Age Appropriate

I watched what I guess was the first episode of "Accidentally on Purpose" last night. And I have watched several episodes of "Cougar Town."

I did this post on cougars some time ago. I guess that has something to do with my being interested in this subject, that is the attraction of older women for younger guys. There was this British show I used to like to watch (can't remember the name of it) that was about a younger woman and an older man. It certainly seemed a lot less creepy than either of these shows!

I liked Jenna Elfman in "Dharma & Greg" immediately, and I finally started liking "Friends" and Courtney Cox after it had been on for a long time. Oddly, I didn't take to it at first. So it's not the actresses that I don't like, its the whole way people are looking at relationships (as seen on TV).

The Jenna Elfman character, Billie, goes to a bar with some girl friends and meets this guy. They enjoy a few dances and talking and he says "I'm running out of charm but I have some more at home." She runs over to her friends and says "I've just met this younger guy who wants me to go home with him, is that empowering or desperate?" Friend says, "Is he over 18?" "Yes." "Empowering."

Upshot she gets pregnant. Tells him. He is living with friends and she ends up inviting him to live with her but they agree to "break up." He shows up at her workplace just when a guy at there is finally showing interest, and ruins it by announcing that Billie is having his baby. She is 37 years old, about him, I don't think we know yet.

This premise seems quite believable to me. Sadly.

I don't know what to say about these shows. I have certainly watched plenty of junk in my life. (I wouldn't say that it's "empowering" anyway!) I could find other things to do. Maybe TV is just a bad habit.

I listened to a program on Moody Radio about the sexual confusion of young people (something like that). She mentioned that TV used to have such different standards back in the day, then they made the married people be depicted as sleeping in separate beds (seems pretty silly).

We've come a long way, baby! So where are we now? I don't know what kind of parent I would be. Would I not want my kids to watch any of this stuff that's on TV now? Shouldn't kids be protected, even if stuff does go on out there in the world? And as for adults, how is all of this stuff affecting us (me)?