movies/tv Do kids really care whether a protagonist is female or not?

[TheMisterManGuy 344]

A common problem with western cartoons is getting shows with a female protagonist made. Hell, the Avatar creators had to fight the Nickelodeon executives to make Korra a female. But contrary to what big wig network executives think, do kids actually care whether or not the protagonist is female? When I was a kid, I didn't give 2 craps if the main characters were girls. In fact, those were actually some of the shows I watched a lot. Powerpuff, Sailor Moon, Teenage Robot, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi (though, this one doesn't hold up that well). Hell, when Teen Titans was popular, Starfire was my personal favorite. Yes I still watched Ninja Turtles, and shows about goofy boys or manly men. But overall, female protagonists never bothered me.

 

 

So why is it that network executives are afraid of a cartoon with a female protagonist that isn't made to sell toys? 

[Steve Piranha 29,496]

I dunno, but shows with female leads tend to get alot of attention from me as a kid 

[A Joe in the Bush 255]

First off, I doubt you'll be getting an Unbiased opinion from people who enjoy watching Pastel Ponies playing and prancing prettily. (I'm sorry, I just had to do it)

 

But as for your actual question, I never cared at all. As long as the character was well written, Gender didn't matter to me. 

[TheJLeeTeam 914]

I feel younger boys like male characters more and girls like female characters more but I don't care what gender. I just want characters I can relate to.

[moolbelppa 11]

howabout how there are literally no black widow action figures? 

http://toybox.io9.com/black-widow-absent-from-a-toy-based-on-one-of-her-coole-1703705181?utm_campaign=socialflow_io9_facebook&utm_source=io9_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

[CandyStrike 603]

Sexism, misogyny, all that stuff is why the execs are afraid of female protagonists. They think that boys can't relate to female leads because they're ladies, not "normal" (read: male) people. Also, the idea that boys aren't allowed to like anything girly because girly stuff is stupid or weak.

[TheMisterManGuy 344]

Sexism, misogyny, all that stuff is why the execs are afraid of female protagonists. They think that boys can't relate to female leads because they're ladies, not "normal" (read: male) people. Also, the idea that boys aren't allowed to like anything girly because girly stuff is stupid or weak.

In that case, it show how out-of-touch executives actually are with kids. Like I said, I was a kid, and I didn't care about the protagonists gender.

[Koukatsu 5,899]

I look at shows the same way now, that I did when I was single digits: IS IT INTERESTING?

Everything else, including the genders of the protagonist(s), is and always has been (for me, at least) totally irrelevant.

I'd like to believe kids like a show because it entertains them. c:

[Fawkes The Phoenix 737]

I actually liked when the protagonist was female, don't know why. I loved Kim Possible, Powepuff Girls, Totally Spies and other shows like that.

[Megas 28,138]

I'm not sure, but I know I did. Though it was usually under the mindset of "ewww girls, cooties, girly" I wound up passing up shows that had a female as the main character(with the exception of Wild Thornberry's and Daria).

 

And Feld0 please don't kill me for this, but I had this same mindset going into My Life as a Teenage Robot. I wasn't until a few years ago that I became a reasonable human being that I gave the show another shot, and would eventually become one of my favorite shows

[A Black Circle 1,586]

I think it's marketing. Younger audiences don't ACTUALLY care, the networks just want toy money.

[Gernia 692]

I don't think very many kids actually care about the gender. They probably don't think about it very much. If they do feel bothered by it, then they probably aren't used to it imo.

 

I'm not sure, but I know I did. Though it was usually under the mindset of "ewww girls, cooties, girly" I wound up passing up shows that had a female as the main character(with the exception of Wild Thornberry's and Daria).

 

I had a similar mindset when I was really young, but it did not last for very long. Even then, I do remember watching media with female protagonists (like Wild Thornberry's) and I didn't think much about it. I did grow up with two older sisters, so maybe that's one reason why.

[Wicked Funky 2,956]

 

I know my 6 and 3 year old sisters don't! They love MLP, Adventure time, Gravity Falls and scooby doo

 

They could not care less about weather the protagonist(s) are male or female as long as its entertaining, Just like me

[LittleMac 3,085]

I don't think so. The media just THINKS they do so they try to tale advantage of something that isn't really there