I found the following article that nicely describes the media frenzy around this innocent, playful, fun-loving advertisement. It is titled, "Conservative Media vs J Crew: The Battle of the Pink Toenails." A great quote outlines the media's concern:
As expected, the Gender Police have emerged from their dark caves in flocks and a national debate has ensued about the “correct” way to raise children, as well as the importance of honoring one’s biologically assigned gender.
Erin Brown of the right-leaning Cultural Media Institute has called the advertisement “blatant propaganda celebrating transgendered children” in an article that claims Beckett has been exploited for the sake of identity-politics.
Conservative media has framed this story in a very negative light. They have turned a cute advertisement depicting a mother playing with her child into a political statement or propaganda regarding gender issues. As the article mentions, we "don’t know if Beckett likes to wear nail polish or if he even likes pink. [We] don’t know if Jenna forced him to do so, or if an advertising person forced him to do so, or if Jenna’s trying to make a political statement about freedom of choice and gender identity with her son at the epicenter, or if neither of them truly care and they’re just having a good time." They turned this advertisement into a national news story on their own.
Jon Stewart did a great segment on the Daily Show last night. I know the following clip is a little long, but I urge you to watch it. You can clearly see how news stations tried to frame this story as a serious concern.
My favorite quote: "If you take them to a facepainting booth, it doesn't make them cats." It illustrates how the media took a simple photo and exaggerated the meaning behind its context.
Now, clearly I am biased in this instance because I take a very liberal stance on gender and sexuality and I am a firm believer that children should be allowed to explore such things at a young age. Others who have different viewpoints on this matter would probably agree with the media's portrayal of this advertisement. Regardless of what you believe, didn't the media just make a story out of nothing? Did they have to draw attention to it? Could they have just left the ad alone and let people think what they want about it? It seems to me there must be some agenda setting going on here - that the media somehow wants us to think that this advertisement was outrageous. And thats the part I don't like.
Kudos to you, Jon Stewart!
I, too take a very liberal stance on gender and sexuality, so the negative media attention this ad garnered is for lack of a better word, annoying to me. The media took an innocent and playful advertisement and absolutely made a story of out nothing. To suggest that a boy who loves pink isn't necessarily honoring his biologically assigned gender is outrageous to me. Why does the media think they have any right to suggest their clearly unbiased opinions on the matter at all?
ReplyDeleteIf the media had simply left the ad alone and let people think what they wanted to about it, I would be much less annoyed with them. There absolutely seems to be some agenda setting going on here - and I strongly dislike that too, Morgan.
I think we come from a generation that is much more accepting, and I'm glad to see that you and I take such a similar stance on this matter.