Good On Ya, Dr. Joyce!

Until yesterday, this is the enduring image I had of Dr. Joyce Brothers, on the rare occasions when I tried to conjure up an image of her in my mind's eye.

For those of you who weren't around back in the golden age of SNL, Roseanne Roseannadanna, Gilda Radner's trapezoidally- coiffed commentator veered away from the point of her commentary, to rant about the sweat ball on the end of Dr. Brothers' nose.

But that was then. This is now.

Lo and behold, here is Dr. Joyce Brothers in her Seattle Post-Intelligencer advice column, making a helluva lotta sense!

DEAR DR. BROTHERS: I'm an old-fashioned mom, I guess, but I truly hate that my children are able to see violent television shows and play with toys and video games that seem, to me, needlessly bloody and violent.

Within our home, there are certain rules to be followed, in terms of what's allowed to be seen and what isn't, but I'm not so stupid as to think that we can police what our kids do and see every moment. They go to visit other families, and I certainly can't control their personal rules in terms of what's appropriate or what isn't. I think the government should step in and take more of a hand in this. -- J.B.


DEAR J.B.: I certainly agree that there's too much gratuitous violence in many video games that are deliberately marketed to youngsters, and I also believe there are consequences to this in that it does increase aggression in many youngsters. Instead of seeking ways to discuss disagreements, these kids are more likely to use physical means in an attempt to settle arguments.

Unfortunately, I'm sure neither you nor I want to live in a police state in which the government increases control over what we see, do and think. Censorship is a complex issue, because we first need to agree on and clearly define what's dangerous and offensive and what isn't. In the long run, children seem to be much more influenced by observing how their parents behave with each other, how they handle problems and crises, and what their ethics and beliefs are than by what they see or hear from others.

Now that's what I'm talking about!
Preach on, doc!

I've said it before and I'll say it again here...
When it comes to my kids, EVERYTHING is my responsibility.


Props to GamePolitics