I don't know. If it ever showed up, it would seem kinda forced. Besides, the kids won't understand it but the adults would get raged. So it'll be nothing more than a flame-war maker. I voted not yet. Perhaps someday...
Poll: Should There be Gay Characters in Kid's Shows/Films?
- Thread starter interspark
- Start date
Yep. This. It depends what age range we are looking at here but seriously we shouldnt blast kids with all the worlds issues all at once. Im sure just being them is confusing enough as it is without saying "THIS MAN LIKES OTHER MEN! DO YOU THINK THIS IS OK?!", he probably wants to roll down a hill or poke a dead thing with a stick. Why does that matter to him? It doesnt.interspark said:
Its like having a TV show that mentions the economic crisis. Its a serious issue, but not one for children: "Mr giggles has lent Mrs Happy 20 cookies, but now she cant pay him back and has purchased a ginger bread house with them. The value of the cookie has decreased! and PEOPLE CANNOT SELL THEIR GINGERBREAD HOUSES! What shall they do?!"
Let them think about it with maturity. This isnt an easy issue, and SHOULDNT be tackled before they are ready to view it properly.
It probably won't. This is one of "those" issues where people try to shape reality to their argument instead of the other way around.Wolfy2449 said:
You can try to characterize gay relationships as the same as those straight relationships already present and talked about on kids' shows (EDIT: and say that writers would treat these relationships exactly the same and share only the most basic facts about them because, after all, writing for children's understanding is their specialty), but noone will read it. They'll just keep going on about how you can't tell your kids there are men who like other men until they are 25 because there's a penis involved in the equation somewhere (And yes, it's a double standard to state the obvious. Straight relationships have occasional penis as well).
Maybe not for tykes or something, but it could an interesting teaching point. Heck, you could just use it to make better rounded characters for older audiences.
While I have nothing against the married gay or lesbian couple in kid's shows, because I think it would help children to be more tolerate and less freaked out by the presence of different types of relationships, I think what would be more important is for homosexual couples to appear in pre-teen and teen shows, when the people watching are truly understanding and trying to figure out their own sexuality.
Let's face it, pop icons help us through things and they make us feel better about ourselves because "we're not the only one." Ever if it's just a character, being able to emulate or seek guidance out of these characters, can give us confidence, and give us something good to aspire to (and this is a nerd community so I think 98.5% of you must know what I'm talking about). I think it would be good for lesbian and gay teens to have someone to look to.
Let's face it, pop icons help us through things and they make us feel better about ourselves because "we're not the only one." Ever if it's just a character, being able to emulate or seek guidance out of these characters, can give us confidence, and give us something good to aspire to (and this is a nerd community so I think 98.5% of you must know what I'm talking about). I think it would be good for lesbian and gay teens to have someone to look to.
I'd say no.
Homosexuality, not being wrong is also not a child friendly topic.
As I would not want Sesame street having "Anal sex girl" or "Missionary position" guy. The orientation is irrelevant cause even a flaming queen can be a colorful kids show character.
But throwing around sexual orientation on a kids show, open minded or not before kids are even getting into that, sorry can't find that necessary unless it's now socially acceptable for big big to be teaching my kid about sex. Which I'll do myself thanks.
Homosexuality, not being wrong is also not a child friendly topic.
As I would not want Sesame street having "Anal sex girl" or "Missionary position" guy. The orientation is irrelevant cause even a flaming queen can be a colorful kids show character.
But throwing around sexual orientation on a kids show, open minded or not before kids are even getting into that, sorry can't find that necessary unless it's now socially acceptable for big big to be teaching my kid about sex. Which I'll do myself thanks.
I am against the idea of anything regarding sexual relationships in kids shows. There should be no attraction. In fact what is the point of even teaching them about gayness before they teach them about sex. Talk about learning to run before you can walk.
Wrong o chuckles, nice of you to try and TELL me what kinda parent I am or will be but FAIL.mr_rubino said:
Already taught her difference and she's getting the TALK at 10 as well as a nice screening of a live birth with as much screaming as possible.
But thanks, They say kids as young as 12 are getting into sex, so I already planned.
I vaguely remember (like 5 years ago) on Playschool (an extremely long running childrens tv show in Australia) a segment where a little girl narrated an experience of going to the fair with her mommies. I can't really remember the reaction, but I'm sure some people went up in arms about it.
they already do (Jonas Brothers, Justin Bieber, Big Time Rush, etc.)
but seriously,
it depends on how they handle it. if they pull a Dumbledore (turns out the character is gay, moving on), then sure, but if they base an entire EPISODE around two characters (on a little kids' show) exploring their sexualities... then, no...
if anything, this is the wrong mindset. instead of basing a character around the idea that they're gay, they should have a character who is a real person and happens to be gay.
that's why Dumbledore, for example, worked so well. if JK had wanted, she could have based every Dumbledore scene around the fact that he was gay. it was instead added as an afterthought. this downplays it, which is good. if you devote a ton of attention to something, it will seem like a much bigger deal. it's sortof like what Morgan Freeman said about race relations, where if you stop thinking of people as a black person or a white person, racism will eventually go away. this works with homosexuality. if you have a gay character and think of them as just a character as opposed to a gay character, homophobia will eventually go away.
so no, you should not have gay characters. but you could definatly have characters who just happen to be gay.
(sorry for writing a frigging novel)
but seriously,
it depends on how they handle it. if they pull a Dumbledore (turns out the character is gay, moving on), then sure, but if they base an entire EPISODE around two characters (on a little kids' show) exploring their sexualities... then, no...
if anything, this is the wrong mindset. instead of basing a character around the idea that they're gay, they should have a character who is a real person and happens to be gay.
that's why Dumbledore, for example, worked so well. if JK had wanted, she could have based every Dumbledore scene around the fact that he was gay. it was instead added as an afterthought. this downplays it, which is good. if you devote a ton of attention to something, it will seem like a much bigger deal. it's sortof like what Morgan Freeman said about race relations, where if you stop thinking of people as a black person or a white person, racism will eventually go away. this works with homosexuality. if you have a gay character and think of them as just a character as opposed to a gay character, homophobia will eventually go away.
so no, you should not have gay characters. but you could definatly have characters who just happen to be gay.
(sorry for writing a frigging novel)
I can understand this being a hot button issue, especially for families with a more conservitive view, because after a younger child is exposed to something like homosexuality in media targeted towards them, they will look to their parents to contextualise and explain it. It would undoubtably place parents in, at best, uncomfortable positions, and will no doubt raise hostilities towards what ever station and studio puts out the show. I feel however, that introducing children to more unconventional family dynamics is important, so that any negative feelings due to unfamiliarity can be delt with, and if a child should later discover that they themselves are homosexual they can feel more socialy accepted rather than ostracized and alone.
Kiddie shows like Barney and Sesame Street really shouldn't shove any sort of sexuality in kids faces, eh? Straight, gay, or otherwise.
As for older kid's shows like Yugioh and Pokemon, yeah, it's not that big of a deal.
As for older kid's shows like Yugioh and Pokemon, yeah, it's not that big of a deal.