Girl Power

As a 44 category old father of a 16 month misfire, I did non hunch over how society planned on broad my lady friend a sense of femininity. I ment in solelyy prep ard myself to be a Daddy and portion out my lady friend Isabel all the support and teachings I thought I was capable of. I knew that it was going to be a daunting task a single father to a unseasoned woman to give her a sense of girl power. I was surprised to find let on the recreate and media industries were not onboard with giving my daughter a sense of what it was to be a toilsome, powerful, and anything is possible short girl in instantlys society.Ive noticed that the meet fabrication and media tend to develop and levy their products toward boys. I realized that the two industries felt up that girls would learn on their own what it was to be feminine and that the toys, television shows, and mental pictures that be predominately marketed for boys wouldnt affect that process. Poet, critic, and columnist Katha Pollitt who is best get by for her Subject to Debate column in The Nation magazine describes her own experiences as a mother of a 3-year-old daughter and asking the questions of why the media is selling the stories they atomic number 18 to girls and boys.In the essay The Smurfette Principle, she asks the tough questions of why the she finds the towering ration of anthropoid to fe manful quotations in much or less childrens books, television shows, and movies. Pollitt points bug out that, umteen male characters be roughly often cast as energetic and outgoing and that female characters atomic number 18 near often stereotyped as quiet, hair bow-wearing sidekicks, helpers, or miniature sisters to the boys charge when the characters are friendly, fuzzy monsters (544). It should be the parents, puzzlers, writers and toy producers pure responsibility to pass newborn girls.Pollitt states that, Contemporary shows are either essentially all-male, the like Garfiel d, or are organized on what I annunciate the Smurfette principle a group of male buddies will be accented by a lone female, stereotypically defined. galore(postnominal) parents dont ever cogitate about the characters in a movie or television show and they those characters may fix are children. Growing up watching such childrens shows such as the Little Rascals confirms what Pollitt in expressing in the Smurfette Principle. It was a bunch of boys having plea veritable and Darla was continuously tagging along.Darla was portrayed as a tough little girl you didnt want to mess with. The show al dashs had her in a dress, however if you messed with her she would give you a black eye. There was no semblance of any femininity what so ever about Darla. Producers and parents may not understand how much of an impact this character and many like it sop up an impact on our children. My daughter Isabel understands way more than I initially gave her credit for and she picks up on things like a sponge. Shows like the Little Rascals are giving her a false perception of what it is like to be a girl in todays society.Cartoons play such a major role in the festering of our children these days. Television, movies and toys play such a huge role in teaching are children to read, count, socialize and understand there rank in society establish on their sexuality. Much of what we see and read to our children teaches them that boys are more distinguished than girls. Pollitt states, The female is usually a little-sister type, a bunny in a pink dress and hair-ribbons who tags along with the adventurous bears and badgers (345).This is due to the fact that most producers, writers and animators are of the male persuasion. Boys define the group, its story, and its edict of values (345). Pollitt understands how these people are influencing the way our little girls are perceiving the world and themselves based on what they are watching. Girls exist single in relation to boys (345). The toy fabrication is one of the biggest offenders when it comes to portraying what a girl should want in a toy and how it fits her gender.One of the biggest offenders when it comes to commercialism of their licensed products is Sesame Street. For all the good they do promoting learning and gender equality they lack the determination to produce toys that little girls would rate with. The Muppets which are the important ones of Sesame Street are the personalities that kids identify with. All these characters which are turned into toys and pushed by means of commercials and ads are all male. Pollitt knew one little girl that was so upset when she nominate out that even Big sibilation was a boy she stopped watching the show all together.The toy industriousness is not teaching are young girls that it is okay to like toy cars, tractors, blocks, Transformers and many more cross gender toys. The industry is changing, companies such as Disney, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and Warner Brothers are making cartoons that have very strong female characters. Animaniacs, The Last Airbender, Scooby Doo, Kim Impossible, and Gargoyles all have strong female characters that show our young girls that they can play a major role, do anything, and be just as important as any male in society.I my daughter is finding herself even at this young age and I chicane she and I dont have much time to honour her idea of gender equality. Pollitt ends her essay with, it sure would help if the bunnies took off their hair ribbons, and if fractional of the monsters were fuzzy, blue and female (547). I know I have my work pull down out for me just like Pollitt does, but it is a job a rightfully am thankful to have. Isabel will know where she stands in the world and that she is just as important as any little boy.