Watchdogged II: "You Go, Grrls!"

By Martin "Dr. Toon" Goodman

Where indeed would humanity be without the benefits of sound, empirical, scientific research? Certainly we would be bereft of such wonders as manned space flight, the eradication of smallpox, organ transplantation, and (praise be!) motion-capture technology. How many times, cherished reader, have you hit the paise button while watching your copy of Ghost in the Shell on your multi-speaker big -screen TV that also serves as your Internet connection just to contemplate the fruits of scientific inquiry? If you have, doubtless you came to this simple yet elegant conclusion: Research is Good.

In the field of psychology, research is deemed to be of paramount importance. Prospective psychologists are rigourously trained in the "scientist-practitioner" model and then required to produce dissertations which include detailed statistical analyses of the given research topic. Only then may they go on to licensure and practice. Being intimately familiar with these daunting requirements, I can only attest, as have many others before me, that Research is Good. And what does any of the above have to do with the world of animation (much less grrls)?

Research may be good, my dear colleagues, but sometimes cartoons are better.

Still confused? Recently I came across a press release dated 8/17/97, issued from the American Psychological Association's 105th annual convention which was held in Chicago. During this convention, there was a presentation given by a psychologist and her student co-author entitled: "Gender Role Portrayal on Saturday Morning Cartoons: An Update" (apparently an update from studies done in the 1970's). Admittedly, I have not read the full text of this presentation but the rather detailed press release provided some interesting information. The press release heading asserted that "Cartoons Still Stereotype Gender Roles" with the subheading: "Males Portrayed as Doctors and Scientists, Females as Nurses and Bathing Beauties".

It appears that the researchers videotaped a single episode from eight animated series and came up with the following conclusions, as quoted from the press release:

"Female characters don't have any character at all"
"Occasionally there's a token female character but she's like lime jello--she's bland"
"...only a minute number of female cartoon characters are shown in non-traditional occupational roles such as doctors or police officers"

I must admit that I view these findings with some askance, and I politely and respectfully beg to differ with them. To begin with, there are nearly three hundred animated series and projects in various stages of production or actually airing over networks and cable stations (see my column of June 1997). Viewing one single episode from a scattering of eight shows does not appear to be adequate for sampling purposes. And why "Saturday Morning Cartoons"? Why not sample from the more diverse, nay, countless channels available including the one that broadcasts cartoons twenty-four hours a day; are cartoons that are broadcast on Saturday morning somehow more pernicious than others?

There is also a notable research confound: One of the series used in the study was The Bugs and Tweety Show. As animation fans well know, the cartoons shown on that series are the Jones/Freleng/McKimson offerings of the late 1950's/early 1960's, and thus predate the modern feminist movement; they will have their share of stereotypy. If we throw this series out, we are down to seven series and 3.5 hours of research material. If one is to accept the broad generalization in the press release ("Cartoons Still Stereotype Gender Roles"), this is a slender peg upon which to hang such an overwhelming conclusion.

I can refute this study without resorting to a canonical regression equation, an analysis of varience, or even a lowly chi square. Far be it from me, however, to further chide my fellows; better still to offer them an invitation so that their future research efforts (Wundt grant them many) might better reflect the actual state of animated cartoons in the 1990's. Come, my colleagues, and take a spin around the fiber-optic dial with me. We're going to visit...a few of my grrlfriends. Women of little character? Lime jello? Traditional female occupations? Judge for yourselves!

As we enter Toon City, we find big trouble! Our ace reproters, Ann Gora and Lois Lane have learned that the cagey Catwoman is about to hit the First Avery Bank! The recently transplanted mayor of South Park nervously runs her fingers through her green hair; who to call? Batgirl? Called her last time. American Maid? Now there's one tough superheroine - perfect! Ms. Mayor summons Deputy Mayor Calico (Callie) Briggs and has her send the signal. Just to be on the safe side, Callie calls old friend and ace fighter pilot Felina Feral for backup. Below in the street, crafty espionage expert Carmen Sandiego uses the fracas to cover yet another escape. Babs Bunny and Dot Warner (that famous poetess, among other talents), taks a break from outwitting their adversaries in order to watch the fun; they can well afford to.

Another call comes in! Poison Ivy, the rogue botanical scientist, has taken over Toon City Park! Ms. Mayor asks archeologist, historian, and all-around science expert Abby Sinian for advice, and Abby makes a sound recommendation: Bring in the mighty distaff members of the X-Men to quell the threat! In no time, Rogue, Storm, Phoenix, and Jubilee are flying to the fray. Watching them streak overhead are two young rugrats: Headstrong, scheming Angelica imagines herself setting a tripwire for the heroes, but gifted and supersmart Susie sees herself flying boldly beside them. From a neraby rooftop, enigmatic Aeon Flux surveys the scene. Will this guerilla wildcard enter the fray? On whose side?

The mayor gets no respite! Harley Quinn, the most deliciously complex villainess of all, is wreaking havoc at the local mall! In a wonderful stroke of luck, the Sailor Scouts happened to be there at the time; Serena, Amy, Rei, Lita, and Mina soon have Harley at bay. Former film great Slappy Sqirrel is unimpressed; she's seen it all before, but her protegee, aspiring method actress Judy Funnie is wowed. Peggy Hill stops to marvel at the battle and then resumes her search for a new game of Boggle. She is, after all, State Champion of Texas. Lisa Simpson and Daria Morgandorffer take a full set of notes on this day's spectacular events; as they are the brightest students and most mordant observers of life as we know it at their schools, their class reports should be exceptionally interesting. It's a tradition that perky young Pepper Ann will surely follow.

And so peace once more returns to Toon City. Globetrotting adventurer Jesse regrets that she had been unable to contact the Quests in time for the action, but Calamity Jane tells her not to worry - there's plenty of adventures a woman can have on the wild frontiers of the Old West.

These are only some of the female characters inhabiting the world of animated cartoons today. Their described occupations, talents, and proclivities are enitrely accurate, and all of these femme fatales could have easily been seen during 1997 if one was willing to peek beyond the parameters of Saturday morning (where the cartoon market was drying up and in danger of disappearing, anyway). Are they not marvelous? Not a nurse or bathing beauty in the whole bouncy bunch! Here's to them then, be they human or animal, good or evil, sane or daffy - You go, grrls, and don't ever let them tell you that you're only stereotypes!

Contesting the research, however, is not my main point. There's something much larger at stake here. Again, I quote the release:

Despite considerable watchdogging (italics mine)(the researchers)...have found little change in the gender stereotyping that America's young minds are spending two to four hours a day viewing"

Implicit in this quote are two assumptions: One, there is not enough TV watchdogging (or it is not as effective as it ought to be), and Two, the research presented herein supports this assumption. Readers, I sadly shake my head and sigh.

Research is Good. As a psychologist, I support this view unconditionally. There is no doubt in my mind that psychological research has considerably improved the lot of humankind. But as an avid lover of animation, I fervently beg those who are doing psychological research on the subject to familiarize themselves with the subject matter and then adhere to the most stringent methodology possible. Broad generalizations based on questionable data only serve to supply amunition to those who would destroy the very soul of animated cartoons in a relentless blitzkrieg of political correctness and puritanical watchdogging. Perhaps after every drop of enjoyment has been drained from cartoons in the name of gender equality, ecopolitics, bean-counting diversity, feel-good self-esteem and force-fed education, we may finally realize what we have done to the very children we were so tenaciously trying to protect.

Research is Good. But before one enters the grand laboratory, one would do well to familiarize one's self with the subject of the experiment. Just ask Dexter.
Or better still, Dede.

As always, Dr. Toon welcomes your responses.

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