Regarding mixed messages, cartoons, and the media...

[Cromm]

Topic:
Does the media misunderstand what childrens' programming is meant to be, or do they simple not care as long as they can make a buck?


Today, while browsing through the Sears catalogue, I saw a stuffed "Dora the Explora" doll next to a stuffed doll of Kenny from South Park. South Park, for those that don't know, is a crude, crass, and -sometimes- funny show that airs only late at night. It is a show intended to be viewed by adults, even if teens find it funny too. It's definatly not a show that should be viewed by five year olds. Dora, on the other hand, is designed for pre-schoolers.

So here's the rub: Are kids this young actually watching that show? Does Sears expect kids this young to know what South Park is? Are they just lumped together because they're both cartoons? Do they really care?


Here's another thing: On the Bell ExpressView in program TV info, every single show from the cartoon network here is labled "Children", dispite the fact that MANY shows are not for kids. Why? Is it a calus disregard for 'adult' cartoons, or is it an intentional run-around to sneek adult programming to kids?


And what about toys? Today, we have toys marketed to pre-pubesent kids from movies that are Rated PG-13, sometimes R. Do they expect parents to ignore these movies' rateings, do they think kids will ask for these toys because their older siblings saw the movie or because it's just the 'in' thing, or do they really even care, as long as they can sell junk?



All of this mixed marketing is, in my opinion, creating some really strong mixed messages.


What say you VT?

:what:

[Bougainvillea]

They don't care about the well being of the children.It's all business.

[Hyper]

Its big business

Sticking the ''adult cartoon'' toy/commercial along with something kids might possibly view is already ''advertisement'' that'll influence them towards watching that cartoon when their older and don't like the kiddie cartoons anymore

All in all money is big business

[junkie]

they don't give a flying fuck they only thing they care for is $$$

[Sapphire]

The catalogue can be easily explained as them wanting to keep cartoon-related items together. But of that I can't be sure because I haven't seen the catalogue that you are referring to.

The shows that are on cartoon network are labelled as "Childrens" because they are a tv channel for children. It is that simple.

Tbh, I think that a lot of parents are as disregarding of film ratings as some companies are.

[Modus Operandi]

I think the lumping together of the dolls is mostly for ease of find.

There is probably an auto-program that takes all shows from a channel and lumps them together.

As for the toys, who knows? It does seem odd to be marketing toys to children from a fairly adult film. I think that kids see a brand name and latch onto it. Like Transformers, they see an add on nickelodeon and think "hey that looks cool". Parents don't really care what film it's from, as long as theyr'e kids like the toy and will shut up for a bit when they buy it.

[Jacobim Mugatu]

Of course they don't care. I know an 8 year old in my neighborhood who watch south park, Family guy and all other kinds of vile crap. they make it a cartoon so they can get to younger people. Who do you really think watches cartoons.

[Sage]

Who do you really think watches cartoons.

People of every age watch cartoons, they simply tend to watch different ones. I know of many adults who enjoy watching things like The Simpsons and South Park and older shows like Johnny Bravo, but I'd never expect an adult to watch something like Sesame Street or Elmo's World. (Even though that's still possible.)

[Sapphire]

Children are not the only people who can enjoy cartoons...Idiot

[INFERNO]

Today, while browsing through the Sears catalogue, I saw a stuffed "Dora the Explora" doll next to a stuffed doll of Kenny from South Park. South Park, for those that don't know, is a crude, crass, and -sometimes- funny show that airs only late at night. It is a show intended to be viewed by adults, even if teens find it funny too. It's definatly not a show that should be viewed by five year olds. Dora, on the other hand, is designed for pre-schoolers.

So here's the rub: Are kids this young actually watching that show? Does Sears expect kids this young to know what South Park is? Are they just lumped together because they're both cartoons? Do they really care?

I think they're lumped together not because of the shows they represent but simply because the stuffed dolls go with stuffed dolls. I don't see any other place in the store that would be appropriate. It's just the same when you look in any kids' toy section, there's stuff for pre-schoolers to pre-teens to teens and late-teens. It's just put altogether for the sake of convenience not because the shows have the same content.


Here's another thing: On the Bell ExpressView in program TV info, every single show from the cartoon network here is labled "Children", dispite the fact that MANY shows are not for kids. Why? Is it a calus disregard for 'adult' cartoons, or is it an intentional run-around to sneek adult programming to kids?

I think it's labeled as for "children" for three reasons. First, it's the Cartoon Network, which is heavily watched by children of all ages. Second, the label of "adult programming" tends to refer to pornography and South Park clearly isn't a pornographic cartoon. Third, the business reason, it's labeled as "children" because if and when the kids' parents look through the program TV info and they suddenly see a cartoon rated as "adult", then that would cause lots of trouble for Bell ExpressView. Bell ExpressView would rather avoid this problem altogether and simply label is as "children".


And what about toys? Today, we have toys marketed to pre-pubesent kids from movies that are Rated PG-13, sometimes R. Do they expect parents to ignore these movies' rateings, do they think kids will ask for these toys because their older siblings saw the movie or because it's just the 'in' thing, or do they really even care, as long as they can sell junk?

This is probably a business reason: they know that kids tend to whine a lot to their parents for a certain toy as they usually cannot pay for it themselves. Also, if the toy is from a R-rated movie, the kid and possibly the parent may not have seen the movie but the kid may think that the toy looks cool or because other kids they know purchased it already.