I watch cartoons with Tesla every now and then. It makes her happy and takes me back to simpler days. We love Scooby Doo and Tom & Jerry, but the newer cartoons are disturbing.
On one cartoon (I can’t remember which one) the characters were talking about Romeo and Juliet. A male cartoon character says, “why can’t there be a Romeo and Romeo?” Now I have no problem with people’s sexual preferences, but I think throwing lines like that into cartoons is just ridiculous. When kids get older they can start thinking about whether they want a Juliet or a Romeo in their life, I don’t see the need to have this brought up in a cartoon.
A few days ago we were watching Wynx Club, a truly horrible cartoon simply because the voices are so annoying. They are teenage fairies (scantily dressed) that go to a private fairy school. When a new professor (male) started at the fairy school one of the characters commented on how hot the new teacher was. That just seemed totally out of line. With all the problems schools are having with teachers becoming involved with students I don’t understand why something like that would be written into a cartoon.
Just stick to Bugs Bunny.
~P.
girlboxer1970 
Reading this made me really sad… not because I feel that there’s some inherent loss of innocence created in the cartoon, but for all the little Romeos and Juliets out there who grow up thinking they have to pair off with a certain gender. Children are far more aware of gender roles, at a far younger age, than most adults give them credit for. A young child probably won’t judge the characters in a cartoon, or real people, based on who they love. They may, however, grow up believing that sexuality is a “preference,” no matter how early they feel drawn to a certain gender, and that their “preference” is deviant and wrong. It must be – nobody ELSE is doing it! (I don’t think anyone would “prefer” to live in a society, in a world – that tells them this in a thousand different ways, so I reject the idea that sexuality isn’t at least partly inborn.)
This is also known as heteronormativity. In short, it’s showing a child, by example that there is one way to do things – one way to love, one way to choose a partner, and one way to lead your life. This kind of example teaches, intentionally or not, that any deviation from the norm is wrong. That line about Romeo seeking Romeo struck you as odd, because we grew up in a completely heteronormative world. I doubt it would even register in a young child’s conscious mind, unless it became the focus of the story. But unconsciously, it throws some of them a rope, and tells them that they’re okay, and not alone.
I do feel that children’s products and entertainment tries to prematurely sexualize them – particularly little girls. It’s a shame, but manufacturers are actually selling to parents. Most parents have already been groomed to find sexy more appealing than any alternative.
You’re right Michelle, even though I found the cartoon line about Romeo and Romeo and the teacher being “hot” it didn’t even faze Tesla. Then again, she is still so young she might not even grasp where they were going with it.
Do u got email?
I do have email. Pcrider@ycp.edu