Good Idea or Bad Idea: Adult Swim is now one hour earlier

[rocklobster]

In case you folks haven't noticed, CN has now started broadcasting Adult Swim an hour earlier. I personally think this is a bad idea. Let me give you some perspective: Ever since I was a kid, my curfew has always been 9:30. (I carry this to my adulthood on purpose) I'm sure there are some kids who also had such a rule. This means more kids will accidentally see inappropriate stuff. And no, I don't mean borderline programs like Kekkaishi, I mean stuff like Venture Bros and King of the Hill, stuff no one would let a little kid be warped by. Is this a bad idea?

[TopazRaven]

Hm, I think it will depend on what they put on in that time slot. Personally I don't think King of the Hill is that bad, but yeah, if they put something like Venture Bros, Family Guy, American Dad or Robot Chicken on earlier then normal then I think that will be asking for trouble. Then againn, does CN really have anything on that's completly alright for kids anymore these days?

[Beau Soir]

Kids stay up later than they should.

Adult Swim, for adults, is going on an hour earlier, making it more likely that more kids will see it.

I don't see how this could be a good idea at all... But let's not ignore the fact that there are already 13 year olds who watch Family Guy and Robot Chicken anyway. The time change would just be making the situation worse.

[Cognitive Gear]

I don't see why this is an issue, or how it changes anything. Kids will watch what they want, when they want. It's not like kids don't know that they have 24/7 access to most of these shows via the internet, and if parents are concerned about what their kids watch on TV, then they can use the parental controls built in to just about every TV these days.

Besides, before any of these shows were even on TV, kids snuck into the movie theater to see things with far worse content. Kids are kids, and they have always watched things their parents forbade, and they always will.

On a side note, King of the Hill is no worse than The Simpsons.

[Nate]

Adult Swim may be targeted to adults, but so are shows like Friends and Seinfeld, and those are shown at like 5 in the afternoon. Where's the outrage over those shows being shown when kids can watch them? Burn Notice comes on at like 8 PM. That isn't a kids' show. Why is Adult Swim being held to a double standard?

The shows on Adult Swim are no worse than South Park, and South Park gets shown at all times of the day. Comedy Central has even played the movie unedited at 8 or 9 PM, which has far worse content than Adult Swim ever has or ever will.

In short, there is nothing wrong with this at all. Anyone who has a problem is overreacting. Besides for someone who likes to complain about how Cartoon Network sucks so bad and they're horrible, I'd think you wouldn't really care if Adult Swim took up more of their time.

[ChristianKitsune]

I agree with Nate, Yah it's a little weird, but maybe AS does better than the Actual Cartoon network, and they are just trying to get more ratings.

Plus, I really like King of the Hill, and it's not much different from regular live action sitcoms. It's pretty tame compared to FG and The Simpsons in my opinion. Lol.

It's pretty much up to the parents here, they have to well, be parents and if they don't want their kids watching this stuff, then they need to step in and turn the TV off.

That's my opinion anyway.

[Atria35]

I don't mind, because some college students who have to get up a 7 in the morning don't want to be up past 11 at night to watch something.

There's no guarantee that the stuff that's shown on that hour-earlier slot will be American Dad or Robot chicken, so that might also be a factor. I mean, if they fill it with FMA and Kekkaishi, then there's less fuss.

But I'm also agreeing with CG- kids will always find ways to watch shows that their parents don't approve of if they're so inclined. My brother and I were in kindergarten and elementary school when we would regularly sneak out of our rooms and watch tv (mostly cartoons, but we'd surf around to find stuff, too) allllll night long downstairs, on a regular basis. Our parents found out when we told them last year. Would our parents have let us do this if they'd known? Obviously not. But they couldn't stop us.

And then there are parental controls. Parents can always block shows if they really are worried about it.

[Nate]

There's no guarantee that the stuff that's shown on that hour-earlier slot will be American Dad or Robot chicken, so that might also be a factor. I mean, if they fill it with FMA and Kekkaishi, then there's less fuss.

Wait, I'm confused. Why would showing American Dad first on Adult Swim make a fuss?

American Dad gets shown at 9 on Fox...a channel which is bound by FCC regulations. In other words, American Dad is shown earlier on a channel that everyone can get, even those who don't have cable, and is subject to stricter regulations than it would be on Adult Swim. American Dad also gets shown at like 1 in the afternoon on TBS. How could anyone possibly complain about American Dad or Family Guy moving earlier up in the lineup?

[Radical Dreamer]

Wait, I'm confused. Why would showing American Dad first on Adult Swim make a fuss?

American Dad gets shown at 9 on Fox...a channel which is bound by FCC regulations. In other words, American Dad is shown earlier on a channel that everyone can get, even those who don't have cable, and is subject to stricter regulations than it would be on Adult Swim. American Dad also gets shown at like 1 in the afternoon on TBS. How could anyone possibly complain about American Dad or Family Guy moving earlier up in the lineup?

Yeah, that's actually what I was just thinking. XD Isn't Family Guy on at like, 8 or 9 on one of those channels? Either way, I agree that the time change shouldn't really matter. TV stations will show what they want to show when they want to show it. If parents don't want their kids watching adult sitcoms, parents shouldn't give their kids access to all of the channels on TV 24/7. XD Also, I agree on the "kids are kids" point, too. When we were kids, my brother and I used to sneak into the living room after my parents had gone to bed to stay up late and watch Adult Swim when it was on. We turned out fine. XD I don't see why it's a big deal. XD

[ShiroiHikari]

Adult Swim may be targeted to adults, but so are shows like Friends and Seinfeld, and those are shown at like 5 in the afternoon. Where's the outrage over those shows being shown when kids can watch them? Burn Notice comes on at like 8 PM. That isn't a kids' show. Why is Adult Swim being held to a double standard?

The shows on Adult Swim are no worse than South Park, and South Park gets shown at all times of the day. Comedy Central has even played the movie unedited at 8 or 9 PM, which has far worse content than Adult Swim ever has or ever will.

In short, there is nothing wrong with this at all. Anyone who has a problem is overreacting. Besides for someone who likes to complain about how Cartoon Network sucks so bad and they're horrible, I'd think you wouldn't really care if Adult Swim took up more of their time.

Quoted for truth.

[mysngoeshere56]

I haven't watched CN in years, so I didn't know about this until I saw this thread. But honestly, after reading about it, I don't think it's the best thing... But in comparison to the rest of television (much like what Nate said), I don't think it's all that bad, either. Honestly, there's always inappropriate stuff that's being shown on TV at some time of day. What really matters is how much a child's parents (or whoever watches the kid) is monitoring what he/she watches.

Plus, it's just one hour. It's not like they're switching over to playing it 24/7.

[ShiroiHikari]

It's not like they're switching over to playing it 24/7.

Even if they did, what's the big deal? Ever seen Comedy Central? There's quite a lot of "inappropriate" stuff on there even during the day.

Parents shouldn't leave their kids alone with the remote if they're worried about them seeing age-inappropriate programming.

[Beau Soir]

I think it's promoting crude humor. Kids are well-known as being pretty impressionable. And yes, I agree that parents should take responsibility and action if they don't want their kids seeing age-inappropriate programming.

To call this a "good" idea would be saying that it's beneficial to play an adult TV show reel an hour earlier on a what is originally a kids' cartoon station. I disagree that it's good, but this thread was asking for opinions in the first place anyway.

I'm out...

[Nanao]

i can't say it is a good idea, but like others have said before there are other inappropriate things on already. so, it probably won't make that big of a difference in the long run.

[Tsukuyomi]

Good.. bad.. depends on the line up, imo ^__^

I don't really think that would really matter. I mean, if kids really wanted to watch those shows, they'd watch them regardless what channel station/time slot ^__^ I'm not saying they should be or they shouldn't be allowed to.. That's totally up to their parents on what they can or cannot watch ^__^

[TopazRaven]

You know, I actually forgot some of those shows are on other channels at even earlier times so I guess it technically doesn't matter then. If kids want to watch those shows they'll find them on the other channels then.

[CrimsonRyu17]

I'm all for it as long as Metalocalypse is on the first or second time slot.

Oh look, King of the Hill and American Dad. Shows I can already watch on other channels.

Nevermind then.

[Nate]

I think it's promoting crude humor.

Then why no similar outrage over TBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, CBS, USA, Comedy Central, etc., etc.? Especially given that Fox, NBC, ABC, and CBS are public channels (you don't need cable to receive those stations) and they show these shows even earlier than Cartoon Network will be?

In other words, Adult Swim will be showing these shows later in the night to fewer people than Fox would be. So why is this a big deal?

kids' cartoon station.

Last I checked it's called "Cartoon Network" not "Children's Network." I thought as anime fans we were supposed to know that cartoons are not only for kids. So why turn around and say "Since it shows cartoons it's clearly a children's station"? It's completely inconsistent.

Besides the stuff Adult Swim shows is no worse than what a kid could see on other channels at the same time. In fact, it's less tame than the stuff Comedy Central shows most of the time.

Finally, yes, it is a good idea because (here goes this statement again!) Adult Swim and Cartoon Network are a business. If Adult Swim is getting better ratings than Cartoon Network is getting, then it makes sense to expand Adult Swim's time slot. It's a good idea because it will probably get them better ratings, and better ratings are good for business. Doing this will ensure Cartoon Network will last longer in the long run more than likely.

I don't see how "Doing this could make the profits greater for the channel and decrease chances of it going off the air entirely or becoming a premium pay-only channel" can be anything but good news unless you hate Cartoon Network. And if you already hate Cartoon Network then it wouldn't matter that they're doing this anyway because you already think they're terrible.

[TWWK]

Last I checked it's called "Cartoon Network" not "Children's Network." I thought as anime fans we were supposed to know that cartoons are not only for kids. So why turn around and say "Since it shows cartoons it's clearly a children's station"? It's completely inconsistent.

Sure, we feel that way about animation...but I don't think I'm going out on a limb to say that most Americans generally view animation as "cartoons for children" first. I think this is an important point. While we can sit here and say, "Parents need to keep track of what their kids are watching," I would guess that most thinking this are NOT parents. It's not that easy, even with parental controls on television. Consider the busyness of parents' lives, the belief in giving children some freedom and trusting them, and the sneakyness of most kids when they become adolescents. And it becomes more troublesome if a parent is in the majority who believes that almost all cartoons are more Flintstones than Family Guy.

That said...it's no surprise. Like others have said, you'll find very non-family programming on at any time of day. I think this change is a case of throwing another piece of straw on the camel's back (right analogy?) that already has plenty of straw on it.

[Yamamaya]

What's to stop a kid from staying up till 10:30 to watch programs on Adult Swim? Kids don't usually say, "YAY let's go to bed at 10:00 now!" unless their parents make them. They could also easily record it(or TiVo)
Family Guy is on at 7 o clock on a few public channels.

It's up to the parents if their kids watch King of the Hill, Family Guy, South Park, Bleach(which is a kid's show in Japan) or w/e. Besides parents should know that when the words, "Adult swim" show up. That means the programs might not be suitable for their kiddies.

I see this as a good thing, more time for more shows.

Also as for King of the Hill, it's relatively tame save for a few episodes.

[TopazRaven]

Is it wrong I'm watching Adult Swim right now? xD Now that I think about it, stuff being on late didn't even stop me from watching it. I started watching anime on Adult Swim when I was 13 and still in school. I'd be up at 1:00 in the morning still watching stuff. Not the best choice on my part, but none the less. Lol.

[battletech]

I agree with everything Nate has said in this thread; I hardly ever agree with Nate.

[Nate]

I agree with everything Nate has said in this thread]
Birds falling out of the sky, fish dying...now this.

Maybe it IS the end of the world.

I don't think I'm going out on a limb to say that most Americans generally view animation as "cartoons for children" first.

Oh I agree completely. My point was to say that Cartoon Network is a "children's network" is completely false. And while I could understand it if it was coming from your regular American citizen, to have an anime fan say "It's a children's network because it shows cartoons" just completely baffles me. Unless the only anime they ever saw was the 4Kids dub of Pokemon.

While we can sit here and say, "Parents need to keep track of what their kids are watching," I would guess that most thinking this are NOT parents. It's not that easy, even with parental controls on television.

I also agree that it isn't easy. Even so, it's not the network's job to be surrogate parent to kids. I...I'm kind of tempted to go on a bit of a rant but it would be political in nature so...I'll hold myself back. XD And it wouldn't be directed at you either, so...don't feel like I'm angry at you or anything. :p

[Shao Feng-Li]

I mean stuff like Venture Bros and King of the Hill, stuff no one would let a little kid be warped by. Is this a bad idea?

For the record, King of the Hill isn't all that dirty. Like... rarely ever is it dirty. I've watched all the seasons on Netflix.

Meh, I don't think AS going on earlier is gonna make a difference. I'm gonna kinda echo everyone here. Kids are already watching worse things on other channels.

[mysngoeshere56]

I just went over to vote in the poll and realized that I could only choose good or bad. I'd choose "neutral" if I could. Like I said before - I don't think it's the best, but I don't think it's really all that bad either.

Nate does have a point when he mentions how it'd be good for their ratings, though...

I'm gonna kinda echo everyone here. Kids are already watching worse things on other channels.

Very true, sadly. :-/

[Nanao]

i'd have definitely gone for the "neutral" option as well. originally i was going to say that in a perfect world parents would be actively involved in what their kids watch, but in a perfect world we probably wouldn't be needing to have this discussion in the first place?

[KhakiBlueSocks]

It's pretty much up to the parents here, they have to well, be parents and if they don't want their kids watching this stuff, then they need to step in and turn the TV off.

[font="Trebuchet MS"][SIZE="4"][color="RoyalBlue"]
Quoted for truth][/SIZE][/font]

This means more kids will accidentally see inappropriate stuff. And no, I don't mean borderline programs like Kekkaishi, I mean stuff like Venture Bros and King of the Hill, stuff no one would let a little kid be warped by. Is this a bad idea?

[font="Trebuchet MS"][SIZE="4"][color="RoyalBlue"]
In a way, (perhaps this is my own way of thinking) this reminds me of the whole "Toys in the Happy Meal" argument. Seriously, if you know this food is not good for your kids, don't buy it for them. Just drive past McDonalds or wherever and call it a day. [/color][/SIZE][/font]

[ST. Attidude]

I agree with Socks. In my opinion, Adult Swim is full of crud that you can watch on broadcast anyways...

The only show I like from that section (besides the anime) is Futurama. But I dunno if its on air still since I don't have cable.