Big companies know the effects of subliminal advertising, that's for sure. The regular parent has no idea what they're fighting and even aware they're in a battle with corporations. From the minute the children are born they're under attack by big corporations.

There are numerous messages in Disney, both of the audio and visual level, including the "Penis Castle," to messages in Lion King, Aladdin, etc. The thought is, and if the corporations are doing it, I believe it, but the thought is, the quicker the sexuality is opened the quicker they can be manipulated into ANYTHING, with the right amount of fuel. I'd say it's an accurate theory.

I read to my children.

One of the things I consistently run into when I read my children books that other people get them for presents - people with less filtering on commercialization that I do - is that many of these books have messages in them.

However, I've also noticed that most people are essentially illiterate to literary messages. So they cannot and do not break out the message. If they read the book at all before giving it to my children.

There are three consistent themes I see in these books aimed at children.

One - girls don't question authority, and girls are pretty - period.
Two - men are scary - usually directed at boys in boys books.
Three - There is an order to society and people do not question their "betters."

I usually find a way to lose these books after reading them a couple of times. I also discuss the content with my children, at their level.

Like this -
"What is the difference between the prima ballerina with the magic slippers, and the other girls?"
"Can any of the other girls learn to do what the prima ballerina does?"
"Do you really need a magic slipper to become as good as someone else?"
"Is the prima ballerina a better person than the other girls?"
"I think that practice will teach you to do those things - what do you think?"

As to the packaging enforcing gender roles, where girls are sexy and boys are scary - I REFUSE to have my boy associate manhood and being strong with being scary. If I hear "that's a boy/girl toy" so that means that they cannot play with it, I ask them what MAKES it a boy/girl toy. I ask them if it came in a different colour that they think makes it a genderized toy, that they would want to play with it.

I'll point out that their Daddy, Grandpa, Uncles who are very masculine like babies, or cook. That their aunts and mommy work with tools.

Being a gender, and having preferences is WAY different than being ENFORCED towards a gender role. I will not allow some jackass in a board room dictate what my children are allowed to be and like.

Originally posted by Aeons
I've also noticed that most people are essentially illiterate to literary messages. So they cannot and do not break out the message. If they read the book at all before giving it to my children.

I agree here totally. Consumer and popular culture, things like imaginary ancient Egypt, an antique coke bottle, are iconic. I think the LION KING message said "SFX" for Special Effects. Sex does exist, no point in trying to keep it a secret. The kids aren't going to feel compelled to have orgies after seeing the word. It would be more noteworthy if things like this were never alluded to.

How people are represented, male and female, family role models, rewards or punishment for assertiveness and independent thinking, leadership and control - are areas where kids are working out their personality and interfacing issues.

A confusing time for children. A lot of conflict on what they are told is right, and what they see in their fiction.


Mike


[edit on 30-10-2009 by mmiichael]

This just sickens me to no end. Those that make money obviously have no souls.

I must be one of the Illuminutty then, because that Playmobil Pyramid totally rocks. If my daughter was younger, I'd buy it for her in a heart-beat.

Christmas time for my daughter has always been an odd exercise in conscientious shopping. Thankfully my daughter has always had peculiar interests. Since she was 7 she'd rather have High-Powered Rockets, Telescopes, Microscopes, Chemistry Kits, et cetera. When she asked me at age 10 for a Web-Cam for Christmas I almost panicked until she explained that she wanted to build a micro-satellite to have launched into orbit and the Web-Cam had to be Serial, not USB so she could hook it up to the components she was building. That was acceptable, as my first thought was that she was wanting to get naughty with pervy old men online.

Now that she's 12 she'd rather have books...lots of books. Granted, she's into the same kind of books I read when I was her age...Neil Gaiman, Graphic Novels, Vampire Novels, Manga, and such...but at least she's reading instead of vegging in front of an XBox360 or rotting her brain on television.

Parenting is by no means dead. My generation seems to take parenting very seriously, but we do have different parenting values than previous generations. We take a more active role in participating with our children rather than leaving them to their own devices, or coddling them as perma-infants for all of their life. Ever since my daughter could talk she's lead a Bachelor's life with her father. We drink beer (rootbeer for her), eat pizza, and would watch Rated-R Zombie flicks, and then talk about it afterward. She's enjoyed the privilege, since age 3 of being treated as an equal, regardless of her age...and she's more mature for it (although as a self-aware, responsible, grown-up kid). We do Science Projects together, and share mutual interests together. The thought of telling my own daughter to do her own thing and keep herself busy is a foreign concept to me, even though I was raised that way. Instead, I take an active role in keeping aware of what my daughter's interests are, and our time together is spent revolving around projects that promote those interests. If I need to get something done that can't involve her, I just wait until she goes to sleep.

Still, the thought of sheltering her from hidden messages in Toys is something to be concerned with, but I don't think of it the same way as most. Illuminutty symbols are fine by me (especially if they are pseudo-Egyptian, since my major in college with Archaeology/Papyrology/Egyptology) and even Coke bottles showing up in a book are fine by me too...but I'll never get my daughter a Barbie Doll or a Disney Movie if my life depended on it! When my daughter went through her short-lived Doll phase, we got her Laura Croft (from Tomb Raider), Elektra, Selene (from Underworld), and Princess Padme (from Star Wars) dolls. I'd rather my daughter be self-empowered and self-confident than have a negative body-image and learn to be shallow and co-dependent to an emotionally detached pseudo-gay Ken.