Do your teens love watching stand up comedy? How do you deal with the profanity and suggestive humor? Let’s face it, some of it’s more blatant than suggestive. In fact, it can be more than a little embarrassing if you’re watching it with them. Some parents solve the problem by banning teens from watching certain programs. Others take a completely lackadaisical approach. They just allow teens to watch anything they like. Might I suggest a middle ground?
Some teens have a realistic outlook. When they watch unrated stand up it has little influence on their life choices. They know the jokes are exaggerated to the extreme. They understand that real life is not accurately portrayed by stand up comedy. They’re not going to take those jokes the same way less mature teens would. If you believe your teen falls into this category, it might be alright to let them watch an occasional unrated stand up routine. You know your kids best. You be the judge.
Other teens are a little less savvy. They might take that unrated comedy routine to heart. Is your teen easily swayed or influenced? Do they crumble under the slightest peer pressure? Is being cool and popular the most important aspect of their lives? If so, watching unrated stand up might not be the best influence on their future. It might be better for them to wait a few years before being given the password to the parental controls.
Either way, you should talk to your teen. Make sure they understand what stand up comedy is all about. Make it clear that comedy is an over-exaggerated parody of real life. While certain situations described by comics might hit close to home, they are intended to entertain rather than teach. Next time you watch some comedy together, look for examples of this. It’ll help you illustrate your point. What’s more, it’ll help your teen understand the difference between real life solutions and those suggested by their favorite comedian.
Some unrated stand up tends to be sexist and racist. Whether the comedian is male or female, there’s a whole lot of bashing going on. Your teen is likely to hear a lot about relationships that’s either just not true or blown so far out of proportion it’s ridiculous. It’s the comedians job to make the audience laugh. In order to do that, they sometimes go to extremes. They might even criticize a certain race or religion. Be sure your teen knows that in real life, prejudice just isn’t right. Plus, it could place them in serious danger. So if you feel your teen can understand the difference between real life and stand up comedy, go ahead and let them watch it. Just be sure they have the facts straight first.
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