Hello Internet,
I have watched plenty of TV shows in my youth to be influenced all different ways. I feel that some shows may influence you more based on what the show means to you. For example, I always watched the show JAG with my father when I was younger. I always looked up to the main character, Harmon. He had a smooth charisma about him; he always seemed to know what to say. He was masculine and also very wise. Harmon was my model of what a “man” should be like as a child. Other media objects also influenced me. I was an avid reader as a child, although I cannot say the same now, and a lot of it influenced what I believe to this day. My favorite series was Lemony Snicket’s, a Series of Unfortunate Events. The series is about 3 children who lose their parents and are chased by a villain throughout the books. Violet was the oldest and a girl. She was often the leader for the two younger siblings, Klaus and Sunny. Violet’s actions in these books paved the way for my image of the “motherly figure”, that an older female sibling will assume the role of parent if the actual parents are missing.
I feel that TV shows and movies may influence kids in a more direct way than books or text do. Books are open for more interpretation than movies or TV shows are. A TV show or book shows you what’s going on, while a book leaves imagination to fill in the gap. Gender and sexuality comes in when kids see what a “man” or “woman” looks like, instead of having the ability to create your own character in their head. So I’d say I was most influenced by JAG. I knew what Harmon looked like, the actions he made, and the way those around him acted. From that show I knew what societies image of a “man” was. I think it’s easier for a chi
ld to accept something that they don’t have to think about. When a child is given something visually, they can automatically associate that with other visual things from their past, with little thought. When a child is given a book they have the ability to create their own environment, keeping that child from judging something based on looks.
I've never seen JAG, however, I loved The Series of Unfortunate Events. I read all of them. I can totally see where you came to the conclusion of Violet being the motherly figure of the trio. She always too care of her younger siblings and adopted her role as caregiver when they became orphaned. Overall, I agree, she embodies a lot of characteristics a mother should/would have.
ReplyDeleteI have never saw this show or read those books so I unfortunately I can't really relate to what you are talking about. But I can see where you would get a manly perspective from Harmon in JAG, the way he acted and looked. Also I can see how a sister of two younger brothers would form into a motherly figure if she had to take care of them and help them escape from danger. They both sound like interesting books and shows!
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