The article is just clickbait trash without substance, but I like the title at least.
Why kids love ‘fascist’ cartoons like ‘Paw Patrol’ and ‘Thomas’
[...]
The neat moral order of shows like “Thomas” and “Paw Patrol” gives them a context for these feelings, explained Tovah Klein, director of the Barnard College Center for Toddler Development and author of “How Toddlers Thrive.” Good and bad are clearly articulated states in those shows, she said, and should one misbehave, the repercussions are clear and predictable.
https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/22/health/thomas-tank-engine-paw-patrol-fascist-cartoon-strauss/index.htmlThe quote above is supposed to be a bad thing, in the opinion of the author and grown ups.
See this other post about how psychological studies have shown young children have very strong moral opinions and a sense of fairness:
https://trueleft.createaforum.com/true-left-vs-false-left/superiority-cannot-be-taught/msg10328/#msg10328But, again, that's supposed to be "childish" and bad? Lol.
“This is an age group that is constantly dealing with all these negative feelings in themselves. ‘Am I good?’ ‘Am I bad?’ They are trying to figure out what that means,” Klein said.
These shows also help children navigate their paradoxical relationship with power. On one hand, they desperately want some power. Watching the pups in “Paw Patrol” go on a mission or the trains in “Thomas” being useful allows them to feel as though they too have an important role to play.
On the other hand, children take comfort in the idea that someone is in charge. To them, Ryder isn’t a megalomaniac, and Sir Topham Hatt of “Thomas” isn’t a neocolonial autocrat. They’re just the guys delegating responsibilities to their eager inferiors.
It's not paradoxical at all. Children like it when FAIR INDIVIDUALS are in charge. Children "desperately want power" because UNJUST TYRANTS (i.e. parents and teachers) unfairly control every element of their own lives. Children like fantasy worlds where young characters are respected and fairly allowed to live up to their potential. I imagine nearly all examples of children "acting out" are children trying to make adults realize they deserve respect, agency, and autonomy...
This is all obvious if you have even the most basic memories of your own childhood.
“Children know there are a lot of scary things in the world, that there are a lot of bad things that can happen, and these shows make them feel like they could be part of fixing it,” Klein said. “But they know at some level that they can’t take care of things solely on their own, and being part of a team makes them feel safe.”
Again, the author thinks this is a bad thing...? It is difficult to argue against a core principle of ideological fascism by making it sound appealing. Lol
Uhls said preschool-age children pay close attention to social cues and status, all in an attempt to figure out where they stand. The clearly articulated hierarchies in these cartoons confirm what they are struggling to understand in their own lives: mainly, that someone else, probably a parent or teacher, is in charge.
Again, that's why they like the fair autocracy in fantasy, as opposed to the UNJUST TYRANNY of the hierarchy they are forced to live in every day.
The author also predictably misses the point by trying to start gender wars over cartoons involving talking dogs and talking trains?
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