I\'m Summer, a mouthy, sarcastic bitch. I\'m passionate about natural birth, long term breastfeeding, and living naturally. I curse too much, love tattoos, and will some day be crushed to death by my book collection. I homeschool, dream of gardening, and swing to the left. 
Televised Stereotypes and My Kids
I have an ongoing love/hate relationship with TV. I’m usually torn between the few moments of peace it can provide and the constant assault it also hurls. I’m a TV elitist, I admit that. Reality shows, most mainstream stuff, and 90% of the movies are rubbish. I’m more of a PBS girl myself, with some Discovery, History, and Travel channels thrown in for good measure.
But even with those I have to use sparingly. It’s not just the dumbing down that grates on my nerves, it’s also the nonstop marketing (that you can’t always see until you really look). Not just for stuff, but also for lifestyles and stereotypes. Oh the stereotypes, they really drive me nuts. It’s difficult when trying to teach the boys one thing and the cartoon is telling them the opposite is better. Even on the “good” shows can be annoying. Just compare Bob the Builder and Wendy.
I’ve been thinking about our TV use thanks to an article in the series on Feminist Parenting dealing with tv use. I agree, it’s a mixed blessing. Entertaining and educational, and yet often one of the biggest negative influences for kids. Living in a small town in a rural area I love that they can watch a show about fossils, or hear some big band music, or watch people from other counties celebrate. So many things we would not be able to explore naturally they can see on the TV. But then I have to explain why that guy is making fun of fat people when mommy said it’s not nice or that woman is letting everyone boss her around, or why he won’t really be happier with the 50 million new toys he just saw being advertised. It’s a tightrope.
Though not as much as being a feminist homeschooling mom is. Why yes, my kids do see the light of day and know about evolution. Why do you ask? Maybe a little less stereotypes in their life is a good thing.
(Image source – stoof)
That’s why I love the DVR – I can record the shows I really want to watch, and watch them any time I want. I can also FF thru the commericals!
Rightmyer Rants’s last blog post..Friday Facts – Breastfeeding
My daughter spent three days with my mom who let her watch ALL the ‘tween’ disney shows. Ugh!!!! That child will never be the same.
Fairly Odd Mother’s last blog post..Yellow Bus Means GO!
I share the same hatred/love. I can only do DVR’d shows to bypass the commercials but still, there is always something slipped in there that catches me off guard before I can mute the TV.
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Hey, thanks for the link. The funny thing is, I think TV is a mixed blessing for all of us, and impacts adults in a lot of the ways it impacts kids. I find I’m a healthier person now that I limit my own TV consumption and actively choose shows that have interesting female characters who, well, look like people instead of fembots. Of course, as a nrrd, I’ve always been a fan of nature shows and history programs.
Yes – Bob the Builder drives me crazy! We had a hand-me-down book given to us that was terrible! Every time the kids would ask me to read the page about Wendy, I would totally embellish her duties to include always being ready with her screwdriver and wrench, and doing all the major projects around the yard. Funny thing is that when I once mentioned the stereotypes in Bob the Builder to another parent, she looked at me like I was crazy to be concerned. It’s nice to hear that someone else noticed it, too!