Christensen - Hyperlinks

Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us by Linda Christensen discusses how children's books or cartoons teach us stereotypes from race and religion to gender at a young age and the problem of growing up within society like the one we live in. In the article, Christensen discusses how students are taught how to succeed, behave and even how to love through the media. She found that some students don't like to think or accept that they've been manipulated by the media or advertising but how it's important to realize it so you can begin to change the way you view or act in certain situations. One of the big topics Christensen talks about is how women or females are depicted. Christensen talks about there's a lack of female representation within children's cartoons or rather when we did see females being represented they are made to look unrealistic like Playboy bunnies or Victoria Secret models. She also discusses how in other cartoon's like "Popeye" depicts the main female character 'Olive Oyl' as woman that's silent and obedient with whatever the men want her to do. I read an article that helps illuminate how these issues can cause problems within the real world for children and adolescent females. Why So Many Early '00s Cartoons Couldn't Escape the Male Gaze  written by Shelby Peake talks about cartoons like 'The Powerpuff Girls' and 'My Life as a Teenage Robot' are telling children that women can't be tough and fierce because of their beauty. Peake uses Powerpuff Girls for example that the violence and fight scenes is accompanied by them looking adorable and lots of aesthetics based of the charm of the PowerPuff Girls. Peake claims that feminine imagery shown along side the violence tells young viewers that females cannot be fierce without beauty being involved. She also uses 'My Life as a Teenage Robot' as an example because the plot line for the show is the main character "Jenny"or "XJ-9" just wanting to be a normal teenage girl rather than a teenage robot that fights crime. In the show, Jenny consistently fails at being a popular girl that's always depicted as stuck up and shallow which Peake argues suggests to children watching it that females cannot be strong and girly at the same time.
These cartoons among other are implanting the ideas that women cannot be strong, fierce and independent while being feminine and beautiful. They are also teaching young females that in order for a guy to be interested in you that you must be obedient and silent while never being able to do their own things.