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Loopy’s Role in “Pororo The Little Penguin”?

The typical male and female characters in the cartoon are a shame


By Park Geum-ju
Published: June 29, 2011
Translated by Marilyn Hook

On one network’s entertainer program, there was a scene in which MC Kang Ho-dong had a mission to attach eyes to 100 bear dolls. The VJ asked if he was good about playing with his children at home. “They like President Po more than me. If President Po is there, they don’t even acknowledge Dad.” What we can know from Kang Ho-dong’s answer is that Pororo is the most popular character among children now.

The influence of Pororo, who rules the world of children

“Pororo The Little Penguin” was born at Iconix Entertainment in 2003 and began to become known among children through the educational channel EBS. It was broadcast to a target audience of preschoolers from the age of 12 months. Currently, the third season has been produced [aired] and the day the fourth will be aired is awaited. The first through third series have been exported to 82 countries around the world, and are said to have set a surprising record in France, especially, of 57.2% viewership.

The yearly income of Pororo the character as a product is three times that of [baseball] player Choo Shin-soo and reaches twice that of Park Ji-Sung, and it has become known that his accumulated earnings as of 2010 come to 830 billion won [about 790 mil. USD]. The one currently defeating Girls’ Generation to remain number one in album sales is also Pororo.

If a child who is hurt and crying is given Pororo bandage, the crying stops, and if a child who hates brushing her teeth is given Pororo toothpaste, she will brush until her teeth sparkle. The influence of Pororo, who rules the world of small children like this, is enormous.

Characters who reveal gender-role stereotypes

However, there is one way in which the animated program “Pororo The Little Penguin” is discovered to be lacking.  It is the characteristics of the characters who appear in the cartoon.

Pororo characters who appeared in the Lantern Festival on Buddha’s Birthday. One can feel the national popularity of Pororo. [Image from the official website of Yeon Deung Hoe 'Lotus Lantern Festival']

Pororo, Eddy, Poby, and Crong are male characters.  Loopy and Petty are female characters. The main character Pororo is a penguin who can’t stand not knowing something, who leads the way into challenges and adventures, and is very curious.  Eddy is a little boy fox who dreams of being an inventor, and Poby is a friendly bear who always generously helps others and dreams of being an artist.  Patty is an easy-going penguin who is bright, outgoing, and likes exercise, and Loopy is a very shy, feminine little beaver girl with excellent cooking skills. 

The male characters strive for their ideals. They present themselves as working hard to achieve their dreams of being adventurers, scientists, and artists. They also have natural gifts. However, the female characters Loopy and Patty dream of putting on aprons and making delicious cookies to serve to their friends. Why must female characters be connected to “cooking”?

Girls in the 21st century no longer grow up in a society that forces them to cook in the kitchen or sit modestly and sew. They study on equal terms with boys and are taught to speak their minds. But is the reality that is demanded by society still the one portrayed by the typical female characters in cartoons? Boys who grow up watching this kind of animation will naturally expect females to cook for them, and girls might grow up to reflect that image.

The settings [of characteristics] of this kind of character can indoctrinate children into gender role stereotypes from a young age.  In the cartoon, Patty and Loopy especially feel jealous of or misunderstand each other and so start emotional battles. Of course, in reality children can have those feelings. However, is there really a need for programs that children watch to make them have prejudices about gender from a young age by playing up and showing emotional battles between female characters?

Pre-schoolers are at least at an age that is relatively free from the taming stereotypes of the social system. But in the cartoon, while Pororo is always bravely challenging and Eddy makes a spaceship and meets an alien, does Loopy have to want to boast about a pretty hairpin and dream of becoming like Snow White while eating an apple?

Part of me is worried when I see kids going crazy over TV’s Pororo. Worried that I may hear, “Mom, I’m going to marry a brave man like Pororo and make delicious cookies!” from my daughter.

Park Geum-ju is a member of “the Media Monitoring Group” of the Uijeongbu Women’s Society.
(http://cafe.daum.net/ujbwomen)

This translation was originally posted on The Grand Narrative.