I watched through several videos on TED waiting to find one
that would work with my ideals and my business plan. I came across the video Brenda
Laurel on Making Games for Girls and while the video is very old it’s
astounding how true it even still is. There are still very few games made for
girls. The part of this video that resonated the most with me however was not her
specifically talking about the game but her talking about other people who
reviewed the games when she said “They don’t listen to little girls” I think
this today has become a very large problem in many forms of entertainment not
just for little girls but for all demographics. The creators of the entertainment
assuming they no what the consumer likes, I think this is showing itself the
worst in the field I am interested in television programs for children. In
watching televisions shows specifically created for children many of them have
started to be carbon copies of each other only featuring different characters
and settings. The shows themselves are even pulling away from actual story
telling and sticking to what I think I could call the “Blues Clues method” when
the show mostly consists of the main character speaking to the audience, more
specifically asking them question and solely focusing on teaching lessons about counting, spelling
and so on. While teaching those lessons is very good and extremely important in
this children’s programing I think it is getting to the point where it is too
obvious it is becoming the only thing the show is about and at it’s core these
shows are supposed to entertain children and there are ways that can be done
while also teaching. I think the television programs need to get back to showing
a fun, brightly colored story that is merely flavored in teaching as apposed to
teaching flavored in half-baked stories. Many shows have done this in the past give a great story with the subtle lessons strung along through them,
things can be both educational and interesting, and it does not have to be one
or the other. Another thing to stay on the topic of the video is that may
television shows for older children now a days are so saturated by gender roles
and ideals, it is almost impossible to find a show in the 5-12 age demographic
specifically designed or even marketed to both genders to be honest that is
something fairly true for all demographics. It is such an easy thing to do to
find something that both young girls and boys enjoy; yet no one seems to be
doing it. Why is that, I wonder? It’s hard to figure out the exact reason and
one that can cause and has quiet often caused a lot of debate. It is also
something I hope to change one day, perhaps in the same way Ms. Laurel did, by
doing trying to create something new for children of gender by actually asking
the children, doing research with the children to hear what they think and see
what they want to see, not want I want too see. Creating something they
actually want not something we tell them they want.
(source)
