Dear MTV

I'm breaking up with you.

We've had our good times. You introduced me to music videos. AHA's Take On Me was my first. Other ones quickly followed: Men At Work, Peter Gabriel, Wham!, the list goes on and on. You were always had the best music!
Not to mention the music themed shows! Yo MTV Raps!, Headbangers Ball. I got most of my news from MTV News with Kurt Loder.
But MTV, you've changed! Too much. And I don't know who you are anymore.
I don't like the new you. It all started with Real World and Road Rules. Then came Singled Out. All of these were okay, as long as you kept playing the videos. As long as the M still meant Music. But it wasn't enough for you. You decided that wasn't enough.
You got 16 and Pregnant, then Teen Mom 1 & 2. You stopped hanging with you friends named Music. And started hanging out with those kids from The Hills.
But that is not the real reason I am done with you. It's that new show Skins.

A show that your own advertisers are fleeing from in droves. Taco Bell, General Motors and HR Block are all ashamed to be on air with the show. Do you blame them? It's the parents, who buy your advertisers products.The cast of Skins are mainly underage kids. Kids that will be shown engaging in sex and illegal drug use. You, MTV, have even said you are concerned that it might be considered child porn.
Shouldn't you have done something about that BEFORE you put the show on air.

No, I don't have to watch it if I don't like it. I won't be watching it. MTV will be blocked from all TVs in my house and because my husband is an awesome computer guy, the website will also be blocked.

It was nice knowing you MTV. Back when the M stood for Music. When I knew I could put it on your channel and see a music video instead of Snookie hooking up with a random guy or Amber punching Gary.

Maybe someday you will come back to your roots. Until then consider yourself BLOCKED!

Rock On,

The Belle



***I know alot of people use the "if you don't like it, don't watch it" theme, or that it comes on late enough that most kids should be in bed. It comes on at 9 pm in my time zone.Both of my kids are usually still awake. And a show about kids their age is always a draw.
MTV has become the creepy guy in the dirty white van handing out candy that we warn our kids about. Personally I talk to my kids about sex, about drugs. It is hard enough without someone or MTV glamorizing it. I don't know what is sadder. The fact that a show like this is even on or that MTV insists that it meets society standards. What a sad society we must live in then.
Just because MTV throws a little PSA on before and after does nothing to negate the content.
You are welcome to watch it, to let your kids watch. But as far as me and my house, we will not be watching.

TV Round Up

I watch way too much television. In my defense though, I am usually watching tv while reading a book or writing a paper for whatever class I am taking. Lucky for me none of my papers have contained the following sentences:

"If that was my husband I would smother him in his sleep!" Wife Swap

"Really Vickie? We all know you WORK!" Real Housewives of OC

"For the love of all things holy! Please writers for  LOST answer our questions!!"

"MMMMM!! That looks really yummy! Why can't I have someone come cook for me?" Anything on The Food Network.


Now I have new shows to talk about and read about on the TWOP (television without pity message board)

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution:
I remember hearing about his show about the school lunches over in England. I kept hoping he would come over here and do the same thing. I already knew that our school lunches sucked. Yes some of them can taste pretty good. But for the most part, they are all junk food.
Did anyone else GAG when he showed the kids how they made chicken nuggets out of the carcass of the chicken. AND THEN THOSE KIDS ATE IT!!!!
He did the same thing over in England and those kids didn't eat it. They were grossed out and said they wouldn't eat another chicken nugget. What in the heck is wrong with our kids??!!
I really hope he is able to turn around the school lunch program.


Wife Swap:

New season starts soon!!! Yay! More junk tv for me to watch and my husband to hate. This show makes me look at our family and say "Wow, we're pretty normal and my housekeeping skills aren't that bad. "


The Amazing Race:

I've never been into this show that much. But I love this season. I think it's because of the Cowboys! Jet and Cord. I just really like them. I want to see them win. And yes, I have a thing for cowboys.

Okay one show that I haven't watched. Well. I watched 5 minutes and couldn't stand it anymore. I seriously wanted to jump through my tv and throttle those girls. It's that Pretty Wild
OMG! Are there a trio of girls anymore more vapid and stupid as those 3? One who is part of that bling ring and I think the mother had something to do with that The Secret book. I guess that is where they visualize or think happy thoughts or something. Not sure. But anyways. I can't stand this show. It makes those Kardashin chicks look like Rhodes scholars.

I'm sure there are more shows I am missing, but Trading Spouses is on CMT and its the one where the Christian from Kentucky swaps with the Orthodox Jew from Boston.
I never knew that Christians didn't know about Jews or at least have a small idea of how Jews eat and pray.

Guilty Pleasures

We all have them. Those things we secretly enjoy. The TV shows we watch and would never tell someone at a dinner party. The things we eat knowing it is oh so bad for us, but oh so good. Most people do a top 10 list of their guilty pleasures. I have lots more than just 10. My guilty pleasures could fill a book!

1. The Real Housewives franchise- It all started with the Orange County women. I was immediately sucked in. Then they brought in more cities, New York, New Jersey and Atlanta. I don't know what is funnier, watching these ladies on TV or reading the stories that show they are nowhere near "rich and fabulous status" In fact almost all of them are BROKE BROKE BROKE!

2. I would much rather read US Weekly than Time or Newsweek. Who needs to learn about the nation when Brad and Angie might be splitting for good?!

3. I like to listen to the Backstreet Boys-Hangs head in total shame- There is no explaining it. None at all!

4. MTV Cribs- Yeah, seeing a 20 year old that has a nicer house, car, clothes, and even dog can send you into a depression bemoaning how at 12 you thought you would be a famous pop star. Regardless I still watch it. They houses are so big they could be considered a small country, they have more cars and shoes than real brains. Ever notice they never show you a library full of books? But the closets are to die for!

5. Glittery Things- Jeff Foxworthy was right, rednecks love shiny things! For some reason things with glitter and/or sequins just attract me. Should I be wearing a shirt with glitter on it? Probably not.

6. Teen Lit- I blame it on Twilight. Twilight is the sole reason I started reading Teen Lit again. I bought the whole series, and then the LJ Smith, her supernatural series from my teen days is awesome!

7. Staying in my PJs all day long. I'm a stay at home mom. Okay, my kids are in school all day. I'm a mom and I stay at home, so nah! Unless I am going somewhere or expecting company. I pretty much stay in pajama pants and a t-shirt all day long. Some days I even switch it up and add a sweat shirt, but I don't like to dress fancy for the dogs and lone cat. It makes them feel under dressed.

8. Dog Clothes- We have a Chihuahua. Well he's a Chihuahua/Pekingese mix, but looks like a full bloodied Chihuahua. I like to buy the dog clothes. "He needs a jacket." I tell my husband. "It's very cold outside."

9. Wife Swap or Trading Spouses- Don't tell me you don't watch it too! It's just a train wreck. From the Balloon boy parents who were on there, to the crazy Louisiana woman. You want to watch it just so you know your family is sane.

10. Going to Sam's Club or Costco and hitting up all the samples- When Sam's Club first started I couldn't believe they would give out food. For FREE! Granted I was about 10 at the time. Even now at 33, I still love seeing the little cart there handing out free samples.
Anyone else feel a bit guilty for trying a sample and then not buying the product? I've bought some things just because of this.


So those are at least 10 of mine. What are your guilty pleasures?

It's sooo cold even the ice is complaining

I guess this will go down in the history books. The coldest winter in 20 something years. Now I have something to tell my grandkids. And talk about when I get old.

We had to go to the grocery store tonight or the one stop called WalMart. I hadn't done a good grocery run since Christmas.So we were out of everything, dog food, bread, eggs, and all the good food. You know, the frozen pizza, yummy snack cakes, and chips. My girls are eating me out of house and home. I swear teen boys have nothing teen girls. They can eat!!

WalMart was dead. I have never seen a WalMart quiet. Hardly anyone was there. Just a few people here and there. And dumb teenager running around the place like it was Worlds of Fun. It was actually kind of nice. No having to maneuver around tons of people. You could tell there had been a run on some staples but they still had plenty of stuff.

Does the weather make anyone else get sensitive? I have just been such a crybaby the past couple of weeks. Everything just makes me tear up, get upset.
I'm thinking it is the cabin fever and all the bad weather. How do the people up north do it?

Plus my kids are driving me INSANE. It's like they are possessed little heathens running around in my kids bodies. Have they been taken over by the pod people.
Don't they know I need peace and quiet to watch all the new reality shows? The Real Housewives of OC came back tonight, Celeb Rehab, One Big Family... too many shows, too little time, and 2 girls that won't stop fighting for me to hear what nasty thing Tamra is saying about Gretchen or is she fighting with Vicki now? See... I missed it all while trying to get my daughters to stop arguing.

Toddlers and Tiaras

Has anyone watched this show on TLC? It is about the pageant world for little girls and boys. I happened to catch a partial episode last night. There was nothing on after NCSI and the Mentalist, so I started channel surfing and saw this little gem.

First off, I don't have a problem with pageants per say, but this show was just creepy. Or maybe it was just this episode. There is just something not quite right about shoving a pair of fake teeth in a kids mouth so they have a perfect smile. Or spray tanning your five year old so she doesn't look pasty white for the swimsuit competition.

They had this one little girl. She was 10 years old and her mom and coach (yes, they have pageant coaches) put her in a white strapless dress and high heels. It looked like a wedding dress seriously. She had about 6 inches of make-up on and her hair was teased to the heavens. Then it got even creepier... her dad or was it her uncle.. It was some male figure in her life said this , "She just looks gorgeous up there. I know she looks way older than she should, but she looks gorgeous." Shiver.... She is 10! 10 years old and looked like she was 18!

I kept screaming at the TV "She's only 10! She's just a baby!" My dear husband looked up for just a moment from his laptop and swore there was no way she was only 10. Then he caught the interview with said child saying how pretty she felt with everyone looking at her and saw her age listed. He joined me in saying "She's only 10!"
The above little girl went on to win in every category and first place for her age group. Her exit interview she said, "I feel beautiful when I win first place." Sad, sad.

A mom of a little girl who lost said, "She's just going to have to try harder next time." Like this was a math test or a basketball game they lost.

It does make me sad to see girls place so much emphasis on their outside appearance. And we wonder why women and girls still struggle with body image.

Yes, I could save myself all sorts of angst if I would just stop watching shows like this, but there is just something about reality TV that sucks you in. You want to look away, flip the channel, but you can't. You remain glued to it. Appalled that there really are people like that.

In the end, one little girl had the best outlook and the most wisdom on it all. She said she wanted to win, but she wanted the others to win more. She didn't want anyone to feel bad about themselves.

That little girl made the entire episode for me.

Hello All

Okay, I never know how to start these things out. Do I give you some short synopsis about what I will be blogging about? Do I give you a biography of my life, my husband and my 2 tween girls? So instead of doing that, I will just go right ahead and jump off the high dive. Hopefully I don't sink like a stone straight to the bottom.

I have to first admit I watch junk TV. Alot of it. If there is a show on unruly kids, parents who think it is adorable when little Johnny beats his sister like a bongo. I am watching.
A show about people trading moms for a week, when one is a vegan Democrat agnostic and the other is a meat eating, Ted Nugent worshiping, evangelical.
You better believe I am sitting with my buttered popcorn watching.
And those real housewives of a gated community you'll never breathe in. Never before has better comedy been made.
There is just something about it that I can't turn away from. Now, that Dancing With The Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, and American Idol!
Hell to the no! I just cannot stomach it. Weird, I know.

After trying to get the house to not look like a family of pigs live here. Or 2 tweens and a husband, the other big kid. I kick back and watch reruns of Trading Spouses and Nanny 911 on CMT.
I love how clueless the parents are on the nanny show. The one mom says her 4 year old is very joyful. Cut to clip of said 4 year old screaming, and demanding to be fed at dinner. They also always show the family pet being treated like a trampoline.
What they really is to sic the nanny on the parents. But apparently it just takes a British accent saying "You've been very naughty" to straighten these kids up in an hour.