---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My parents were great parents, but for…"
description: "\"My parents were great parents, but for some bizarre reason they allowed me to watch whatever I wanted on TV, we had cable. And I constantly watched hor..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/christopher-bollen-9436_bizarre_my-parents-were-great-parents-but-for-so_3197736.jpg"
---

#  My parents were great parents, but for some bizarre reason…

![“My parents were great parents, but for some bizarre reason they allowed me to watch whatever I wanted on TV, we had cable. And I constantly watched horror movies.” quote by Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/christopher-bollen-9436_bizarre_my-parents-were-great-parents-but-for-so_3197736.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/christopher-bollen-9436_bizarre_my-parents-were-great-parents-but-for-so_3197736.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/christopher-bollen-9436_bizarre_my-parents-were-great-parents-but-for-so_3197736.jpg)

> “My parents were great parents, but for some bizarre reason they allowed me to watch whatever I wanted on TV, we had cable. And I constantly watched horror movies.”

[Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Unrestricted media exposure shapes personal taste and creative imagination.

**In simple terms:** Cable TV broadened his horror interest.

Key Takeaway

Balance media diet for healthy imagination.

Themes

media creativity upbringing

Mood

curious nostalgic

Type

analytical personal

When to use this quote

- childhood TV habits
- genre preference
- creative writing
- film criticism

Key Concepts

cultural influence media literacy

Questions to Reflect On

- How does early media shape adult preferences?
- Should parents limit certain content?

A Different Perspective

Overexposure can skew perception of reality.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bizarre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bizarre/) [Great parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-parents/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Horror movies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror-movies/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/)

## Related quotes

> [I was brought up by great parents and great grandparents who told me, 'Never, ever think that you're better than anyone else or that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-adams/i-was-brought-up-by-great-parents-and-great-grandparents-who-told-me/)

[Yolanda Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-adams/)

> [My parents divorced when I was very, very young, but they maintained an incredibly amicable relationship. They were great partners, they were great parents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-zea/my-parents-divorced-when-i-was-very-very-young-but-they-maintained-an/)

[Natalie Zea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-zea/)

> [We all can think of at least one kid who had great parents, a great family, and an all-around great childhood...who suddenly went crazy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-andrews/we-all-can-think-of-at-least-one-kid-who-had-great-parents-a-great/)

[Andy Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-andrews/)

> [I think when you're 16, if you have good parents, they generally just fade in the background. I had great parents, and because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-when-you-re-16-if-you-have-good-parents-they-generally-just/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [Outside of my family, I don't really know. They're great people and my parents are great parents, and they brought me up very well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pattinson/outside-of-my-family-i-don-t-really-know-they-re-great-people-and-my/)

[Robert Pattinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pattinson/)

> [We were like a white family from the 1920s or something. My parents had this bizarre, different way of looking at things from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-white/we-were-like-a-white-family-from-the-1920s-or-something-my-parents/)

[Jack White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-white/)

> [I watched horror films growing up, and I would love watching them with friends. But then, I would spend the next week sleeping in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-rothe/i-watched-horror-films-growing-up-and-i-would-love-watching-them-with/)

[Jessica Rothe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-rothe/)

> [I'm a horror movie fan; I'm an avid fan and have been since I was five years old. My father and I watched horror…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-ashley-carter/i-m-a-horror-movie-fan-i-m-an-avid-fan-and-have-been-since-i-was-five/)

[Lauren Ashley Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-ashley-carter/)

> [I watched horror movies way too young and one of my favorite horror movies was The Shining. Jack Nicholson's character in that just bore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-haun/i-watched-horror-movies-way-too-young-and-one-of-my-favorite-horror/)

[Lindsey Haun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-haun/)

> [There was a year between school and getting going as an actor when I basically just watched films. Video shops were the new thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aidan-gillen/there-was-a-year-between-school-and-getting-going-as-an-actor-when-i/)

[Aidan Gillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aidan-gillen/)

> [“David Kay, listening in, had no idea what this was about, but he watched in horror as Mrs. Russet's gaze turned from weathered shingles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-stroh/david-kay-listening-in-had-no-idea-what-this-was-about-but-he-watched/)

[Suzanne Stroh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-stroh/)

> [“We always watched horror movies. As a child I remember sitting up into the early hours of the morning watching horror movies with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/we-always-watched-horror-movies-as-a-child-i-remember-sitting-up-into/)

[Damien Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-echols/)

> [I never wanted to be a wild kid. I respected my parents and I had great friends. I was lucky. We did a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-underwood/i-never-wanted-to-be-a-wild-kid-i-respected-my-parents-and-i-had/)

[Carrie Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-underwood/)

> [Often parents have a great desire and hopes, and aspirations for their kids but they don't have any practical plans of action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kendrick/often-parents-have-a-great-desire-and-hopes-and-aspirations-for-their/)

[Stephen Kendrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kendrick/)

> [My parents and I always put great emphasis on telling stories that appeal to a child's sense of humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-berenstain/my-parents-and-i-always-put-great-emphasis-on-telling-stories-that/)

[Mike Berenstain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-berenstain/)

## More by Christopher Bollen

> [Safety, reputation, their lives, their friends, and their world. Writers typically try to avoid that because it's not expedient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/safety-reputation-their-lives-their-friends-and-their-world-writers/)

[Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/)

> [There's something about fear and aesthetic that go hand in hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/there-s-something-about-fear-and-aesthetic-that-go-hand-in-hand/)

[Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/)

> [You find when you're writing a detective story that you're actually not trying to solve anything. You're trying to stop the reader from solving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/you-find-when-you-re-writing-a-detective-story-that-you-re-actually/)

[Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/)

> [ I'm convinced I was the only kid ever who had a Death on the Nile \[1978\] movie poster and a Murder on the Orient… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/i-m-convinced-i-was-the-only-kid-ever-who-had-a-death-on-the-nile/)

[Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/)

> [The death drive is parasitic. It runs off of other drives, leeching off of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/the-death-drive-is-parasitic-it-runs-off-of-other-drives-leeching-off/)

[Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/)

> [It's hard for me to figure out where I want to be. But it's definitely in New York. I feel like New York throws…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/it-s-hard-for-me-to-figure-out-where-i-want-to-be-but-it-s-definitely/)

[Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/)

> [There's also something sexual about watching the nubile girl in terror. But you do take on her fear as your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/there-s-also-something-sexual-about-watching-the-nubile-girl-in/)

[Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/)

> [I've never had a mentor. I've always wanted one. I'm actually really disappointed that nobody took my under their wing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/i-ve-never-had-a-mentor-i-ve-always-wanted-one-i-m-actually-really/)

[Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/)

> [The Greeks really believed in history. They believed that the past had consequences and that you might be punished for the sins of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/the-greeks-really-believed-in-history-they-believed-that-the-past-had/)

[Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/)

> [I was never afraid on stage. That's where I was the least afraid. I could just do what I do and I had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/i-was-never-afraid-on-stage-that-s-where-i-was-the-least-afraid-i/)

[Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/)

> [One day I want to write a full-on horror book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/one-day-i-want-to-write-a-full-on-horror-book/)

[Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/)

> [When you create a fence, you keep people out, but you also limit your mobility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/when-you-create-a-fence-you-keep-people-out-but-you-also-limit-your/)

[Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/)

> [I just think, as writers, especially with a book that takes years to write, you sort of wake up every morning hoping and praying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/i-just-think-as-writers-especially-with-a-book-that-takes-years-to/)

[Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/)

> [There is something very romantic about the orphan figure in American literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/there-is-something-very-romantic-about-the-orphan-figure-in-american/)

[Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/)

> [It is a little out of touch to presume that someone wants to follow your every observation and insight over the course of hundreds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/it-is-a-little-out-of-touch-to-presume-that-someone-wants-to-follow/)

[Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/)

[Explore all 72 Christopher Bollen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/)

## More Bizarre quotes

> [“but 20 years from now it will be bizarre if you walk into a store and the store doesn’t know who you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-scoble/but-20-years-from-now-it-will-be-bizarre-if-you-walk-into-a-store-and/)

[Robert Scoble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-scoble/)

> [My illness is one often characterized by dramatic overspending - in my case through frenzied shopping sprees, credit card abuse, excessive hoarding of unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/my-illness-is-one-often-characterized-by-dramatic-overspending-in-my/)

[Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/)

> [Even the two times that I left, I never really felt like I left the band. It's very bizarre. It's like there's sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wakeman/even-the-two-times-that-i-left-i-never-really-felt-like-i-left-the/)

[Rick Wakeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wakeman/)

> [Consumer wants can have bizarre, frivolous, or even immoral origins, and an admirable case can still be made for a society that seeks to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/consumer-wants-can-have-bizarre-frivolous-or-even-immoral-origins-and/)

[John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

> [The single greatest pleasure that I have in doing ('Bizarre Foods') is when I meet families with 6, 7, 8-year-olds, or teenagers, who say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-zimmern/the-single-greatest-pleasure-that-i-have-in-doing-bizarre-foods-is/)

[Andrew Zimmern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-zimmern/)

> [Someone once bought me loads of clothes from a charity shop - and sent them to me in a black bin liner. That was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-shaw/someone-once-bought-me-loads-of-clothes-from-a-charity-shop-and-sent/)

[Suzanne Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-shaw/)

> [I wrote the script of Patton. I had this very bizarre opening where he stands up in front of an American flag and gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-ford-coppola/i-wrote-the-script-of-patton-i-had-this-very-bizarre-opening-where-he/)

[Francis Ford Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-ford-coppola/)

> [The Kuiper belt region, which I call the third zone because it lies beyond the rocky terrestrial planets and beyond the giant planets, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/the-kuiper-belt-region-which-i-call-the-third-zone-because-it-lies/)

[Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/)

> [How I keep trying to force our story into a fairy tale, but from the beginning, it's been more like a nursery rhyme." "Bizarre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/how-i-keep-trying-to-force-our-story-into-a-fairy-tale-but-from-the/)

[Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/)

> [“Entropy The Disintegrating Integration of Cheez-Whiz Squirts Insipid Inspiration Quoth the Oblong Eclipse of Nether-Knowledge Never Knowing Decaying Matter in a Decaying Orbit Orangutans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ubiquitous-bubba/entropy-the-disintegrating-integration-of-cheez-whiz-squirts-insipid/)

Ubiquitous Bubba

> ['Aiyyaa' was a bizarre film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prithviraj-sukumaran/aiyyaa-was-a-bizarre-film/)

[Prithviraj Sukumaran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prithviraj-sukumaran/)

> [My wife and I have created our own language. We can be at a table with six other people and have an argument without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-wentz/my-wife-and-i-have-created-our-own-language-we-can-be-at-a-table-with/)

[Pete Wentz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-wentz/)

> [I'm quite a good reader of people; I like to meet people, and I can tell if they're lying or not, and I've certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhys-darby/i-m-quite-a-good-reader-of-people-i-like-to-meet-people-and-i-can/)

[Rhys Darby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhys-darby/)

> [On 'Undeclared,' I was actually the only person who had gone to college. Here we are doing this college show, and no one had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-gallo/on-undeclared-i-was-actually-the-only-person-who-had-gone-to-college/)

[Carla Gallo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-gallo/)

> [Our workforce is very co-operative, very flexible, easy to work with and one of the big selling points. The idea that Britain is still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/our-workforce-is-very-co-operative-very-flexible-easy-to-work-with/)

[Vince Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/)

[Browse all 717 Bizarre quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bizarre/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "My parents were great parents, but for some bizarre reason they allowed me to watch whatever I wanted on TV, we had cable. And I constantly watched horror movies.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Christopher Bollen"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/my-parents-were-great-parents-but-for-some-bizarre-reason-they/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bizarre"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/my-parents-were-great-parents-but-for-some-bizarre-reason-they/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/christopher-bollen-9436_bizarre_my-parents-were-great-parents-but-for-so_3197736.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/christopher-bollen-9436_bizarre_my-parents-were-great-parents-but-for-so_3197736.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/christopher-bollen-9436_bizarre_my-parents-were-great-parents-but-for-so_3197736.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“My parents were great parents, but for some bizarre reason they allowed me to watch whatever I wanted on TV…” — Christopher Bollen",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Christopher Bollen",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "My parents were great parents, but...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/my-parents-were-great-parents-but-for-some-bizarre-reason-they/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/my-parents-were-great-parents-but-for-some-bizarre-reason-they/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
