An Open Letter To Nickelodeon And The Disney Channel

Today, when my kids arrive home from school, I predict the first thing they will want to talk about is the fact that Zoey 101 is going to have a baby.

And then the questions will start. "Mom, isn't she in like 9th grade?" "Mom, Jamie Lynn Spears isn't married." "Mom, how can a kid have a baby?"

Spears and her mother selling the news of the impending pregnancy to a magazine in the first place explains so much in terms of the whole family's excruciating emotional and psychological issues. And while the Spears family most definitely should crawl back to their trailer park and stay there, the broader implications of their public behavior does affect us, especially our young daughters and sons.

My children span from ages 10 to three, so we haven't had the birds and bees talk -- yet. But it feels like that time is quickly approaching, if not here.

Thanks, Nick.

The kids at our elementary school -- like kids everywhere -- soak up every piece of information they hear about Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Lynn Spears and all the other characters that prance around on the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. For starters, how can they miss the magazines in the check out lines? They are placed at kids' exact eye level.

Most of that information my kids hear about the shows' stars involves naked pictures on the internet, drugs, obnoxious behavior and now a very public pregnancy which will no doubt be plastered everywhere (just wait till they sell the baby pics.)

Nick and Disney Channel, what is going on? (Taking a look at Jamie Lynn Spears' website just now is so sad and laughable at the same time. Pure innocence. What a joke.)

The programming on Nickelodeon and Disney Channel often includes children and teens who are rude, disrespectful, untrustworthy and mean (just try to get through five minutes of Suite Life of Zack and Cody without being disgusted) -- and the off-air, public actions of many of the networks' stars is worse.

Our kids grow up so fast, it is painful that they learn so much about adult things in elementary school and you, Disney Channel and Nickelodeon (even if we don't watch you) are putting people and messages out there that are harmful. You own some responsibility here. The question is, what are you going to do about it?

Comments

[marko77]

Good article Mrs. Munroe, to ask the Producers of Nick and Disney what they "are going to do about it?" is to ask the wrong question:

Disney and Nick executives and producers have graduated from the Wharton Business School with a mindset from te local Hooters or Strip Club to sell the rot of "fame" to the children viewers for huge profits. This entails promoting underage sex and many forms of abnoxious behavior.

Nick and Disney are the pre-school for MTV, where another set of business graduates and strip club regulars continue to exploit teens for the big bucks.

[angel66]

Try being a parent and turn off the tube that you let consume their world. Take responsibility.

[CammyV]

Nick should simply replace Ms Spears with another of the multiple generic, teen girl actors and be done with it. The youthful audience need to learn that there are consequences to inappropriate behavior, you don't 'write the pregancy' into the series. That would be rewarding the younger Spears, rather than chastizing her.

[Nittfox]

Add this comment to the many that say that Nickelodeon is not responsible for the rearing and education of your children. AT best, television is a tool of education, best used in conjunction with your lessons and example. Anything more that is made of it is a representation of lazy parenting.

How do you answer the Jamie Lynn Spears "controversy?" You say bluntly: This young girl made some very stupid choices and is having to live with the consequence of that. Sure, it's a hard discussion, but here's the key that could make you an honest parent, and a better one than others. REMEMBER that when you have a kid, you have to stop being one. Difficult discussion? Absolutely. Your responsibility to do? Again, ABSOLUTELY.

[bob5701]

ms monroe, Talk to your kids, explain that the stork does not deliver babies.

[Binkley]

How is this Nickelodeon's fault? The network didn't knock her up; irresponsible sex with her BF did.

I think the Spears family and their handling of their (much too) public lives are tacky as hell, but the network's not responsible for what their actors do off the clock.

[PeteBogs]

they are talking about a sex ed special next year for kids... I am for sex ed, but this should only be used as an example of what you're NOT supposed to do (i.e. unprotected sex at such a young age)

[Winny]

How many ways are there to describe this trite piece of hysterical garbage masquerading as good moral parental conscience?

Simplistic, naive, in denial, out of touch with the emotional reality of one's own children, shaming, blaming, scapegoating, creating red herrings...

It amazes me how many people truly believe they are "good parents" for ranting and raving about this young girl who has been blind-sided by an event that will change her life forever. People who think they are "good parents", like Cooper, are nothing more than plastic, posing, superficial, deeply judgmental caricatures who are incapable of providing their children with a competent example of how to deal with the depth of emotion and experience that exists in the world. This is an opportunity to teach that these "parents" can't seem to grasp.

Prepare your children for reality. Jamie Lynn perhaps was not prepared for reality. And that is reality. What do you want your children to learn and understand? How to turn off the TV and punish that "trailer trash whore", or how to respond in a way that acknowledges the tragedy of what has happened while remaining compassionate and hopeful?

I predict your children will remember this and will rebel in ten or fifteen years by accepting Jamie Lynn, and wishing that she were not taken from them. Children are often so much more capable of true empathy than their parents.

[Dave24]

What is so hard to understand. Disney and every other private company has every right to put out anything they want. They are a private company. Yes, it would be in their best interest to listen to the people who they are selling to, but at the same time, the people (ie, you) cannot dictate what products they push, or what shows they present. You are the parent. You decide what your kids watch and what they do not watch. You have no right to silence or stop anyone, even if it is a corporation. *Instead of "protecting" your kids, try PREPARING them.*

[kellygrrrl]

uhm, Cooper, not to be in your business,
but just a little advice,
your 10-year-old - HAVE THE TALK NOW!!!!!

My kids range from 13 to 22, and I'm telling you, your 5th or 6th grader needs as much information in their head as you can get. 13 is the new 16 and 16 is the new 20. NOT to imply that 16 or 20 y/o kids should be having babies, but they are exposed to sexuality very young.

Other than that, yes, I totally agree that Disney and Nick need to take their responsibilities for pumping out "role models" a lot more seriously. Disney should have fired Vanessa immediately upon release of nude pix, and let's hope Nick shreds the Jamie Lyn contract ASAP. You should also talk to your kids about the examply the mother Lyn has set and tell them THIS IS WHY I CAN'T JUST LET YOU DO EVERYTHING YOU WANT, and this is why I'm in your business and need to know everything going on in your life!!!!

[reefboy]

Turn it off. Just turn it off. And tell your kids that you're turning it off coz it's junk and there are a million other things that they can do which are better right now, right now...

[xAnotherReaderx]

If you sit down and watch a few of these Nick "children's" shows, you'd see pre-teens who are far wiser than their bumbling, easily-influenced, basically uninvolved parents. If there is a parenting style emulated by these shows, it's definately permissive. Kids watch these because some of their friends do. It's something to make sure they have in common and can talk about in school I suppose. The only way to counter that is to explain to your kids that the actors in these shows don't lead the lives your own children lead. The shows are meant for entertainment and have virtually nothing to do with real life. Zoey 101 puts children in adult situations where there are few, if any, solid adult role models. I agree with Ms. Monroe's disappointment in Nick and their programming. They remind me of prime-time comedies of a few years back where the fathers were complete idiots when it came to dealing with babies and raising children. We've gone from Cosby to Roseanne, to two boys who dictate to their mom, and a group of teens who "know better" than any adult around them. Then we scratch our heads and wonder why Generation Y kids have entitlement issues. BTW, my favourite line from the Jamie-Lynn interview is "I don't know how it happened." Ha! Of course it's not her fault she's pregnant nor the father's. Sex is fun - like playing a video game: there's no sense of responsibility in it.

[eaglecapri]

Cooper,

I agree that the Spears' 'exclusive' interview to OK Magazine was a bit sleazy....well, actually, not a bit...it just was! However, who knows what goes on in the world of Hollywood and fame? Maybe they did it to avoid all of the other rag magazines turning it into a rumor-filled spectacle (Something like what the stars do when they have babies, they sell the photos.) or maybe they just did it for the money....sleeeeaaaazzzzyyyyy! Well, whatever it is, it's a spectacle, anyway!

In any case, it is VERY unfortunate that the 'sweet' teen has announced to the world, her tater tot and tween fans, that she is pregnant! Oy vay! I did click on her website and was glad to see that her pregnancy didn't make the 'News and Galleries' section.

What is Nickelodeon to do? They can't control the promiscuity of their child actors and actresses. She SEEMED innocent enough! Besides, it all starts with the parents! But, she got knocked up and apparently, there was nothing her parents could do about it. And, maybe Hollywood and fame were her parents and failed to teach her about birth control. Besides, who really knows what lurks beyond the doors of families?!!?!?!?!

By the way, although your article was well-written, I have to say your trailer park comment was very distasteful and ignorant. Since when are white, teenage pregnancies limited to those in trailer parks? Aren't parents still secretly sending their precious princesses away to have their babies elsewhere and give up for adoption? That's what they did in my day, and these girls were far from trailer parks! You owe those who live in the trailer parks an apology!

[ungerwu]

Munroe's simplistic, reductive, disingenuous angle -- magazines placed at kids' eye level? I'm shocked! Shocked. -- calls to task the messengers when she, the gatekeeper, is the one responsible for her kids consumption of crap. And no, ten years old is not too young for the "birds and the bees," especially considering her wrung-dry claim that "kids grow up so fast these days." (I swear that I heard Andy Hardy's mother say that nigh on 70 years ago.)

[r81801]

You have a ten year old and "haven't had the talk about the birds and bees?" Do you know what kids do in public school at that age?

The story is that the 16 yo actress met her boyfriend at church. Did she get the abstinence only info there? Is that why finding out she's pregnant is such a surprise? Sad for everybody involved.

Let's give kids accurate information about their bodies and sex, so they stand a chance.