Advice for the Young at Heart
While I really do understand where this is coming from and what you are saying ("The Seven Deadly Sins of Kid Culture," by Curt Holman, Aug. 1-7), I can't say I agree with it. I am 20 years old and do not have children. I know that to many who may read this, I am young, but many of the products and shows written about are things I did grow up with and think I wouldn't mind showing my children. I and my sisters have turned out fine. We're not running around dropping anvils on people or saying "Eat my shorts" (Anymore. We did go through a phase where we imitated Bart). I know that some of these things may be scary to parents, but (this may be me being naive) if the parenting skills are there, in the end things will turn out OK. Maybe we should mix Baby Einstein and Looney Tunes and expose them to the best of both worlds. I know many of you will not agree, and think I am just young and stupid, but I guess we'll just have to see how my kids and your kids turn out.
Mo via tampa.creativeloafing.com
Poor Curt Holman! It's only just beginning. I dressed my daughter in all-cotton tights and jumpers and sweaters from Scandanavia and braided her hair — for as long as I could. "Does she resent looking like Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm?" her grandfather asked me. I pointed out that the girls' clothes on offer in department stores for children even younger than 8 looked as if they came from the "junior prostitute section" and hung on to the Little Girl look as long as the little girl in question would let me. Curt is on the right track: The walk in the park is the way to go!
Deborah Knuth Klenck via tampa.creativeloafing.com
Speaking as a fellow Gen-X'er parent with about a decade's more experience than Curt Holman, may I just say that there's nothing more boring than listening to some censorious dad going on and on about why imposing his adult tastes on his child is actually all hip and cool? Also, I wonder what he tells his widdle girl when she looks at Creative Loafing and asks why daddy sells phone sex and jello wrestling for a living?
Robert Lee via tampa.creativeloafing.com
I was banned from Beavis and Butthead and The Simpsons by parents on separate occasion, but I also saw a lot worse. I found pops' girlie mags and my olders cousin's pornos before I was 10. I went on to win an award from the city council and join the military straight outta high school. I turned out fine.
Francette via tampa.creativeloafing.com
What an annoying father this guy is going to be.
Dave via tampa.creativeloafing.com
Da do Ron Ron Paul?
It is significant that although I fired the Republicrats last year and ran as Constitution Party candidate for Florida Senate, I have joined the campaign of Ron Paul and serve as a local adviser. Dr. No stands alone all by himself, apart from all the other candidates and especially the media-anointed big-money frontrunners, with his 100% Constitutionally-correct voting record in Congress. He is our only hope for returning to our Founding Fathers' vision of freedom and limited government and is rapidly gaining grassroots support.
C. Burt Linthicum, CPA, Tampa
Ron Paul is no conservative and [he] is getting more support from liberals who can't think for themselves than Republicans. Please, can we have some honest reporting here?
A True Republican Conservative via tampa.creativeloafing.com
Thank for a fair article instead of the usual MSM hack job.
Fred via thepoliticalwhore.com
This article appears in Aug 8-14, 2007.