television

parenting

Parents Aren't Pleased About Nickelodeon's NickMom

We're happy to present this article from our partner site Yahoo!


We're happy to present this article from our partner site Yahoo! Shine:

Many parents rely on a dose of "Dora" or "Diego" to help their kids to settle down in the evenings. So when Nick Jr. launched NickMom, a block of comedies aimed at adults, earlier this month, it came as a shock to those who tuned in for toddler-friendly viewing and instead found jokes about stoned busboys, sex, and how much moms dislike their kids.

Related: Parents who hate parenting. Is this the latest trend?

"At a certain point in the evening, hopefully the little ones are in bed, and this is an opportunity for mom to get some much-needed me-time," Bronwen O'Keefe, senior vice president of NickMom, told Newsday. The NickMom.com homepage — tagline: "Motherfunny" — is crowded with video clips and snarky memes. "Everything we have on the site is a bite-sized piece of content because we know moms are busy and don't have a lot of time," O'Keefe says. (NickMom did not immediately respond to Yahoo! Shine's request for comment.)

Related: Nickelodeon TV says Romney skipped kids' questions

But instead of finding the shows — or the website — funny, some parents are furious.

Read on to find out what real moms have to say about NickMom.

parenting

10 of the All-Time Greatest Sitcom Parents

Television's scripted family dynamics aren't always realistic, but there are definitely lessons to be learned from the parents in our favorite sitcom families.

Television's scripted family dynamics aren't always realistic, but there are definitely lessons to be learned from the parents in our favorite sitcom families. Remember Cliff Huxtable's playful parenting? What about Uncle Phil's well-intentioned tough love? From The Brady Bunch's Mike and Carol to the Seavers from Growing Pains, here are 10 of the best sitcom parent duos, plus the lessons we've learned from their parenting styles.

Source: IMDB

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah's 25 Best Pointing Moments

Oprah Winfrey is the undisputed queen of television, but she's yet to adopt the royal wave.
Pictures of Oprah Winfrey Over the Years

Oprah Winfrey is the undisputed queen of television, but she's yet to adopt the royal wave. Instead, she recognizes fans and photographers by giving them the finger — the pointer finger, of course! As she retires her groundbreaking show this week, let's take a look back at her 25 best pointing moments over the decades, one for each season of the show. Seriously though, Oprah really loves to point.

Pop Culture

The Bachelorettes: Where Are They Now?

Monday is the premiere of The Bachelorette with Ashley Hebert as the lady with the roses.
Where Are the Bachelorettes Now? Ali Fedotowsky, Jillian Harris, Deanna Pappas, Trista Sutter

Monday is the premiere of The Bachelorette with Ashley Hebert as the lady with the roses. When I found out that Ashley was the next Bachelorette, I wasn't surprised. After all, she's just following in her predecessor Ali Fedotowsky's footsteps, choosing reality TV (or "love," if you don't want to be too cynical about it) over career. She claims she's just putting her dental school on hold, but isn't that what Ali said about her Facebook job? And now, for all intents and purposes, Ali's a "TV personality," with her last gig being an E! correspondent recapping The Bachelor.

Now I'm not saying there's anything wrong with changing your priorities once you find love and start a family (hello, Trista Sutter), I'm just questioning the specific ladies who made career a big priority and then turned it into an "either/or": either I have a job I love or I look for a man to love. You could say Jillian Harris found a way to mix both, since she stayed devoted to her interior design career after the show, but then again, she's also split with former fiancé Ed Swiderski. To investigate this phenomenon further, I thought I'd look into what the Bachelorettes were doing before the show and what they are doing now, in addition to their relationship status. Check it out and weigh in, what do you think about girls like Ali and Ashley who traded their jobs for reality TV love?


Photos copyright ABC, Inc.

community

3 Ideas For Tackling a Murphy Bed Mystery

YumSugar's Susannah Chen recently asked the Assisted Living group for decorating advice: After five years at the same place, I'm just getting around to really decorating.
Closet Decorating Ideas

YumSugar's Susannah Chen recently asked the Assisted Living group for decorating advice:

After five years at the same place, I'm just getting around to really decorating. One huge conundrum: what to do with the little nook that houses my TV/entertainment station. It used to house a Murphy bed, and just looks a little barren and empty. I'm not quite sure what to do with it.

I thought about putting a framed picture above it, but that would compete with the television screen for attention. I thought about curtains, but wondered if that was cheesy. On top of that, I've got to wrangle with the two ugly rail tracks that it's left behind.

Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated!

Continue reading to see my ideas for Susannah!

Poll

Did Big Love Change Your Attitude Toward Polygamy?

Last night we bid goodbye to the best-dressed polygamists on television.

Last night we bid goodbye to the best-dressed polygamists on television. Big Love did not go gently into the celestial kingdom, making up — somewhat — for a lackluster fifth season. Like Buzz, I agree it ended on a beginning that could have held my interest through the entire last season. But I'll say no more — no spoilers here!

I didn't think polygamy still existed before Big Love. I know when police removed women and children from the Texas compound in 2008, I was shocked to see their resemblance to the residents of fictional Juniper Creek — or, really, vice-versa. Now there's no doubt Big Love has made its mark, influencing pop culture, politics, and countless Halloween costumes. Practicing polygamists have gone on Oprah and landed a reality show, seeking acceptance or at the very least tolerance.

Nobody's questioning underage marriage or forced polygamy, but all these women — it's usually women — are asking for is the alternative-lifestyle label we bestow on all other polyamorous relationships, including polyandry (when women take multiple spouses) or even open relationships.

So while you may have trouble believing enlightened polygamy exists, there's enough unenlightened monogamy to make it hard to pass judgment. Either way, Big Love let us into a secretive world, and see plural marriage at its best and worst. Was it enough to change your mind? Even a little?

Photos courtesy of HBO

News

Speed Read — Big Love Series Finale Comes With Big Surprises

What did you think of the Big Love finale?

Inspiration

Cool Idea: Camouflage Your Small Screen

Black isn't my go-to paint color of choice, but the next time I decide to mount a glaring television on my wall, I'll reconsider the moody shade.

Black isn't my go-to paint color of choice, but the next time I decide to mount a glaring television on my wall, I'll reconsider the moody shade. In the March/April issue of Lonny, homeowner Jennifer Bandier's bedroom small screen was treated to a clever camouflage thanks to a coat of black paint. Surrounded by an array of photographs with white mats and black frames, the oft-inconspicuous flat screen blends right into the wall. Paired with classic moldings, bordered, hotel-style bedding, and a pop of rouge in the hallway, the room has a neoclassical style and not so much the rock 'n' roll vibe I associate it with.

Would you try this at home? Have you camouflaged your TV in any other way?

Advice

Katie Couric vs. Ricki Lake: Who Should Be the Next Queen of Daytime?

There's a job opening for a noncertified therapist to the masses!

There's a job opening for a noncertified therapist to the masses! Oprah may have mentored Tyra Banks, but Tyra's finished with talk shows. Gayle King, editor at large for O magazine, best friend to Oprah, and current talk show host on OWN seems like an apparent heir, but is not. At least not according to ABC, who's losing its daytime queen, and NBC, who's circling above to swoop in and fill the daytime void.

Nobody can replace Oprah, but networks hope to launch the next big talk show. Katie Couric's contract with CBS expires in June, and the word is she's met with NBC and ABC to discuss talk shows. After spending five years as the anchor of CBS Evening News, she seems like a serious choice, but Katie always shined best in the morning as cohost of Today.

Meanwhile, Ricki Lake remains a contender. She's been trying to get a talk show since 2005, the year after her first long-running one ended. After discussing it on Oprah and The View late last year, she's been getting serious interest from the three major networks.

Personally, I would like to see the two, among others, duke it out in a competitive reality show called America's Next Daytime Queen, but no network will take my tweets. So until then the choices are Katie and Ricki — who's yours?