 My son was always asking for different shows to watch on TV, so I thought it was no big deal when he asked me to put on SpongeBob SquarePants. Little did I know that the episode he had in mind, was going to haunt my thoughts for weeks to come. The episode my son had chosen was called, The Skinrotter. It had been aired only once, on Nicktoons, and was so extreme in its graphic violence and gore, that it had been taken off the air shortly after. I was horrified to see what was happening on screen. The poor yellow SpongeBob can terrorize a hideous sea creature, slowly tore apart the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom. It was like my own petrifying nightmare. My son was mesmerized by the mayhem he was watching, laughing as SpongeBob and his friends tried desperately to fight off the monster. I was so horrified that I almost grabbed the remote, and switched off the TV, but instead I took a deep breath, and pulled my son close to me. I explained to him that, although the special episode was entertaining, he needed to understand that he should not be exposed to such level of violence and fear. Furthermore, I reassured him that some of the things he had seen were just made for television, and did not align with our beliefs. After my son felt safe and secure in my arms, he thanked me and hugged me tightly. We went on to have a long and meaningful conversation about violence in television, and the responsibility of adults to protect children from its negative influence. Despite the horrors he had witnessed, I was relieved that my son had taken the time to think through the episode's deeper implications. He had heard my words and taken them to heart.