MTV, purity, politics and a step in the right direction
I love it when obnoxious, virtually unknown, foreign, painfully unfunny music awards show hosts tell me how to vote. Love it even more when they tastelessly mock the Jonas Brothers for the unspeakable crime of being virgins, especially when my stepkids are watching.
So you can imagine my wife and I had a blast watching the MTV Video Music Awards last night. My first thought when I saw the host, British comedian Russell Brand, was, "Who the devil is British comedian Russell Brand?"
Then the nitwit started talking, representing himself as a member of the global community and begging the U.S. to elect Barack Obama president. Now, I'm not going to declare my political leanings here, but I am going to recall something I observed four years ago: U.S. Americans really, really don't like it when foreigners tell them how to vote. If they did, President Kerry would be seeking his second term right now. In urging a vote for Obama, Russell Brand did as much to further the cause of John McCain as 10 Alaskan governors could hope to do.
Not content to have one foot in his mouth, Brand actually did the unthinkable. He kept talking. He targeted VP nominee Sarah Palin and her future son-in-law (in a bit that could have been a lot funnier than it was), then the Jonas Brothers (in a bit that wasn't even mildly amusing). Somehow, he worked a couple of "master of your domain" jokes in there, just to make sure parents were as uncomfortable as possible if they were watching with their younger teens.
"He's making me mad," my 13-year-old stepdaughter said. "He's making fun of the Jonas Brothers."
My wife and I looked at each other with a hint of relief. Turns out a 13-year-old girl, admiring the talent and wholesomeness of a trio of young men, actually proved to be smarter than a self-appointed representative of the global community. Bravo, kid.
Now, I know this brings up a whole other issue: what's the right age to allow a teen to watch the MTV awards? We all know how, um, challenging they can be to a parent. (Actually, most parents know that. I've only been a parent for a year, and last year we missed the show).
I'm not going to rail on MTV for having the gall to put things on television that I find inappropriate. I've found such protests counterproductive anyway. Want your kids to keep away from programming you find offensive? Watch it with them. They'll have "Little House" reruns on in no time.
Both Chris Brown and the Jonas Brothers were up for awards last night. Nothing, and I mean nothing, was going to keep our girls from watching that show. So we watched, too.
As far as Russell Brand is concerned, he joked that without fame, his haircut could be mistaken for mental illness. My thought? I don't think it was the haircut.
Gretchen Day-Bryant has a son in high school and a daughter in middle school. She’s lived to tell about the struggles of juggling little kids and work.
Joy Oglesby has a preschooler...
Cindy Kent Fort Lauderdale mother of three. Her kids span in ages from teenager to 20s.
Rafael Olmeda and his wife welcomed their first son in Feb. 2009, and he's helping raise two teenage stepdaughters.
Lois Solomon lives in Boca Raton with her husband and three daughters.
Georgia East is the parent of a five-year-old girl, who came into the world weighing 1 pound, 13 ounces.
Brittany Wallman is the mother of Creed, 15, and Lily, 7, and is married to a journalist, Bob Norman. She covers Broward County government, which is filled with almost as much drama as the Norman household. Almost.
Chris Tiedje is the Social Media Coordinator and the father of a 7-year-old girl, and two boys ages 4 and 3.
Kyara Lomer Camarena has a 2-year-old son, Copelan, and a brand new baby. 
South Florida Parenting is your guide for local events and things to do with your family. Our site offers resources, features and insightful columns on all types of parenting issues.
Parents and their children can access a multitude of free educational resources.