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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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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:
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:
gruber · 30/04/2011 22:22

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

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!

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:
FannyLogan · 30/04/2011 22:24

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

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.

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.

NormanTebbit · 30/04/2011 22:27

Op - you need to relax.

And do not diss Peppa Pig. Peppa Pig Rules.

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:
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.

U5 · 30/04/2011 22:30

Green Balloon Club ??

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.

HandDivedScallopsrgreat · 30/04/2011 22:33

Peppa Pig is OK. Apparently it gets the MRAs up in arms so it can't be all bad Wink

Little Princess is also OK - although she is a bit wild and the staff are all in their gender traditional roles.

Mia Mao OK

Olivia (although she always wears a dress) she does get things organised and does lots of different things.

I do feel your pain OP as there is so much gender stereotyping going on. Despite that I have a DS who loves Peppa!

ThePrincessRoyalFiggyrolls · 30/04/2011 22:35

FNP, get yourself a bottle Wine and whack Peppa on, might not be suitable for your dd (mine adores it and silly daddy pig) but it is damn funny - especially the picture putting up episode [cgrin]

Adair · 30/04/2011 22:37

Miss Mouse is an explorer/rescuer/Indiana Jones type (who likes tea)

MayBankHoliday · 30/04/2011 22:37

Same Smile - pandas visit a nursery and children demonstrate their hobbies (cycling, swimming, horse riding, dancing)

Mighty Mites - boys and girls try out new activities (rugby, ten-pin-bowling, go-karting, pottery painting)

Mr Blooms Nursery - gardening

Big Cook Little Cook - two entertaining cooks and their cafe

I Can Cook - children learn to cook and find ingredients in the garden

Let's Celebrate - looks at a different cultural/religious festival each time

Green Balloon Club (good suggestion from U5) - team of children travel in their balloon and discover nature and wildlife

Adair · 30/04/2011 22:37

Green Balloon Club???

Original poster
FrozenNorthPole · 30/04/2011 22:39

What's a MRA? Have managed to be inadvertently controversial. If only I'd watched more Peppa Pig!

OP posts:
magicmummy1 · 30/04/2011 22:40

I love peppa pig! Shame that dd now considers it way too babyish and therefore utterly uncool. :(

HandDivedScallopsrgreat · 30/04/2011 22:42

MRA = Male Rights Activist.

claire201 · 30/04/2011 22:43

How can you ban postman pat??? Do you really think 2.5 year olds put that much thought into it?? I really think you have been reading a bit too much Andrea Dworkin? Your daughter will hopefully be intelligent enough to make her own decisions when she is older, but banning traditional TV programmes won't make a blind bit of difference!

Rindercella · 30/04/2011 22:43

I love Peppa Pig. Mummy Pig obviously Mumnets does Very Important Work on the Computer Wink

Now, where's MissRabbit when you need her?

MistyValley · 30/04/2011 22:49

Yes, the girls on Peppa are WAY more competent and generally in charge than the boys. DH gets quite huffy about it sometimes, so it must be true. [cwink]

LoveBeingAbleToNamechange · 30/04/2011 22:49

Agree postman pat, in one the children are told to tidy the classroom, que all the boys saying they hate tidying and the girls saying how much they love it.

Peppa pig, love the one were daddy washes his football shirt before he goes to work and mummy and the children get it dirty so wash it again and it comes out pink.

SybilBeddows · 30/04/2011 22:52

I don't go in for banning. I do counting ('OMG dd, that's 8 programs in a row with boy main characters!') and discussing.
because it's just not as simple as 'this program is ok'/'this one isn't', is it?
So you will get programs that are generally pretty rubbish but have one really good girl character (eg Bob The Builder and Wendy) who is a token but a good token, and others where there are lot of good girl characters but male authority figures, and others with lots of girls but they are stereotypical.