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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

New CBeebies show has pissed me right off

107 replies

RednaxelasPony · 04/02/2019 22:15

Moon and Me.

One female character, who happens to be a tiny little dolly? Give me a break.

Upsy Daisy the token female was bad enough on Night Garden but this is a total joke!

It's 2019 for fuck's sake, can we not just have 50/50 male and female characters for our toddler's bedtime TV shows? Would it really be so hard for the writers to do that?

Feel like I want to actually complain to the BBC

OP posts:

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GroggyLegs · 04/02/2019 22:46

Maddie on 'Do You Know' is good too, although DH is far too keen to watch it with the DC

RussellSprout · 04/02/2019 22:48

So Everest gets the part time role? How very stereotypical.

RolyRocks · 04/02/2019 22:53

The cynic in me saw the program as one big marketing gig: I can see —creepy— glow moon babies, dollhouses and dolls with light up clothes coming soon to shelves near you!!!

tessiegirl · 04/02/2019 22:54

You saddos. Get a grip.

DML13 · 04/02/2019 23:06

I recently got rid of our TV. My boy was addicted to Paw Patrol, an 8 year old megalomaniac ordering puppies around who address him as 'Sir' and the female puppy character was always the last to be called to help the team! We now read books and listen to music instead. Can't say I've missed the TV either! Cancelling my TV package....now that's another story!

Cattenberg · 04/02/2019 23:09

I wonder if the makers of Go Jetters thought that the programme wouldn’t appeal to boys if there were more female characters?

At least Biggleton smashes gender stereotypes. And 10 month old DD loves the Biggle Wiggle.

StealthPolarBear · 04/02/2019 23:10

Isn't 64 zoo Lane still on? And the toy doctor? And Rosie?

WhenLifeGivesYouLemonsx · 04/02/2019 23:12

My son was really upset as he usually looks forward to Abney and Teal. This show was a load of crap!

ohthegoats · 04/02/2019 23:13

Octonauts is annoying too - two female characters, who my 4 year old loves best, but they aren't part of the key three characters, and in some of the books and episodes don't get mentioned at all.

WhenLifeGivesYouLemonsx · 04/02/2019 23:14

@StealthPolarBear

64 zoo lane still comes on

Get Well Soon hasn't been on for a while. I saw it about a week ago

Rosie isn't on anymore

WhenLifeGivesYouLemonsx · 04/02/2019 23:15

@GroggyLegs she looks weird when she smiles though lol

ALittleBitofVitriol · 04/02/2019 23:17

My son loves Skye and Everest, his little female friend loves Rubble.
But yes, I rolled my eyes heavily at the 1 female character being super pink and cutesy blergh.

I liked peg + cat! Is that still on?

KizzyWayfarer · 04/02/2019 23:24

Yes to Octonauts being rubbish on gender - the ratio of male Octonauts : female Octonauts actual time on screen and lines spoken is at least 20 to 1, probably a lot more. It’s great in other ways but that bugs me.

Areyouongluedear · 04/02/2019 23:26

Catie is brilliant. Youngest DC is in love with that programme and doesn’t move a muscle whenever she is on the screen

Areyouongluedear · 04/02/2019 23:27

The moon thing today was all a bit weird for me though. I had to tune out

Cel982 · 04/02/2019 23:28

The Nick Jr stuff is terrible for it as well, not just bloody Paw Patrol. Nella - ok strong, helpful etc, but her armour has to have a pink heart on. The girl on Rusty Rivets is inventing stuff, great, but again has something like a heart or flower on her top whereas the boy has a lightning bolt.

This is a fine line to tread, though. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with hearts or flowers - it's only their association with femininity that's led to them being seen as silly or frivolous. Replacing them with symbols traditionally associated with masculinity (e.g. the lightning bolt) just reinforces the idea that those are the valuable ones. It's the same reason that 'Pink Stinks' campaign rubs me up the wrong way.

(Both my kids are mad for Maddie, though. As am I, truth be told )

SharkBastard · 04/02/2019 23:51

My cousin is script editor for Moon and Me, happy to feed back criticisms. I quite liked it, but then I would!

thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter · 04/02/2019 23:56

RednaxelasPony - phew, glad it wasn't Molly and Mack you were dissing or it would have come to blows 😑

I don't even know why I enjoy it so much.
apart from joining in with the Oops Oh No and the I've Got An Idea songs

MrsTerryPratcett · 05/02/2019 00:02

This is a fine line to tread, though. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with hearts or flowers - it's only their association with femininity that's led to them being seen as silly or frivolous. Replacing them with symbols traditionally associated with masculinity (e.g. the lightning bolt) just reinforces the idea that those are the valuable ones. It's the same reason that 'Pink Stinks' campaign rubs me up the wrong way.

Say what you like about My Little Pony but that matriarchal society thinks smart ponies, tough ponies, gentle ponies and party ponies are all worthwhile. Which is why you NEED 'girl' not to be a personality type. Five male characters with different personalities and 'girl' (Smurfs I'm looking you you arseholes). You need multiple girls so one can like hearts and flowers and one can like science and books and one can like animals and dinosaurs... just like the boys get.

thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter · 05/02/2019 00:10

I agree MrsTerryPratcett

Taytotots · 05/02/2019 00:11

Was just about to recommend 'my little pony' Mrs Pratchett. Like you say a variety of female characters. 'How to tame your dragon' cartoon series is pretty good too (far better than books they are based on which are almost all male characters). 'The Deep' is pretty evenly balanced too (adventuring scuba diving family).

Tortycat · 05/02/2019 00:36

I actually feel cbeebies is really good in this sense. ok Go Jetters/ octonauts is male biased, but overall male: female representation is good. i definately saw tombliboos as sex neutral!

I actually feel a lot of the 'expert ' roles go to women over men ie maddie, caties amazing machines, nina and the neurons, bitz and bob (females clever vs hapless males), footy pups, swashbuckle, molly and mack etc. I have 2 ds's so maybe I'm over sensitive but often males seem to be cast in hapless roles. i think its unfair that andy gets all the adventures while jen is a bit simpering, but at least they're similarly skilled.

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ReaganSomerset · 05/02/2019 00:42

Hang on, did they axe Abney and Teal? That's not on.

SleepingStandingUp · 05/02/2019 00:44

If you're going to complain about Moon and Me, make it about how frigging creepy Colly Wobble is. SHE is so scary she's made to sleep under the stairs in a purse.

SleepingStandingUp · 05/02/2019 00:48

Ialso does this mean there's more than one episode of Moonn and Me cos DS loves it and I've seen episode 1 twenty times on iPlayer

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