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Original poster

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

162 replies

FrozenNorthPole · 30/04/2011 21:56

... it's just all so incredibly pink & predictable. Have made a list of things that have been ruled out.

Postman Pat - men go out to work, women stay at home. Apart from traditional female roles / unskilled clerical (Mrs Goggins), and the needlessly butch female doctor.

Peppa - just ugh. So pink, so inane, have avoided most TV episodes but people keep buying us books. All females in dresses. Shit plotlines. Men Daddy Pigs go out to work. Mummy Pigs don't.

Rosie - a female heroine at last. But wait ... everything is covered in flowers and is pink. Female 'heroine' (and simpering smaller female) endlessly conciliatory and bow to others' whims. Petulant & disruptive boy plays football on his own.

In the night garden - would be okay apart from upsydaisy who is in no way okay. Oh, and the Pontipines / Wottingers.

Something Special - hmm, struggle with this one. Does Aunt Polly count as female character? Is Lord Tumble part of the higher echelons of the patriarchy?

Me too - shit.

Balamory - women in traditional female roles, men in traditional male roles.

Timmy time - ooh. Perhaps this one okay?

I may have overthought this. Have always had these feelings about the tv programmes but having recently acquired some proper patriarchy goggles I'm putting my foot down and trying to make more positive choices on DD1's (2.5 years) behalf.

Any views?

OP posts:
salvadory · 30/04/2011 22:31

Show me show me on Cbeebies is good, no stereotyping that I can think of, except maybe miss mouse.

U5 · 30/04/2011 22:30

Green Balloon Club ??

littleducks · 30/04/2011 22:30

Mummy Pig's proper job is on the computer at home. She won't let Peppa and George play the 'happy mrs chicken' game until she has finished and Daddy Pig has to cook dinner for the kids while she finishes up.

She volunteered with all the other mums to staff the firestation for the day.

Daddy Pig 'extrapolates the load bearing potential of large numbers' at work but on a trip around, Peppa and George are introduced to several female staff members.

You could try Diego, the premise is a bit Hmm he and his sister are animal rescuers, and Dora pops in occassionally for no apparent reason. But the kids learn facts about animals. I agree it is very shouty though.

Or Handy Manny, his sister runs a hardware store.

Original poster
FrozenNorthPole · 30/04/2011 22:28

Thank you for the recommendations, and the fab plot synopses (humpf Smile). We don't watch during the week, not out of principle but because work / nursery run / endless faff doesn't allow, so I set a series to record then I can play it for DD at weekend, hence the holes in my plot knowledge.

OP posts:
NormanTebbit · 30/04/2011 22:27

Op - you need to relax.

And do not diss Peppa Pig. Peppa Pig Rules.

BelleDameSansMerci · 30/04/2011 22:26

Feenie Peppa Pig World was not great last Thursday because it was a lovely day and was absolutely heaving. Queuing with a 3 year old is never going to be fun but having to wait for approx 30 minutes for a 5 minute ride is never going to make anyone happy. Also, I hadn't decided which day we were going to go so couldn't book in advance. Tickets are £21 for anyone over a metre tall so, for DD and me, the entry cost was £42. Ouch! The actual Peppa bit of the park is lovely - really very, very good. If we'd gone on a quieter day I think it would have been a really good day out.

FunnysInTheGarden · 30/04/2011 22:25

FNP your poor DD. Just let her watch whatever and make her own mind up. She will not thank you for censoring her TV. What you need to do is let her watch what is on and when she is old enough, talk to her about female role models etc.

FannyLogan · 30/04/2011 22:24

Octonauts. Tweak is female and is the engineer. Peso is male and a nurse.

Original poster
FrozenNorthPole · 30/04/2011 22:23

Framey - isn't that a bit sexist though? Like those awful adverts where the man can never do anything right ...

(perhaps I am going to need to namechange after this thread Blush)

OP posts:
lollystix · 30/04/2011 22:23

Humf- very normal family IMHO. Yesterdy 's dad was supposed to take him to dino museum. He said he had the flu and had to stay in bed. Humfs mum corrected that he actually just had a cold and sadly she couldn't take him as she had to go to work so poor humf got dropped off at Loon's for the day. However Humf's mum did seem very unphased by this. I would have been kicking humf's dad's furry arse out of bed and telling him I didn't have time for his man flu!

gruber · 30/04/2011 22:22

Tractor Ted DVDs?! It's aimed at preschoolers, about tractors & educational!

Original poster
FrozenNorthPole · 30/04/2011 22:21

bonkers - nah, I like nursery rhymes. Especially the ones with a slightly bloodthirsty tone / history behind them e.g. Oranges & Lemons, Ring-o-roses etc.

OP posts:
FrameyMcFrame · 30/04/2011 22:20

Daddy pig is made to look like a pillock in every single episode!!!

Original poster
FrozenNorthPole · 30/04/2011 22:19

DD cries a lot at Come Outside, probably due to lost dog scenarios. I've not seen Maisy for a while and had forgotten her ...

OP posts:
bonkers20 · 30/04/2011 22:18

We watch Fun Song Factory. Hmmm, maybe you'd find the traditional nursery rhymes sexist or old fashioned.

Spot?
Hmmm, dunno really, we don't watch much telly.

tougholdbird · 30/04/2011 22:17

I've been overthinking this too recently. For under 3s you could try Big Barn Farm - I think the pig is a girl and so is the goat. The former has leadership skills and the latter definitely is assertive.

Original poster
FrozenNorthPole · 30/04/2011 22:16

I'm definitely overthinking. But thank you for the suggestions. What channel is Dora on? I like the idea of the huge violent elephant too ... Grin

OP posts:
Adair · 30/04/2011 22:14

So does ds (like the dog). Though keeps getting lost so he cries out 'pipppin, piiiiiiippiiiiin' til he is found Hmm
plus 80s/90s fashion v comforting.

meditrina · 30/04/2011 22:14

Mio Mao (sex undetermined)

Shaun the Sheep (toddler won't notice the boy's name, and sex of characters undetermined in the show)

The Little Princess - despite being a princess, she's not excessively girly and it's more like a family show with crowns than a Disnet fantasy.

Balamory is ok - Edie the bus driver makes up for PC Plum

Maisy the Mouse (is this still on?)

Feenie · 30/04/2011 22:13

Don't know, she only did it for one ep, maybe she is a volunteer....Confused

Original poster
FrozenNorthPole · 30/04/2011 22:12

How can mummy pig work from home as a firefighter? Oh God, am hideously out of my depth here ...

OP posts:
stripeywoollenhat · 30/04/2011 22:12

sorry, maisy. you'd think i should be able to spell it, i see the bloody thing often enough.

i hate come outside, though dd likes the dog

Feenie · 30/04/2011 22:11

Why was Peppa Pig World horrendous?

Mummy Pig was also a firefighter in BBQ ep.

Original poster
FrozenNorthPole · 30/04/2011 22:10

"Mummy Pig is a firefighter and Miss Rabbit has hundreds of jobs, what are you on about?"

Ah sorry - totally not obvious from the books we own. As I've said, have avoided tv prog. My bad. Big Blush

OP posts:
BelleDameSansMerci · 30/04/2011 22:10

I like Peppa (despite a/an? horrendous experience at Peppa Pig World this week).

How about Dora the Explorer, if you can take the American accents and the general shouty-ness?