I’ve been watching new stuff on Masterpiece and a couple PBS mysteries and such lately, and some of these shows have a viewer discretion warning at the beginning of the show. (The Bletchley Circle has two of them.) They basically say that the following program may include mature subject matter some people may find disturbing, or which may be unacceptable for a younger audience, so viewer discretion is advised. But is this such a good idea?
It seems to me that if you make the warning seem like the show is somehow sensational, salacious, violent, or obscene, kids will really, really want to see it. But most kids don’t like Masterpiece Theater-type shows anyway, so why not warn them about another aspect of the show that may make them less likely to want to watch it? And since most kids hate boring, adult dramas, this warning might be more effective in keeping younger viewers away:
“The following program contains lots of boring scenes of grown-ups talking a lot, and as such, it may be too dull for a younger audience: viewer discretion is advised.”
That ought to keep the kids away, don’t you think?
