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TV makers forced to rethink ‘damaging’ princess shows

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CANNES, France, Oct 19, (Agencies): The
Disney princess may not be dead yet, but chil-
dren’s television makers are under pressure to
create more adventurous female characters as
fears grow over the damage gender stereotyp-
ing may be doing to girls.

Last week Disney tried to tackle head on
fears that its relentless merchandising was
fuelling a damaging “princess culture” that
limits even very young girls’ horizons and
contributes to “body esteem” issues.

It launched a 10-point guide for would-be
princesses in posters which urged girls to
“Right wrongs” and “Believe in yourself”.

But analysts and programme makers gath-
ered at the world’s biggest entertainment mar-
ket in Cannes on the French Riviera this week
warned that young girls and their parents
were impatient for more fundamental change.

Several warned that if there weren’t given
better role models, girls would simply turn
off.

Emma Worrollo of London-based strategy
company Pineapple Lounge said her detailed
research conducted with thousands of chil-
dren across the globe showed girls’ frustra-
tion.

“Their idea of gender is much more fluid
(than previous generations). They don’t want
gender to be a factor at all,” she said.

Both older girls and boys idolise the
crusading character of Katniss Everdeen from
the “Hunger Games” films, she told AFP.
But girls search in vain to find similar
figures they can identify with on television,
which they see as unjust.

They are right to be upset. On average
three-quarters of cartoon heroes are male,
industry insiders say.
Yet there is a huge hunger for better and
more gender fluid stories among children,
Worrollo insisted.

“Generation Z children (who are now
aged 10 to 16) tell us that boys can now be
girls and girls boys, but ‘we don’t see that on
TV’,” she added.

Some channels, however, are determined
to force change. France Televisions put out a
formal call to producers for series revolving
around female heroes after realising its output
-- “like everyone else’s” -- was completely
imbalanced.

Its head of children’s programmes Tiphaine
de Raguenel told AFP that “we are trying not
just to have princesses, fairies and tomboys”.

Even new “girlie” cartoon series are trying
to up their empowerment message.

“SpacePop” an American cartoon series
about an intergalatic girl band is marketing
itself at the MIPCOM TV industry meeting as
a “not your average princesses” show.

Its heroines may be into “fashion, music
and friendship” but they are also out to save
the universe.

The problem can start very early, experts
say. A US study of pre-school children pub-
lished this year said princess merchandise can
begin affecting children’s behaviour as young
as three.