Dear
Readers:
Television
programs show most girls and women in
unrealistic roles: Only one in five Saturday
morning T.V. characters is female; less
than 5 percent of children's T.V. characters
are people of color; most girls on T.V.
are interested in two things: boys and
clothes. Girls Incorporated (a
national youth organization) started
a campaign called "Girls Re-Cast T.V." that
teaches girls to evaluate what they see
and hear on T.V.. Last year, Girls
Inc. of Dallas, Texas, held a " Girls
Re-Cast T.V." talk show. Two of the
show's participants tell us more. Love,
Luna.
My
name is Monisha Randolph. I served as
an usher at the "Girls Re-Cast T.V." talk
show. I was one of 75 girls, ages 6 through
18, who participated. I helped seat people,
passed out programs, and handed the microphone
to audience members. Girls asked talk
show panelists questions about television
shows, and how they felt about the way
girls and women are shown. Some shows
portray females positively, such as "Seinfeld" and "Home
Improvement."
These programs show females as strong and
independent. Other shows, such as
"Married With Children," "Baywatch,"
and "Martin," show females in negative
and stereotypical ways. I learned to be
smart when I watch television, and I learned
that girls need to pay attention to the
difference between T.V.'s reality and the
real world. I also learned that girls can
help change programs with negative images
of females by writing letters to T.V. networks
and producers and by not watching those
programs.
I'm
Folashade Oni and I was a panelist. As
a group, we compiled a list of the 10
best and 10 worst female role models
on television today. Some of the women
listed as the best role models were Ricki
Lake, Oprah Winfrey, and Sally Jessy
Raphael. Some of the female TV show characters
we thought were good role models were
Khadijah from "Living Single," Jill from "Home
Improvement," and Laura Winslow from
"Family Matters." These women and T.V.
show characters possess strength and intelligence,
are career- and goal-oriented, and are
in control of their own lives. Characters
that made our top ten worst role models
list were Kelly from "Married With Children," Amanda
from "Melrose Place" and Gina from "Martin." These
characters show women as sex objects or
mean people.
We
also talked about how females' roles
on T.V. have changed. In the past, T.V.
only showed women in homemaker roles,
and they were almost always married or
had a boyfriend. Today, many women are
playing characters that have careers,
such as Vivian from "The Fresh Prince
of Bel Air," who is a college professor.
Also, single women are shown as being
strong and happy, like the character
Khadijah James on the sitcom
"Living Single." She plays a young, single,
African American female who runs her own
business and has positive, close relationships
with her friends.
This
experience made me realize that girls
have to try to change negative stereotypes
of women on television. We can refuse
roles that are degrading to women and
minorities, or that portray women as
sex objects. And we can write letters
to television shows, letting them know
how we want females to be shown on T.V.
Together we have a voice!
Monisha
Randolph, 12, is a seventh grader
at Pearl C. Anderson Middle School
in Dallas. She likes science and someday
wants to be a zoologist.
Folashade
Oni, 16, is a junior at Skyline
High School and Career Development
Center in Dallas. She is on her school's
drill team and sings in her church
choir.
To
participate or receive more information,
contact Girls Inc., 30 East 33rd St., New York,
NY 10016-5394, or call (212) 689-3700.
About New Moon Girl Media
Since 1992, New Moon has given girls ages 8-12 a place to create their own media and share it with the world. A champion of girl-centered content with New Moon Girls magazine and the groundbreaking online community www.newmoon.com, NM pioneers innovative, ad-free communities where girls develop their full potential in safe, creative and positive worlds. NM is the expert in original, high-quality content made by girls and selected by their peers. Learn more at www.newmoon.com
