Overview of the Smurfette Principle - 1716 Words

In their pieces on the Smurfette principle, Pollitt and Ellis both discuss the idea that gender representations have intense effects on the children who absorb certain types of popular entertainment. Although we are hesitant to accept it, we are all influenced by the media in a very powerful way. Whether it be through TV shows, billboards, movies or the news. One thing that we commonly wonder about is if the adult female population is as influenced by the stereotyped gender roles present on TV or are we shaped at a young age and carry that perspective with us throughout our lives. This Smurfette principle has been around for almost two decades. It was introduced by Katha Pollitt and is unfortunately still present in our current 21st†¦show more content†¦This showed girls that the man was more important and that they had to hide in the mans shadow per say. Pollitt had said that â€Å"Little girls learn to split their consciousness, filtering their dreams and ambitions throug h boy characters while admiring the clothes of the princess† (Pollitt, 1991) and this was correct. Ken was always the one who had an important job. These jobs included but were not limited to a doctor, rockstar and professional tennis player. The fact that he was in the Army, also showed us that men are more powerful then women†. Pollitt had said that â€Å"Boys define the group, its story and its code of values. Girls exist only in relation to boys† (Pollitt, 1991) and she was right. It is shown a great deal in the TV show between Barbie and Ken. Due to the fact that little girls do not know any better, they accepted this as the norm. They thought that in order to be perceived as perfect and accepted into society, they had to demonstrate the same characteristics and physical features as Barbie did. Not only this, but they begin to think that they are not superior to men. Childrens minds are shaped at a very young age and will continue to carry this with them for the rest of their lives. Once a child has their mindset that this is how they must act and present themselves, they will continue to do that for years to come. This is not to say that adults minds are not shaped by certain TV shows as well.