Final Project: Social Norms and Deviancy in Children's Television Shows

Note: The following is an extension of a previous blog post I wrote.

American society relies heavily on media sources to assert social norms. It is no surprise, then, that children’s shows constantly provide ideas about what is normal versus what is deviant. Gender norms in children’s programming are very common, often providing ideas about how a “girl” should act and how a “boy” should act. Social constructions regarding insanity, binge eating, and beauty ideals are moreover present in children’s television shows. These cliché images stick in children’s minds, teaching them how they should act versus how they should not act. These ideas aid in creating the never-ending cycle of deviancy and dehumanization in American society.

In May 1994, a “Rugrats” episode titled “No More Cookies” aired. The focus of the episode was Angelica’s binge-eating addiction to cookies. The show exhibits her addiction as Angelica reflects back on her life, thinking about the countless occasions on which she has devoured entire jars of cookies. In these flashbacks, Angelica is depicted as a persistent, crazed cookie eater. Back in the present-day, Angelica eats too many and it makes her sick. She remains determined, despite her illness, to eat cookies, so her cousin Tommy hides them from her.

Angelica devouring cookies in one episode of "Rugrats"
Angelica Pickles. Photograph. WeHeartIt. Web. 22 Jan. 2012 <http://data.whicdn.com/images/6350318/tumblr_leqb5vCN6Q1qzagdho1_500_thumb.jpg>.

Angelica’s cookie obsession plays on the social notion that binge eaters are manic and obsessive. Sara Lageson says in her article "Media Binge" that binge eating is often “framed as a lack of self-control that require[s] only greater personal discipline” and is not portrayed as a “real” eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia (despite its possible addition to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5) (Lageson par. 3). Angelica is lacking this self-discipline, which is presumably why Tommy feels he needs to step in and solve her binge eating by hiding the cookies; apparently if Angelica cannot stop on her own, she needs an outside force to make her stop.

Angelica’s crazed binge eating is portrayed as deviant in relation to the children around her. Neither Tommy nor the other children have issues with binge eating, so they are the norm. They are all able to control their eating habits in calm manners. On the other hand, Angelica is shown ravaging through cookies like animal. Her binge eating is shown as an out-of-control issue that calls her mental state and humanness into question. It is also interesting to note the binge eating in this instance is done by a female; U.S. social constructions around eating disorders assume that they are female, not male, issues. It is moreover socially appropriate that the outsider who attempts to help her binge eating (Tommy) is a male. American society has historically determined that men are meant to be leaders in society, including when it comes to determining mental health issues (i.e. Angelica’s binge eating) and courses of action to fix the health issue (i.e. Tommy hiding the cookies). It is impossible to say whether or not “Rugrats” writers intended to play on these social constructions. However, it is possible these constructions unconsciously played a role in their writing of the script.

All the children of"Rugrats"
Rugrats Photo. Photograph. Fanpop. Fanpop, Inc, Feb. 2012. Web. 28 Apr. 2012. <http://www.fanpop.com/spots/rugrats/images/28819123/title/rugrats-photo>.

Tommy’s hiding the cookies is moreover portrayed in a positive light; he is seen as a loyal friend because he is not giving into her addiction. These depictions of Angelica’s binge eating and the other children’s apparent self-control around food demonstrate that over-eaters are deviant due to their personal lack of discipline. The episode furthermore reasserts social norms regarding males as leaders, females having eating disorders, and friendship loyalty.

The 2011 iCarly episode “iLost My Mind” portrays many acts and characteristics that are shown in a deviant manner. One of the main characters, Sam, checks herself into a mental hospital after she realizes she has a crush on her friend, Freddie. Cliché images of mentally-ill patients are predominant throughout the episode: One patient manically claims he is from the future. Another is shown with q-tip sticking out of his hair, while someone else speaks nonsense over and over to himself. These actions overtly feed into the archetype that mental patients are eccentric and unstable. Whitney Blair Wyckoff’s article “Despite DeeperUnderstanding of Mental Illness, Stigma Lingers” explains a survey that indicates more people today understand the brain biology behind mental illness than ever before (Wyckoff par. 6-7). Stigmas surrounding these illnesses, however, remain; 62% of people in the same survey “indicated an unwillingness to work closely with someone with schizophrenia (par. 7). And 74 percent said the same for people with alcohol dependence” (par. 9). The survey’s researcher attributes these lasting stigmas to the permanence associated with mental illness, which she says makes mental illness patients seem less than human (par. 10). This survey relates to the iCarly episode because it depicts negative actions associated with the mental patients, who are perceived as deviant in relation to those in the episode who are not patients.

Freddy (left), Carly (right), and the mental patient who claims to be from the future
2011. Photograph. Nickutopia. Unrivaled Media Group, 23 July 2012. Web. 22 Jan. 2012.
<http://www.nickutopia.com/2011/07/23/ilost-my-mind-promo/>.

The presence of the mental institution itself in this episode reflects that asylums are the socially-acceptable place for mentally-ill people to live. Stephen Pfohl’s article “Images of Deviance” that it is common for societal deviants like schizophrenics and drug addicts to  to be subjected to the “social control” of a mental institution, separated as a precaution for the rest of society (Pfohl 13-14). The stereotypical ideas about mental patients portrayed in this iCarly episode reinforce their supposed instability and emphasize their deviancy compared to the healthy ideals of American society.

This iCarly episode also presents cliché depictions of overweight people and a cross-dresser. Gibby, one of the main characters, is slightly chubby in comparison to the other characters on the show. He is eating something nearly every time he is shown on the screen, often asking for food and getting overly excited when someone gives him food. Gibby is exhibiting the expected actions of someone who is overweight in American society by making it seem like his entire existence relies on food. By making Gibby’s master status about his weight, iCarly is demonstrating that it is okay to poke fun at overweight people. This humor dehumanizes and deviates overweight people.

Later in the same episode, Carly asks her older brother Spencer to dress up as a woman so that he can pose as Sam’s mom and get her out of the mental institution. Spencer excitedly agrees, saying “I’ll get my boots!” and running upstairs as a laugh-track plays in the background. Once he is dressed up as a woman, Spencer talks in an over-the-top manner which calls for more laugh-tracks. The humor towards Spencer’s cross-dressing exhibits a negative, teasing attitude towards all cross-dressers which makes it seem like cross-dressers should not be taken seriously. The humor exhibited towards mental patients, overweight people, and cross-dressing proves that each of these traits is deviant in American society.

Spencer dressed as a woman in this episode of "iCarly"
Spencer Dressed as Pam. 2011. Photograph. Wikia. Wikipedia, 17 Sept. 2011. Web. 28 Apr. 2012. <http://icarly.wikia.com/wiki/File:Spencer_dressed_as_Pam.jpg>.

In the 2010 “Good Luck Charlie” episode titled “Boys Meet Girls”, pre-teen Gabe comes home with a black eye. When his sister Teddy goes to school to investigate his bully, she is shocked when she sees a girl has been bullying her little brother. “You’re the kid that’s been pounding my brother? But you’re a girl!” she says. Teddy’s surprise at the bully (named “Jo”) being a girl proves that American society expects girls to act in a passive, polite manner. This statement moreover shows that Teddy expected the bully to be a boy, overtly reflecting the social construction that boys are naturally aggressive. The film “Tough Guise”, however, points out that the idea that men are naturally tough is a culturally-created idea which has evolved over time in order to retain male dominance over the rest of society. As narrator Jackson Katz points out, “the media help to construct violent masculinity as a cultural norm.” Katz says that it is not considered deviant for a male to take on these traits, but a female acting masculine (such as Jo in this episode) is deviant because toughness is a trait associated with men (and specifically not women) in media. The expected violence from men explains why Teddy was surprised to see his brother’s bully was a girl, and also explains why Jo is perceived as deviant for having a tough attitude.

Jo’s deviance is proven in relation to the other women on the show. Teddy’s mom, for example, is seen doing yoga and being afraid of breaking a nail. Teddy acts nurturing towards her siblings and tries to fix the hostility between Jo and Gabe. In contrast, Jo is rude, sarcastic, and physically rough. The play between feminine and masculine traits demonstrates the emphasized femininity in American society is a woman who is polite, composed, and quiet (Williams). Jo’s aggression falls outside of this realm, making her a deviant in the episode and in society overall.

Jo beating up on Gabe in this episode of "Good Luck Charlie"
Bradley Steven Perry and G. Hannelius on Good Luck Charlie from the Episode 'Boys Meet Girls'. 2010.
Photograph. TV.com. CBS Interactive Inc., 10 Oct. 2010. Web. 22 Jan. 2012.
<http://www.tv.com/shows/good-luck-charlie/viewer/?flag=1&i=36&gri=77559&grti=101>.

A 1996 episode of “Hey Arnold”, titled “Helga’s Makeover”, similarly brings up the topic of gender deviance. The school’s female bully Helga is purposely excluded from a make-up sleepover, which is hosted by another girl at school. Arnold asks his friend Gerald why he thinks Helga wasn’t invited. “She’s a girl? Oh, yeah,” Gerald replies plainly, as if he forgot she was a girl because she routinely acts masculine by burping and beating people up. His response indicates that he thinks Helga’s lack of femininity makes her no longer a girl, emphasizing the courteous nature that females are expected to have in American society.

Helga’s female classmates covertly define the gender norms in this show: They all enjoy make-up, sleepovers, and are mild mannered, which contrasts greatly with Helga’s spitting and burping habits. “The Male Privilege Checklist” points out that men can be aggressive without being questioned about their motives. But when a girl takes on that characteristic, she is informally sanctioned by being excluded from all-female events like sleepovers.

Helga is known for being a bully on "Hey Arnold"
Photograph. Aiming Low. 13 Oct. 2011. Web. 22 Jan. 2012.
              <http://aiminglow.com/2011/10/up-childrens-television-unibrows/>.

Helga receives informal sanctions from her male classmates, as well. Helga attempts to play baseball with a group of boys. They all mock her as soon as she approaches their game, saying “You weren’t invited [to the sleepover] ‘cause you’re not girl enough!” Soon, all the boys begin to chant “Helga’s not a girl! Helga’s not a girl!” In the article “Outsiders – Defining Deviance”, sociologist Howard Becker writes that all social groups create circumstances which include behaviors that are “right” and then forbidden behaviors that are “wrong” (Becker 1). In this television show, Helga’s classmates see her acting in the “wrong” way, which make her, in Becker’s words, an “outsider” (1-3). She is excluded from both male and female events because she does not fit fully into either of their gender norms. The legitimacy of Helga as a person is doubted overall as a result, which accounts for the bullying she receives from the boys.

A 2012 episode of the show “Jessie”, titled “The World Wide Web of Lies”, asserts gender and beauty norms. Seven-year-old Zuri stands up to a bully after she gets picked on at the park. The bully runs to his nanny, Agatha, to complain about Zuri. Agatha then gets mad at Zuri’s nanny Jessie, so she posts cruel things online about Jessie. Zuri and Jessie stand up to Agatha by making fun of her looks. For example, when Agatha says “Wait until you see my bad side”, Zuri replies: “I thought we were already looking at it.” Soon after, Zuri threatens Agatha by saying “I’m gonna knock out that snaggle tooth!” Laugh tracks are played after each of these verbal exchanges. This sheds humor and a positive light on making fun of people who do not fit into society’s beauty norms. It is significant that Agatha replies only with additional threats to post more humiliating things online about Jessie, instead of making fun of their appearances, also; after all, Jessie and Zuri fit into society’s ideal females by being thin and having clear skin and flowing hair. Agatha’s threats are perceived in a negative way, while Jessie and Zuri’s bullying is seen only as humorous, even though they are being just as cruel as Agatha. This situation personifies society’s distaste for people who do not fight into ideal beauty norms. As a result, it is far more acceptable for Zuri and Jessie to bully Agatha by making fun of her looks than it is for Agatha to bully Jessie by spreading rumors about her. This instance moreover shows the social notion that people who are “ugly” by society’s standards are often shown as less kind than people who are attractive. On the other hand, people who meet society’s “pretty” expectations are seen in a positive light, even when they are being cruel.

Zuri and Jessie (left) make fun of Agatha (center) for the way she looks
Disney Channel/Dean Hendler. 2012. Photograph. Teen.com. Alloy Media, LLC, 9 Mar. 2012. Web. 28 Apr. 2012. <http://www.teen.com/2012/03/09/celebrities/jennifer-veal-jessie-exclusive-interview/>.

Gender norms are highlighted later in the episode when Zuri and her brother Luke compete against each other in a wrestling match. Even though they about the same size, Luke expects to beat her since she is a girl. A laugh-track plays when Zuri effortlessly beats her brother in the match. The ironic humor here indicates two sets of social constructions about gender. First, Luke was expected to beat his sister because American society perceives boys as naturally aggressive and tougher than females, like “Tough Guise” and “The Male Privilege Checklist” point out. Second, it is anticipated that Zuri has no chance to beat her brother, even though they are the same size, because she is a girl and American society assumes that females are incapable of being physically tough. The show’s writers created humor by playing on these societal expectations by creating an ironic situation which reverses gender norms.

Children’s shows repeatedly present humorous, cliché, and ironic situations which highlight social norms and, as a result, deviancy. By presenting social constructions about gender, insanity, binge eating, and beauty, these shows reassert expectations about how to act and how not to act. The plotlines in children’s shows help establish the dehumanization of people who are deviant in society’s eyes. 

Word Count: 2325

Works Cited

• Becker, Howard. "Outsiders - Defining Deviance." Angel. Washington Sate University. Web. 14 Jan. 2012.
• Lageson, Sarah. "Media Binge." Contexts. American Sociological Association, 22 Nov. 2010. Web. 14 Jan. 2012.
• Pfohl, Stephen. "Defining Deviance." Readings in Deviant Behavior. By Alex Thio, Thomas C. Calhoun, and Addrain Conyers. 6th ed. Boston: Pearson Education, 2010. Print.
• "The Male Privilege Checklist." Web log post. Amptoons. WordPress. Web. 22 Jan. 2012.
• "Proposed Revision -- Binge Eating Disorder." DSM-5 Development. American Psychiatric Association, 17 Apr. 2012. Web. 27 Apr. 2012.
• Tough Guise. Dir. Sut Jhally. Perf. Jackson Katz. Media Education Foundation, 1999. DVD.
• Williams, Meredith. Sociology 360. Washington State University Vancouver, Vancouver. 19 Jan. 2012. Lecture.
• Wyckoff, Whitney Blair. "Despite Deeper Understanding Of Mental Illness, Stigma Lingers."NPR. NPR, 17 Sept. 2010. Web. 4 Mar. 2012. <http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/09/17/129937437/still-a-stigma-for-mental-illness>.