Trigger Warning: Sexism in Children's Popular Media

[Bea Arthur]

A friend of mine tipped me off to this video in an email. I watched it and was disgusted by what I saw!!

It features a children’s cartoon character from the 1980s, Jem, trying to attract a man. How does she do it? By dressing in glamorous clothes, dancing seductively, and just generally objectifying and commoditizing herself. The title of the song, "Like a Dream," shows that her idea of fantasy is entering a sexual pairing with a male, so that she can further modify her bodily image to his liking. It even contains a racist element at the :38 second mark, when the male aggressor approaches what he thinks is Jem, but then recoils in horror when Jem suddenly transforms into a black woman. Reactionary stuff!!

As if the man's predation wasn't already clear, the video ends with him saying, "I MUST MEET HER!" What a message to send to the women of tomorrow who watched this--that their dreams should consist of participating in capitalist beauty culture by sculpting, poking, and prodding their bodies into various states of unnatural discomfort for the purpose of attracting a predatory male! Not just any male, but a Barry Manilow lookalike dressed in a Liberace outfit, for crying out loud!!

I encourage all of you to join me in complaining to youtube to have this video flagged immediately as containing adult content inappropriate to small children.

Here it is below, for those of you who can stomach sexist tripe of this magnitude:

WIgrEGQCoXY

[The Idler]

I don't think a woman singing or dancing to attract a man is necessarily sexist. Maybe not something you want impressionable kids to emulate but pretty sure this isn't a contemporary childrens show.

[RedSunrise]

It even contains a racist element at the :38 second mark, when the male aggressor approaches what he thinks is Jem, but then recoils in horror when Jem suddenly transforms into a black woman.

Here it is below, for those of you who can stomach sexist tripe of this magnitude


Um... That is a large exaggeration. Recoil in horror? No. Just no. "approaches what he thinks is Jem" I would recoil if I was about to kiss someone and they turned into someone else (If you watched the 20 seconds before 38 you would see him do that to white girls too)


I don't think a woman singing or dancing to attract a man is necessarily sexist. Maybe not something you want impressionable kids to emulate but pretty sure this isn't a contemporary childrens show.

Agreed^ "Women singing and dancing is sexist", but it isn't when men do it? This video is not something "kid friendly" but I can't see it being anywhere near sexist.

Guys like curvy women. That doesn't mean he thinks the curvy women can't function as well in society is him or are beneath him.

[Brandon's Impotent Rage]

...I'm confused. Jem hasn't been relevant in years, and you're just now getting upset about this?

[Flying Purple People Eater]

What the hell is this shit. :laugh:

[Taters]

...I'm confused. Jem hasn't been relevant in years, and you're just now getting upset about this?


What the hell is this shit. :laugh:

A master troll at work. Bravo, Bea Arthur, bravo.

[Danielle Ni Dhighe]

Guys like curvy women.
Yay, heteronormativity! :glare:

[Flying Purple People Eater]

Guys like curvy women.

You know what sorts of people I am attracted to?

http://i.imgflip.com/1bim.jpg

[RedSunrise]

Yay, heteronormativity! :glare:

My deepest apologizes! I neglect to include other opinions, since I am assuming this man (in the video) is heterosexual. The generalization should have been "Heterosexual men tend to like curvy women"

[Ethics Gradient, Traitor For All Ages]

Or advertising companies decided that they would prefer heterosexual men to like curvy women

[RedSunrise]

Or advertising companies decided that they would prefer heterosexual men to like curvy women

Actually that is evolution... It shows she can better bare children. The only reason fat has "hot" in the middle ages was because it showed higher status (Aka better care for offspring)

[Quail]

When I read the title of this thread, I thought it might be about (for example) the lack of decent female characters in children's TV shows, or female characters with their own show, or something. I don't really know if I'd call a TV show from the '80s "children's popular media" to be honest. I doubt my son will ever come across this video clip as he grows up, but there are gender stereotypes everywhere else which are seeping into his consciousness and I'm far more concerned with those.

Also, with this "guys like curvy women" thing... I can't speak for heterosexual men but there isn't one body type I would say I "prefer" and I kind of feel that quite often the emphasis on "curvy women" is promoting a standard of beauty which for many women is unattainable, yet isn't actually something people should worry about.

[Goblin]

I think Bea Arthur might be a mens right activist troll. GTFO Bea Arthur, and take your fedora with you!

[Flying Purple People Eater]

Actually that is evolution... It shows she can better bare children. The only reason fat has "hot" in the middle ages was because it showed higher status (Aka better care for offspring)

Just fucking lol.