Comments on: Because government is so much better at regulating than parents are

By: Bill Poser

Bill Poser — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 05:59:54 +0000

I think that experience shows that the very sort of parents likely to get their children onto reality TV shows cannot be relied upon to look out for their children’s best interests. In addition to the usual child labor issues that arise with child actors, reality TV shows have the potential to humiliate children and invade their privacy. I don’t think that government regulation is at all inappropriate.

By: Karl

Karl — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:29:25 +0000

I think it’s a ridiculous overreach of government as well.

But the vast majority of parents to not place limits on what their children watch. Don’t get me wrong, they will tell you how they “care what their children watch,” but when they get home they just give Suzy the remote. Show me a 3 year-old who doesn’t know how to turn on the TV and change channels?

By: Frank

Frank — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:46:58 +0000

Just to be sure, we do want child labor laws to apply to children working in other television programming?

I don’t see where the First Amendment is implicated.

By: A.W.

A.W. — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:49:14 +0000

mmm, i will say this. given what a train wreck as a group child actors are, its hard not to sympathize a little with this. i mean anyone who is watching “jon and kate plus 8 children who will later need serious therapy” is just sick. and when something is sick enough there is a natural temptation to hope government is the answer.

Of course the big problem with this is an obscure little rule known as the first amendment. but while i am opposed to this regulation, i completely understand where all of this is coming from.

By: Rliyen

Rliyen — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:00:08 +0000

“Won’t somebody think of the childreeennnn!?!?!”

Sorry, I was channeling Ned Flanders’ dead wife.

By: Dirk D

Dirk D — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:04:25 +0000

Sometimes idiotic ideas should be kept to one’s self.