Television might not be a good thing

You know, sometimes you definitely can have too much of a good thing, though in this case, I'm just not sure T.V. can be classified as a "good thing".
I'm sure you've all had this experience; the T.V. is on, you aren't necessarily watching it and going about doing other things. Then you hear, "Mom, look! I want that!", and then the kids proceed to tell you all about the coolest new toy they just saw on TV and have to have. Yes, we've had many "gotta have" toys come through the house, which have since been forgotten. But it doesn't necessarily have to be toys, we've had the same scenario played out with food as well, but lately it is the phrases that seem to be infiltrating our home.
We were getting ready for dinner the other night and the boys were chewing gum. I asked them to spit it out and Gavin tells me, "No, I'm just going to put it behind my ear."
And of course I said, "Ewe! No, throw it away."
"But mom, then I would be a loser! I don't want to be a loser, I want to be a champion!"
If this sounds familiar, yes you would be right, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Johnny Depp.
Or how about, "Mom, you give me the willies!" (Taken from one of the cartoons they were watching the other night.)
And definitely one of my favorites, which came from Sam when she was 3, "You are ruining my life!" Yes, she actually said that to me once after I sent her to time out. Thank you, Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus!
Even though it's actually pretty funny to hear some of the things the kids pick up, at the same time, it's also pretty scary. The things I notice while I am watching, even things that come up on the cartoon channels, make me worry about what the kids see and hear when I'm not watching. Is it any wonder that I won't let my kids watch movies like Matilda? Although it is a cute story, the way the brother and parents treat the little girl is horrible, not to mention the names the "Trunchbull" calls the kids. I really don't need my kids repeating all that.
Right now, I am very grateful that they don't pick up on all the innuendos, and don't get all the jokes yet, but those blissful days of ignorance will be over soon, and then I will really have to be careful. No, I don't think I can completely shelter my kids from things I might find unpleasant or inappropriate, but I can at least control some of the exposure they will have. There are enough things my kids face that is beyond my control, so why not take care of some of the things within my control? The older they get, the scarier it is, and although I know they need to learn and grow, my parental instinct says to keep them close and protect them. I'm sure that will never change, but unfortunately the things they hear from the T.V. are just the beginning. I'm definitely not quite ready for the rest of it yet. I guess all I can do is cross my fingers, and pray all those small teaching moments are getting through.