TV for toddler - is ANYTHING suitable? I've veto'd Postman Pat, Peppa, Rosie ...

Of course you were dismissing our concerns. You did it again.
If the television programme can show children how to share, why isn't it also showing them how to conform to gender stereotypes if that is what is being depicted?

Jess, many people don't think about these things. at all.

It's definitely worth thinking about. These are the messages that young children are being fed on a daily basis about women's place in society.

I don't think many people think about these things enough.

re complaints at my "too much thinking" comment.
its childrens television, its not meant for adults to watch and analyse, its our adult over thinking that changes the program from being how to share, or how to make new friends to becoming a poilitcal forum.

don't like it, don't watch that simple,

i was not dismissing anyone.

oh happy shoe polishing by the way

There's the age thing too... why are all the CBeebies presenters young? Where is the modern-day equivalent of Tony Hart?

And there is always Nuzzle and Scratch.............

I do have a theory on the gender stereotyping within the cbeebies community.........its purely for the parents who haven't got a clue! The children could not careless whether they are man/woman/type of vegetable/animal/robot. I find myself quite often wondering what gender the teletubbies are as I am frequently asked by my dd (3.5) who has just got interested in boys/girls

Too much thinking. That's a phrase that is used quite a lot in dismissing feminist analysis of pretty much anything.

How is thinking going to hurt anything? Will I not have enough time to polish DH shoes?

OP please relax, this is way too much thinking, pepper pig is pink but so are pigs, postman pat, has a female post office owner, female gp, female vet and female coffee shop owner. anything with justin fletcher is full of sterotypes, but it humour that children understand, let the children watch and enjoy, all this gets a little silly imo,

we quite like fireman sam here, the girls are not girly girly and go skateboarding, they have penny the firefighter and normans mum is a single parent who runs the shop.
there are some bits that annoy me, like the female nurse, but it's on the whole quite good.

What about CHUGGINGTON
(chuggy chuggy chuggy)

Zingzillas is AWFUL but is characterisation not image that concerns me more. I have no problems with pink characters - after all some girls do like pink. But I hate it if there is a marked difference between what girls and boys do.

But that Mrs Rabbit does every job going!

How about Brum?

Not DirtGirlWorld. DH was moved to have words with DS about that and whether girls really have eyes the size of saucers and talk in simpering voices.

Ditto Zingzillas. Could be great, but why do they make the female apes so girly?

I think Ben and Holly is more about class/racial segregation than gender.
Bloody hilarious though.

I was just trying to remember some of my fave kids programmes from when I was growing up, and they all had boy main characters. Bad Boyes, Johnny Briggs, Alfonso Bonso, Simon and the Witch.
Yeah, she was definitely a role model, loved the Witch.

Maid Marion and her Merry Men was awesome, but again it had to make Robin look incompetent in order to elevate Marion.

Oh DD2 is transfixed by the Lelli Kelli ' makeup phone'

" mummy, it 's makeup and a phone! And they give it to you with yhe shoes! Isn't that good, mummy!"

Picture books : 'Pirate Girl," "Ella's Big Chance"- where Cinderella ditches the prince, runs off with buttons, and they start a business together...

Oh a " That rabbit belongs to Emily Brown.."

Oh god I've just remembered the Lelli Kelli advert. With puppies! And kittens! And bunny rabbits! And makeup!

I agree that there are lots of 'traditional' roles reinforced in Children's TV (thinking Ben and Holly here) but these roles do exist and they are not the only roles represented on TV. I think children's TV does a good job at showing a wide range of roles for men and women.

Me Too does this pretty well I think, except it is shit. Also as a teacher I get really annoyed by those primary school children sitting passively while being talked at by the teacher. So I suppose we all have our niggles about representation!

Our PLanet

TV doesinfluence but one can rationalise it later. a healthy balance is all that is needed.

Bob the Builder is the most deeply depressing kids TV ever. It is grooming our children to be a generation of Vauxhall Zafira- driving, decking loving, Barratt home- dwelling automatons. It has no soul