Also... What 16 year olds weren't allowed to watch The Simpsons in 1997? I mean, yeah when it came out and I was 9 in like 1989 maybe it was edgy... But 1997 it was prime time. South Park was a little edgy in 1997, but not The Simpsons.
I think this might have been more common than you would expect, particularly with devout Christian families. A good amount subscribed to newsletters that told them which media was Christian/family-friendly. Simpsons was definitely banned in our house along with MTV completely.
Meanwhile I watched Harry and the Hendersons with my 5 year old last week and was shocked at the amount of gunplay going on.
I had friends who could not watch the Simpsons because they said "Damn"
Did this friend happen to be called Leopold Stotch?
hah this was pre-SouthPark
Probably just as well. They would have realised the Flanders's's' were a caricature of they're lives and unravelled years of meticulous parenting.