Poll: Should There be Gay Characters in Kid's Shows/Films?

[conflictofinterests]

Jesus Christ, if I had known when I was 5 that all of the things that I thought were wrong with me then were normal parts of being a human being SO MUCH trouble could have been avoided!!! Anyone who is against there being gays, bisexuals, asexuals, transgendered people, or anything else under the sun in children's programming obviously never lived through the fear and the shame of knowing that you'd never be one of those nice people living nice lives, unless you could change something THAT integral to who you are as a person.

It's not about discrimination and there not being enough other role models. It's about children being able to accept themselves for who they are.

Children being able to accept themselves for who they are? You know, I think there's no problem with showing it, but I find that kind of attitude bizarre. You think people couldn't accept themselves for who they were before TV happened? TV is hardly the way to get people to accept themselves for who they are, I'd rather hope parents found something besides TV to manage that for ther kids.

My parents at least never really considered I'd be anything other than a heterosexual woman, and never thought of talking to me about other possibilities or reassuring me that whatever I ended up being that they'd love me. And because they'd never considered it, it felt like they were pushing me to be something I wasn't. Television would help in those situations, where parents never think their kids might not be "normal," and it might help the parents explore and explain these possibilities with their kids, especially with the ones who just don't know how to frame these conversations. Yeah, it's not going to help with the parents who don't want their kids to know about other orientations on a moral basis and know what the shows are talking about, but it would definitely help otherwise.

TV would help, but I would really hope TV's role is not supposed to be to stand in when parents fail. It's entertainment, it shouldn't have to fulfill some role so long as it doesn't cause damage itself.

Well, children's programming is trying to fulfill a role. For those that don't get into preschool, it's their first exposure to logic, or to reading, or numbers, or other languages. It functions as the first school they attend, outside of the more purely entertainment shows. Some shows go out of their way to start explaining things for children, and this is one of those things that ought to be explained.

 

[rekabdarb]

Yeah sure, however don't go out and point HE'S FUCKING GAY GET OVER IT. Make him a NORMAL HUMAN BEING, because that's what gay people are. Do you see them fucking? No. Who gives a shit.

 

[Wuvlycuddles]

No, but only because i think they'd treat it with "care" and "sensitivity", which i don't think would be the best way to handle it, i reckon the "billy has two mommys" approach does more damage than good.

I don't like the "its ok to be different" mentality, it shouldn't matter if you are different, so unless a homosexual character is put in a kids cartoon and its not handled any differently from "normal" then it would be ok.

 

[The Gnome King]

As always in this sort of discussion, I would recommend examining the other side.

What this topic is suggesting, what many here seem to view as a right and proper course of action, is to take an open question and snap it shut - declare one side of the issue "right" and enforce that decision. Not through law, but through indoctrination of young children.

Turn the question around, then. Ask yourself this: Would you be OK with Christian doctrine becoming an integral part of public television? With schools teaching your children that God created the universe? That (insert Conservative political viewpoint here) is correct?
Or, to put a more general point on it, would you agree to let your children be inundated by beliefs that you do not hold?

If not, I would suggest you think long and hard about suggesting that similar things be done to other people's kids.

There are quite a few Christian-themed cartoon shows out there already. I, personally, wouldn't really want my children watching them.

There are no children's shows out there featuring two men (or two women) as a couple; and I think this disparity needs to be rectified. If ultra-conservative parents don't want their kids watching it they can always ban the show.

And I don't see how simply showing a male couple or a female couple is "indoctrination" in any form - it's simply showing children that gay couples exist without attaching any morals, good or bad, to them. Let's say in Snow White they have a sleeping prince that needs a kiss from another man - say, a knight - instead of a sleeping princess. Is showing the current form - a woman being kissed awake by a man - "heterosexual indoctrination" -?

If you don't consider it heterosexual indoctrination, why would you consider it homosexual indoctrination to simply show something that exists in everyday life - two men in love?

I think it comes down to privilege again. Heterosexual/Christian leaning people are the majority so they see no problem with heterosexual relationships being shown on kids shows, but if you try to take away that privilege and show another type of family they immediately call it "indoctrination" - what if, as a bisexual male living in a very different family format (successfully, for over a decade) I don't want my children being exposed to ONLY heterosexual relationships?

Is my lack of choice indoctrinating my children? I think, in a way, it is.

 

[Laser Priest]

I don't see why there shouldn't be. As long as no sexuality is presented as the "right" one.

Also, I'm worried about any sexuality would really be expressed in a kid's show/film.

 

[omicron1]

That seems like a bad argument because there are plenty of other positions we feel free to reject. I don't need to step in the other side's shoes, especially if I emphatically believe they are wrong. I wouldn't do it for racists for instance.

So, you'd fall back on an argument from superiority. "They're bigoted/ignorant/afraid." "Their opinion isn't as good as mine." "They don't matter." (note: not quotes)

It doesn't really matter, here, who's right or wrong. Despite the fact that you have apparently convinced yourself otherwise, there is an open debate about the nature of the thing, and there are intelligent, informed people on both sides. To take away someone's freedom, whether of belief or of action, because you believe him to be wrong - no matter how emphatically you believe so - goes against the guiding principles of America and, I believe, of basic human morality.

You can't make someone agree with you, sir. That's what tyrants do. That's what happened in nations conquered by early Islamic militancy, what happened in Catholic Europe during the Inquisition. That's what's happening in China and Korea right now, where even if the parents never agree with the state, their children will know no other option.

If you want me to agree with you, sir, on any issue, you have but one choice: convince me. That's how we do it in the free world.

 

[Asuka Soryu]

I'd rather we remove all things romantic from kids shows, wether heterosexual or homosexual.

lol I know as a kid I didn't care for that stuff.

 

[Tanner The Monotone]

this has been bothering me for a while, we have a community that is in a largely public agreement that there is nothing wrong with homosexuality, and yet, in kid's shows you'll often see male and female characters who are attracted to one another but never those of the same sex? and you can say "kids wont understand that" but i know for a fact that when i have kids, i certainly won't let them grow up under the delusion that only people of opposite genders can fall in love and get married!

so what are your opinions?

spongebob.....

 

[CarpathianMuffin]

I see no problem with it. It's a factor in everyday life now, and it's best for kids to know about it.

 

[Moromillas]

No, no there shouldn't. Kids should be allowed to just be kids. They shouldn't have to deal with adult issues and concepts like sexuality and orientation. In fact, they shouldn't disclose their orientation at all. Perfect example: Tinky Winky in Teletubbies.

 

[Whytewulf]

First the originator needs to define kids show. Under 7 is very different than 8-11 and so on. Personally I don't care, what I don't like is trying to force something unnatural in there just to make a statement, because as others have said, it is usually done poorly and offends everyone. If it's a natual progression of the show, fine. Secondly who is to say today's characters aren't, see above post for photos, etc. Why because they don't really go into that. It's a person and I don't believe young kids are even introduced to such relationships in their shows.

Someone earlier complained about using the term sexuality and why are people saying it shouldn't in shows. Sexuality is a generic term and doesn't always involve sex, but this is talking about who you are attracted to and questions could be generated about such things.

As a media producer, I would probably say no. Because again, it would probably be done wrong and then no one wins and parents who are ok with certain things in a teen show would not be ok with it in a kids show, thus my show is not renewed. After all TV is a business and most of the time it's about making a dollar.

 

[omicron1]

Stuff!

That's actually a rather intelligent reply. Congratulations.

As I understand it, the question being asked in the topic is not "should there be homosexuality-accepting/oriented shows?" but "should shows be accepting/oriented towards homosexuality?"

You see, I don't care one whit if there's a channel that shows "alternative lifestyle" kids shows - as long as it's designed in the same way as Christian kids' channels are today - designated channels. If you want to do that, go right ahead; I don't care. It's happened in other media (children's picture books [http://www.amazon.com/King-Linda-Haan/dp/1582460612/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301351383&sr=8-1]) and it has no affect on me nor on my potential future progeny, any more than VeggieTales has on yours.

The problem occurs when you make this answer ("homosexuality is good/right/natural/immutable") part of general children's television. It's the same issue I'd have with, say, a Nickelodeon show condoning premarital sex - implicitly saying "this is OK" to my kids is a problem.

 

[JustCallMeAlex]

Its the same argument that extreme violence shouldn't be censored because we need to show kids that bad things do happen not that everything is always happy and good.

For example when someone gets shot, it is a lethal injury not something that you can just brush off and show/videogames for kids under the age of 10 should know how dangerous guns can be.

So for homosexual characters in TV shows I think that my be overstepping a boundary because I don't think kids need to be exposed to sexuality at such a young age when they can't make the most educated decisions about things like that.

 

[Ghaleon640]

Well, I don't know about that. The reason I say that is this, when kids are young, I think partially what keeps love as a strange concept to them is that the other gender is so different. So they hang out with kids their own gender more often. If love seemed open to them at that age between members of the same gender, maybe love would be something they would try a lot earlier. But I would feel that being that young they wouldn't actually know what the hell they were doing, and it would just be kids goofing around rather than feeling anything. I don't mean to say its wrong, but I mean that it may affect kids a little early in a way that the current 'straight' love may not. I just think that with good intentions can come some consequences. Granted, what do i know about this? Nothing. Just trying to look at the other side.

 

[Agayek]

I'm firmly of the "don't give a flying fuck" opinion. If/when I ever have kids, I will teach them that homosexuality is certainly nothing wrong, but I really don't care if they see it on TV or not.

 

[ninja51]

They shouldnt be excluded because of being gay. That is just Homophobic and stupid. Steriotypes should be avoided for any type of person though, so a gay "steriotype" should probably be avoided in a kids show, as with any other steriotype.