44. Describe the three implications that Lemish identifies for children's television in a global
context. - Answers 1) Loss of the local
2) The dominance of the Western Beauty
3) Gender Segregation
Loss of the local - Answers - American programming for children has been strongly criticized
around the world for many reasons:
1. stereotypical of gender and race,
2. irrelevant to indigenous cultures,
3. too limited in scope of content and issues for children as they mature,
4. unnecessarily accelerating adulthood,
5. encouraging wasteful consumption.
- It idealizes a stereotypical way of American life with dominant representations of gender and
race roles.
- Answers - Values identified in the form of American TV broadbast to children around the world
includes:
1. lack of respect for adults and local cultural traditions,
2. individualism and estrangement from the collective,
3. dominance of the English language and slang,
4. dominance of popular culture,
5. and celebrity adoration
- nothing regarding the lower class, nontraditional family arrangements, or on the streets
- Social issues in the world are not discussed.
, 2) The dominance of the Western Beauty - Answers Children's TV perpetuates an unattainable
beauty model, particularly for girls.
- Answers The "beauty myth" by Naomi Wolf (1991) says the desired female "look" is
-thin,
-attractive,
-heterosexual,
-wealthy,
-predominantly white
- Answers This demonstrates the priority given to selected images of Whiteness on TV viewed
by children conveying the message that Western beauty is superior to any other racial form
- Answers The struggle to attain the "Western look" also imposes an economic strain on
children and families.
It encourages heavy consumption of leisure goods and fules production such as:
clothes,
fashion accessories,
surgeries,
and exemplars of Western culture popular culture.
- Answers Lastly: unhealthy eating habits have promoted the American "fast food" industry
which has been encouraged by healthy consumption of TV as well as correlated with obesity.
Gender Segregation - Answers Promote a worldview through which boys and girls are
encouraged to inhabit different electronic and cultural spaces.
- Answers Disney examples:
-High School musical or Hannah Montana (girl oriented)
-action-oriented cartoon network (boy oriented).