Before beginning Drama 211, I had assumed that the creators of children’s content (theatre, movies, etc.) were making content solely for kids. I’ve since realized that because parents (likely now more than ever) are acting as filters for the content that children are exposed to that the creators of such content must appease them more than anyone. This change in my thinking has led me to examine the possible pros and cons to this relationship where theatre for kids isn’t directly for kids but for those with the money and power. I’ve also changed my thinking about the power and control dynamics in choosing kids entertainment. Originally, I thought that parents making the choices is the better option if they themselves are educated enough to make
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The second module’s concept of “We as the gatekeepers” is what initially invoked this shift in thinking. It’s a fairly obvious concept that explains that kids, especially young ones, don’t have the means to purchase tickets to see shows, get transportation to shows, or even in the case of shows coming to them (at school, etc.) which ones are invited. Furthermore, the article by Marie Bannerman explains some of the issues surrounding this phenomenon such as the intense pressure for the creators of TYA to be educational in order for parents and teachers to approve it means that a lot of times the educational component is lacking in any real substance, quality, or is too pandering. It often will avoid anything controversial like sexual education to avoid risking the patronage of the filtering adults. The article “Why Horror is Good for You (and Even Better for Your Kids)” by Greg Ruth in module 4 explains how exposing kids to horror or media that invokes many negative emotions is important for allowing them to develop emotionally, learn how to deal with fears, and obtain some level of catharsis from the fears they experience in their lives. This combined with the aforementioned articles changed my way of thinking concerning the parent’s role in choosing children’s media.
The second module’s concept of “We as the gatekeepers” is what initially invoked this shift in thinking. It’s a fairly obvious concept that explains that kids, especially young ones, don’t have the means to purchase tickets to see shows, get transportation to shows, or even in the case of shows coming to them (at school, etc.) which ones are invited. Furthermore, the article by Marie Bannerman explains some of the issues surrounding this phenomenon such as the intense pressure for the creators of TYA to be educational in order for parents and teachers to approve it means that a lot of times the educational component is lacking in any real substance, quality, or is too pandering. It often will avoid anything controversial like sexual education to avoid risking the patronage of the filtering adults. The article “Why Horror is Good for You (and Even Better for Your Kids)” by Greg Ruth in module 4 explains how exposing kids to horror or media that invokes many negative emotions is important for allowing them to develop emotionally, learn how to deal with fears, and obtain some level of catharsis from the fears they experience in their lives. This combined with the aforementioned articles changed my way of thinking concerning the parent’s role in choosing children’s media.