COMM 380:  Media Criticism

Most people would never think of their child forming negative stereotypes from Children’s networks. How could Mickey Mouse possibly be harmful to a 2-year-old? Most parents are more concerned about the violence their children are exposed to, but what could perhaps be more dangerous is sexism which can be found in nearly every cartoon. According to Martin, content analyses reveal that most children’s TV shows include more male characters and that male characters were more emotionally complex than female characters. Social scientists generally agree that children model the behavior that they see on TV; therefore, it is not surprising that they continue to have traditional attitudes about gender roles (White, 2017).

 

According to Hanson (2019), “[i]n 1999, the Big Four networks introduced twenty-six new shows; not one of them featured a non-white lead character” (Hanson, 2019). Socialization through television can be beneficial for children, such as teaching them how to count, form sentences, and also teach them common gestures that we use in society as nonverbal communication. However, society has taught children to have preconceived ideas about gender. Some children’s TV shows, like Doc McStuffins, challenge these gender stereotypes.

 

With a black female leading character, a stay-at-home father, and a mother in the medical field, Doc McStuffins is the perfect example of a modern family with non-traditional expressions of gender. The show has received an abundance of praise from parents and educators because of its teaching on health and hygiene, upending gender stereotypes, and relieving the anxiety many young children have about going to the doctor (Barnes, 2012). The positive response to this television show is not without good reason. Doc McStuffins sets itself apart from other children’s shows for its ambitious black female leading character that represents a modern young girl with ambitions, emotional complexity, and a non-traditional family. 

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Even today, media companies consider it a major risk to make their leading characters a minority. Especially Disney, which reportedly makes more money on white dolls and figurines, tends to shy away from minorities in fear that they will make less of a profit. After years of criticism, they finally released Princess and the Frog, the first and only black Disney princess. Then, in 2012, Doc McStuffins was released. Doc McStuffins is a 6-year old black girl. Not only is it groundbreaking to have a minority female in a leading role on Disney, which has tons of viewers, for many parents it was refreshing to see a female character with ambitions. According to White, “television programming emphasizes male characters’ strength, performance, and skill; for women, it focuses on attractiveness and desirability” (Witt, 2017).

 

Unlike other female leads in many children’s shows, Doc McStuffins rarely fusses about her appearance and it is not remotely a part of the plot or her character development. Her goal is to be a doctor like her mother when she grows up. Showing women in occupations that are stereotypically designated for males, like doctors or mechanics, is extremely rare. According to Thompson and Zerbinos, “female characters were seen as housewife-mother, girl-friend, grandmother, aunt, villain's daughter, maid, nanny, nurse, teacher, secretary, waitress, singer, movie star, TV reporter, circus performer, and witch” (Thompson & Zerbinos, 1999). Doc McStuffins is a great role model for young girls because she shows them that they can also work in STEM, a male-dominated field. In the age of COVID-19, it’s never too early to start teaching good hygiene and health practices to young children and Doc McStuffins do an excellent job of making the medical field entertaining and appealing for young viewers. One can imagine that this show has influenced young girls to take an interest in the medical field, unlike princess and ballerina shows which prioritize gracefulness and beauty over intelligence. 

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Doc McStuffins is also notable for the emotional complexity it gives its female lead. In a study performed by Martin (2017), it was found that while male characters showed some or all of the basic emotions (happiness, sadness, anger, and fear), female characters were less frequently shown conveying all of the emotions. Anger was shown more often in males than in females. Males were also depicted as happy more often than females. Females overall showed more sadness and fear (Martin, 2017).  In just one episode of Doc McStuffins (S1, E26), the main character exhibits each emotion. She showed anger and also assertiveness towards the toy dinosaur when it spilled the tea at her tea party. She conveyed fear when she was examining her toy and the toy flinched in pain. She conveyed happiness for the majority of the show, but especially when she figured out what was wrong with her toy and what treatment it needed. What is especially interesting is that Doc McStuffins appears to get the most joy from solving problems and helping others.

 

This contradicts with the earlier stereotype that was discussed about female characters being mostly concerned with their attractiveness. Also in contradiction to what other studies found, Doc Mstuffins rarely exhibits sadness compared to the other emotions. It is important that children watch shows with emotionally complex characters in order to understand their own emotions and how to communicate them. Doc McStuffins is an excellent example of an emotionally complex female character in a children’s program.

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In addition to having a strong female lead with emotional complexity and ambitions, Doc Mcstuffin’s family has non-traditional roles. The father stays at home and the mother works as a doctor. In a study by Kaufman (1999), it was found that in commercials, almost no fathers were shown taking care of children and none were shown taking care of girls. Overall, it is uncommon for fathers to be shown as the primary caregivers in television families. In Doc McStuffins; however, the father is the primary caregiver and is frequently shown cooking, gardening, and being responsible for the majority of the household duties (McCombs, 2017).

 

It’s also important to note that Doc’s mother, a doctor, frequently mentions that she has worked or needs to get back to work throughout the show, which McCombs (2016), says is “such a realistic portrayal of what “work-life balance” actually means for many career-focused moms” (McCombs, 2016). Not only does this portrayal of a breadwinning mother empower young girls, but it also normalizes it for families with the same dynamic. Children with working moms that only watch television shows with a stay-at-home mom and working dad might feel isolated or unloved since their mom doesn’t stay at home. Doc McStuffins does an excellent job of normalizing a caregiving father and a working mom. 

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Although Doc McStuffins is groundbreaking for many reasons, it is not perfect. In the episodes I watched I counted and noticed that there were still more males than females. Additionally, male characters were much louder, active, and rambunctious, while females were slightly more reserved and passive. The dinosaur toy and her younger brother, both males, were the glaringly obvious examples of this stereotype. There is still a long way to go before the television is free from stereotyping and misrepresentation. Disney has been under fire multiple times by activists for its racist past including a lack of princesses of color and movies with racist undertones like Dumbo and worse of all, The Song of the South (Barnes, 2017).  In recent years; however, Disney has focused on having more representation and diversity in their casting. Before there was Doc McStuffins, there was also The Proud Family and That’s So Raven, both of which were extremely popular with That’s So Raven airing from 2003 to 2007 and leading to a spin-off called Cory in the House. 

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Doc McStuffins is an important show in the history of children's programming due to its black female leading character and deviation from traditional gender stereotypes. Its run is proof that having a minority female lead will not tank ratings. According to Nielson data, the show gets views from about 918,000 children ages 2 to 5 (Barnes, 2012). If more shows with minority leads are as successful as this show, then producers won’t even be able to claim that race is an important aspect of making decisions about casting. It is important for young girls to have characters that look like them. Kia Smith, a mom of young girls, wrote on her blog Cincomon.com, saying it “warmed my heart and almost brought tears to my eyes when my 8-year-old Mikaela saw Doc McStuffins for the first time and said, “Wow mommy, she’s brown.” (Smith, 2012). Because young kids are increasingly glued to their screens, it’s probable that children’s television shows have a more considerable effect on their experiences and learning of behaviors than we realize yet. This is why it is crucial that the industry evolves in its handling of diversity and stereotyping as we learn more about the impacts of television. 
 

References:

Barnes, B. (2012). Disney Finds a Cure for the Common Stereotype With 'Doc McStuffins'. Retrieved November 10, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/31/arts/television/disneys-doc-McStuffins-connects-with-black-viewers.html

 

Kaufman, G. (1999). The portrayal of men's family roles in television commercials. Sex Roles, 41(5-6), 439-458. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.mutex.gmu.edu/docview/60078005?accountid=14541

 

Martin, R. (2017) Gender and emotion stereotypes in children’s television. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 61(3), 499-517. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08838151.2017.1344667

 

McCombs, E. (2016). 6 reasons parents freaking love 'Doc McStuffins'. Retrieved November 10, 2020, from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/doc-McStuffins-consent_n_582cbf57e4b058ce7aa8dd0b

 

Nee, C. (Writer). (2013, May 3). Bronto-Boo boos / Brontosaurus Breath [Television series episode]. In Doc McStuffins. Disney Channel.

 

Smith, K. (2012). Doc McStuffins renewed for a second season! An interview with the show’s creator Chris Nee! Retrieved November 10, 2020, from http://cincomom.com/2012/06/doc-McStuffins-renewed-for-a-second-season-an-interview-with-the-shows-creator-chris-nee/

Thompson, T.  L., & Zerbinos, E. (1995). Gender roles in animated cartoons: Has the picture 

changed in 20 Years? Sex Roles, 32(9), 651-73. Retrieved from 

http://www.gsws.pitt.edu/wiki/images/0/06/gender_roles_in_animated_cartoons_has_the_picture_

changed_in_20_years.pdf

 

Witt, S. D. (2012). Review of research: The influence of television on children’s gender role socialization. Childhood Education, 75(5), 322-324. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/citedby/10.1080/00094056.2000.10522124?scroll=top&needAccess=true