Criticism - 2009 Relaunch

[Stella Grapes]

Parent goggles have changed my opinion on many things, for certain. I am not as familiar with media targeted to boys, not in the least. My son is only two, an age where media is gender neutral, and media was mostly gender neutral (for all ages) in my own childhood. Even movies that would be deemed entirely for girls now used to be called Family Movies. It was not until my teenage years that corporations started targeting to genders separately.

In time, I will know more about boys' shows. I do see your points. However, I also think you should look at the larger picture. Your happiness matters, to be certain. All the same, you should not forget the target audience.

[Kiwifruit Jam]

Actually, I think most girls in real life should learn from the 2003 berry-girls.

Part of me sort of jumped slightly at this comment. It's not that some level I don't agree with you (probably will go into that when I talk about the second quote I quoted you on..) I just feel like this mindset is also a bit frustrating. There is nothing wrong with being a girly girl if that's who you are.

Yep, I didn't say there is. Actually, I was talking about the exact opposite: people should be free to choose their characteristics. Being said, the new Strawberry Shortcake only shows the fashion-focused girly-girl stereotype (as Stella Grapes worded), and it might suggest that this is the only valid behaviour for girls; and I think that is wrong. Regardless, I wouldn't care, if... that comes later*.

I understand what you are saying, but Strawberry Shortcake is not an educational cartoon.

Wrong! Strawberry Shortcake is an educational cartoon.

In 2003, the Strawberry Shortcake franchise was revived, and with it, a Strawberry Shortcake TV series was finally produced, 19 years after the last special. The series reflected the changes in the direction of the franchise, and has the primary focus on being an educational program.

My actual point is to say that I don't think Strawberry Shortcake HAS to be a series that tries to appeal to every type of girl. Goes along with that frustration about the fact that we can't have a certain type of character without being labeled sexist, it feels like we can't have a certain type of show without some people going on about how it will make little girls think they have be extremely girly or nothing else. There are plenty, plenty, plenty shows with all types of girls out their and they will have plenty of views of the type of person they can be. It's fine if one show is appealing to a certain type of girl, she'll be happier that she can have that show if that's what she is interested in.

* I turn around your reasoning: I think it's OK to have this kind of show with its super-girly characters and all, but why does it has to be Strawberry Shortcake, which has some kind of heritage? Why couldn't they just create an entirely different show from scratch? After all, the new Strawberry Shortcake is so different from the previous renditions that basically it has nothing to do with them, because it doesn't respect anything from the previously established heritage. Just change the names, and that's it: you have a new show totally independent from Strawberry Shortcake! So no, the problem is not that the new Strawberry Shortcake exists - the problem that is exists instead of the 2003 version. That it replaced it, killed it. That the show I liked is removed by one I don't like, and as I see I'm not alone with this view. I wouldn't even care if the 2 SSC versions would run in parallel.

While the 2003 series was quite unique, and so I liked it; I don't see anything unique in the 2009 series. Already there are a lot of shows for girly-girls, so they could easily find a similar show instead of the new SSC; while I can't find a similar show instead of the old one. I hope you see my point.

[Angel]

and it might suggest that this is the only valid behaviour for girls; and I think that is wrong.

And I still highly doubt our kids are so brainless and that this show would even appeal to a girl that wasn't already pretty girly in the first place. Like with Grapes kids, I think they would just get bored otherwise and move on to something else.

Furthering something that's been bothering me. It's not TV's job to parent our kids and teach them what is valid behavior. That's the parents job. A Televsion cartoon's job is to entertain that kid, to let them have some fun and if they are wholesome enough that shouldn't' be a problem. I think it's still wholesome for the type of girl this show would appeal to, and if that doesn't appeal to that type of girl, My Little Pony is on right after Strawberry Shortcake on the HUB, maybe she'll walk away, play with her toys, do something she actually enjoys them come back to it. I didn't watch shows that I didn't like when I was little, and if I liked this show then I'm sure it already is appealing to the type of girl that I am.

The only children I think this other logic applies to are children where their parents constantly use their Television to baby sit their kids, and then it isn't Strawberry Shortcake's fault a girl thinks that, it's just bad parenting.

Wrong! Strawberry Shortcake is an educational cartoon.

I still think that 2003 Strawberry Shortcake is just a show aimed at entertain the very early young audiences, and when developing that kinda series you have to make sure that it has a good morals and some sort of redeeming quality to it or parents are likely to not like their kids watch it. It was not developed to educate as much as it was developed to entertain while still being wholesome. A show that has educational merits is different from say, Dora the Explorer or Blue Clues that is truly designed to have some sort of educational merit, having preschoolers interact with the show the way they do. That might be something only really I think, I suppose.

I turn around your reasoning: I think it's OK to have this kind of show with its super-girly characters and all, but why does it has to be Strawberry Shortcake, which has some kind of heritage? Why couldn't they just create an entirely different show from scratch? After all, the new Strawberry Shortcake is so different from the previous renditions that basically it has nothing to do with them, because it doesn't respect anything from the previously established heritage. Just change the names, and that's it: you have a new show totally independent from Strawberry Shortcake!

To be honest, I think this same thing, with a slight variation could have been said about the 2003 version. It was very different original Strawberry Shortcake, was very different in a lot of ways, and yet it was still good. A lot of the time, especially with young girl's cartoons different versions of the same show can have very little to do with each other. The newest season of My Little Pony, for instance could be said that other than keeping the pony names that was extremely different from all the pony series before it but because that one is highly thought of apparently that doesn't matter. Every pony even had dramatically different personalities then previous versions, sometimes ponies getting other ponies personalities even. I think people only complain when they don't like the changes, which I find honestly a tad hypocritical. This all goes under my opinion that ..

Every Strawberry Shortcake has been different from the one before it. This Strawberry Shortcake has plenty of slight nods to 1980 series, and is just developed for what in their mind is the modern slightly older than the previous target audience girl these days. In the end Strawberry Shortcake was a doll series first and a television series second and the [1980] television series originally was just to help sell more dolls and toys, and this [2009 version] is what they believe a older perhaps 5-9 aged girl who wants to buy a doll, a very girly toy at that age, that's entire enjoyment tends to become dressing it up and having fun with other girls playing various slice-of-life events, would enjoy. I understand that, and I'm not thinking it's doing anything wrong.

THAT BEING SAID.

I still do understand where you are coming from, the points you are trying to make. As a fan of the 2003 version, I understand the sadness that my favorite Strawberry Shortcake is no longer existent, but there are plenty of merchandise, DVD's, television episodes, and all sorts of goodies to enjoy. Every TV series dies, every series gets a makeover, in the end it all changes eventually. That's just life. You gotta be able to hold on to the things that make you happy and still be open to some new happiness.

[Evalana]

Why couldn't they just create an entirely different show from scratch?

Because Strawberry Shortcake is an established name with instant recognition, especially from girls who grew up in the 80's and are now likely to be moms. That is it, pure and simple. That is why so many properties from the 80's have seen a revival over the past decade.

You have strong opinions on Berry Bitty Adventures, Kiwi, yet you admit to having never seen an entire episode. I don't know where you are, so I don't know how available the episodes are to you, but if you can, I do urge you to actually watch a few episodes. And, as Angel said, try to take it in as its own continuity.
I've been thinking about it all day, and while I can agree that the new series is more girly than the old series, I don't find it overly girly, either. True, the girls get manicures from Lemon's salon, but they also have adventures. The girls are all entrepreneurs, running their own businesses, with strong ties to the community. In fact, I would say that the strongest thread running through the show is that of community, and how the things we do effect others. It's hard to say more without getting into individual episodes, so I'll leave it at that for now.

[Angel]

Somehow, Evalana says something better than I have been saying it in far fewer words. It's not obsessively overly girly, they do get their adventure caps on, and you should definitely give the series a couple episodes before really forming such strong opinions about the series. I think it's worth watching myself and so have others found.

Think I'm going to try to slow down my retaliations in here and give them more thought, they are turning into rants.

[Blackberry Bun]

Access to the new show is little to none in my place, so I can't comment anything.

Alright, I actually have Sky's The Limit from arrrrrrrrrrrr! You know what I mean, right?
I didn't watch it in full. Skipped a lot, and there's no intention to touch it again. Maybe I was kinda shocked by the drastic change. I then decided to consider it a different show which doesn't get along with my preference.

[RAMChYLD]

Access to the new show is little to none in my place, so I can't comment anything.

Bro, you have Indovision!

Indovision has Boomerang! (Channel 47 according to Wikipedia)

The 2009 series is airing on Boomerang! Last I check it's airing Mon-Fri 4:30 PM Singapore Time, which makes it about 3:30 PM Indonesia Standard Time.

This is another reason I'm crying- no cable providers in Malaysia has Boomerang. Begging them is like talking to a brick wall (Astro is only interested in bringing in Sports channels and Chinese Drama channels. TM says they're working on it, but I'm not seeing any progress. And the DETV staff can't speak English well!) And yet Care Bears:AiCAL, 2009 SSC and MLP:FIM is on that channel. I remember that the marketing post C&Ped to the Bedtime Bear forums says that CN will be airing Care Bears, and I take it that by extension it means all AG/Hasbro stuff. Why does Hasbro allows CN to take back on their words and torture those who're at the mercy of stupid Pay TV providers?

[Blackberry Bun]

The 2009 series is airing on Boomerang! Last I check it's airing Mon-Fri 4:30 PM Singapore Time, which makes it about 3:30 PM Indonesia Standard Time.

I arrive home from work at 7 or 8 PM mon-fri. That's the same as no access for me.
No matter, I'm not really interested on the 2009 series anyway.

[RAMChYLD]

The 2009 series is airing on Boomerang! Last I check it's airing Mon-Fri 4:30 PM Singapore Time, which makes it about 3:30 PM Indonesia Standard Time.

I arrive home from work at 7 or 8 PM mon-fri. That's the same as no access for me.
No matter, I'm not really interested on the 2009 series anyway.

You don't have a VCR, PVR or DVD recorder?

[Blackberry Bun]

You don't have a VCR, PVR or DVD recorder?

Not at all. But like I said, it doesn't bother me.