iBad+Role+Models

CONCLUSION: I found this episode in particular had many negative representation and negative role modeling. First off a teen bully assaults Freddy and his Mom with no repercussions. Freddy’s Mom who is an adult seems powerless against him and children may see this with no repercussions and think this is ok. The iCarly crew is emailing people online, which turns out to be a pro wrestler’s son, but this could be anyone who is a stranger. They ask to meet up, and in the real world this could be really dangerous because it could be anyone and now they let them know where they are going to be, this is very dangerous for children. Also the iCarly gang runs into much more serious issues with the internet. They let other people whom they do not know stay at their place and trust them with all their stuff who they don’t even know. They found them off the internet and only know them by these strangers looking like themselves. This is highly dangerous for children. No one should ever let strangers into your house from the internet and leave them there to steal all your stuff! The most negative role modeling of the episode comes at the end where the gang lies to their parents and sneaks out to a MMA fight they were specifically told not to go to. What can this teach children? I can see it now, “Mom I want to be like iCarly and sneak out and lie to you.” However when the crew gets caught, there is absolutely no repercussions for their lying and sneaking out to a dangerous event. It’s like the children can do whatever they want without repercussions and the parents have no influence whatsoever. This is a terrible representation to children viewers. After viewing several episodes of iCarly I have found several key themes and similarities common in the show. ** __ iCarly: Its Own Fantasy World On Its Own; Run By Children __ ** iCarly is truly far from reality, a reality where kids rule. This show overall lacks parental roles entirely. It’s a fantasy world where kids can do almost whatever they want with very little negative consequences. There is no stopping iCarly and the crew. Even if the parents (the few times they play a role) say no, iCarly finds a way around it. If they get caught, no big deal, there is never a repercussion for their actions. Parents in iCarly almost seem as the antagonist. They are obstacles in the way of fun. Spencer is the only older one that seems like a positive role but even he is young. In the iCarly world, older roles are almost nonexistent. For characters like Freddy’s Mom, when she is on Camera she is being abused and disrespected, characters throw basketballs in her face, she always wants Freddy to do something embarrassing or “un-cool”. When she is off camera she is being insulted and being disrespected by the iCarly crew by saying negative things about her. There is truly a obvious resistance or anti-parent/authority on iCarly. I would like to address this as an issue because children will follow this. They see the resistance and absence of parents on iCarly and they want to be in this world where children reign. ** __ iCarly as a reality __ ** Now where this is very unlikely, let’s imagine if you will an iCarly scenario in reality. If iCarly actually existed in the real world what would happen? With the lack of adults, iCarly and the gang would be in real trouble. Firstly the iCarly gang in reality would not have the excess funds they seem to have in the show. In the show they magically have all the high tech gear that costs fortunes and the money they spend show to show simply could not happen even on a wealthy child’s allowance income. Well even if they somehow managed to have all the equipment they have, we first need to address the dangers of the internet. In iCarly, the world of the internet is a friendly interactive child safe place. We all know in our modern society that this is not the case. In nearly every episode the iCarly gang contacts a stranger on the internet and interacts. Most of these instances they inform this stranger where they are or where they can meet up. If iCarly was a reality all of them would have many internet predators putting them at danger in nearly every episode! It is very dangerous for children to ever talk to strangers on the internet and a large danger to let this stranger know where you are or meet with them. iCarly gives children the false reality that you can trust everyone and that this internet is a happy safe place. I believe that many of the characters would have issues with discipline and parent authority. Many of their acts parents would not let them do, and in the show when they just get around that without repercussions, in the real world parents discipline. I would see the iCarly crew in trouble a lot, but it’s not fun for children to watch their characters grounded, so iCarly escapes this. To be honest I think if iCarly was a reality I would imagine that all the characters would have issues with internet predators, kidnapping, stalking and discipline. ** __ iBad Role Model __ ** With my screening and overview of looking in detail at the representations and themes that iCarly presents, I would have to conclude that none of the iCarly children characters would be good role models. They show kids that resistance to parents or authority is ok, there are no repercussions to avoiding authority and there are no negative repercussions on the internet. The lessons children learn from iCarly fundamentally is to have fun and do it without thinking of what could happen negatively, but why would children, nothing happens negative to iCarly’s crew, how could it happen to them? Back To Home