I’m not entirely sure I understand the Parents Television Council. I guess they’re trying to help parents make good choices about the TV their kids watch. That’s a good thing. But so often I don’t understand what they’re talking about. It’s as if context rarely matters, or only matters when it’s helpful to them.

(a long rant follows after the jump)

Every year they put out their list of best/worst TV shows. In 2001-2002 Buffy the Vampire Slayer topped the list with its sixth season. Now I’ll admit, season six of Buffy is the darkest of all seasons. I wouldn’t let a kid watch it. But I wouldn’t let a kid watch 90% of primetime TV. What bothers me is that somehow this season of Buffy is labeled the worst. They cite the frequent and explicit sex in the season, which is certainly there, but they also show the negative consequences. The entire season is about the negative consquences of Buffy’s relationship with Spike. That doesn’t make it family-friendly fair, but it’s sure better than just watching sex and moving on to something else.

Last year Everwood topped the worst list for not showing the consequences of sex. I haven’t watched much Everwood in a while, but what I have seen is the long-term consequences of previous sexual choices. Everything wasn’t tidied up in a single episode, but the consequences still exist in the show. Again, I’m not saying that makes it family-friendly, but it hardly quantifies as worst TV show of the year. One episode of Everwood explored abortion, and I have to say it was the best TV show on the subject I’ve ever seen.

I’m just not always sure where they’re coming from. Off Centre, a show I’ve never seen, landed in the #2 spot for the 2001-2002 worst list. It includes the criticism: “one episode, in which Euan wonders if he should be circumcised, employed the word