Ah Ha gone Flat

       So this is the scenario. I paused again to watch TV, Oprah to be exact, and again, I'm reminding myself why I don't typically watch TV~at all~ I believe the episode was about mistakes people have made. Well, mistakes are part of life, so I was all set to be washed over by the wisdom that surely would be garnered from these peoples mistakes, Oprah ah ha style.

       Instead, by the end of the show I was distinctively put 'off,'' irritated and disgusted. The case in point and source of my disgust. A family thrown in legal, financial, and woe is me turmoil over their own choices.......One of their sons was turning 16, so for the sweet sixteen birthday bash they hired a stipper/prostitute for their son and a dozen or so of his friends.

       Now, when I think birthday stripper, I envision a woman marching in, all costumed up in a police uniform with Velcro down the sides, in which she'll pretend for about 10 seconds she's a cop, then with a yank of feminine toughness she'll rip off her uniform to a bikini top and probably a G-string, Still not entirely appropriate for a 16 year old birthday bash, but at least well, you know. Then she would dance for 15 minutes and leave.

       Evidently the birthday strippers in other parts of the country do a bit more. She was topless to start and ended up completely naked. Now upon complete nudity, the Mother who insisted she do this for her son left the room, as she said, "I didn't want to see that." Now, with camera in hand, the boys had a jolly good time with said nude stripper. <with Dad of the Year still watching on> Some rather explicit touching, etc., happened, all captured by camera. Use your imagination here.

       Fast forward to Mother of the Year marching into Walgreens to develop the film, requesting it be sent away for development, 'to spare the boys embarrassment' as she so candidly put. Two hours later, she and her husband are arrested. She was pissed at Walgreens for turning her in, to which I say, Welcome to the real world lady.

       Anyway, my real source of irritation came from the shift of blame this situation was given. Instead of pointing the finger at irresponsible parents, ignorant and plain stupidity, their choice to do this, their repercussions were blamed on society in the US. Evidently, if you do something as stupid and idiotic as what those parents did, you just pull out the society blame card. In my world I'd call that mighty damn convenient and cowardly.

       The Mother kept saying she didn't see anything wrong with what she did. Saying things like 'all those boys have seen it on TV and know all about the woman body, I was just trying to show them a good time where I could supervise' To that I say, all right, true, it is on TV, but thats a wee bit different then having a stripper shoving the real deal in their young faces. The Father on the other hand, sounded like he was reluctant from the start, beginning, during and after. Remorse at least showed in his words and face. He had that deer in the headlights look on the show, and I could imagine him having it through the entire ordeal. Evidently he is both missing a brain and a backbone.

       I kept waiting for two things, one, the Mother to say something other then 'I really wish I hadn't taken the film to Walgreens and I don't see what I did wrong' and the other, I kept waiting for Oprah to perform a smack down. Instead, Oprah shoved the responsibility and blame on society. To which I say, bullshit, I'm not taking responsibility for what seems a rather black and white decision. To hire a nude stripper for my son, 15 years old turning 16, or not, that is the question...........and I say not in my lifetime.

       Yes, I agree, we are all rather desensitized to many things. Yes, I agree it's hard being a parent and waging a war daily on all the things that are inappropriate for our children. But if I make a choice for my children, I can assure it's not based on what I think society is good with letting slide. I make it based on what I know, think, and believe is correct for them. If I make a wrong choice, I need to stand up and admit it, not pass the buck off on some other convenient excuse.

       Perhaps desensitize isn't the problem with society. Just maybe the problem is no one wants to take responsibility for their actions. It's much easier to pass the blame on to a society, childhood, parents, husband, wife, friend, work, you name it, someone has blamed it for their screw ups. I am really tired of the blame game. People become acceptant with what is told over and over is justthe way things are, maybe it's time for people with a voice and a choice to make a little racket.

       The parents who think the only way the kiddoes will like them is to be on friend level, status fun and no limitations, are the ones that make being an acutual parent with rules a mission true fortitude is needed.

       I am tired of battling against what other parents do with their children in my own world. I'm tired of being the tough Mom who says no darling 13, soon to be 14 year old daughter, you cannot dress like a teenage slut even if so and so's Mom lets her do it. Imagine the precedence the parents of the stipper/16 yr. old boy had to deal with after that party.

Teenage boy: But Mom, so and so had a stripper for his birthday and we all got a rather up close and personal anatomy class and had a grand time, a movie for my birthday will be so BORING

Teenage boys Responsible Mom: I'm still trying to figure a way out to kick that Moms ass for doing that, and no, you are not having a nude stripper for your birthday, but I'll hire a clown if that makes you happy.

Being a parent is such fun~