HBO NEVER showed X-rated porn. Just the slightly naughty soft-core R-rated Immanuel type stuff. I remember the first time I went to a real x-rated theater. The part of the leading man was being played by a cucumber.

The one I still remember seemed to exceed R by a fingerbang and an oral examination... so to speak. But I'll take your word for it. Back then, I thought any prolonged nudity = X. ???

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I watched WWF for as long as I can remember. We got cable when I was 5, and my dad would watch softcore stuff on Cinemax and not mind if I watched with him. We were allowed as much TV as we wanted - we were allowed to stay up as late as we wanted on weekends - and my parents had no idea what we watched. None of this was questioned. I watched plenty of MTV and I believe I did ask my parents what a virgin was after seeing the Madonna video. My dad loves super violent and super scary movies and I watched everything with them. Don't tell me there weren't any violent, gory movies before 1990 - I've seen most of them! They never had babysitters, and we always went to bed late, so it's not like they saved anything to watch when we weren't around.

I'm not advocating this "parenting style" as I disagree with much of it now, but I still maintain that kids can handle a whole lot more than people realize. I also maintain that it's up to individuals to parent as they see fit.

CP, what do you disagree with? I'm grappling with this right now. We let our 4 year old (at the time) watch Pirates I, and I was concerned about the scary scenes, but he had no problem with them. At his age, I wasn't allowed to go on the ride. I haven't seen Pirates II yet, and I'm not sure if he should or not, I guess I'll need to decide after I've seen it.

I don't think there is any sort of formula. I have three kids with differing personalities and it must be a bit taylored to each of them.

As an example with DL attractions, my 12 year old, when 6, was afraid of the unknown (still is), but the attractions genuinely did not scare her. She'd go on something freaking out about it, get off and say something like "wow, that wasn't bad, it was cool" and want to go on it over and over. My current 6 year old isn't afriad of the unknown so much as he is genuinely scared when he gets off something and then doesn't want to go again. So with the elder, it is make her try it. With the younger it is think real hard if it will genuinely freak him out. My four year old fears nothing.

That translates into TV viewing as well wihin our family, within certain limits, of course.

Rides, attractions, experiences - I wasn't shielded, but I was fearless. Nudity and violence......I was SHOCKED the first time I saw at nipple on the big screen. I thought people were arrested if they showed that. (The film was Ryan's Daughter.)

Just watched Fitzcarraldo without knowing anything about it other than being directed by Werner Herzog (which is why I've had it from Netflix for about 3 months and am only now watching it).

There are a couple visually interesting scenes that they actually did rather than using models. Which is a waste since I just assumed they were models anyway.

Kinski is always interesting to watch work. In looking it up I see that Jason Robards was originally supposed to play the role and boy would that have been a different result.

I love Fitzcaraldo. It was filmed in the jungles of Peru and in the town of Iquitos. I visited Iquitos few years after Fitzcarraldo was made, so I have a bond with it. I also love Klaus Kinsky (but that's more of a Nosferatu thing).

This film also heightened my appreciation of white linen suits.