8 Millennial TV Shows Your Kids Should Not Watch Today

My husband and I enjoyed watching an episode Bluey Giving us a funny and relatable moment – ​​like parenting while hungover – that was completely beyond our daughter’s comprehension.

It also brings me great joy to introduce my daughter to the shows I watched when I was younger. She quoted from friends And have an opinion on whether Ross and Rachel broke up (yes, they did – and no, Ross shouldn’t be with another girl!).

Other than that, we’ll be bingeing a few episodes friends A string of them, and then finally hit one that was so sexually suggestive that it was clearly beyond my comprehension. It was then that I realized it had only taken me over 20 years to realize how “adult” the writing on some of my favorite childhood shows was.

I’m not alone, many of the other mostly Millennial (born 1981-1996) parents I talk to feel essentially the same way. It’s like our old shows weren’t just trying to suggest adult themes like some of today’s kids shows do; Instead, they tried to pull faster and see if anyone noticed. Some of these cringe-worthy storylines are even more shocking after returning to them today as parents.

Which begs the question: knowing what we know now, would we let our children watch it? Here are 8 shows we watched as kids that we probably shouldn’t introduce to our kids.

gossip Girl

Based on the best-selling book series, gossip Girl Premiered in 2007, it immediately became a must-see for teens and young adults. Who wouldn’t want a glimpse into the world of ultra-rich teenagers living very adult lives in the heart of New York without parental supervision?

But it’s a show that’s hard to introduce to your Generation Alpha kids (although today, they’ll likely know that the show’s star, Blake Lively, is one of Taylor Swift’s besties). As a parent these days, watching a show that glorifies bullying, blackmail and backbiting is a bitter pill to swallow.

south park

Many boys in my daughter’s primary school are addicted to south park— which is crazy to me because I was in college when the show premiered in 1997. south park Not (and still not) suitable for children.

This show mocks every religion, race and profession. In the early seasons, Kenny, one of the main characters, was killed in violent and grotesque ways in almost every episode. The fact is, south park Actually a very smart show. question? If you don’t “like” the joke, especially if you’re not mature enough to “get” the joke, the takeaway may backfire and send a negative message about acceptance and tolerance.

Beverly Hills, 90210

i was addicted to Beverly Hills, 90210 From the pilot. And, I’ve been rewatching the show recently in memory of its star, Shannen Doherty, who recently passed away. Yes, watching a show that premiered in 1990 seems naive. Twins Brandon and Brenda Walsh had a huge culture shock when they moved from Minnesota to Beverly Hills, however, there were a lot of things that were a little hard to swallow as parents revisited.

For example, melrose place Technically a derivative 90210. we were introduced to melrose placeThe mysterious handyman (emphasis added) man) Jack Hansen 90210’s High school junior Kelly Taylor nearly jumped on him as he worked on her mom’s house. He doesn’t immediately deny her advances, and while they ultimately fail, the whole scene is so inappropriate since Kelly is already 17 and Jack is definitely in his twenties!

buffy the vampire slayer

I mean, this show is about a vampire slayer—it says it right in the title. Although it was one of the most popular shows of the late 1990s/early 2000s, each week’s storylines unfolded in intense violence and gore.

The show is a toss-up because on one hand you have an amazing, strong female role model in Buffy (played by Sarah Michelle Gellar) to introduce your kids to – but on the other aspect, there is a lot of death and darkness to introduce to your children.

pretty Little Liars

pretty Little Liarslike gossip Girlis based on the best-selling book series, so some of the crazy plot points and disturbing reveals shouldn’t be That Shocking. But it’s kind of crazy to see this play out on a TV show. First off, this show is about a girl who disappears! And, as her friends struggle to cope with the loss, they are also bullied by a man named “A” who threatens to expose all of their secrets if they don’t do what “A” demands. secret.

We certainly don’t want our kids to worry about missing classmates or omnipresent anonymous bullies, but for much of the series, there’s also a plot point where a student goes on a date with a teacher. This opens up a convoy that I don’t think any Parents want to play with their teens/teenagers!

Ren & Stimpy

What’s not to like about a ’90s animated series on Nickelodeon about a Chihuahua named Ren and a Manx cat named Stimpy? Well, let’s just say that the pairing of Tom and Jerry is definitely a million times meaner, more vicious, and more violent.

There was a lot of outrage when the show first aired, but the show lasted five years. I can’t imagine parents being happy for their kids to watch this episode today, in which Wren fantasizes in horrific detail about Stimpy’s death after breaking one of Wren’s prized possessions!

Rocco’s modern life

Let’s put it this way, during the three years that this animated series aired on Nickelodeon (1993-1996), there was not much adult humor or sexual innuendos. The show follows an immigrant wallaby named Rocko and all the hardships he goes through in life. But how many younger viewers do you think understand the “Chokey Chicken” pun, the restaurant they love to visit, or the pilot’s reference to one of the most disturbing scenes in the movie? save?

There’s a reason there’s an entire video on YouTube detailing all the jokes and “mature” pop culture involved in the series!

dawson creek

How would you feel if your daughter came in through the teenage boy’s window next door, crawled into bed and talked to him about sex? Of course, Joey (Katie Holmes) and Dawson (James Van Der Beek) have never done it, but it’s not a good scene out there. but dawson creek Did the storyline still make my jaw drop? Pacey’s passionate love affair with his teacher Ms. Jacobs. At least she had the good sense to realize she was essentially committing a crime and left town.

Also, I’ve never been happy with Pacey sailing around the world with Joey, alone-I mean, they’re still teenagers! As an audience member at the time, this was the most romantic move ever. But what about watching as a parent? Well, where their parents?

I hope one day my daughter can see Bluey With her children, she smiled broadly as she realized it was more than she could have ever imagined. But it was an innocent rite of passage. Until then, I’ll keep a few shows from my childhood off her watch list.