#FemAlfie

[mochie-kochie]

Finalized Sweet Pea Drabble.

[lolmasoma]

CH. 7 CARTOON COMMERCIALS AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF GENDER

I watched a 30 minute episode of Spongebob Squarepants on Nickelodeon and recorded the content of the commercial breaks.

There was 39 commercials in total: 6 were aimed at boys, 6 aimed at girls, and 27 non gendered.

The 6 male-intended commercials were all product based, there was 3 Different Hot Wheel Toys, a toy company based on race cars, 2 Nerf Guns and 1 Lego building Playground Set. The tactics all these commercials had in common were using the color blue as the main aesthetic, the Rock/Punk music in the background and demonstrating boys playing with the toy and a male narrating.

Not surprised to find the same amount of boy-aimed commercials to match the girl ones. There was 6 commercials aimed at girls and each were product based as well— 2 were for the same toy called ‘Scruff-a-Luvs’ a stuffed dog where their hair is customizable. Another commercial was promoting “MovieStarPlanet” dolls. The final commercial was for Shopkins. The same tactics applied except “femalfied”, the pink background, the pop/sweet music and a female narrating the ad. They tend to use backgrounds of pink bedrooms which I found interesting because of thinking back to when I was young watching the commercials, I never paid attention to these details that go behind hooking in customers but they subtly worked.

Majority of the commercials were non-gendered, the 27 of them. They mostly advertised movies that would appeal to everyone, different candies, and upcoming new episodes for T.V. shows on the network.

I think the way these commercials teach gendered-behavior is by what they’re selling. By aiming cooking, baby, and cosmetic toys towards girls while car, weapon, and building toys towards boys sends the cisgendered message we’re all familiar with. They teach that boys are suppose to enjoy destructive behavior while girls should like more in-the-house activities. It also divides boys & girls. For the girls & boys who are more intrigued by toys for the opposite gender, watching commercials where it’s only the other gender demonstrating will set ideas in their heads like “I like boy toys.” or “I like girl toys.”

Toys don’t need genders

[mochie-kochie]

Rekindle Cover (My R)

This is my brother’s songs and it just hits me right here in the feels. Loved it enough to try to attempt a cover.