GREATER DEPTHS OF TV
SHOWS AND ITS PSYCHOLOGY
A Research
Paper Presented to
English Resource
Center
School of Accountancy and
Business
Asia Pacific College
Magallanes, Makati
In Partial Fulfilment
of the Requirements for
the Course
RESWRIT – Research
Writing
Franmar Jasper L. Pacheco
December 2013
Chapter
1
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
TV shows and Cartoons are
often viewed for mere entertainment purposes only. Oftentimes, as we dwell on
stage of fun and excitement, we seldom see the relevant backstory of a certain
show. Every cartoon show has its depth to it. People who are keen enough to dig
deeper with its details are more likely to satisfy the profound lesson a
cartoon show has to offer, despite its remarks and contents shallowness. Cartoon
characters are as endearing to adults as children. Many times we can relate to
them. Most of the time we just love to laugh at their antics and misfortune. That
being said, it has a certain impact that varies depending on its audience’s
perception towards the show. Children, as an audience of these cartoons, are
curious about the elements of it, and sometimes totally ignorant about its
darker meaning. On the other hand, the more mature audiences (adults) can view
these details in many different perspectives. Numerous interpretations can be
made, and countless assumptions may occur. Nevertheless, it only goes to show
the intellectual prowess men possess.
However, in our current
status quo, TV shows and cartoons have grown more and more mature regarding its
depictions and portrayals. Cinematography and animations has picked up its
pace. It deliberately masks a certain message, regardless if it’s dark or colourful,
thus injecting a deeper sense into a normal TV shows. We grew up watching such
shows as Looney Tunes, Scooby Doo, Winnie the Pooh, The Simpsons, Adventure
Time, Powerpuff Girls, and countless others. These shows were perfect for both
children and their parents to watch on those lazy Sunday mornings. Cartoons
nowadays don't even compare to what they had back in the day. This goes to
prove that cinematography and animation is in the peak of its evolution and we
can’t deny the fact that greater depths and meanings in these cartoon shows are
present. Even some of the shows contain horrifying details that are too much
for a child to bear with. Yet, being a child and having an innocent mind, these
shows are just viewed for mere fun and laughing matter only. However, in a
mature perception, these cartoons actually portray a rather violent and heavy
detail.
Cartoons were made to
teach children about morals and life themes like the difference between good
versus evil, how to treat others, etc. But they also taught us that sometimes
adult cartoon artists were a bit messed up in the head. But these artists
proved that their drunken visions of cartoon characters made for great
television. (Amanda Andrews, 2013) In addition to Andrews work, Cartoons are
often portrayals of the fun side of this world. Despite all of the societal and
political problems a country has, these cartoon shows helps us ease the pain of
having to think about work, school, and all the daily dilemmas in our lives.
Although sometimes, a lot of misconception and wrong interpretations often lead
to psychological and emotional harm to its audience, most rampant in children. (http://myintrovertedreality.squarespace.com/television-news/2013/3/22/90s-cartoon-shows-true-meanings)
Originally, cartoons
were made for the entertainment of children. But as our generations evolved,
and the demands of a more mature audience has grown, people started producing
sophisticated cartoon shows. "While the vast enthusiasm for shows leads
the argument that television has entered a
golden age of mature storytelling, animation has always thrived in the
format with broad appeal indicative of different expectations that liberate the
form. Even before "The Simpsons" proved the viability of
adult-oriented primetime animation, "Looney Tunes" demonstrated the
ageless appeal of comical comedy and that visual humor has the capacity to
entrance viewers of all ages with a more complex set of access points. These
cartoon shows can please everyone from a seven-year-old who may find it
delightfully colourful to a 50-year-old who can appreciate its take on a mature
perspective." (ERIC KOHN, 2012)
That being said, it goes to show how flexible cartoon shows have been
offered to mass media. There are no limitations. People of all ages can still
enjoy the art of cartoon animation and cinematography. (http://www.indiewire.com/article/why-adventure-time-now-in-its-fifth-season-is-more-groundbreaking-than-you-may-realize)
"Childhood
ruined", is the most common remark of people, particularly teenagers and
adults who have uncovered the truth behind a certain childhood favourite show.
"Many of us are happy to believe that our favorite childhood cartoons,
movies and books are totally innocent... The theories are compelling and could
change the way you view your favorite characters forever." (Ashley Lutz,
2012) Cartoon shows are one of the significant foundations a person usually
started with. It mainly begins in the
early childhood of a person, as they live within the era of fondness with
cartoon shows, fairytales, bedtime stories, and animations. Discovering new
found facts and uncovering a backstory or history of a certain cartoon show can
be shocking for a person. This can be harmful in a way, psychologically and
emotionally. Some people tend to be inclined with these foundation of their
childhood that they can’t seem to detach from it. It goes to prove the strong
stability of one’s childhood memories that affects their general disposition in
life.
(http://www.businessinsider.com/these-sinister-theories-will-change-how-you-feel-about-childhood-cartoons-2012-5?op=1#ixzz2nfSwSn11)
Cartoons have grown more mature nowadays, we can’t deny that fact. As we commence with our evolution as man, so does our ability to perceive things. Moreover, TV shows, as a medium of information and entertainment has generally evolved as well. Yet, the production of these cartoon shows have been somehow "censored" to cater younger audiences. However, its background and history has more to offer, and sometimes, a deeper meaning is hidden for the purpose having it available for the enjoyment of children and only mature audiences will understand this information. Therefore, having the knowledge of the different psychologies our present cartoon shows represent, we will be able to figure out the greater depths of these shows and how it normally affects a certain audience, depending on their level of maturity.
Cartoons have grown more mature nowadays, we can’t deny that fact. As we commence with our evolution as man, so does our ability to perceive things. Moreover, TV shows, as a medium of information and entertainment has generally evolved as well. Yet, the production of these cartoon shows have been somehow "censored" to cater younger audiences. However, its background and history has more to offer, and sometimes, a deeper meaning is hidden for the purpose having it available for the enjoyment of children and only mature audiences will understand this information. Therefore, having the knowledge of the different psychologies our present cartoon shows represent, we will be able to figure out the greater depths of these shows and how it normally affects a certain audience, depending on their level of maturity.
This paper aims to
provide information and open the eyes of the audiences about these cartoon TV
shows regarding its greater depth, as well as the psychological effects it
brings towards its audiences and explain in an academic approach.
B. Statement of Problem
This study aims to answer this question
1) What are greater depths beyond
cartoon TV shows and how does it affect its audience psychologically?
C. Significance of the Study
Children. They are the main and common
audiences of these cartoon TV shows, therefore this research paper would be
able to assess the different psychological effects on cartoon TV shows and how
they normally affect a normal child, of a normal age. Being them as the main
focus of this study, this study would be able to extract certain information
about the effects and psychology beyond cartoon TV shows.
Adults. This study would allow adults to
evaluate the different cartoon shows’ depth and assess themselves whether they
have been affected by these childhood memories. This would also give adults
reasonable information regarding the different psychological effects of these
shows, if ever they are still inclined with these cartoon TV shows. Also, it
would provide the necessary information about the effects of these cartoons in
a mature perspective.
Parents. This research paper will greatly inform parents about the information within these cartoon TV shows their children are so fond of. This would also help parents to control or maximise the privilege of children to watch different kinds of cartoons. Also, this would inform parents to classify how appropriate a certain show would be for their children, depending on their mental maturity. This would also provide parents information about the new era of mass media, regarding animation and cartoons.
Parents. This research paper will greatly inform parents about the information within these cartoon TV shows their children are so fond of. This would also help parents to control or maximise the privilege of children to watch different kinds of cartoons. Also, this would inform parents to classify how appropriate a certain show would be for their children, depending on their mental maturity. This would also provide parents information about the new era of mass media, regarding animation and cartoons.
Psychology Students. This research paper
would present accessible information regarding psychological effects of TV
shows, particularly cartoon TV shows, in connection with a person’s childhood,
and how it generally affect a person through the course of their maturity.
Mass Media (Television). Knowledge of
this study would inform people who are affiliated to movie productions,
animation, and cartooning on how they would construct an effective way to send
out viable information towards their audiences, in a safe and friendly manner,
not going beyond its parameters and limit itself to prevent further harm to
immature audiences, particularly children.
Future Researchers. Information in this
study would be crucial for future researchers who would make similar studies,
regarding TV shows, cartoons, and its Psychology. It would be a great help for
future researches who would engage in this kind of topic, for the information
available in this paper will be constructive and instructive.
D.
Scope and Delimitation
This
study only focuses on the greater depths of cartoon TV shows and how it greatly
affects its audiences psychologically. This study also focuses on the different
effects of these TV shows to children and how they perceive these shows and
adults regarding the effects of their childhood towards their general
disposition at present.
E.
Materials and Methods
The
research intends to use the method of locating
things and making a pattern from it since the researcher aims to discuss how
the greater depths of cartoon TV shows affect its audiences. There will be
psychological connections and relevance in this study. Also, this paper will
focus on the assessment these cartoon TV shows’ audiences regarding its
specific maturity level.
All information in relevance to the study was
gathered from various articles from online sources.
Chapter
2
DISCUSSION
What are greater depths
beyond cartoon TV shows and how does it affect its audience psychologically?
Psychology in Cartoon TV shows
Although cartoon shows represent
something of good moral, something that would symbolize the nature of good vs.
evil. Many cartoon shows that ran in the 90’s illustrated something of deeper
meaning, something that has psychological depth.
According to the
article Psychology in Cartoons by Curtis Silver, as he quoted "Cartoons are an ingrained part of our culture.
We grew up on cartoons, and the lessons found therein. Cartoons have
exponentially changed over the past 30 years in that they have morphed into
basic insanity. There are still cartoons that present certain lessons to take
away, but nothing compared to the cartoons of our youth in the 1980s" http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/02/psychology-of-cartoons-part-1-scooby-doo/
There
are a lot of cartoon shows that represent and portray psychological matters.
Examples of which is the show Winnie The Pooh. Each and every character in this
show represents various types of psychological disorders According to the
article “Pathology in the
Hundred Acre Wood: a neurodevelopmental perspective on A.A. Milne” written by
Sarah E. Shea and Kevin Gordon in the website Canadian
Medical Association Journal they listed down all the mental disorder that the
characters of the show may possess.
Christopher Robin, the young boy who owns the toy characters in the show which apparently
came to life and joins him in his every day journey as his best friends. This
certain behaviour can be distinguished as of having a malfunction in the perception of reality, which is certainly evident in Christopher having
hallucinations where he imagines his stuffed toys are alive. This certain
disorder is characterized as Schizophrenia.
His stuffed toy best friend Winnie The Pooh, though
you may not think of this as a mental disorder, the cause of it is Pooh’s low
self esteem which is psychological resulting in his excessive need for honey,
therefore is suffering from Binge
Eating Disorder (BED)
The tiny little pink piglet in the show famously known as Piglet gets overly-nervous several times
and this is apparent in the way his ears subtly twitch. This disorder is
scientifically characterized as Panophobia or Generalized Anxiety
Disorder.
Tigger exhibits a
certain condition of the brain which results in hyperactivity and trouble paying
attention. This type of behaviour can be specified as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
There is this small kangaroo
named Roo in the
show, is growing up in a single-parent household, which puts him
at high risk for Poorer Outcome. It is predicted that he will someday be a
delinquent, jaded, adolescent Roo hanging out late at night at the top of the
forest, the ground littered with broken bottles of extract of malt and the
butts of smoked thistles
Rabbit is friendly, but
irritable. He fancies himself the smartest animal in the Hundred Acre Wood. He
insists on doing things his way and is obsessed with rules, planning and order.
This expresses a distinct anxiety disorder in which the person suffers
from obsessive thoughts and compulsive tendencies. This type of disorder is
called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Owl is the stuffy
and talkative eldest main character who acts as a mentor and teacher to the
others. Being excessively preoccupied with himself and believes that he is
the most clever animal in the wood, boasting how he has brains whilst
“the others have fluff". This personality can be distinguished as Narcissistic
Personality Disorder.
Eeyore is the donkey
character who talks slow and is always projected as sad, alone, and lifeless,
from his colour to his facial expressions and mannerisms. This certain
personality depicts a certain psychological problem called Depression- A mental
state characterized by a dejected and gloomy feeling surrounding them
and a lack of activity.
This
goes to show that many
cartoon shows which ran and that many children loved embodied much
psychological entities and problems that many people tend to ignore. The main
goal of these shows is to teach children values, though they added the humour
of the story and the adorable features of the character, these shows can
actually contain psychological matters that most people cannot see. The beauty
of it is that, although these shows are for mere fun and entertainment only, it
actually has a greater depth to it that is evident. That is why these shows are
special. We don’t consider these kind of shows to be heavy in its content, but
often times than not, it has.
For me, these
psychological entities can be a great help for its audience, as they can be
informed by the knowledge of these disorders and their symptoms, as well as
Psychology itself. These cartoon shows can be a great tool for the spread of
information, especially to children. However, some psychological portrayals are
rather dark and heavy in content that younger audiences may not handle. In
conclusion, psychology contained in cartoon TV shows is genius. It’s art by
nature, and only smart writers can come up with these kind of remarkable piece
of work. Winnie The Pooh is one of the many examples of cartoons that portray
psychology. We can’t see these entities at first glance once we watch them, but
if we assess them deeper, we can see the beauty behind these shows.
Violence
Cartoon shows
are supposed to be funny. They are supposed to bring smiles to its audience’s
faces and laughter to their lives. It’s supposed to contain colourful and
lively contents. But sometimes, these shows actually portray a darker side and
sense which many people tend to ignore, although it’s obvious. There can be
many effects this violent content in cartoons, most especially in children of
younger ages.
According to the
article Cartoon Violence by George Drinka, M.D., as he quotes ‘‘In the article, the researchers are especially
concerned about a subgroup of kids in their study who manifest perhaps the
greatest trends toward aggressive behaviors, namely boys of lower
socio-economic status. Although there may be many other factors afoot in these
boys’ development, like their being raised in single parent homes, their having
genetic proclivities toward impulsivity and hyperactivity, and often their
viewing real life struggles between parental figures, their problems seem
likely to be even more deeply impacted on by viewing violence in the media. And
this lifelong process may begin in the form of violent cartoon’’ http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/when-the-media-is-the-parent/201306/cartoon-violence-and-children-s-sleep
Children
learn a lot from the media. They imitate what they see and hear. They identify
with the characters, even cartoon ones. These very young children cannot state
the lessons they learn in words. Yet on an implicit, verbally unstated level,
they are learning how to be in the world, even while watching characters like
Scooby Doo or Power Rangers or puppets like those on Sesame Street. They mimic and
emulate what they see. They act on what they see. That’s when violence affects
these young audiences.
One
example of a cartoon show that greatly portrays violence is The Simpsons. In this article that I've
read which is about Sad
Truth Behind The Simpsons written by someone who calls
himself The Stickman in the blog site ScrewAttack,
he clearly brought out the main reason why Homer Simpson's personality is as
bad as it gets, as he quotes "Homer
an his upbringing. Homer
Simpson’s relationship with Bart Simpson is rather dreadful. It is evident in most of the episodes
that Homer oftenly physically hurts Bart, choking him when he does
something wrong. This type of parenting is dreadful to the eyes of its viewers,
especially young and innocent. These are the most probable cause of Bart
Simpson's life as a juvenile delinquent.
As early as her
infant age, Maggie, the
youngest offspring of The Simpsons, entails that there's a whole list of
disturbing incidents involving Maggie that suggest she will one day become a
violent, deranged person. All in all, it paints a grim picture for Maggie's
mental stability, turned violent by her surroundings, she seems fated to a life
of crime and violence. She may look all innocent and cute, but when you ask her
about it she just sits there, silently suckling away on her dummy, what's she
planning? When you put aside the humor on these scenes and based it on reality,
it is really dreadful to see that as young as that, you can already see the
effect on her, on how much the violence in her household caused her to adapt to
it and be like it.
What
is the Negative Effect? The effect is on children’s sleep. Kids who watch cartoons
like “Scooby Doo” or “The Simpsons” are more likely to experience sleep
disturbance than kids who watch other cute and funny shows. Children are more
concrete, more literal, the authors of the scholarly article suggest. They are
prone to seeing comic violence as potentially frightening, anxiety inducing,
similar to how actor-mediated violence often impacts on older children and even
adults.
Violence in
cartoons can be dangerous, especially when children are exposed to it. Although
there are humour on top to sugar-coat its bad contents, it has still bad
effects to children. They can imitate these violent gestures and they can be as
violent as these cartoon shows suggest. Also, parents should be aware of this,
that their children may be exposed to this kind of violence through cartoons. Should parents be alarmed? Perhaps not exactly
alarmed, but they should be concerned about the ill effects of media violence
on their children.
For
me, the show presents a wide variety of arguments, containing reasonable yet
blunt ideology. For some reason, I feel good to have the chance to
scrutinize the show. Apart from all the humour I got from it, it's really nice
to really catch the message and realize how important these morals are. The
representations made in the show are considered to be an indirect approach to
tell the world that our society is screwed up. The show presents itself as a
good example only if you reverse its psychology, because we all know it as some
nonsense, pointless cartoon series, but when you really dig deeper, you can
always find treasure in it. Violence is everywhere. It doesn’t necessarily mean
that we will be violent when we watch them as kids, it’s how we perceive it and
how we are controlled.
Stereotyping and Racism
Stereotyping is a thought process that organizes beliefs about one
group of people and assigns them to everyone in that group. An example of
stereotyping would be that you believe. It has been evident in most cartoon
shows. We often don’t see them, but most of the time, it sets a certain mindset
to people.
Gender
stereotyping is present in most cartoon shows. Male cartoon characters are not
only more prominent than female characters, but they also portray a broader
range of masculine traits. Male characters are powerful, strong, smart, and
aggressive. And, even as women's occupational roles have changed over the past
three decades, only a minute number of female cartoon characters are shown in
non-traditional occupational roles such as doctors or police officers. The study did not find
that female characters were primarily shown as 'damsels in distress.' Male
characters tended to be the center of
attention whether they were aggressors or victims. And this predominance
of males in aggressive situations 'feeds into the stereotypical understandings
of gender roles. Gender stereotypes that young minds are spending two to four
hours a day viewing are often misled to its natural concept. The Bugs
Bunny/Tweety Show, Aladdin, Ninja Turtles, The Mask, Eek!stravaganza, Spiderman,
Tick and Life with Louie, all these shows portray characters that were rated on
sex, prominence, gender stereotyping, aggressive behaviours and occupational
roles.
The problem with
this is, people’s mindset tends to be fixed and this can be a harmful source of
stereotyping in the real world. Children can have a different take to this.
They may get used to this idea, of male having more power than women in terms
of their roles to the society. They can acquire the wrong notion to it and
sometimes, it affects their judgement.
Deborah Orr, the
author of ‘‘Gender Stereotyping is unhelpful and counter-productive’’, she
quotes that ‘‘because that's the trouble with
gender blaming. All misogynists are also misandrists. All misandrists are also
misogynists. Saving your misanthropy for only one gender is just a not-so-fine
distinction that leaves you stereotyping half of all people and arch typing the
other half. Elevating individuals to archetypes may be less negative and nasty
than reducing them to stereotypes. But it's still a refusal to see people for
who they are, insisting instead that we are all identical microcosms
representing all of our sex.’’ <http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/23/gender-stereotyping-unhelpful-counter-productive>
She
also added that ‘‘and as for the fact that women "slut-shame" too,
often with great enthusiasm? Well, that's the fault of "the
patriarchy", whose greatest triumph as an oppressor of women, as a
destroyer of female agency, seems at present to be its ability to reassure
susceptible women that men are always to blame.’’
In
the article, she explained that gender roles that raises assumptions that men
are not responsible for their actions harms them just as much as it harms
women. Gender stereotyping is harmful to the society, as much as it is harmful
to audiences who are exposed to TV shows that portray it. There is no great
divide in opinion between men and women on these matters. It will only push on
the general idea that man or greater than women or vice-versa. Gender roles in
the society, as men acquiring the roles of a much more powerful works instead
of women having it, is not correct.
In
my opinion, these gender stereotyping is common not only in cartoons but as
well as in all shows and movies. I think the concept of it should be abolished.
This could be fixed by actually imparting to women that are usually for men.
There are various effects on children and general audiences in the notion of
stereotyping. As a person who watches these cartoons, I have seen this idea and
I have been affected by it. My mindset about gender versus roles has been
deeply deviated away from the norm of the society. So, this can be applied in
other people. That is why the idea of it should be abolished or fixed, as it
may harm many audiences psychologically.
Sexism and Feminism
Sexism
is not just a female issue. Prescriptive gender stereotypes are even more
oppressive for men. And oftentimes, Feminism can be portrayed in many cartoon
shows. Also, Sexism against women is also present, that men are greater than
women. These can be dangerous to its viewers because it may affect their
perception of gender power.
One
example of a cartoon show that portrays Sexism is Kim Possible. The show degrades the male by making their image
oppressed, in which case the article explains that women who act masculine
would seem superior and expandable. She also explained that by way of nature
girls are told they are to act pretty and boys to be smart and brave which the
show disregards as all male characters are inferior to the heroine.
That
being said, the representation of Kim Possible in the TV shows, when view in a
deeper sense, is actually degrading for men. Not only does it exudes feminist
ideologies, but it portrays and conducts particular points in it's show that
makes Sexism obvious. Issues of where sexism is present is a serious matter
where by history has been taught as a way of life, the ladies have to feed the
children and the men have to earn the money but prejudice can be avoided
through equality of roles.
Noah
Berlatsky explains in his piece When
Men Experience Sexism, as he quotes ‘‘when men suffer from
sexism, then, they do so in much the same way women do. That is, they suffer
not because women rule the world and are targeting men, nor because feminism
has somehow triumphed and brainwashed all of our elected officials (most of
them still men) into ideological misandry. Rather, men suffer because of the
same gender role stereotypes that hurt and restrict women—though men, being of
a different gender, fall afoul of those stereotypes in different ways. Women
are supposed to be passive and domestic and sexual—so their employment options
and autonomy are restricted and they are fetishized and targeted for sexual
assault and exploitation. Men are supposed to be active and violent—so their
claims to domestic rights are denigrated and violence directed against them is
shrugged off as natural or non-notable.’’
Another
thing TV shows portray is Feminism. It is basically the empowerment of women
and the takes on women being powerful than men. One show portrays Feminism in
its ways- The Powerpuff Girls.
The
show manifests a certain gender message- that women are better than men. The
fact that a bunch of little girls possess great amount of superpowers is
uncommon. Usually, it's men who take up this kind of role, being a superhero
and saving the day. But in this particular TV show, it pushes the idea of
"girl power" and goes beyond rational expectations. The fact that
they are just young (not even adolescent) girls already possessing that much
power, being able to take over a bunch of crazy dudes and mad villains and
giant creatures, is already exaggerating. It is as if the show puts so much
stress on this "girl power".
Not
to mention the mayor presented as somehow stubborn in handling Townsville as if
he can't handle his own shit, which clearly represents that the mayor is weak
with his authority, that he has to always call out the Powerpuff girls to do
the necessary actions for him and for Townsville- Propagating that these girls
are better than the mayor, thus, women being better than men Politically. Also,
every villain in Townsville is a variety of male cast that are somewhat
deranged by nature. The only relevant yet contradicting nature in the show that
also depicts so much feminism.
An
article about Feminism entitled How
Feminism Hurt Men, by Micah Murray, states that ‘‘feminism elevates women at
the expense of men, that its agenda to validate women emasculates us guys. For
men, the rise of feminism has relegated us to second-class status. Inequality
and discrimination have become part of our everyday lives’’ That being said,
it's true how Feminism directly attacks the Patriarchal stands of men in
general. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/micah-j-murray/how-feminism-hurts-men_b_4266733.html>
For
me, Sexism and Feminism is such a strong message to portray in a cartoon TV
show, considering its audiences. Men and Women are equal. Created equally, as
the bible suggests. But there are just certain points in life wherein male are
considered better, particular fields in this world where men can do better than
most female. Of course, women can also outshine men over several fields in
life. But in reality, men are biologically programmed to be stronger than
female. That’s why the essence of Patriarchy is present. But by giving so much
stress to the issue of women out-competing men, presenting it in blunt details
are just rude and degrading. The Powerpuff Girls will always be for
entertaining purposes, whatever its audience may be.
Chapter 3
SUMMARRY, CONCLUSIONS, AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
SUMMARY
This paper attempted to discover
the greater depths beyond cartoon TV shows and how does it affect its audience
psychologically.
This
research provided reasonable information regarding current cartoon TV shows and
their psychological portrayals and connected its effects on the general
audience. Also, it focused on
the different effects of these TV shows to children and how they perceive these
shows and adults regarding the effects of their childhood towards their general
disposition at present.
1. One depth in cartoon TV shows is
its Psychological interpretation and content. That some cartoon TV shows
portray a certain legitimate psychology in which people are not aware of.
2.
Violence is also present in
the content of these cartoon TV shows that are evident mostly in some shows.
3. Gender Stereotyping and Racism are
sometimes depicted within certain TV shows and it has various psychological
effects to its audiences.
4. Also, Sexism is present in many
cartoon TV shows that often brings different interpretations to people.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on the findings of this study, the
following conclusions were drawn:
1. There are greater depths within
cartoon TV shows that we often don’t see as a normal viewer. Almost all of
these TV shows contain things that are not so obvious. When people don’t pay
attention to detail, and they are rather enjoying the humour and external parts
of the show, these details can’t be observed. But when people are keen enough,
these portrayals can actually be interpreted in various manners.
2. There
are a lot of cartoon shows that represent and portray psychological matters.
Depression, Sexism, Racism, Defense and Coping Mechanisms, all of these are
present in some TV shows. They are the depths in these shows that make it more
heavier in meaning and can lead into bad effects to other audiences, especially
immature ones such as children of young age.
3. TV
Violence affect children in many ways. This detail harms the children’s
physical and mental stability, that sometimes cause disturbances and depression
to the young and innocent minds of children.
RECOMMENDATION
After drawing the conclusions of this study, these are the
suggestions that can help others in the future:
1. Audiences
should always aware of the content of these cartoon TV shows, as they may
portray a deeper sense. Proper observation and common sense will be a great
tool for a better understanding of these cartoon TV shows.
2. Parents
should guide and limit their children in watching heavy-detailed cartoons,
especially when they contain violence. Because there are a lot of psychological
effects these kinds of shows bring to children.
3. Cartoon
show writers and animators should minimize the heavy content and violence of
cartoon TV shows because of it has a wide range of audience- from children to
adults. They should not emphasize violent scenes and don’t exaggerate the
details of the scenes.
REFERENCE: Electronic
Media/Internet
Amanda Andrews, ‘‘'90s Cartoon Shows' True Meanings’’, Squarespace, March 22, 2013 <http://myintrovertedreality.squarespace.com/television-news/2013/3/22/90s-cartoon-shows-true-maeanings>
ERIC KOHN, ‘‘Why 'Adventure Time,' Now In Its Fifth Season, Is
More Groundbreaking Than You May Realize’’, INDIEWIRE, NOVEMBER
13, 2012, <http://www.indiewire.com/article/why-adventure-time-now-in-its-fifth-season-is-more-groundbreaking-than-you-may-realize>
Ashley Lutz, ‘‘These Sinister Theories Will Change How You
Feel About Your Favorite Childhood Characters’’, BusinessInsider, MAY 31,
2012, <http://www.businessinsider.com/these-sinister-theories-will-change-how-you-feel-about-childhood-cartoons-2012-5?op=1#ixzz2nfSwSn11>
Curtis
Silver, ‘‘Psychology of Cartoons’’, Wired, February 14,
2011, <http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/02/psychology-of-cartoons-part-1-scooby-doo>
Sarah
E. Shea, ‘‘Pathology in the
Hundred Acre Wood: a neurodevelopmental perspective on A.A. Milne’’, CMAJ, December 12, 2000, <http://www.cmaj.ca/content/163/12/1557.full>
George
Drinka, M.D, ‘‘Cartoon Violence’’,
PsychologyToday, June 2013 <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/when-the-media-is-the-parent/201306/cartoon-violence-and-children-s-sleep>
The
Stickman, ‘‘Top 10 Sad Truths About The
Simpsons’’, ScrewAttack, August 16, 2012, <http://www.screwattack.com/news/top-10-sad-truths-behind-simpsons-0>
Deborah
Orr ‘‘Gender stereotyping is unhelpful and counter-productive – whoever's doing
it’’, The Guardian, August 23, 2013, <http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/23/gender-stereotyping-unhelpful-counter-productive>
Noah Berlatsky, ‘‘When
Men Experience Sexism’’, The Atlantic, May 29, 2013, <http://m.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2013/05/when-men-experience-sexism/276355/>
Micah Murray, ‘‘How
Feminism Hurt Men’’,
HuffingtonPost, November 13, 2013, <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/micah-j-murray/how-feminism-hurts-men_b_4266733.html>
