Parenting With Style

Each article worked to incorporate how issues surrounding gender exist within all aspects of the media industry. Specifically, within “The Magical Vulva of Opportunity,” the reader is given a firsthand look upon how gender inequality exists among writers of television shows. Pamela Ribon describes her experience of being a minority in the television industry, solely because she is a woman, and how she must work extremely hard to overcome the stigma that surrounds her. When she is told that she is only a “mid-level female writer” it significantly affected her self-esteem, so much so that she felt the need to express her feelings through her blog. Through one individual’s comment to another person, it can significantly impact their self-confidence and self-esteem levels. This scenario made the “Sabrina, The Teenage…?” article resonate with me once again. It reminded me of how the media can have such a strong influence on viewers, and we as the audience are unknowingly affected by these messages every day. Though Sabrina may not have known she was impacting many teenage girls during the time of the show’s airing, she was a positive role model for many.

Within the article, “Women Watch TV Like This, But Men Watch TV Like This,” James Poniewozik discusses television shows that are created to be geared to one audience, yet instead attract a different demographic. Particularly, I found his opinion of Up All Night interesting that he believes it may speak to women more and appeal to a predominately female audience. He did not elaborate as to why he thought this, yet the “What Makes A Show Aimed At Women?” article picks up where Poniewozik left off. Alyssa Rosenberg believes the show will appeal to either sex, but mainly to women because many are struggling to balance a career and a family, making Reagan a relatable character. I argue that the show could relate equally to men because the character Chris could appeal to men like Reagan appeals to women. As seen in the image, Reagan is not playing a traditional female role, but instead is acting as a strong role model for women, much like Sabrina did. She is able to maintain her sense of femininity through her impeccable fashion sense, yet is able to dominate the corporate world by being a successful career woman. Chris acts as a stay-at-home father and supports Reagan from the home. He can be viewed as a role model for men by proving it is still a noble, enjoyable profession to raise children. Male audiences may be able to relate to the nontraditional role Chris plays, making the show desirable by both sex demographics. As Poniewozik notes, “It’s just worth remembering that when you assume that a show is ‘aimed at’ one gender, you may be pointing at the wrong target.” Though a show may be designed to appeal to more women than men, or vice versa, each article discusses that the media industry is highly unpredictable.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Perfect Role Model

...Well, almost. I think Pojansky and Vande Berg do a fair job of explaining how Melissa Joan Hart's character in "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" as well as her two aunts provide girls with a positive role model. Sabrina is obviously different than most of her classmates because she is, obviously, a witch, and is raised by her two aunts. She shatters many gender stereotypes - for example, she loves math and science and is rarely ever passive or submissive. She is smart, independent, confident, and goes through what all adolescent girls go through as they mature into their teenage and young adult years.

Sabrina and her aunts, Hilda and Zelda, use their magical talents/powers (for the most part, with integrity) to achieve their goals. The three make the most out of their unique lives and living situations. Although girls watching "Sabrina" do not have the same magical powers as its characters, they will understand that they, too, can thrive on being different and use their unique differences to their advantage while gaining independence and confidence.

Although "Sabrina" may seem like it was a great "girl-power" program for tweens in the 90s to watch, it isn't perfect. There are very few characters of color that appear on the show, perhaps showing that only white, middle-class girls can be powerful and independent. The authors also point out that although Sabrina does possess these qualities of freedom, she often still gives into gender and relationship norms (such as appearing feminine to please her boyfriend, Harvey).

I think that the authors are taking "Sabrina" a little too seriously. True - if the producers of "Sabrina" sought out to make it a feminist text, then it could be seen as a bit contradictory. However, if Sabrina revolted against every norm and did not maintain some societal (mostly gender-based) standards, she would not have related to as many girls and the show probably would not have been as big of a success as it was.