A rant to people who dis Breaking Bad

I just have this need to rant in reply to something that was posted on the "Ask Vince" Thread, but that thread was not the appropriate place

for my reply.

>>>By wyoguy on May 25, 2009 10:28 AM
I'm normally a big fan of AMC, but I and my wife are disgusted that a show that makes a hero out of a guy who runs a meth lab and especially

the fact that he is a teacher. The seeming popularity of this show saddens me as it is an indictment of societies morales. I don't care how

well scripted, acted or produced it may be, it is based on a corrupt premise and sells the wrong message to people, especially our youth.

Our teachers have enough of a struggle gaining and keeping respect from our kids, do we really need this kind of garbage to help undermine

it further?<<<

It is obvious that I was extremely annoyed by this post.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
Even when they have one on a subject that they know nothing about.
WyoGuy. Have you actually watched more than a scene or two of this show?
No? Of Course not.

"I and my wife are disgusted that a show that makes a hero out of a guy who runs a meth lab"
Is Walt a hero? Why? He's the main character, but the decisions that he's made are far from heroic.
That IS the whole point of the show, He Breaks Bad, makes poor decisions, follows the wrong path. Not a hero.

"especially the fact that he is a teacher"
You think that only ditch diggers can fall into a bad choices in their lifetime? How long have you been this elitist with your head buried

in the sand?

"The seeming popularity of this show saddens me as it is an indictment of societies morales."
What do you mean by this? Breaking bad is about as anti-drug as you can get. This is an Indictment of Society, that bad things happen to

people who knowingly make bad decisions? You have strange morales.

"it is based on a corrupt premise and sells the wrong message to people"
What about the premise is corrupt? Than a man becomes desperate to make sure his family is taken care of, and that he is the one to do that?
That he makes bad decisions that actually screw up what he is trying to do for his family? That drug dealing is bad? Or that showing drug

dealing and use is bad.
What people is it selling the wrong message to? You haven't figured out what the show is actually about. How can you say it's selling the

wrong message?

"especially our youth"
OK, time to hit you with both barrels.
Our youth, and I refer to teenagers, are exactly the people who NEED to see this show!
With guidance from their parents. Did you, when your children were younger, talk to them to make sure that they knew the violence in

cartoons was not real? Did you hammer in that point, until you were satisfied that they truly understood it?
Well, if you actually had a clue as to what Breaking Bad is presenting, it is the perfect opportunity to safely expose your children to what

happens in the real world outside of your sheltered home. Does your home look like Skank and Spooge's drug house? It that a glorification of

the drug life? Your children need to see it here and now, with your guidance to them, to take a good look at what a life on drugs is really

about. It's Dangerous. It's not glamorous. It's not profitable in the long run. It alienates you from your family. You just might accidently

die form an overdose. Etc. If you don't take responsibility for teaching your children while spending some Family time with them watching a

show like this, They are going to find it on their own when they go off to college, and they will be unprepared for the true consequences of

making a bad decision to try drugs. Children who come from sheltered homes are the most likely to fall hard when they hit the real world.

"Our teachers have enough of a struggle gaining and keeping respect from our kids"
Whose fault is that? The Parent's maybe? what concepts in Breaking Bad are showing kids that it's cool or OK to disrespect teachers?
Are Walt's students unruly or unmanageable. If they are, is that the fault of a TV show? What a cop-out. Don't duck your parental

responsibility and blame it on the "great babysitter" You do have control over what your family watches on TV. Don't condemn this show just

because it's above your level of understanding.

"do we really need this kind of garbage"
To be flippant, but to the point: "One mans trash is another man's treasure"
News flash for you: Not every form of entertainment must be directed to the LOWEST Common Denominator. Everything does not have to be Kid

Safe and G rated. Intelligent Adults are deserving of material suited to them. Breaking Bad is not on at 9am on Saturday sponsored by Toy and

Cereal Companies.

I suggest that you go back to watching the Sappy Pabulum offered on the Hallmark Channel. It is far more suited to your intellectual

capacity. But please do be careful of letting your children watch that stuff nonstop. It won't serve them well. While occasionally suitable

for background viewing, the presentation of life always ending happily ever after, will not prepare your children for real life. They won't

learn any coping skills for what they will find outside your home, at school, at work, in society . And they will find out that all is not

rosy and easily overcome. There are bad people and situations out there that will find them. Let me see if I can think of an example.

Hmmm, There is this show Called Breaking Bad, Has a character named Jesse. Came from a really nice home of good people who only wanted the

best for him. But he grew up lacking in emotional maturity and coping skills, so that when he left the nest, he fell in with the wrong

crowd, he turns to drugs as a coping mechanism. He is a good hearted person. Raised to be moral, and to try to do right by other people.
Was what he watched on TV the reason for how his life has unfolded? Only a component perhaps? More so than parental guidance, and family

support?

Don't abdicate your parental responsibility, by decrying what you misinformedly think is "undermining corrupt garbage" on TV.
You won't find me harassing the producers at Hallmark for portraying a fantasy world, Please afford us the same courtesy here.