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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

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Original poster

Sexism on CBBC

114 replies

sunshineandbooks · 15/10/2011 08:29

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.

OP posts:

SurprisEs · 16/10/2011 13:38

I can see where you're coming from but a well balanced and well educated child with reasonable parents will not be affected by those silly comments. I'm trying my best for DD to have a broad mind and a strong personality.

GrumpyInRepose · 16/10/2011 13:35

x with hecate to say what she said.

BedatHogwarts · 16/10/2011 13:32

They do listen. I remember a time when many of the girls birthday cards were shown with accompanying comments such as 'Ooh, Olivia, don't you look pretty in your party frock' and 'Sophie, you look like a birthday princess'. Then we had a Mumsnet webchat with one of the big cheeses at Cbeebies, someone brought the subject up, and voila, I haven't heard a looks-related comment since!

GrumpyInRepose · 16/10/2011 13:26

The way I look at it though SurpriseEs is that nothing really matters on it's own. So in a way I agree with the 'Lighten up!' crowd, , but it's the cumulative effect that's so insidious, on both adults and kids. It is a bit of a hydra's head though. dispiriting.

HecateGoddessOfTheNight · 16/10/2011 13:26

When determining whether something is wrong, I find the best thing to do is to substitute a different group of people. If it takes your breath away or you think hang on, that's quite an unpleasant and negative stereotype there - then it's wrong!

So - I won't be a wimp is what is being said. It is being said by the use of the following sentence.

"I promise not to scream like a girl"

I promise not to scream like a black person"

I promise not to scream like a disabled person"

I promise not to scream like an asian person"

It's actually not on, is it?

girl = scaredy wimp = ok?
black = scaredy wimp? would you?
disabled = scaredy wimp? would you?
asian = scaredy wimp? would you?

It really doesn't matter what it is, how minor it is seen to be, it's drip drip drip negativity and putting down and using 'girl' as a negative thing.

screaming like a girl
big girl's blouse
don't be such a girl

drip drip drip girl is bad girl is silly girl is weak...

When you see the big picture, rather than focusing on what seems at a thoughtless glance to be something very minor, you see what is really going on and that it's actually a problem.

SurprisEs · 16/10/2011 13:21

I'm not a feminist myself although I have some feminist views but I really can't see a problem with it. It's a silly comment from the presenter but I don't think children take things like that too seriously. I certainly didn't when I was a child. I may be wrong, I don't know, but I feel like there are far worse things to worry about. I would never criticise someone for complaining about something they truly believed was wrong. The too much time on your hands argument is ignorant.

messyisthenewtidy · 16/10/2011 13:11

Fwiw op my ds thinks you did the right thing. According to him "they're always saying stuff like that at school" so you see the little things are just part of a bigger picture.

And seriously pinky maybe you should learn to touchtype then you'll see it really doesn't take more than a couple of minutes to whip up a complaint. maybe you should try it instead of just accepting everything without thinking.

ooh look this post only took me two minutes. The marvels of having nimble fingers!

GrumpyInRepose · 16/10/2011 12:57

Makiko

Makiko · 16/10/2011 12:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster

sunshineandbooks · 16/10/2011 12:46

Almost couldn't be bothered to type this as the old 'time on your hands' argument is so ridiculous it doesn't really merit an answer (after all, it takes just as much time to respond as it does to start a conversation). However, since 'angry feminists who spend their whole lives looking for something to criticise' is a popular feminist bingo put-down, I thought I'd rebuff it.

I work a full-time job with overtime, work in a volunteer capacity for something else, am a single-parent of two (and still have my one-time foster daughter over once or twice a week), help out with a local history club, walk a dog twice a day and follow a personal fitness regime too. Fortunately, I'm good at multi-tasking and can touch type.

What do you do pinky?

OP posts:

GrumpyInRepose · 16/10/2011 11:47

you must be rushed off your feet pinky! and yet you've time to criticise other people for being interested in something you are not! If you want something done - or indeed if you don't - ask a busy woman, etc etc

Makiko · 16/10/2011 10:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

pinkytheshrinky · 16/10/2011 10:04

Really,far too much time on your hands

Original poster

sunshineandbooks · 16/10/2011 08:56

Thanks everyone.

OP posts:

StewieGriffinsMom · 16/10/2011 08:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DontCallMeFrothyDragon · 16/10/2011 00:51

Very well written, sunshine. :)

Lio · 15/10/2011 23:01

It was a good email, sunshine, brava.

Vampirecella · 15/10/2011 22:54

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.

reddaisy · 15/10/2011 22:54

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.

NotJustClassic · 15/10/2011 22:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

messyisthenewtidy · 15/10/2011 22:47

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..

Original poster

sunshineandbooks · 15/10/2011 22:34

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..."

OP posts:

Tyr · 15/10/2011 22:25

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.

Original poster

sunshineandbooks · 15/10/2011 22:21

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.

OP posts:

KRITIQ · 15/10/2011 22:17

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

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