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Hey Stupid!!- Just kidding..

© Amy B. Jeanroy

Why is it that in real life we teach our boys not to call each other names and berate each other, yet we allow them to view hour after hour of that exact same thing on t.v?

I recently was talking on our discussion boards about good and bad shows and was surprised to find that name-calling and taunting was not an issue for some moms. I do admit to being sensitive to this (as a grade school*geek*, who had many different titles, none of which was my actual name). I am not criticizing the women who posted, I am just thinking that we are so used to the disrespectful, sarcastic attitude portrayed on television these days that it kind of rolls right over us..And our boys.

What does this tell them, the future dads of the world?..It tells them that as long as you use the old "can't you take a joke?" line, you are not responsible for the hurt feelings and deflated self-images you can create with a simple word.

You may be thinking, "What's the big deal? I am not swearing." No, you are not using a word that is considered a swear word, it is more like the offending word is subtle, the definition is the hurtful part. Being called stupid or idiot or to shut your mouth, denotes a clear sense of demeaning attitude toward the listener...It doesn't make the words any less powerful and painful to hear them spoken out loud in real life or on t.v between two barnyard characters.

My son and I have a silent cue for when we hear a word like that. We look right at each other for a second or two. He knows that I heard and felt uncomfortable, just as I know HE heard and was uncomfortable. It is not that I think I can shield my boys from this type of language, but I can make it known that I respect them and people around me too much to speak that way.

This week, I propose a little test...Lets take the word STUPID. Listen for this word to be spoken by yourself, your family, friends, television- any and everywhere. I want you to recognize that word everytime it is said. No matter if it's the homework that is stupid or the person or the catbox, I guarantee you will be shocked by the number of times it is said. It is no wonder why we have become numb to the sound.

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