Cbeebies gender stereotyping yet again...Tree Fu Tom, Octonauts, Andy's Wild Adventures

30 replies

EthelredTheUnready · 07/04/2012 10:36

So here we go again - All the new programming on CBeebies seems to be just increasing the stereotyping..

Tree Fu Tom is great - magical and exciting - has my kids completely riveted - But when their friends come over to play the boys get to choose that they want to be Tom, Twigs, ZigZoo, or Squirmtum..and the girls get to be Ariana - really no other option... (only Mummys get to be Treetog, she just aint exciting enough)

Or Octonauts - Barnacles, Peso, Quasi, Shellington (the boys) are always the ones heading out to the action - the few female characters play minor service roles back at base...

Where are the dynamic female characters, the leaders, the adventurers? Where are the women who go out and do things.. who take the lead? Who have the ideas? Who are not scared or passive?

Why does it have to be MIKE the knight, ANDY's Wild adventures?

Girls on CBeebies tend to be pink and well girly - Rosie, Angelina.. or playing service or gender based roles - Katie lovely as she is, of course is doing cooking... Nina and the Neurones is a single example of non stereotyping I can think of - I find Dirtgirlworld unwatchable so can't comment.

My daughter is quite upset about it and has been much happier when we found out that Tree Fu Tom is actually a girl (well voiced by a woman!)..

At 3-6 kids are really exploring gender roles. It's as important for boys as well as girls - my friends four year old is totally in love with Ariana, a fabulous dynamic female character.. but she is the only one - Why wasn't Twigs a female? Why isn't it Katie's Wild Adventures? Why isn't Captain Barnacle a fantastic female leader?

There is good stuff out there - We have Jane and the Dragon dvds, which both kids love - but its few and far between and not at CBeebies -

Really, what are we telling our daughters (and our sons) in this day and age..

Am now going to switch the telly off and write to Kay Benbow, the controller of CBeebies..

OP posts:

BerryLellow · 11/05/2012 10:20

Dora the Explorer (if you can bear the voice and singing) is ok, but still a bit pink.

MandarinOrange · 11/05/2012 09:44

I have noticed this too. My daughter identified with Dashi, the photographer, in Octonauts, but she hardly ever gets to go on missions, and there aren't any Dashi figurines available to buy either.

We have really enjoyed this series of books:
Three Little Pirates
Three Little Witches
Three Little Princesses
Because both the heroines and the villains are female! There are a few male characters but they are just sidekicks, shop owners etc.

MoonHare · 13/04/2012 18:17

Ethelred this drives me mad too! I also hate that the programmes where the main character is female e.g. Peppa Pig, Olivia (admittedly Milkshake but am struggling to think of any Cbeebies ones) often characterise her as bossy, controlling and a know it all. I too have been really disappointed with the new offerings from Cbeebies.

I remember about a year ago that a Lib Dem MP (Jo Swinson I think) was campaigning about this but I looked at her website and couldn't find anywhere that referenced it.

Have never heard of Jane and the Dragon but will seek it out.

I might join you in writing to Kay Benbow.

olihyatt · 10/04/2012 10:53

If you are after a strong yet feminine adventuring female character, check out Olive the Ostrich on Nick Junior!

The animations aren't brash, aren't harsh, aren't cutesy. The backgrounds are created by children aged 6-9 years of age, who were selected from schools across the UK and took part in workshops to inspire creativity and story-telling skills. The pupils learnt about the film-making process and created artwork which was brought to life by the show's animators.

fuzzpig · 07/04/2012 10:46

I don't really know the programmes you're referring to - we don't really watch tv as we are DVD hoarders instead - but I agree.

I'm quite surprised if there are stereotyped new programmes, I thought things would be different now.

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