metaphortunate son (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
metaphortunate) wrote2012-10-22 09:14 pm
metaphortunate) wrote2012-10-22 09:14 pm
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free to be you and me
Free to Be You and Me was released 40 years ago this year. Slate has a fascinating article on it.
The Junebug and I have been listening to the copy we got for him. (Of course we did.) It's not perfect. I particularly note how there are two songs criticizing kids for performing femininity. They're different, though. In "William's Doll", William is mocked by his peers for wanting a doll; the nyah-nyah "William wants a do-oll! William wants a do-oll!" is by far the catchiest part of the song, unfortunately, but the authorial viewpoint validates and supports his behavior. Whereas in "Ladies First", the little femme girl is hatefully annoying and gets eaten up by tigers and the authorial point of view is definitely that this is a good thing, too. (Per the Slate article, it was written by Shel Silverstein, and suddenly I am much less surprised. Not particularly feminist, that guy.)
Apparently the nobody-actually-likes-doing-housework-so-everyone-better-pitch-in "Housework" poem turned out to be problematic, to the point that they wished they hadn't put it on the album. I have to say that we were hoping to Tom Sawyer the Junebug into wanting to help with chores, so it won't be particularly helpful to have this album telling him that everyone hates housework and he will to. However, to me, it is completely worth it for its introduction to the concept that TV lies to you and marketing is manipulation. Never too young to start.
The Junebug and I have been listening to the copy we got for him. (Of course we did.) It's not perfect. I particularly note how there are two songs criticizing kids for performing femininity. They're different, though. In "William's Doll", William is mocked by his peers for wanting a doll; the nyah-nyah "William wants a do-oll! William wants a do-oll!" is by far the catchiest part of the song, unfortunately, but the authorial viewpoint validates and supports his behavior. Whereas in "Ladies First", the little femme girl is hatefully annoying and gets eaten up by tigers and the authorial point of view is definitely that this is a good thing, too. (Per the Slate article, it was written by Shel Silverstein, and suddenly I am much less surprised. Not particularly feminist, that guy.)
Apparently the nobody-actually-likes-doing-housework-so-everyone-better-pitch-in "Housework" poem turned out to be problematic, to the point that they wished they hadn't put it on the album. I have to say that we were hoping to Tom Sawyer the Junebug into wanting to help with chores, so it won't be particularly helpful to have this album telling him that everyone hates housework and he will to. However, to me, it is completely worth it for its introduction to the concept that TV lies to you and marketing is manipulation. Never too young to start.