Girls Don't "Graduate" From Animation, Networks Are Failing Them
Gender is one hell of a thing. I grew up in a media landscape where boys and girls were expected to like specific things and indulge in certain parts of their personality that abide by long-established societal norms that those above us were far too stubborn to change.
Boys needed to like violence, farts, and dinosaurs, while girls were expected to enjoy pink, princesses, and horses. Myriad other things fall into these respective ballparks, but you get the idea. Those at the top who dictate the media we consume and the products available to us have for decades believed that children’s entertainment should be partitioned off in a way that today is downright archaic. It’s down to sexual prejudice, lack of faith in the creators trying to start to tell these stories, and an ignorance towards how things have changed.
Related: The Owl House And Importance Of Embracing Neurodivergent Characters
A recent interview with Amy Friedman, who heads up kids and family programming at Warner Bros. has been doing the rounds online and offers a damaging perspective on animation from someone in her position. Here’s a choice excerpt from the interview which highlights her views on the medium right now, especially for young girls and shows aimed specifically towards that demographic.
"Girls often graduate out of animation. Some of our most incredible competitors have been at the live-action game for a long time. We know that’s what girls want."
I recommend reading the full interview for yourself to gather a more layered perspective on where Warner Bros. stands right now when it comes to animation for girls and why it believes that shows in this medium don’t have a place when compared to boys. Friedman thinks that live-action shows, shorter
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