There are a lot of cartoons aimed at teaching children something new and interesting. Being directed at portraying many different aspects of human life and teaching children relationships, attitudes and priorities, many cartoons depict the gender roles. Watching Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers is becomes obvious that the gender roles and responsibilities are perfectly presented in this cartoon even thought the stereotypes are violated and the gender roles are different from what people got used to see.
Some research has been conducted in this lights and it has been proven that the cartoons presented from the 1980’s violate the stereotypes and do not present women as the class dominated by men. The equal possibilities and sometimes even the domination of the female characters in the cartoons become obvious (Thompson and Zerbinos 651). The domination of the female gender in the cartoon Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers is presented with the expression of the males’ agreement to subject to that domination.
Watching the cartoon Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers, it is possible to notice that Gadget Hackwrench is the only main female character who is considered to be the leader in the situation. Moreover, Gadget performs the male work, she is always busy with the Ranger Plane she has invented. She is smart, her ideas are always interesting and innovating, She always has the decision to the problem and she seems never to panic.
Chip and Dale are two opposite characters as they are unable to solve the problems, they do not have an opportunity to think about the issue and consider it from different angles. When something serious happens Gadget Hackwrench is always ready to find the way out.
Therefore, this character contradicts the research conducted by Baker and Raney who insist that in most cases the female heroes are presented as emotional (30) but in the case of Rescue Rangers Chip and Dale are much more emotional and romantic than Gadget Hackwrench who manages to remain firm in her desire to help people than be preoccupied with some romantic affairs.
Trying to show that mass media has become an influential aspect in human life, Klein and Shiffman have managed to provide the evidence where they prove that the stories, ideas, behavior they show on TV (specially in cartoons as children are easily impacted) later become the stereotypes the reality (60).
Looking at Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers and the role of the female character there, it becomes obvious that the modern women who were brought up on this cartoon have become independent and the deserving to draw decisions which cannot be drawn by the males. The cartoon does not only breaks the stereotype that male characters are stronger than female, the Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers cartoon creates a new stronger stereotype according to which modern people live.
Therefore, it may be concluded that the Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers cartoon is the one which has created a new vision of the gender roles in the society. Getting used to the male domination in life and on TV, the cartoon provides the viewers with another perspective. The only woman in the male society appears to be wiser, cleverer and better in perceiving the situation than the men who surround her.
Moreover, being the heroes, the female characters have always been presented as romantic and emotional ones, while the cartoon under consideration shows that men are more sensitive and they are unable to draw decisions in stress situations. Thus, the Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers cartoon changes the perception of gender roles in the society.
Works Cited
Baker, Kaysee, and Arthur A. Raney. “Equally Super?: Gender-role stereotyping of superheroes in children’s animated programs.” Mass Communication & Society 10.1 (2007): 25-41. Print.
Klein, Hugh, and Kenneth S. Shiffman. “Underrepresentation And Symbolic Annihilation Of Socially Disenfranchised Groups (“Out Groups”) In Animated Cartoons.” Howard Journal of Communications 20.1 (2009): 55-72.Print.
Thompson, Teresa L., and Eugenia Zerbinos. “Gender roles in animated cartoons: Has the picture changed in 20 years?.” Sex Roles 32.9/10 (1995): 651-673. Print.