Comments on: What are kids entertainment execs doing for girls and racial diversity?

By: Theodora Anema

Theodora Anema — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:10:58 +0000

I agree with Mylo Freeman. I am a fan of her books and my daugther Jasmina has all of her dolls which come in all different colors. Princess Arabella, an african princess who wants an elephant for her birthday is her favorite. I strongly suggest you google her and go to her website. She has been creating princesses of color for many years. Especially created to raise girls with a healthy dose of self esteem. She also tried to launch them in the US but America has been a little slow with these hugely popular dolls in Europe.

By: Mylo Freeman

Mylo Freeman — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 06:35:28 +0000

I’m half dutch/african -american and I live in Holland.
I’m a picturebookmaker and in all the books I make, african/american children play the leading role. Especially here in Europe there’s a great shortage of such books.
One of my bestselling books is ‘Princess Arabella’,
this will also be published in the States coming fall.
The publisher is ‘Mackenzie Smiles’. It’s about a strong-willed little princess, who gets more than she can chew…There are 3 books about Arabella now and there wil be a play about her in december 2009!

By: Liz

Liz — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:24:47 +0000

I think you are so right in saying maybe people will stop trying to conform.

Dove sponsors workshops to help young girls and women do just that, but it is hard to put one on in a school or church.

The kids want people who they follow.

What we need is grown up parents who do not allow their kids to absorb this garbage.

Many of the private schools where I have taught spend extensive time teaching kids to be themselves, and to not just be consumers. All schools should follow their lead.

By: Janet Lau

Janet Lau — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:21:17 +0000

I too grew up in a single parent household for most of my life and television was the source of everyday entertainment, more numbing than entertaining now that I look back 20 years ago. You mentioned people of different backgrounds has been and still is lost in this day -n- age. Strange that it was invisible to me as I took whatever the media portrayed as the “norm.” I hope the disparity between reality and what’s depicted on television improves to reflect people that we can all identify with. Maybe then people will stop trying to conform to unrealistic images.

By: Meghan B

Meghan B — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:44:29 +0000

This is so true… and interesting! There has def been more done w/ the younger shows but still lots of room for improvement w/ older age ones. It’s a good thing people like you are involved & determined to make a change!!!

By: rarteaga

rarteaga — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 19:08:36 +0000

Thank you all for your thoughtful and supportive comments. Emily — I appreciate your take on this issue as a Caucasian woman of the same generation. I, too, was hooked to PBS as a child and loved “Carmen Sandiego” when I was a ‘tween. It seems as if these sort of shows aimed at older children have decreased, which is very unfortunate. Sesame Workshop is addressing part of the ‘tween audience with the revival of the “Electric Company” (ages 7-9). However, I had a hard time finding good programming aimed at children in the upper bracket of the ‘tween population (ages 9-12).

By: Emily

Emily — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 05:39:36 +0000

It’s funny. I feel the non-commercial creators of children’s programming (namely PBS) does a much better job at creating racially complex programming. At least 20 years ago they did. I grew up in a Caucasian house hold two parents, lots of love. Sesame Street was essential in our house hold. I learned how to speak spanish which is something my parents wouldn’t have gone out of their way to teach me without this programming. As a tween one of my favorite shows was a PBS program called Ghostwriter. It was about 6 children of very different elasticities and they solved crimes via word puzzles. Dorky, yes. But educational and grouped many different kinds of kids that were different from myself. My friends were mostly Caucasian like myself. I lived in a sheltered suburb. Children’s television has always been something I have cared about a lot and I agree these are two important changes we need to see happen across the board. Thank-you for writing and sharing about your experiences. I look forward to seeing what else you have to share.

By: Maya Tsekenis

Maya Tsekenis — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 22:52:46 +0000

This is so true. I, too, grew up in a single parent household, I am half Latina and half Greek, and although my home was not “broken” per se, I spent endless hours sprawled on my carpet watching whatever the children’s television networks had to offer. More often than not, I looked nothing like the kids I saw on TV. The glaring disparity between culture, race, religion, language and customs was obvious to me. I, unfortunately, had to simply accept this. But, as the author stated in her response, it really doesn’t get you anywhere. The upside to this is that it certainly makes us much more aware, and as a result, perhaps more passionate about these issues. I now work as a clinician and advocate for children in the educational system. It helps for them to have a role model, of immigrant parents, with a similar culture and traditions that children can relate to. I’m happy to find the surprised smiles on their faces when I greet their parents in Spanish. I couldn’t agree with your sentiments more and wholeheartedly support the cause you a pioneering.

By: S

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:06:21 +0000

It is sad and frustrating, for sure. But don’t be discouraged – that’s why YOU’RE in the biz – people like you will forge a path and break new grounds. You will be the change you want to see, and you will be ever the prouder for it!.