At 12:39 PM 10/12/99 -0400, Jeffrey P. Utz, M.D. wrote: >I would argue that Rugrats is not really an appropriate show for kids, from >what little I have seen of it. I would, however, add that you can see lots >of teletubies & barney too. And, clothes from whatever movie Disney is >showing. > >Jeff Utz There are those who object to kids watching TV in general based on their personal or professional opinions, but for the vast majority of families it's a reality that kids will spend some time in front of the boob tube. There seems to be only one "safe" time to put a child in front of the TV unattended: mornings, watching either PBS or Nickelodeon. Nickelodeon does have commercials in between shows, though not during the shows themselves, and even PBS has short "sponsor messages" between shows. It is amazing how one's perspective changes after having kids. I've noticed that most people who are part of the "I Hate Barney" club don't have kids and have never seen an episode. I have to admit that although the show is a little hard to take for an adult, it does a good job of connecting with its target audience, and the messages are excellent. Seeing how my kids reacted positively to the show certainly made me feel more tolerant towards it, and I'll even admit (on a public listserve yet) that when "Barney Live" tickets went on sale a few years ago I was the first on line at Ticketmaster (I won't even do that for concerts anymore). I will say that I think Teletubies (from the couple of times I've seen it) is just plain bizarre and I don't really like that they've developed a show aimed specifically at very young children, who ideally should not be spending time in front of the tube. Even if we're going to be realistic and acknowledge that some infants will be watching TV, there's got to be something better than this. Lastly, for those who aren't familiar with the shows aimed at the pre-school set, let me put in a good word for "Blues Clues" on Nickelodeon. IMO it's the best kids show on TV. It's not sophisticated like Sesame Street, which is written at two levels, but it does a great job at talking directly to (not down to) it's target audience. It encourages kids to actually think, it's easy for an adult to watch with a child without wanting to gag (like with Barney), and it makes one realize the potential of kids TV when a show has been properly developed. I'm just glad that my kids weren't old enough at the time to know "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "Power Rangers" <G>. Michael Sachs, M.D. General Pediatrician