Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Christensen Argurment

This author Christensen argues that children shows and cartoons are giving kids "a secret education". shes talks about how bad that this things are for kids now a days. how these kind of things show them how to act, and what to do, and teach them about racism, and violence.

She is right about how some cartoons and shows may have a second meaning and or an underlining message, but I will argue the face that because of what I do now and how I act is all because of the shows that I watched as a kid. I'm not racist, or discrimination towards women or anybody for that matter like in what Christensen says that Popeye does with women.

These are just shows to entertain children. If these kids are really influenced by these shows then why do parents let them watch them? If they are really getting a secret education why aren't these kids acting like the shows. Kids today are not racist, or really violent for that matter.

The argument that she is making that these television shows and underlining have a tremendous impact on children. I feel that there are meanings in these shows that can be taken as bad, or sexist, and or racist and violent but I don't believe that it is to the extent that Christensen says. Kids are too young to realize those messages that's why I believe that these shows don't have a huge effect on kids, if they did parents would not let their kids watch them.

2 comments:

  1. Greg, when I first read this, I thought the same thing, I watched Disney and I'm not racist or violent. When I re-read I understood a little differently. I think that what Christensen is saying is that the messages are underlying, so children aren't violent or racist, but they realize things like princesses get the best husbands, mothers should like to cook for their children, or only men drive cars. Children realize as they get older that real life challenges what they saw as a child. But when they are young, and only have a basic understanding of what it being showed to them, its a different story. It challenges what we want to be teaching, but I think most adults don't stop to see that. They let their children watch Disney because it's fun and wholesome and it's what they watched.

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  2. Hey Greg, I totally agree with you on this one. There are so many underlying and subliminal messages in many shows and movies. In fact, there is an entire FYS class that focuses on Disney and subliminal messages in its movies. However, sometimes I believe people read a little too far into things. Not everything can be turned into a racist or sexist remark but I think it is important to open our eyes and realize that many things can be taken in a negative context.

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