A&E
For today’s kids, diversity comes from cartoons
AFH Photo // Aijanah Sanford
A nation led by a Cheeto Puff, casting a shadow of regression over this country, has a glimpse of hope from the upcoming generation—in this new age, television programs geared towards younger audiences are becoming more progressive. As the nation becomes more accepting of minorities, the LGBTQ+ community and those with varying body types, these ideals become reflected into the shows we watch. This of course, raises some controversy from conservative parents and narrow-minded people. Nevertheless, many major stations still go fourth with their scheduled programming.
Disney Channel’s Emmy-nominated Good Luck Charlie became the channel’s first show to present lesbian parents in a way that makes it appear completely normal. This couple played a minor role and stayed on screen for fewer than 10 minutes, yet they had a huge impact. At the time of this episode’s airing, the show received plenty of backlash. This was a risk Disney was willing to take, similar to other companies amidst this time of intolerance.
“I do believe that it's important to represent a diverse range of humanity (race, gender, belief) in any creative endeavor,” said Mack Williams, an animation director, illustrator, and motions graphic artist who has worked for Archer and Comedy Central all while owning his own animation company, PigApple. “There are many segments of society that don't get exposed to the cultural rainbow I see every day in New York City,” Williams said.
Williams believes representing a wide array of peoples and cultures in children’s shows is an important way to expose children to the diversity of the world. “Seeing these characters and the different kinds of viewpoints presented in shows like this may be the only exposure some children get,” he said. “If you grow up watching shows that only present one specific view of the world, you may think that's the only way the world is.”
Teenagers are generally more accepting than the preceding generation, yet they grew up in a time where TV programming such as Friends and Ed, Edd, and Eddy, did not represent the face of present-day America. How has the content changed since then?
Teenagers are generally more accepting than the preceding generation, yet they grew up in a time where TV programming such as Friends and Ed, Edd, and Eddy, did not represent the face of present-day America. How has the content changed since then?
Lynn Nguyen, a 17-year-old senior at John D. O’Bryant believes TV programming is starting to coincide with her beliefs. “I think that I have always been a more progressive thinker,” she said. “To see television broadcasting the same beliefs as mine is a relief, because it shows that I am not the only person who thinks this way.”
Teenagers are contributing to the ratings of shows like Cartoon Network’s We Bare Bears, which features a Muslim character, and both Steven Universe and Star vs. the Forces of Evil, which both feature a gay kiss. It is evident the mindset of America has changed drastically in the the past three years with the opinions of teenagers having changed to be more accepting, but do their parent’s values reflect the same change?
“I definitely believe it is important to display a diverse array of cast members and content in shows,” says Ngoc Nguyen-Soares, a mother of two. “It implements this mindset into the younger ones to show it is okay to love who you want and be confident in your body type along with accepting the differences amongst people.”
As the generation of baby boomers hand over their responsibilities to the rising millennials, it is essential to play this new content to ensure the general mindset is in the right place. Disparities between people’s thoughts are not caused by biological factors, but rather environmental which only makes it more important to display progressive content in multimedia.