Sexism on CBBC

[sunshineandbooks]

I supervise my DC's TV viewing quite carefully because I worry about media portrayal of women and the way in which society is presented in general. I hate advertising so we tend to stick to CBeebies/CBBC/laptop. I turned on CBBC this morning, thinking state-subsidised broadcaster, high ethical standards, etc. So imagine my horror when their Young Dracula programme was introduced with the presenter promising "not to scream like a girl"

Have just emailed a complaint.

[DontCallMeFrothyDragon]

I've gone off the entire BBC empire of late. The sexism isn't contained to their children's TV shows, either. The whole TV empire, at least, is corrupt.

I think there should be an opt-out option, where if you didn't want the Beeb flooding your TV with their misogyny, you could refuse a TV license, and they'd cut off the broadcast to your house. Or something like that.

[Tyr]

No whining noises coming from me Makiko but I?m sure the sources will be back soon enough. They are probably trawling the web as we speak, looking for T-shirts, ads, FB sites etc to be offended by. Alternatively, they?ve already found their daily fix and are writing the inevitable complaints.
Like religious fundamentalists who see "sin" everywhere, they can?t afford to let their vigilance drop for a minute.

[Rollon2012]

Don't you think complaining is a bit excessive?

[DontCallMeFrothyDragon]

Loves the silencing tactics used by certain posters

[PamBeesly]

How annoying OP, I think you were right to email and complain.

[GrumpyInRepose]

dry up Tyr. Complaining about people complaining that's us told, then.
sadly dd 2.3 can already tell me which toys are for girls and which are boys. I realise that's not cbeebies fault, but kids tv as a whole.

[Tyr]

"dry up" I haven't heard that since I was a kid. Are you from N.Ireland?

[sunshineandbooks]

THe complaint I emailed went along the lines of:

Dear BBC,

As an introduction to this morning's 'Young Dracula', the presenter promised "not to scream like a girl". I appreciate this is a popular phrase used among young people and doesn't necessarily mean the presenter is saying that girls are somehow inferior/more readily scared than boys. I am not saying he is sexist, but his language use is, even if he is unaware of it.

Language such as this helps create a backdrop where language continues to portray girls and women as lesser/weaker/sillier than men and boys. This contributes to a society where women's status is devalued. It's subtle but important and a well-documented phenomenon.

As a broadcaster to young, impressionable minds, I feel you have a duty to help eradicate this and am disappointed to see such phrasing used on the channel. It would be considered unacceptable for a broadcaster to say "scream like a black man", so why is sexism any different? I hope to see better in the future.

Yours faithfully...

[pictish]

Good God...
Too much time on your hands OP.

[KRITIQ]

So some folks just trawl around MN looking for threads to beef about? Talk about folks with too much time on their hands, sheesh!

[sunshineandbooks]

To all of you who think this is a complete overreaction, I suggest you try the link posted by Boobz/KRITIQ on another thread. If, after watching it, you still think these 'unimportant' minor/subtle negative potrayals of women don't matter, then you never will and I reserve the right to consider you to be either a sexist or rather dim for internalising so much cultural misogyny.

Is this important in the grand scheme of things? Of course not. Does it matter? Yes.

History/sociology has very clearly shown us that as women achieve greater equality there is a backlash - manifested as greater violence against women and normalised through culture. Violence against women in the West is currently considered to be on the increase, particularly in the US which has arguably the most powerful cultural export in the world. Language is just one part of it and the real shame of it is that non-sexist people help to perpetuate it without even being aware of what they're doing.

I choose to challenge it.

[Tyr]

I suspect the BBC isn?t the only institution to have a shredder reserved for the pointless whingeing tripe they receive from a tiny handful of professional complainers from MN.
Of which the above is a prime example.

[sunshineandbooks]

at professional complainers. I've only written 3 formal complaints about anything in my life (as opposed to the numerous letters/emails I've sent complimenting good practice/service).

Tyr I would be hurt if I cared what you think, but happily I don't. Just as I neither expect a positive response from the BBC nor care if doesn't. I simply hope that my voice will be added to others and eventually this sort of campaigning will eventually pay off.

It is quite clear you've neither viewed that link nor given any serious contemplation to the issue of language and oppression. Just as it is clear that you like to consider yourself the objective patriarch who is intelligent, educated and impartial enough to have the higher ground. To anyone else it is clear that you are operating from a position of absolute male privilege, but you, of course, would not agree.

You're entitled to your opinion, as am I. The difference is that when I counter views that disagree with mine I try to give evidence and an argument as to why I've taken the POV I have, whereas all you can come out with is typical silencing tactics along the lines of "well that's just silly because... er because... er because..."

[messyisthenewtidy]

Tyr, if OP wants to complain then at least she is getting off her arse to do something about what she believes in. You on the other hand are just whinging without anything constructive to say.

It's really tiring..

[reddaisy]

OP you are right. I only started to care about these issues since I had a DD and don't get me started on the lyrics of pop songs - I want to be your victim etc, etc. DD is only 2.9 but already picks up the words from the radio with alarming speed. It is really sad the portrayal of women the world is presenting to our young daughters/sons.

[Vampirecella]

Sunshine, YANBU to complain, as is your right to, but I'm sure that the BBC isn't state subsidised. That's what your TV licence payments are for.

[Lio]

It was a good email, sunshine, brava.

[DontCallMeFrothyDragon]

Very well written, sunshine. :)