I can't decide if this is an example of serendipity (the "Bananas Foster Effect") or simply indicative of how pervasive expressions of gender difference are in our society, but I turned the TV on for the first time in weeks and was greeted to an episode of The Fairly Oddparents.
(For those of you who are unfamiliar with the show, it is a quite excellent cartoon on Nickelodeon starring Timmy, a boy I assume is in elementary school, who has two shape-shifting guardian angels that grant him unlimited wishes. It is through these wishes that he gets into mischief, learns life lessons, yada yada yada. Lots of the humor is very tongue-in-cheek, and it is definitely geared towards a cross-generational audience: bright colors, funny voices, and easy-to-grasp plotlines for the kids, and sarcastic humor, quick and subtle sight gags, and gratuitous use of hyperbole for their parents.)
This particular episode was heavy on the gender themes. The episode starts with Timmy trying to tie knots, ending up tying himself up (BDSM anyone?). His godparents free him, and he explains that he is practicing for the camping trip the Squirrel Scouts are about to go on, but how he hardly needs any practice, because his dad is the highest ranking in the scouts, Flying Squirrel. His dad comes in, ready and raring to go, when his pager blinks "GO TO WORK" and he drops everything to soar out the window (still in his flying squirrel uniform) to rush to his job. Jimmy is bummed, and his mom grabs the rope from the floor and ties a "triple helix double hitch knot", binding all of Dad's dropped gear into a neat package. Jimmy doesn't notice, instead thanking his mom morosely and walking out the door, wondering to his godparents where he will find a man to replace his dad on the trip.
He wishes that several of his friends' fathers would be his instead, trying each out before realizing none of them will work on the camping trip. His godparents are obviously hinting that he try his mom, who appears in cutaway scenes throughout the episode, obviously (and unintentionally) proving her worth as a camping partner by, say, tossing the gas grill over her shoulder when she couldn't light it and instead hastily erecting the perfect firepit and starting a fire by rubbing two sticks together. (Meanwhile, his father is ineptly flying in and out of the frame, behaving like a squirrel and making numerous mentions of "nuts".) Finally, the audience thinks Timmy gets the hint, saying "Maybe I don't need a DAD...", but finishes saying "...I could use a STEP-dad instead!" He tries his friend's stepdad, but to no avail.
Timmy walks home to see his mom roasting marshmallows on her perfect fire, and she hands him one. He munches it, thanking her, and walks up to his room, forlorning that he won't be able to go on his trip. His mother calls from down in the yard, asking if he can help her hold the tent she wove out of dog hair and grass clippings while she places the hand-carved wooden tent poles. He walks outside, and his mother warns him to be careful of her enormous solar powered water purification plant (made of wood) and her gigantic display of 297 (generic) "girl scout" merit badges that she is going to spit shine later. Finally, Timmy gets it, and asks if she would accompany him. She of course agrees, suggesting they take her pre-industrial wooden catapult to the campsite.
Cut scene to Jimmy and Mom being handed the giant golden acorn for being the best scouts. Mom makes a small speech, saying she would like to thank all the scouts and scout leaders, as well as her stern-looking, sunglasses-and-suit-clad attorney (who happens to be standing behind her and to the left) for "forcing all of you to let me attend". All of the scouts look to each other and confusedly say, "You're welcome?"
The episode ends with a shot of the inept father soaring through the air, mouth full of acorns, being tailed by fighter jets demanding that he land.
So, what do you think? Clueless, lollygagging father who drops an arrangement with his son to go into work (though is instead seen flying around the city the whole day)...who possesses incredible scoutly skills...as well as the super human ability to fly aided only by a scout uniform with wing flaps. Bright yet somewhat oblivious (why didn't she suggest accompanying Timmy herself?) stay-at-home mom who is clearly capable of doing all that a man does (and far more). Timmy never stopping to consider his mother as a "replacement" for his father until all other viable (and magically-induced) options are exhausted. And last, but certainly not least, the explicit mention of legal action being required to allow mom to accompany her son to a scouting event.
Is this good or bad for a child's conception of gender? I'm going to go ahead and say it is good. While a 1:1 role reversal of parental duties is not exactly what the gender equality movement has in mind as far as achieving its goals, it's a damn good start. What's more, from a child's perspective, or even from someone not well-versed or aware of the great disparities in gender equality, the way equality is portrayed is obvious and positive; I can just picture a kid yelling at the screen, "Timmy, you fool! Can't you see your mom would be AWESOME on that camping trip? She is SO GOOD at camping! She is WAY better than all those other men you are trying out!"
I'd love to hear your take on it, though!
Much pce, y'll.
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