stay out of the living room
when he's watching. he'll grow out of it.
This is not a new craze. 25 years ago, my then-15-year-old brother
watched it EVERY Saturday. I hated it then, too. It is totally
disgusting. However, I think if you're talking about someone that old
choosing what they want to watch on their own limited TV time, I'm
afraid I have to vote for "unfair" on the insistance he turn it off. I
think this is one of those instances where you want to keep
communications open, rather than closed. Let him watch what he wants,
but be sure to have the occassional conversation about it. What is it
he likes about it? My brother used to say it was "funny." I never did
get the attraction. But my brother grew into a warm, sensitive, caring
man, an artist and devoted father of two, whose favorite shows now are
if you really just don't want to have to see it yourself--how about a rule
that he has to move the tv into his bedroom (and then back into the living
room afterwards). Or that he can only watch it when you're not home.
But I sense that you object to him watching it, and I think all you can
hope for is a good discussion about why you find it objectionable (and why
he likes it?). If he gets that and still wants to watch then I think you
should let him. 16 seems old enough...
I have a friend who required her daughters to tell her 3 things that they
thought the mother would not have liked about every show they watched. She
felt this rule gave them the freedom to watch what they wanted and her the
knowledge that they were keeping her values in mind! they complained that
this rule "ruined" all the shows for them, but that's not so bad!
---
Hi Ginger: There are many ways to approach the wrestling on TV question.
One is to say that its your house and your TV, and you don't have to be
fair. I read something somewhere recently about how much more
violent/racist/hateful wrestling has become since its inception, which
makes it even more questionable. On the other hand, all the boys are
watching it (even my son's 9-11 year old crowd is in to it) and even though
I don't allow it at my house, my son sees it when he visits his best friend
next door. And, since your son is 16 and well on his way to adulthood, he
can obviously go over to someone else's house to watch. Is it a battle
worth fighting? I use my 6 year old daughter as an excuse not to allow it,
as she will watch ANYTHING that is on, and even my son agrees its not
appropriate for her (but feels it is OK for him).
Completely fair! As a parent you have every right to monitor what
your child watches on television. As a kid my parents strictly outlawed
"Lost in Space" and "The Three Stooges" because they objected to the sheer
stupidity and random "violence" in these shows. At the time I thought their
objections were silly, since they allowed me to watch other shows which had
far more violence in them. But I did respect the fact that they showed some
interest in and opinions on what I watched.
It may or may not be fair to ban wrestling from your TV, but I can't see
how a 16-year old is going to look at that ban as anything but an example
of how uptight & out of touch mom is. Try thinking of it as self-esteem
therapy--odds are your kid watches it precisely because it is so dumb and
it allows him to feel fantastically superior.
I don't know if it's fair, but it sounds pretty reasonable. to me. I've
never had a 16-y-o, but my instinct says "go ahead, pollute your brain with
whatever, but not in my house with my TV when I'm at home."
Well, it is gross and brain dead, but probably harmless, and I don't
think it contributes to real violence, since it is SO cartoonish - sort
of like the violence in Road Runner cartoons or on monster truck
rallies. As to the "my turn to pick the show" question, I have to say
that, yes, it's probably unfair to prohibit your son from watching it if
it's his turn to pick the show, even if it does sour your occasional
treks through the living room. I'd definitely argue, however, for very
low volume - there's no reason that you should be subjected to the
grunts, thumps, and narration when you are in other rooms in the house.
Besides, rest assured, he'll outgrow it, and may soon come to find it
boring. My brother watched it in the 1970s, and he turned out okay.
Note from Ginger: I found out wrestling only comes on Monday nights.
I had thought it was on pretty much all the time! I decided I
could deal with Monday nights if I get advance warning. Thanks
to everyone for writing.
this page was last updated: Mar 28, 2008
The opinions and statements expressed on this website
are those of parents who subscribe to the
Berkeley Parents Network.
Please see
Disclaimer & Usage for
information about using content on this website.
Copyright © 1996-2013 Berkeley Parents Network