Racism & Sexism found in Childrens movies - Research Paper Example

Racism & Sexism found in Children’s movies, TV shows, cartoons & video games today. Introduction: If a question is asked, how far are our children away from racism and sexism? It may be very difficult to answer the question. Today the world is on its progress in all levels, and so the same progress can be seen in children too. But the basic nature of the children remains to be the same in all developments. It is true that the two major characteristics of children are innocence and curiosity. The innocent nature of a child is easily fluctuated. Same is the case with curiosity. He or she can be moulded accordingly with the demands of the society in which he or she lives. Well, to look into the issue of how sexism and racism affect them through cartoons, TV shows, and computer games, one finds many astonishing facts. It is a contemporary problem that the society faces. As children are innocent they believe everything seen and try to imitate them. In this context, viewing TV shows and cartoons make a deep influence in their life. Of course, most of the cartoons for children are praiseworthy, but a trend has been there to include the aspects like violence, sex, racism, etc., in such movies and as a result children’s minds are being degenerated. There is a great chance to imitate what they have seen and so it is important to undertake a study on the elements of racism and sexism in cartoons, TV shows and video games for children. Today, children are mostly exposed to the visual literacy from the very small age itself. The most of them watch movies, cartoons, and TV shows and are very like to play video games specially designed for them. The cartoons of Walt Disney and others set a firm position in the hearts of children. Parents can leave children provided that they have switched on a cartoon program for children. This is the fact that now a day’s most of the parents are afraid of the ill influence that these types of cartoons, movies, and serials are created among the young ones. In dealing with such a hot subject it has to be taken into the account that children, too, are a part of the society. The impact of the cartoons influences a child physically, mentally and sociologically. As they are very curious on the visuals that they watch on the screen, the whole hearted interest they show on these items is so deep. There is a great chance of losing innocence and entering the aspects of sex and racism in their thoughts and actions. The author of the book speaks that, “In formulating criticisms of media racism, sexism, violence, and commercial exploitation, we need to look behind the scenes, where racism and sexism are not images, where they are unbound by metaphors” (Hendershot 36). It is very important to analyse whether racial and sexual elements are there in the cartoons that the children watch now a days. Most of the cartons illustrate the minority groups as belittled. In many cartoons and TV shows a black boy or a girl is seldom given any major role. They are often marginalised, so as the case of females at many instances. The male chauvinist aspects are prominent in such movies, and cartoons. The novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) is the best example. Here in the novel the writer has given much importance to Finn than the Negro boy, Jim. The protagonist Finn is seen superior in the novel. Almost all cartoons put forward the male domination and other weaker sections are pushed out from the movies. So it can be said, that the section, which is affected the most due to the excessive use of sex and racism, is none other than children themselves. These sexual and racial elements penetrate the minds of children very easily. The article tries to find out the elements of sex and racism in children’s movies, cartoons, TV shows, and video games. So in analysing the issue a look inside the television industry for children is made to clear the aspects mentioned above. History of the topic: Each program in the visual media is connected with society, and so each one has some relevance in the society. The major incidents in economical, political and social scenario get a mimic in video games and so these types of games are played widely. If some thrillers with the modern technologies released in the film industry, soon there takes place a remake of it in games. The very example is the film Avatar (2009). The film was a world hit and soon the video game of the film was released and many children are great fans of this game. Almost all the historical happenings are shown in the films of the kids. Many shows (including video and audio) aim at a wide range of children all over the world. The curiosity of the children is being exploited in all these games. The slow creeping of sex and racism attracts the young ones and the producers behind each game make use of these elements to get maximum popularity. The primary aim of them turns to be amassing maximum profit. In this work they forget morality and law. In cartoons too the racial and sexual elements are spread out through the characters. By conducting an experiment among 40 children between the age of 5 to 17 with one white and black skinned cartoon characters, many of the children came up with the following attributes, “They almost always paired descriptions such as "kind" and "smart" to the white character and negative descriptions, such as "ugly" and "stupid," to the dark-skinned protagonist” (Coghlan). This shows how much these cartoons have influenced their minds with racial elements. Just like grownups they fail to share the aspects of fellow beings. They are screwed like that by the elders who worked behind such movies. In analysing the history of racism in children’s movies, it takes back to colonialism. It states, “In England and elsewhere, literature, children’s stories, movies, news coverage, and other media during the era of the British Empire reinforced images of English colonizers bringing civilization to the uncivilized people they colonized prior to the United States picking up “the White man’s burden” in the “third world” towards the end of the 19th century” (Wilson, Gutiérrez and Chao 20). The colour problem was there in all the media. In the programs of children too, resembled the same notion of the society. One of the famous television programmes during 1958 to 1978 was The Black and White Minstrel show that pictured White entertainers in blackface (Wilson, Gutiérrez and Chao 20). This oppression and superiority complex of the White man over the black was there from very early age. In games too, the same problem had its impact bringing up a generation of people who have strong racism against the other race. The fierce attack of the white over other groups alleviated with the emergence of new technologies. In considering the evolution of video in the world, “video was born of an alliance between military and industrial concerns in the West. The first portable equipment was developed in the early 1960s by the US army for surveillance purpose in Vietnam” (Elwes 3). After the emergence of this device many changes happened. It was a great change from audio programs to video .Different versions of it came forward and finally culminating the present, internet. The consumers of video increased tremendously across the world. Cartoons and video games took a strong position in the minds of children. Of course, these video games and cartoons had good intentions so as to get maximum users, but soon the aspects of sex and racism crept in. It turned to be equal to any other media depicting racism in the world. The oppressed class throughout the ages, even today are mostly seen as oppressed. The superior imposition of the Whites over the black is still predominant in all media. The saddest thing is that, it is the case with children’s programs too. In dealing with the attitude of law towards the elements of racism and sexism it can be said that, it is not functioning well. The censorship on such elements is not up to the mark. It is said that even though the elements of racism has been cut down to a considerable degree the author has found out the other side in the industry. He states, “Yet I have found that the cartoon productions process is fraught with power struggles between people at different levels of racial, corporate, governmental, national, and gendered hierarchies” (Hendershot 36). So there is not surprise on involvement of racism and sexism. The society too is infected with this disease. Even though law insists to curtain the aspects of sex and racism in children’s movies, TV shows, cartoons, and video games the fact remains that these are concerned with all these elements mentioned above. As the elements are hidden in all these, law at times is helpless. Many cases, at present, are related with this issue. ‘A recent American cartoon that appeared in The New Yorker magazine depicted Barack Obama, the first Afro-American president wearing Muslim attire and lady Obama dressed as a terrorist with a very big afro and machine gun. The cartoon pictures Osama bin Laden in the background and a U.S. flag in the fire’ (Jackson 658). The cartoon gave way for many interpretations and many believe that this is the portrayal of racial elements in America. If this is the case with ‘the strongest man’ of the world what will be the case of the children? In analysing many cases of racism and sexism in children’s shows it can found out that in children’s shows too these types of racial elements come in. In the book Invisible Stars: a social history of women in American Broadcasting, the author Donna L. Halper comments on two shows of the 1950s- the Mickey Mouse Club and American Bandstand. Although both these made many audience, the author speaks. “It was clean and wholesome entertainment, although a bit sexist” ( Halper 172). The last word ‘sexist’ shows that the cartoons specially made for little children are turning away from the original intention. Many social movements started as the need for sorting the children’s cartoons came up. Many mothers wanted to bring up their children unpolluted and so started campaign against sexism and racism in cartoons that they play for their children. Women’s Global Charter for Humanity is a leading one in it. Some of the cultural studies made fierce criticism on the portrayal of the blacks in such cartoons. Their frequent demands to cut down the aspects of racism in children’s cartoons made some kind of censorship in it. Contemporary Analysis of the Issue: In analysing the current issue of increasing elements of racism, violence and sexism in children’s shows including video games have been put up as an issue of the present society. “With the advent of videos, even more of that violence enters our home. Violence has become an increasing part of our children’s play: it is in the cartoons and other television programs they watch, in the movies they see, and in the computer games that now overwhelm so many of our households” ( Turpin, Kurtz 120). As with the emergence of internet, the problems associated with racism and sexism are on the rise. In America and the similar countries most of the houses are having internet connections and so children watch many videos through the video sites. These may make the children to be abused by too much of racism and sexism. The video games too have hiked and so at present the most threatening device in tending children to racism and sexism is internet. Many already came to know about the issue and started making recommendations on it. The issue has been given world attention through different media and organisations. Many of the cartoons were attacked by media for their over content of racism. Among the most racist characters of Disney it is said, “The opening musical sequence from the hugely popular 1992 animated film had to be edited due to protest from Arab-American groups for saying about the Middle East what most of us were merely thinking.” What they were trying to portray the Eastern world was put to fierce criticism. “The Middle East is a barren wasteland where the justice system runs on a clear and simple limb-removal policy” (Joseph). Many racial problems are involved in children’s cartoons of modern times. But the censors are good at capturing these racist elements and so many of such parts were cut off from the cartoons. It speaks with another cartoon of Disney, “Even in Fantasia's beautiful, magical landscape, African centaurs are hoof-polishing handmaidens for prettier, Aryan centaurs. Also, 1940 was a great year to be a centaur fetishist and/or Don Imus” (Joseph). Not only Disney’s cartoons were attacked due to excessive use of racism, many cartoons having these elements were censored. Memin Pinguin is one of the cartoon characters in Mexico. The image of this character caused the wide protest from the African Americans. “Publicity over a Mexican postage stamp fuelled the controversy. Historian Enrique Krauze tells Jennifer Ludden Mexicans are puzzled at the controversy” (Ludden). Mickey Mouse has been considered as one of the leading cartoon characters, but at many instances the figure was seen representing racial and sexual elements. The comments on Mickey Mouse are the following. “Finally, I cite the first Mickey Mouse Club. Not the show with Cubby and Annette, but the Saturday cartoons the theatres ran. Walt, himself, recorded the theme song, “Minnie’s Yoo-hoo.” In this song, the voice tells of a girl he has in the barn and uses animal sounds as sexual innuendoes. This song can be found on one of Disney’s CDs” (The journal of cartoon overanalyzations). The TV industry has come up with strong recommendations that the child TV shows should be free of the polluted elements. They have pushed forward many suggestions that all the shows should have to be undergone with censorship certificate. The board has to give the certificate so that many elements can be cut short. A leading book, Saturday Morning Censors made a detailed study on the current issue and came up with “the regulation of children’s television at the industrial (self –regulatory), government (Federal communications /commission (FCC), Federal Trade Commission), and public (activist) levels in order to produce a social history of the adult reception of children’s television (Hendershot 2). This has led many to look into the issue more seriously. People who are interested in the media studies really found this book meaningful and they all stood behind it for good and sensible cartoons. As a result many cartoons having low standards were cut mercilessly. Some of the cartoons were edited and the elements of racism and sexism were taken off. In analysing many cartoons that were specially made for children had either elements of racism or sexism. The racial elements are mostly seen than the sexist elements. Some cartoons censored for the aspects of sex and racism are given below. The cartoon, Along Came Daffy (Freleng; 1947) was one that was censored for the many elements of sex in it. Even though for the elders it may not look a serious matter, for the kids the element of sex was something not preferred. “The scene in which one of the Yosemite Sam brothers is shooting a rifle at the Daffy decoys was edited. After all of the fake ducks are gone, with Daffy remaining, cut was the part wherein Sam shoots his gun at Daffy, blowing feathers from Daffy's carcass and leaving some of the feathers in the form of a bikini bathing suit.” Another cartoon that was affected censor cut was "Lights Fantastic" (Freleng; 1942): It had the racist elements against Chinese people. Moreover “the last frame of the billboard where it shows a cheesecake picture of a redheaded woman in a green bathing suit” (The censored Looney tunes and Merrie melodies guide). Many court cases are also connected with racism and sexism that appeared in cartoons and other movies for the children. In the United States of America racism has been a serious issue ever since the history of the Nation began. People like Africans, Asians, and Mexicans who settled down in America were treated as inferior to the White Americans. The White Americans took hold of the visual media and so the aspect of racism was very common in the productions. The wide protestation from other people in America, to some extent, had cut down the flow of it. However many cases were reported in connection with this. One of the examples is that the cartoon named ‘Yellow terror’ was taken to the court for the excessive racism against the Mexicans there. It is said of the success of the case, “The government did finlly score a victory when the Supreme Court upheld a third piece of legislation, the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) in 2003” (Yar 111). The influence of internet makes many chances for the racist elements to overplay in it. The sexist aspects too have got much dominance in the internet. So it is a bigger responsibility for the parents to safeguard their child from such bad elements. Current impact of issue: The issue of the racist and sexist aspects in the movies, cartoons, TV shows, and finally video games of children bring out a group of children or generation so to say, who are psychic and socially narrow minded. The influence of racism will make the children either having superiority complex or inferiority complex. The separation in the society makes the smooth functioning of it. Children who are exposed to racial elements become barriers for the society. The separation in the society will lead among children the aspects of radicalism and revolt tendencies. These racist aspects can further create a group with terroristic attitudes. The movies of the children often change their attention from virtues to violence. The over use of sexual elements in their cartoons tend them to be perverted in their later stages of life. The mind of a child is very fragile and so any negative element that they see can form an adequate ill effect of it. So it is a must that necessary policies should be there to eliminate these elements. Policy recommendation: In analysing policy recommendations by the government it can be said that necessary steps should have to be taken by the authority to prevent the overflow of racism and sexism in children’s TV shows, cartoons and video games. Due to the emergence of internet accessibility it has become one of the predominant medium to play games. As this is considered a child gets abundance of chance to view sexual and racial elements. So the parents should have to prevent the use of such programs for the children. Many programs are there to filter the sites and games for the children. It is a must the parents should not leave the children alone and relax but they should have a careful eye on the child. Of course the children should see cartoons and programs for them and at the same time they should not cross the limit. For each and everything there are two sided responses. Some people argue that racism and sexism are parts of the society. The author attacks this notion by saying the following. “But do you think some 5-year-old kid is going to understand that what he's watching is meant as an educational tool or to show how openly racist Hollywood used to be? I don't think so. If he sees Bugs mocking a black person, it'll likely enforce negative stereotypes in the lad” (Douvalas). Another step that can be taken against the use of racial and sexual elements is that every production must carefully be censored by a group of people who can be called ‘quality control managers or team’. The producers also can also be given some kind of grading regarding the elimination of the aspect racism and sexism in their work, and if a group fails to eliminate these elements before bringing it to the quality control team, their grade will be cut down. Of course many methods can be put forward but the fact is that the children may get the access to it with the help of internet. Actually there should a good teaching on the side of the parents. As the children are very much attached to their parents it is mandatory that the parents should have to cultivate the elements of virtues and should keep away the aspects of sex and racism from their mind. It is true that the children will ask about to their parents first if they see these while they are playing and watching. A good parent can lead his or her child to the right way. Both the government and parents are taking high roles in bringing up children devoid of racism and sexism. Strengths and weaknesses recommendations: Well, to speak on the strengths and weaknesses of the recommendations mentioned above, one has to think of the practicality of the recommendations. The strengths of the recommendations lie in the hands of the government and the parents. If both are actively involved with the issue surely there will be none to dare to produce cartoons and videos filled with racism and sexism. The two dominant agencies that mould children are parents and society. If both are well functioning, it will not be a problem at all. But at the same time the other side too has to be considered. True the government is an effective force but if a government too has the same racial outlook then it will make greater problems. If one analyses the attitude of some governments it can be seen that the policies of the government is for the superior class. At many levels the lower class is marginalised. In dealing with parents the attitude of the parents regarding the issue influences the children. In considering the racial issues some parents always support this racism. Sometimes the parents are not aware of the excessive sexual elements in a program. Parents may not be able to filter the use of internet by their children, or some parents show very little care for this. In these circumstances the same agencies can enkindle the issue to a larger level. In sum up the agencies, society and parents as far as children are considered, can play a crucial role in avoiding the negative aspects mentioned above. Identify how this policy will reduce or eliminate discrimination: The policy of the government by appointing a group for checking the quality of each program for children will reduce the elements of sexism and racism in children’s movies and games. If the law is strong there will be less racist elements in a work. The work (may be cartoon, TV show, video game) before publishing should have to be presented before the quality control group. This group will analyse the different aspects of the program and either rejects of sanctions upon its content. Sometimes the group can return the work to the producers for necessary changes and later it gets approval after the changes. Thus the censor group promoted by the government can reduce racist and sexist elements in children’s movies and other programs. Conclusion: Colour of the skin has been a serious problem for the world ever since people began to live in the society. Different coloured people live in the world and some find themselves superior only on the basis of their colour. As the society is having these racist elements in all activities, the replica of it affected the children’s cartoon too. When it is introduced to the children’s level it problem got new dimensions, and this needed for solving the issue. Many started to analyse the issue and found out many cartoons and programs are having sexism and racism in it. It is sure that if children are brainwashed by it the result is very serious. So the responsibility of reducing sexual and racial elements in children’s movies rest in the hands of the society. Of course, the vigilant methods of the society could cut down these aspects to a considerable level, but the complete eradication cannot be done. So the role of parents too is very important. They should filter the programs and if it is good for the children it shall be allowed. An agency alone cannot make much change here, but the combination of government and parents can make really worthy things in it. To sum up, it can be said that today’s children are tomorrow’s citizens; if these children are brought up well devoid of racism, violence, and sexism, tomorrow’s citizens will surely be an example for whole humanity. Works Cited: Coghlan, Andy. Stranger danger at heart of racial bias. Reed Business Information Ltd., 12 April 2010. Web. 11 Dec. 2010. Douvalas, Chris. Racism in Bugs Bunny and 'Tom & Jerry' The seedier side of classic cartoons.Aug. 18, 2002. Web. 11 Dec. 2010. http://www.animatedbuzz.com/WB/13.html Elwes, Catherine. Video art: a guided tour.Edn. Illustrated. I.B.Tauris, 2005. Print. Hendershot, Heather. Saturday morning censors: television regulation before the V-chip. Edn. Illustrated. Duke University Press, 1998. Print. Halper, L. Donna. Invisible stars: a social history of women in American broadcasting Media, communication, and culture in America. Edn. Illustrated. M.E. Sharpe, 2001. Print. Jackson, L. Ronald, II. Encyclopedia of Identity. SAGE, 2010. Print. Joseph, Ben. The 9 Most Racist Disney Characters. Nov 16, 2007. Web. 11 Dec. 2010. http://www.cracked.com/article_15677_the-9-most-racist-disney-characters.html#ixzz17ff4lyWF Ludden. Jennifer. Mexican Cartoon Character at Center of Dispute. NPR, 2010. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4788827 Turpin, E. Jennifer., Kurtz R. Lester. The Web of violence: from interpersonal to global. University of Illinois Press, 1997. Print. The censored Looney tunes and Merrie melodies guide. Warner Bros. n. d. 11 Dec. 2010. http://looney.goldenagecartoons.com/ltcuts/a/ The journal of cartoon overanalyzations. Evil Micky Mouse. n. d. 11 Dec. 2010. http://cartoonoveranalyzations.com/2008/03/30/evil-mickey-mouse/ Wilson, C. Clint., Gutiérrez, Félix., Chao, M. Lena. Racism, sexism, and the media: the rise of class communication in multicultural America. Edn. 3, illustrated. SAGE, 2003. Print. Yar, Majid. Cybercrime and society. Edn. Illustrated. SAGE, 2006. Print. Read More