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Hi Professor Vasquez-

Thanks for explaining Pokemon to me, after all the publicity and excitement, I still did not know what Pokemon really was.

The catch phrase, “Gotta catch ‘em all!” is actually quite brilliant in the way of marketing for the company. The discussion with the children in which you refer to changing the verb is a bit scary to me. It is powerful how they immediately want to catch all the cards, but even more alarming is, “Gotta eat ‘em all!” Yikes! Exactly the wrong message to send to kids who watch a lot of cartoons.

Catch phrases are very powerful tools that stick with us for a long time, songs do as well. I can still remember, “EA sports, it’s in the game,” from an old Nintendo game I would play with my brother, or the My Little Pony song. These would stick in my brain at the toy store, clothing store and grocery store, and could have changed the way I was a consumer. Pokemon has done a great job creating little consumers ready to buy a hot product.

Color and gender play such an important role here in young students, and these constructed roles stick for years to come. I still have male friends that refuse to wear pink and purple, insistent upon them being girl colors. Babies are still sent home in pink and blue blankets from the hospital. Color is such an archetype of gender, and it is important to point this out.

Lara

“Gotta catch ‘em all!” I was recently in another teacher’s classroom at my school and noticed how she had cut out various magazine ads and had them plastered on her wall. Each ad was marked up highlighting the company logo, slogan, celebrity spokesperson, etc… I mentally went through some of the subliminal phrases that have stuck in my head from tv commericals such as “I’m lovin’ it”, “Just do it”, “Zoom zoom zoom”, “Hello Moto”, etc… The power of marketing and the use of subliminal catch phrases truly is amazing. It’s something that we are all constantly being bombarded with all around us. Your podcast really made me think about if my students are aware of this form and the power of this text. The power of marketing them to like a certain brand of clothes, want to eat certain kinds of foods, or like certain songs. This really is a such an important awareness.

This really brought back memories of the many trades and frustration I had growing up collecting football, basketball, and baseball cards as a kid. I still have boxes of cards sitting in my closet and I cherish the memories and lessons I learned trying to determine how much I valued certain cards.

-Will

Vivian,

The redesign experiment was brilliant! Thanks for sharing this great story.

I have the bad habit of quickly brushing aside any focus on heavily marketed, group-think products and ideas when my daughters bring them up (which isn’t often — maybe because of my forceful and predictable response!). I love the idea of keeping a positive, open attitude yourself while using the situation to invite the youngsters to discover a way to think differently about the products and the marketing behind them.

Oh ya. Colours sounds amazing. Where can I catch one??

I’m thrilled to have CLIP back (and to successfully download 36&37!).
Andrea

I found the discussion of gender with the Pokemon characters to be very interesting. To begin with, it is almost disturbing how the creators made the characters non-gender, as an attempt to make them more versatile to consumers. However, in listening to the children, they continued to define different Pokemon characters as either male or female. It was a slight reassurance that the children used primarily physical characteristics such as colors of Pokemons to determine whether they were boy or girl.
I particularly enjoyed the portion of the podcast that discussed the redesign of Pokemon clothing. Specifically through the creation of one girl’s character “Colors” she was able to see outside of the original Pokemons to create a female oriented all powerful character. This enabled her to envision something beyond the commercial product. She was able to move away from the stereotypes the children created of gender from the original product to design her own. This demonstrated how the redesign portion of deconstruction is crucial for students to see themselves and their ideas among those that are being deconstructed. I very much enjoyed this podcast!

This Pokemon experience has sent me to a blast in the plast. I am a father of a son who is now fourteen years old. It seems like I have gone through this Pokemon experience with him.
When the movies came in the summer or the holidays, I was right there cheering on these so called special animals with unique powers. When the cards hit the stores, who was buying them for him? And the cards just happen to be in the right spot, at the check out line in the stores. Not at my eye level, but at a childs eye level, how perfect for them to ask, daddy can I get some Pokemon cards? He eventually grew out of the pokemon phase. But just think of those years from about four to ten. The marketing that the company puts in to attacking the buying power of children. This is a billion dollar market, and parents will be parent. Why? so, there child can talk the same lingo as the other children. No one wants to be left out. It’s sad to see that marketing professionals still sterotype certain colors for boys and girls. I am so glad to see that this young girl broke the paradigm of the marketers, to create something original. Hopefully, as educators we will be able to open more childrens thoughts of thinking out the box. Like I stated early in this comment, this has taken me back and examined my role as a father. I very much enjoyed this podcast.

Why is it that collectibles are so addicting to us at any age? When I was a kid it was garbage patch kids. What is it in human nature that drives us to have more and more items of a collection? Collecting is even a hobby, for adults and children. Stamp collecting, cards, coins, different animal sculptures, figurines, you name it, we’ll collect it. Even if we don’t really want it. Is it the hope that some day it will be incredibly valuable? It just follows that the golden crown for any toy or line of toys is for it to become a collectible. That way people will continue to buy for no other reason than they have some already and they want to have the complete set. This is something that goes on throughout our lives. At any given age their are items to collect. I think it’s important for children to examine this weird phenomenon and understand how they are being marketed to. It’s is interesting how in this conversation and re-design activity, you broached the subject with the students and in a way pulled back the curtain on the Pokemon Collectible marketing scheme. Will the children still want them? Probably, but at least they will be aware of the strategies sellers use to increase the volume of their sales through the creation of fads and trends.

Erin

Hi Vivian,
I listened to Pokemon and thanks for explaining what it was. First, I remember when Pokemon first came out. I did not like the cartoon, I thought that the characters looked to scary. I felt that the days of friendly looking cartoons had come and gone. The issue with gender still hold true. I remember being in high school that the guys wore consistently grey, black and jean-colored clothes. I was shocked when I went to school in Philly and saw guys wearing colors, like Pink, light green, and peach. I had pre-conceptions, but they soon changed. However, in class when we are reading materials, and I pass out the markers, it is the boys that often ask for the pink highlighters!

I remember when Pokemon first came out and it was so a big hit with the kids. I actually thought the Pokemon characters looked very scary and creepy. However, my younger cousin was very much into Pokemon from about the age of five to eleven. It was imperative for him to collect those Pokemon cards and have many of the other action figures. His parents invested a great deal of money into the Pokemon action figures as well as the collectible trading cards. It seemed whenever we went to the store there were always more collectible cards. No matter how many cards my cousin had, he would seperate what he believed to be the male characters from the female charcters. So I find it interesting that even though the characters do not have “genders”, children give them genders based on what they have learned in society about male and females. So even though the characters purposely do not have genders, children can still imply what they believe is true. Makes you wonder why do animators create some characters this way? Why not just give the characters a gender?

Ah, Pokemon, the most popular topic of conversation in my class. Well at least until they’ve watched the new “That’s So Raven” episode. I listened to your podcast and while I agree about the stereotypes that are reinforced, I have to say that my class is pretty good at ignoring gender and just appreciating these characters for their powers. While I don’t agree with the amount of time, devotion and money that my students spend on Pokemon, I’ve found that by learning more about it myself has helped my tap into their background knowledge; Pokemon has helped me improve my student’s comprehension. Most of the time, I ask questions and my students answer them allowing me to teach the comprehension skill I’m trying to teach, i.e. cause and effect, comparing and contrasting, etc. After they understand the concepts, it’s easier to get them to apply them regularly and consistently to real world situations. I do have a problem with the commercialization of Pokemon characters but I have to be honest and admit that at least it’s one trend that has had some lasting power. At least now I don’t have to spend so much time trying to find some new fad to follow so that I can better relate to my students and that helps me plan my lessons more effectively.

Anjuli

Pokeman!!! Gees, I almost forgot about them. Thanks for the history of Pokeman. I actually remember when Pokeman came out and the big hit they became- from my experience they represented a “status symbol” amongst kids, or so it seemed. The more Pokeman cards you owned, the cooler you were. I find the gender issue interesting as I never noticed that their gender did not exist because the children automatically labeled each character. I am however, still somewhat perplexed as to why this gender issue raises such a big deal. Why is it not okay for a specific character to be a boy and another a girl- as long as we remove the stereotypes by expanding the roles each gender plays. This is the world in which we live in- boys and girls. I find in my classroom that students are becoming more comfortable with the sensitivity to gender. I must say that I enjoyed the re-design segment. Great job. Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed the podcast.

I appreciate your introducing me to the Pokemon world. I am somewhat out of touch with today’s entertainment characters.
I find the non gender characters somewhat unique,since it creates versatility to the consumers and thus leaving it up to them to define ( boy or girl).
I consider this method to be a phenomenal marketing strategy, which would eliminate major decision making when making a purchase.
Since marketing of this product is directed towards the youth, I am positive that this market must be extremely lucrative.
Parents should take the time to explain to their children the art of marketing, since this has a major impact on their pockets.
Color and gender are they as important to children as they are to adults? and where did the theory come from that certain colors belong to boys and others to girls.
I believe that as products of society, we set the standards of what is masculine and what is feminine.
Collectibles are addicting to us at any age? As a kid, I collected baseball cards and did a lot of trading transactions, as I assume the same is being done here, but with $$ being involved..
I have not had the opportunity to experiment with Pokemon, but look forward to having some discussion on this with my students.

One thing that I love about this Pokemon story is how well it exhibits the ways that everyday texts can be used in a classroom. It is great to see how something that interested the students transformed into a meaningful learning experience. Initially, I was impressed with the financial knowledge of the student who was analyzing his new Pokemon cards. I think this shows how an everyday text could be used in teaching academic concepts, likely teaching them in a way that could be more meaningful to students.

Additionally, it was great hearing how the Pokemon were redesigned by students, allowing them to begin to realize how they constructed their view of the Pokemon… there are so many opportunities for critical literacy in what we find around us in the classroom every day. Thanks for sharing this great example of that!

Pokemon make me think about our perceptions of color and how our society often uses it to demarcate the feminine from the masculine. As we all know, historically, blue was typically a boy’s color while pink was identified as a girl’s color. It was just a few decades ago that there was an interesting switch in the colors both genders wear. Now, it is amazing at the comfort with which boys and men year pink and lavendar.
In addition, it was also interesting to see how marketing plays such a significant role in making kids play a key role in American consumerism, especailly with the catch phrade “gotta catch them all.”

This is such a great way to use what children are already interested in to promote growth and learning. Instead of fighting against the realities of childhood in the 21st Century, we should be working within the existing context. “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” is a good way to think about it. No matter how much we try to censor what our children are exposed to, we will never completely succeed. It would be better to try and make the best of the situation and turn it into something positive. I like the idea of deconstructing or redesigning the shows and products that children are interested in. If we are able to show children that the world around us is socially constructed and that they can effect this construction, then they are more likely to be independent thinkers and help our society move forward.

Leslie Jones
Washington DC

I think the number of very powerful and thoughtful responses to this episode attests to the draw we have towards everyday texts such as Pokemon and our understanding or wondering about how such texts intersect with our children’s lives in a variety of ways.

I’d love to hear about what sorts of everyday texts you have taken up in your setting with students or your own children and how you’ve worked and played with those texts.

Thanks Everyone
vivian

The title of this particular Pokemon podcast caught my attention, as i am very aware of its popularity and thought that I could relate to it easily. For starters, I was very impressed by the re-creation project, where the kids designed thier own Pokemon character. What a great idea to spark a critical conversation!
The issue of gender was intersting, as the fourth graders I work with are very much under the impression that males and females are very different in thier ablties. I would be interested in what they would create if I had done the same project with my students. I have students who believe that boys are tougher (the boys, of course) and some who think that girls are smarter (of course, the girls)…and that THAT means more power. And the boys come to realize that they would rather have the “smarter” quality…although they would never admit it outright.
That project gives me ideas about future writing and discussion prompts. I have one student who sticks out in my mind, and I can’t help but think about him as I write this comment. He makes such a big deal about boys and pink and how they shouldn’t wear it or even use a pink marker. If I was to do this project, he would be very critical of any boy or girl creating a charcter who didn’t scream male attributes. It is unfortunate, yet it may be an opportunity to help him to understand how inappropriate it is to make some of the cheauvanistic comments that he makes. He doesn’t seem to want to believe me, so maybe he would listen to his peers if they tried to ’set him straight’ in a controlled conversation.
I may have veered from the main topic of the podcast, but I am speaking from my initial reaction, which is to brainstorm some ideas how I can deal with my own classroom’s issues with gender.

Interesting show Vivian — as always! Here’s a follow up of my conversation with four second graders at lunch:
Me: Why do you think McD puts a toy in Happy Meals?
Girl 1: Because it makes you happy?
Girl 2: Because toys make children happy and we can buy more of them if we want.
Girl 3: So that we can tell our Moms to take us to McD (Carmen Luke, you are so right).
Me: Do you think McD is smart about putting a toy in there?
Girl 3: Yep, then we can buy more and collect all 17 things if they have them.
Me: So who benefits from that?
Girl 3: McD–so that they can make lots of money and get richer and richer.
Me: What do you all think about that? And do you think Happy Meals are healthy?
Girl 2: If you take the apples.
Girl 3: No wonder my Mom only lets me eat there once a month and sometimes not-even.
Boy 1 (who has been listening the entire time): I don’t care, I don’t care, I just want the toys and I’m still going to buy them no matter what.
There was more discussion about McD making lots of profit. Hardest for me was not trying to bias/sway them. The girls seemed to have felt wiser and informed but based on Boy 1’s adamant comment, there was no way he would chose otherwise. CHOICE–is that the ultimate end result?

Great review of Vivian’s book, NEGOTIATING CRITICAL LITERACIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN in LANGUAGE ARTS (Jan. 2007 issue)!! Glad this book continues to get lots of press! Hip hip hooray Vivian!

Vivian,

That’s three weeks in a row CLIP has made me feel virtuous that our girls only whine “Can we go to the pub???”. Seriously.

Thanks!
Andrea

Andrea… LOL. A great way to start my morning! Thanks Andrea. As usual your comment is greatly appreciated!

vivian

I love what you did with your students Anna. It’s such a great demonstration of how such issues as those in connection with the Happy Meal cut across time and space.

Thank you so much for taking the time to create the transcript!!!

Much appreciated as usual.

vivian

Thanks for the heads up on the Negotiating review Anna. I didn’t know about it. I’m finally beginning to catch up with e-mails so expect a flurry soon!

vivian

My comment was mentioned on CLIP!!! I’m famous now!!!!!

Nice follow up show. I thought it wrapped up that idea nicely, though after reading these comments it sounds like you could do another show on Mikey D’s.

Andrea, when I ask my kids what they want to eat their responses are McDonald’s, or Subway, and all I wanted to know was whether or not they wanted peas or potatoes. Diane or I cook most evenings so I’m not sure why the kids always respond with a fast-food joint when asked that question. I guess it’s pop culture conditioning.

Vivian, could you mention simple ways parents could encourage literature, especially a love for books, and pre-reading techniques on a future show? Diane has her own ideas but it would be interesting it hear suggestions from teachers and parents in other geographically locations. The parents of her students ask her for suggestions all the time.

-Charles

Vivian,

I enjoyed this podcast. It raises interesting questions: why are dinky plastic toys/collectibles so irrestible for kids (and I would argue for adults too, just with different collectibles) ? I remember begging my mom for the most trendy toy, be it a cabbage patch doll or my little pony, and showing it off to others was of the utmost importance. I think its more than clever marketing on the part of individual companies. It’s the underlying value system that we have to examine. How do we judge “success” , “hapiness” or “self-image”? A lot of the time, we gauge these things by what we own, what we wear, etc. I remember what an Australian friend said once, he had already spent several years in the US and he said,” here I feel like a consumer, not a citizen.” Now I’ve never been to Australia so i don’t know what it’s like or how it compares on the level of consumerism. But I definately understood what he meant. Every second of the day, I feel like I’m being told to buy something. I’m told I’m crazy if I don’t buy this or that, or that I wont be “cool” or fashionable. So, it’s no wonder children model those patterns, as they are also being advertised to, and judged by their peers. Parents and teachers have an uphill battle competing with the surrounding environment, that’s why bringing these value topics out in the open for exploration and discussion is essential. Children have to be literate in regards to consumerism and advertising.

Erin

Hi Vivian,

I am very excited about the podcast’s recognition and then to hear your book has received more recognition. Not surprised about either!!

I also have to say I am really enjoying “getting to know” the people who follow your podcast and hearing/ reading their comments about the topics that come up. I take away ideas to try with my class and also view points that I need to think more deeply about.

Thanks for bringing us all together!!

Carol

“Vivian, could you mention simple ways parents could encourage literature, especially a love for books, and pre-reading techniques on a future show? ”

Thanks for the suggestion Charles. I will definitely work on such an episode

vivian

“I think its more than clever marketing on the part of individual companies. It’s the underlying value system that we have to examine. How do we judge “success” , “hapiness” or “self-image”? A lot of the time, we gauge these things by what we own, what we wear, etc.”

A very important point Erin. I think your comment speaks to the notion of what is bought and sold through commercial advertising and so forth. Specifically that when we purchase something we are purchasing something more than the object itself. What we are consuming are particular lifestyles.

I look forward to hearing more from you.
vivian

I’m glad you are enjoying the show Carol. I’m also excited to see you writing about this space as a site for possible networking!!!

Keep us posted!
vivian

Erin, I appreciated your thoughtful comments and the observation from your Australian friend. Outsiders really notice it.
Speaking of consuming particular lifestyles, I couldn’t believe how high-definition TV sales jumped by 30% just because the Super Bowl was being broadcast in HD. Whether young or old, how easily Americans get sucked in.

Happy Silver Anniversay to CLIP!

I too find the McD Happy Meal toys to be quite problematic for me as a Dad and for my son. Thank goodness he’s to young to really “get it” so for now we’re ok. Heaven help us one he makes the distinction between “boy” and “girl” toys.

I laughed out loud at the McDonald’s Think Tank.

What a riot!

Andy Bilodeau
http://www.andycast.net

I was surprised and yet had fully expected to see McDonald’s casting…it is a riot.
Thanks Andy

vivian

Hey, that’s right, this is your silver!?! Congrats Vivian! I remember when you were in your teens, it seems like only yesterday….
This gender segregation at McDonald has always irked me. There have been many times where we either wanted one toy or the other or both. I find the girls toys in general to be of a more supportive and cooperative nature than the boy toys. Those usually follow themes of war, fighting and competition. Their most recent toy, the Littlest Pet Shop which was the girl toy, is an uni-sex one that either boys or girls would enjoy, our kids certain have.
Sadly this is just another way to hook the next generation of consumers into buying their product.

Great show Vivian, I enjoyed it during our show day today.

Charles

Hi Vivian, Andy mentioned this show to me so I paid attention.

It’s funny, I mentioned this topic on a recent Dry Shave (#95 - Happy Meal)…I asked for the Pet Shop toy for our son, the people working there still got it wrong and gave him Yugi-whatever-the-thing-is. Oh well, at least it creates work for our waste management company.

I LOL at your walk down memory lane Charles! It’s amazing nowadays the amount of war imagery that permeates society.

Ross, thanks for your comment. I went over to listen to your episode and really appreciated what you had to say. It is infuriating how our children are being socially ’schooled’ with such innocent appearing texts like the Happy Meal.

vivian