We should look at the irony in the messages we send young girls compared to the messages older girls sing.
Over a year ago I discussed what Mickey Mouse directly and indirectly teaches children. I remarked that even though I strive to limit my children's television viewing, they inevitably see some. Mickey Mouse is a favorite. I allow it, even though I worry its messages muddle the lessons my children's parents teach them.
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| See these costumes? Should I have done this? Mom guilt riddles me. |
As Ty gets older, he naturally moves onto other shows. "Phineas and Ferb" is his new favorite. The show focuses on Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher, who are step-brothers. Phineas is boisterous, which smartly offsets Ferb's reserved personality. They have a pet platypus, Perry, who is also an underground secret agent. The boys and the platypus' antics engage my son.
Every day Phineas and Ferb build outlandish buildings, computers, airplanes, and roller-coasters while Perry saves the area from an evil doctor. The plots occur separately, but typically intertwine at the end. The boys have friends (with minor roles) and parents (with even more minor roles).
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| My son relates to the creativity on the show. |
Aside from the mom, female characters are limited. The boys have a sister, Candace Flynn. Candace's best friend is Stacy. Isabella crushes on Phineas, and she is leader of a the Fireside Girls, which is much like Girl Scouts.
Sometimes I laugh at the show. Phineas pulls ingenious stunts while his British brother says little but pulls solutions out of his hat. Perry the Platypus sneaks around. The mom gets her hair done thirty times a month. We have no idea where the dad is. Phineas shows no knowledge that Isabella likes him, which leaves me wondering the same way I did while Niles liked Daphne on "Frasier." The show has advanced themes that play on a kid's level, but a higher level for adults.
I enjoy the show, which is why it is strange that it simultaneously makes me want to puke and pull my hair out. "Phineas and Ferb" sends messages to young children that are inappropriate and perhaps even dangerous - and I am not talking about what Phineas and Ferb build.
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| I hope my daughter fails to relate to the female characters on the show. |
I've complained before about Minnie and Daisy's lack of character development compared to their male costars. "The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse", a show directed at preschool students, unfortunately sends a simplistic message about females. "Phineas and Ferb," a show directed at elementary students, sends a complex one. Females no longer have bland and simplistic personalities; they have male-centered personalities. "Phineas and Ferb" is anachronistic in its portrayal of girls.
Every action from Candace is male-focused. Largely, Candace spends her days "busting" her brothers, or trying to rat them out to her mother for their misbehavior. She never succeeds. She instead traps herself in shemozzles striving to tattle. Her mom then sighs at her, and Candace leaves, defeated, wondering why she failed. The men (even Perry) stultify her attempts, every, single, time.
When not worrying about her brothers, Candace is waiting for her boyfriend's phone call, waiting for him to call her his "girlfriend," or preparing for a date. Candace is a maven at disguising her true personality for Jeremy, her love interest. Take the time Jeremy participates in a pet wash. As Candace complains at Perry for being a "meat-brick," Jeremy explains how you can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat animals. Candace immediately changes her demeanor and attitude toward Perry, and takes him to the pet wash to continue the front that she loves her pet. When not focusing on her brothers, Candace sedulously works to change herself to please her boyfriend.
The female characters on "Phineas and Ferb" are obsessed with males - whether it be a boyfriend or brother. They are not gormless, but their worlds focus on pleasing men through their actions, sincere or not. Even the minor characters, such as Isabella, strive to gain the affections of males through lies. (How many Fireside Girl badges does Isabella have connected to helping Phineas?) Young girls mimic these female characters, and these characters do not focus on themselves like the males do. Everyone concentrates on males.
What are these shows teaching our youth? The direct messages seem safe, but the indirect messages scare me. Are they mimicking society? Are they dictating society? Impressing these roles on young children is dangerous: males build and create, females concern themselves with males. This must influences girls who grow up watching such situations play out. What characters will my daughter see in the coming years?
As I travel this parenting road, I worry what shows my children will face as they grow. From viewing a few clips directed at older children ("Good Luck Charlie" and "Ant Farm"), the obvious demeaning qualities in females seem to be gone, but maybe they are present and just less obvious. My infrequent viewing of them may be at fault too, as I only have a four and two year-old and have not watched them in-depth. I have, however, seen the Selena Gomez video "Who Says" shown during breaks of "Phineas and Ferb":
You made me insecure
Told me I wasn't good enough...
Who says you're not perfect
Who says you're not worth it
Who says you're not pretty
Who says you're not beautiful
Older girls watching that video, wondering "who says"? I know who told you that you were inferior. Now you know too.
I have the same fears you do! On one hand, I want to protect my girls from shows and music that teach the wrong message...but on the other hand, I don't want to shield them too much and keep them from seeing popular shows their peers watch. (My parents didn't let me watch the Dukes of Hazzard because of Daisy Duke, and I think I was the only one in my class who couldn't watch it!) It's a hard job, parenting.
ReplyDeleteI 100% have the same fears, for the same reasons! I was incredibly limited in the television I could watch and I always felt behind, left-out. At the same time, I think the portrayal of females on these young shows is bunk. I don't like my daughter thinking she should act like that, or my son thinking women should act like that! It is very difficult.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one then, who as a teenager was totally obsessed with boys. Spent hours thinking about my hair. Had posters of my famous boy crushes hanging on my walls. Screamed like crazy over boy bands like 'Nsync and Backstreet Boys...silly me but I thought this was normal teenage behavior!?!?! I grew out of it, and I expect that my daughter and her friends will too. My friends and I all turned out OK. I think I'll spend my time worrying about drugs, and the pressures of premarital sex, and sexting and bullying rather than if my kids are picking up subliminal messages from Phineas and Ferb!
ReplyDeleteThe point I was reaching for was why that is normal behavior. I never disputed that it is "normal." I want to know why it is acceptable for a television show to depict boys as creative and centered on themselves, while girls focus on boys.
ReplyDeleteYou also mention premarital sex. Does the focus on boys not lead into that? I really see a strong connection there. Also, sexting? Isn't that often sent from girls to impress boys? I am seeing a connection from all of this. I think all messages that we send kids mean something.
I can't speak as a parent, because I'm not one but speaking from the point of view of someone who teaches children, I've witnessed the manifestation of these worries.
ReplyDeleteLast spring I worked with children from 8-10 years of age and noticed a lot of the kids talking about "dating" and having "boyfriends" and "girlfriends." While I think this is (unfortunately) "normal" behavior, I noticed a concerning pattern.
One little girl was crying in class and when I asked her what was the matter, she told me her "boyfriend" didn't think she was "sexy" enough and that her mom wouldn't wear the kind of clothes he told her to wear. Told her.
Of course, this was concerning in and of itself because of the young age of the student, but it also reminded me of my friends in high school and college who changed everything about themselves and would sacrifice anything and everything for the guy they were dating. They never expected the guy to come halfway or compromise - they just accepted that they were flawed, and that this guy must have all the fixes for those flaws. I was sick to my stomach knowing that this behavior had trickled down to my third grade students.
It isn't a new phenomenon at all, in fact it is fueled, if you ask me, by pre-women's rights era gender roles and familial expectations in society. Dad works, mom busts her chops at home without an ounce of credit, dad gives mom an allowance for a bit of ruffly fabric for a dress, the boys are urged to focus and do well in school and at home, the girls learn cutesy things to make a home pretty.
We could pull from other cultures too - women are expected to cover their bodies, bind their feet, keep their mouths shut, and marry whoever their father tells them to, depending on which country you're in.
As the previous poster mentioned, sexting is a new phenomenon that exemplifies the way history repeats itself. Now, the boy will give her the gift of saying he's her "boyfriend" (a status symbol for girls who should be happy with themselves singly, but aren't) but in return? She'll show him what he wants to see, and likely give him what he wants to have, too. All too common.
Now, many girls AND grown women develop their self worth and self esteem either on the one man who has them dangling by a string, or by how many men they can please.
Again, I'm not a parent, but if I were I would want my daughter to determine her self worth at every age by her own accomplishments, her own personality and the good that she puts out into the world. Not by any boy, or by how many frills she can put on to impress one. I would want my son to respect women for those same ideals, and see them as complex human beings, not frilly, empty-headed playthings.
Those ideals, and many others, are heavily influenced by the parenting and guidance they receive, but media and friend influence do play a significant role.
Lauralee, I don't think you have anything to worry about because you're an involved parent who will have conversations with your children to know what they believe, and help guide their understanding of themselves and others. It's the parents who stick their children in front of TV shows or the computer so they don't have to parent them, that worry me.
Oh, and my third grade class's favorite TV show overall was not Phineas and Ferb (if only) it was a tie between Jersey Shore and South Park.
....but that's another issue, entirely!
Thanks Kayla for your incredibly thoughtful response. I agree that the portrayal of females is rooted in history. Traditions take numerous generations to die, and this seems to be one of them. The idea that women should focus on men is still around. I find it troubling because it starts so young (my daughter is 2!) and simply trains them to think that way.
ReplyDeleteYou mention something else that I find important and perhaps necessary for a balance: that discussing ideas with children works. It seems like a simple idea, but it often doesn't happen. Perhaps exposing children to these shows and then combing through them is positive. I fear taking "normal" exposures away, especially when they are not directly harmful. Hmm. The reflections never end.
Absolutely.
ReplyDeleteI think that allowing your child's favorite TV programs and other social norms provoke conversation will not only allow you, as the parent, a portal into your child's perceptions but also feel more organic to the child than sitting him or her down for a "discussion." Many parents make the mistake of formalizing conversation and turn their child off to the idea of talking with mom or dad long before the dreaded preteen and teen phases.
I also do not think there is an age too young for these provocations for discussion. If your form your questions and answers to be appropriate for your child, especially basing the conversation on characters they adore, I would imagine you'd find your child to be very insightful. Encouraging children to exercise curiosity and cultivate a perspective on any topic will help them expand their mind and be better learners. Additionally, if you, as the parent, are providing a forum that is supportive and engaging and giving your child an equal voice, whether the child is 2 or 12, mutual trust can be achieved.
You mention balance, which I think is key to all things. In my observations, many parents who set their children free to explore the world, no holds barred, but never follow up with any direction or show interest in the child's findings, end up with danger on their hands. An even bigger danger, however, sometimes sprouts from a home situation that is overly sheltered. The sheltered child must still join the teen and adult worlds, which will never be as kind or clean as home, and he is often sucked into greater danger and risk than his more streetwise counterpart previously mentioned.
The balance, then, is to orivude exposure, as you mentioned, to things that that are not going to hurt your child but that might provide a platform for discussion and definitely allow your child to feel socially blended enough not to struggle.
I am certain that the lines of communication are open between you and your children. The fortunate thing about keeping conversation an organic part of your children's home life is that when they are going off to friend's houses and other outings without you, they might come home and share what they saw and ask questions. These questions and observations might be hard to swallow as a parent, but you'll be far luckier than the mother who never knew and never had the opportunity to guide and redirect.
:)
We are so all over the place on t.v. watching at our home. For the longest time we didn't have cable, so no t.v. I was never really concerned whether the kids would fit in with their peers because A. I home school and B. When they get together with friends, t.v. shows don't seem to be the subject on their minds. There really is very little quality programing on t.v. for kids (or even for adults)
ReplyDeleteWhen we did have cable I was hooked on a cartoon (I can't remember the name) about a foster home for imaginary friends. I loved it even though at times I cringed over the snarkiness and language which was usually verging on disrespectful, but I watched along with my kids anyway. I mean, really, my parents had not a clue to everything I watched and I turned out to be an acceptable human being and a wonderful mom and loving, loyal wife. Not bad!
The weird thing is I loved I Love Lucy when I was growing up and a few months ago my kids and I watched an episode. I was horrified. Ricky actually spanked Lucy. My kids were asking me what he was doing and why would he spank his wife...it was very uncomfortable. So we've come a long way and the messages today are not so obvious, but the kids will still get them. As long as they are asking questions and there viewing is limited and peppered with strong role models (I currently love Word Girl) they'll be just fine. (But we'll still be fretting:)
This is silly. It is, after all, a cartoon. The mother is a former pop star, the father is a stereotypically dry British caricature, Baljeet is the bullied, mathematically ingenius Indian kid, Buford is the big bully who wears a black shirt with a skull on it. Stereotypes, to be sure, but what, do you want Candice to run a multi-million dollar corporation? Who, then, would be the antagonist? And what stereotypes would we then be able to complain about?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, your daughters role model isn't going to be Minnie Mouse or Candice Flynn. It's you.
I think it's more than a little silly to try to find sexism or racism in every little thing. Sometimes there is no larger message to be told -- sometimes it's just a cartoon.
Thanks for coming over to my blog. If you read more, you will likely find that I do not "try to find sexism or racism in every little thing."
ReplyDeleteMy question for you though, is if my ideas are so silly, why do little girls act like Minnie Mouse? It isn't taking it too far to say girls a bit older will act like Candice.
No, I don't want Candice to run a multimillion dollar corporation. I want her to have her own interests - biking, writing poetry, something aside from her boyfriend and her brothers. Her two focuses in life center on what the males in her life are doing. She hides who she really is, what her real interests are. Cartoon or not, that is pathetic. Cartoon or not, it is also sending a very sexist message.
I didn't mean to imply that *you* try to find sexism in everything. I just mean that overall, if one looks hard enough, one *will* find something about which to be offended.
ReplyDeleteI suppose that your question provides a bit of a "chicken or the egg" conundrum. Do older girls act like Candice, or was Candice written that way because that's the way teenage girls act? Also, it's important to remember that it is a cartoon and artistic license has been, and will continue to be, taken. Hopefully our kids realize that platypodes (and other household pets) are not secret agents, There are no such things as aliens and no matter how smart Ferb is, he cannot fashion a giant paper airplane capable of carrying 6 passengers across the ocean!
Listen, I appreciate that you're concerned about proper role models for your daughter, i really do. i don't let my boys watch *many* of the old Disney movies and TV shows because they are ultra violent. But concerning yourself with the "focus" and "real interests" of a two dimensional cartoon character is just a bit much for me. It is akin to a PETA activist writing a blog post asserting that the show teaches kids to abuse animals because after all, Doofenshmirtz punches and kicks Perry on occasion.
I honestly don't mean to be disrespectful or mean, and i hope you don't take it that way.
By the way, I *did* Google the plural of platypus. Platypodes is more fun than platypuses, so i went with it. =)
Hey "jaaileer" thanks for coming back to my blog. I have no idea about PETA, but you did hit on an old question: does art imitate life, or does life imitate art? Because sure, "Phineas and Ferb" is art - expensive art done by a huge corporation. Disney holds the potential to portray females in a positive light and influence a huge audience. They choose not to do so, and I argue that is wrong, especially since they portray themselves as a family company. Showing Candice as only focused on males is silly; hopefully girls today have more to do than only focus on a boyfriend.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I think it is interesting that the situation might be different if Candice was the only female portrayed this way. Isabella is the same though. She is involved in her girl group, but the group mostly gets "Help Phineas Badges." She is preoccupied with a male, and very little with herself.
I too think that this denouncement of Candace Flynn is completely bogus, and is symptomatic of you and other women really not trying to raise their daughters or sons as well as you should As one person said above, the primary person who influences your daughter is you, not characters on TV like Candace Flynn (who is the comic foil in this show.)
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think that your (and Geena Davis's) trying to make girl characters into super-perfect characters does not make them interesting characters, but ciphers of the kind that you are saying most female characters are already.
Rather than complain and moan about how TV isn't serving your needs, I think that you should go back to school, learn film & television scriptwriting, and then set yourself to the task of getting said script with the kind of character you want to see produced for TV-assuming, or course, that somebody would accept said script with the all-perfect female characters that you'd created.
BTW, if you think that there aren't any positive female characters on TV (much like Ms. Davis thought there weren't), here's a list from the past and the present:
Velma Dinkley (Scooby-Doo franchise)
Lady Jaye, Scarlet, & Covergirl (G.I.Joe)
Wonder Woman (Super Friends and the subsequent recent Justice League shows)
Gwen Tennyson (Ben 10, Ben 10: Alien Force, Ben 10: Ultimate Alien)
The Sailor Scouts (Sailor Moon franchise)
Gadget Hackwrench (Chip & Dale's Rescue Rangers)
Elisa Maza (Gargoyles)
Kim Possible (Kim Possible)
Hawkgirl/Shyera Hol (Justice League & Justice League Unlimited )
Supergirl/Kara In-Ze/Kara Kent (Superman: The Animated Series & Justice League Unlimited)
Sally (The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About That!)
Ruby Gloom (Ruby Gloom)
Batgirl/Barbara Gordon (Batman: The Animated Series)
Janine Melnitz (The Real Ghostbusters
Abby Archer (Grossology)
Dot Matrix (Reboot)
Penny Brown (Inspector Gadget)
Starfire (Teen Titans)
Raven (Teen Titans)
Jean Grey (X-Men & X-Men: Evolution)
Shadowcat/Kitty Pryde (X-Men: Evolution & Wolverine & The X-Men)
Angela Anaconda (Angela Anaconda)
Pepper Ann Pierson (Pepper Ann)
Moose Pierson (Pepper Ann)
Gretchen Grendler & Ashley Spinelli (Reecess)
Lydia Deetz (Beetlejuice)
Brenda, aka Skate Girl (Teamo Supremo)
Betty Barrett, aka Atomic Betty (Atomic Betty)
Ariel Flyer & Wendy Waters (Rescue Heroes)
Samantha Manson (Danny Phantom)
Blossom, Bubbles, & Buttercup Utonium (The Powerpuff Girls)
Maggie Strong (MetaJets)
Janet Van Dyne/The Wasp (Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes)
Those are as much as I could come up with, but you get the idea.
Hi. Thanks for coming over, AND thanks for the unnecessary sarcasm!
ReplyDeleteIt is nice that you developed such a long list of strong female characters. I could add my personal favorite, Lois Lane, to the list. If we brainstormed, we could probably develop positive and negative male characters.
Candace is interesting. However her personality is also anachronistic. Girls that focus completely on boys - that idea is part of the past. Portraying such a character is irresponsible, (regardless of how many positive female characters television has) and downright silly.
Thanks for the reminder that I need to be a role model for my daughter - but you can see that I already am. For instance, in this post, I model for her how to analyze television characters and not simply assume that such behavior by them is acceptable.
My two-year old daughter and I actually watch Phineas and Ferb as well. (She loves the songs, and the voice of Doofenshmirtz makes her giggle). So, I can see your point. And I agree with the idea that I don't want my daughter to be "boy focused" so that her every word/deed is aimed at pleasing boys.
ReplyDeleteThat having been said, I have to also say that I don't find the show offensive to girls, and I don't think that it is sending them the wrong message. I think that it all depends on how you present the material to your own child, and what lessons you teach from it. The show can be used as a teaching tool to show a girl what NOT to do just as easily as it can influence what they do, (the reason Candace fails is because she is boy-obsessed, etc.). I certainly don't see Isabella's character as a bad influence, either. She is in love with Phineas, and does things to please him, true, but at the same time she is extremely strong, smart, and creative herself. Which shows that the girls are just as useful and productive as the boys on the show. In fact, there was an episode not long ago that focused entirely on Isabella and the fireside girls, and thier creativity and resourcefulness was very well displayed.
I should also point out that there are MANY shows out there (particularly on Disney Channel) that focus completely on girls, and make the boys look silly, or like they are merely slaves to thier hormones, always trying to please girls. It's an unfair double standard to allow that and not allow a show that features boys, where girls take a back seat. I think it's nice that there is at least ONE show out there that young boys can watch where they get to shine and are encouraged to be creative and intelligent, and where girls aren't the main focus.