I'm not usually one to rant and complain, but there is a common theme I keep noticing in the books I read to my children that I feel needs to be addressed.
How many of you are familiar with the original version of The Three Little Pigs? Or even the Disney version?
I imagine many of us are. In the 1890 version of English Fairy Tales written by Joseph Jacobs (and most of the versions thereafter) the three little pigs are male. However, today when I pick up a modern-day version of the Three Little Pigs, the one who builds the house of bricks or the sturdiest material (aka the "smart one") is female.
For example, there's this one:
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And this one:
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And this one:
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Now, don't get me wrong. I love all these books and own every one of them. But the other day as I was reading one of them to two of my sons, the older one asked, "Why do all the stories have the girl as the smart one and the boys as the dumb ones?"
His question broke my heart. Of course, I had noticed this common theme with these modern-day retellings of the three little pigs, but I guess I'd hoped my boys wouldn't notice. But no, they are too SMART for that.
I'm sorry, I'm all for diversity in books, heck if it doesn't seem diverse enough to have three male pigs, then by all means put some females in there. But when boys are bombarded over and over with books claiming that they are the dumb ones, what kind of impression are we leaving on them?
Obviously, I'm a little more sensitive to this since I'm a mother of FIVE boys. And I want them to grow up knowing they are good, smart, and kind. And after all I try to teach them in my own home, I don't want them to ever question it—not because of a book, or a movie, or the media.
And hopefully, if you've never taken the time to think about the kinds of messages we're sending to the young people of the world through our books and media, perhaps this blog post will inspire you to.
Over and out.
He's right though. I think the same thing about a lot of commercials. The woman is the smart one and the guy is the idiot. What's wrong with both being smart?
ReplyDeleteExactly! I've noticed that trend in television shows also (even some of my favorite ones—Modern Family, Everybody Loves Raymond, etc). Kind of sad.
DeleteI can definitely say that your son is smart in pointing it out.Being an avid reader myself, i tend to ponder over such notions too but the equation varies in different genres,cultures and the target audience.Don't you think so??Media has an influence to a certain extent but i wouldn't blame them entirely..We writers need to broaden our perspectives and be open to our present as well as future readers of our work!!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I understand. I think the books are skewed to favor women because of the way the school system is structured these days. It teaches toward girls, and therefore they appear the smarter dynamic. Boys think so differently.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree wholeheartedly! I was going to mention that about the school system, but thought that might be another blog post entirely! And yes, boys think so differently.
DeleteThat is pretty crummy that it's pervasive in today's culture to the point of harming our male youth. I'd like to see what you mentioned: both genders represented as equally intelligent. I think the smart-female theme resulted from trying to break the previous stereotypes that women need men to save them, women are secondary to men, women are only good as secretaries and housewives because it takes a man to run a business. In many instances, women aren't physically as strong as their male counter part, and if you don't have the brawn, then the remaining part to excel at is the brain. But in trying to promote that women are just as good as men at the hard stuff, they've pushed it too far over the line and send the message that women are superior in this category.
ReplyDeleteI, for one, was actually drawn to my husband by the fact that he's smarter than I am. Better watch out for your boys, because girls dig the smart ones. ;)
You're exactly right, Loni. Since women typically don't have the brawn, we focus instead on the brain to make us more equal. Good point. But yeah, I agree, I think this message has been taken too far over the line.
DeleteI think it's just an overreaction to the years in which the female was constantly portrayed as stupid or flighty or such. The pendulum has now swung the other way. Not that it makes it right. It's up to us to change it.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! If we want it to change, we'll have to be the ones to do it.
DeleteOur Pastor pointed out in a sermon recently that we've gone from "Father Knows Best" (yeah, our Pastor is old, like me) to Dad's a Dummy. Not a message to send our children.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny though, I was still celebrating kids' stories finally having females who were not helplessly waiting to be rescued, and never noticed how far the pendulum had swung the other way.
That's exactly right! You can see that "Dad's a Dummy" everywhere! So sad, and not what I want my boys to grow up thinking.
DeleteIt is amazing how far the pendulum has swung in the other direction. I just hope we can get it back to center.
agree with the poster who said this is an overreaction to years of the female being dumb...and wow I have NEVER thought about this before. what a great post, Kristin. we're always taught to think in terms of ending female stereotypes but what about impressionable boys? They deserve the same respect.
ReplyDeleteExactly. Now if we can figure out a way to incorporate both...Thanks, Beth.
DeleteAmen and high fives Kristin! It's about time we start speaking up for men. We've been beating them over the head for decades. As a chick surrounded by guys, I agree with you...it's just unfair. Girl power doesn't require beating up boys.
ReplyDeleteAloha and I'm like Beth... I never really thought about it, but as a stay-at-home Dad to three boys (and God bless you, Kristin for raising FIVE :) my wife and I do make sure we raise our boys up when they go above and beyond what's expected.
ReplyDeleteI'll add that TMNT is *the* current BIG thing in the house, and all three of the boys think April O'Neill, the female "lead" rocks - because she is *as* smart as the others, not more and not less :)
That Little Golden Book takes me back to childhood. All the books I read as a child were those!!!
ReplyDeleteAs for the boy issue--I was at a children's writers conference once when an agent said she didn't know why all of the kids' books she received were told from the girl's perspective. I looked around the room and there wasn't a single male author in the room. Not one. I was thinking, "Does nobody notice this but me?" Many children's writers are female, although illustrators are male. There are FAR more male writers at SCBWI conferences than the romance conferences I used to attend, though!