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

[FrozenNorthPole]

... 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?

It seems to me there's a big difference on CBeebies between the shows with adult actors or presenters, which generally have a good gender balance and mix of role models, e.g. Nina and the Neurons, Big Cook, Little Cook, the otherwise cringingly awful Me Too, and the ones with animations or animals (perhaps seen as more 'childlike'). As far as I know, only Everything's Rosie has a female lead. Charlie and Lola, Chuggington, Kerwhizz (urgh) and Tinga Tinga Tales seem balanced, but most of the rest either have male leads (Octonauts, Tommy Zoom, Charlie Bear, Timmy Time, Bob the Builder, Postman Pat) or the female characters are simpering/preening/infantile (Zingzillas, Tweenies, 3rd and Bird, Waybuloo).

Fraggle Rock was great. I only really remember the female fraggles. Red who was really feisty and the hippy one who I'm sure had hairy armpits. Might have to see if I can get hold of a DVD.

Thank you PH - much appreciate your efforts in explaining it to me!

I have big problems with the way women are portrayed in children's TV. Even when there are prominent female characters they are often silly, spoiled or difficult. Things like Dirt Girl World and Zingzillas portray women negatively, IMO. We watch as little TV as possible, TBH, for this reason. When we do, we tend to watch DVDs.

my 18mo ds loves ITNG and refuses to listen when I try and explain the sexism to him

what is up with DirtGirlWorld? I have never watched it closely enough to take in the storylines but I thought that was a good one

oh! yes! actually all I remember is the soothing voice of the narrator going 'Meet Robin and Rosie of Cockleshell Bay.' What a lovely rhythm.

Great summaries from porpoisefull and MoChan. That pretty much is where I come out too. Rastamouse is good though- strong female characters, including one of the leads.

WHY don't the female Octonauts go out exploring though? Gah.

There are many programmes I would love to veto - for some of the reasons above, but also - in a lot of cases - because they are utter rubbish and fairly insulting to children's intelligence! I get very irriated that some programme start with a good, worthy germ of an idea (Me Too, for example - tackling the concept that many parents work and their children are in some sort of childcare) but are so appallingly bad that they are ruined by dumbing everything down and end up giving a very poor very of the real situations. Balamory is not quite as bad as Me Too, but suffers from the same sort of problem. We live in a very urban area which often sees a lot of tension and police presence. It annoys me that PC Plum seemingly spends his whole working time (and presumebly tax payers money) tracking down badgers and ladybirds...

The few that get my approval are: Show Me Show Me, Tweenies (v irritating, but actually deals with things that are real to children in most cases and has male/female carers), Charlie and Lola (enough whimsy to be cute, without being stupid and does look at interesting scenarios/emotions whilst incorporating play, creativity and imagination), 64 Zoo Lane and Octonauts. We also loved (and much mourn) Tikkabilla, which like Show Me Show Me was superb!

My guys do watch all sorts, most of which I cringe at but out of choice I would stick on the above for them. MPD

I dislike Tinga Tinga because theres no moral. Its just this is why that happened, the end.

Hen loses her friend Eagles needle (in a bid to upstage Peacock who NEVER gets his comeuppance either) and Eagle never comes to visit again. And there you are, no message that you should look after things you have borrowed, that jealousy is bad, or that you are beautiful as you are. And thats why Hen pecks the ground! Bye!

I fucking hate that peacock...