Sexuality+in+iCarly,+Sasha+White

- Most of the sexuality is between Freddie, Carly and sometimes Sam, and in a less obvious way through Spencer (teacher episode) - A lot of the sexuality is not overt (kissing, touching, sexual language) but in innuendos which certain viewers will pick up on and others not depending on their age, background, and maturity - A lot of the sexual actions we see are supposed to be jokes or funny ex. the talking bra, kissing Freddie, Spencer and the school teacher. Sexuality is treated with humor __Questions__: - How much are kids picking up on in terms of sexuality? How are different age groups interpreting the potentially sexual dialogue they are hearing?
 * Synthesis of further iCarly episode watching**:

- 75% of parents think the sexual behavior in the show is not age appropriate. - 377 children reviewed the show and the majority of what was said was positive and in comparison only 115 adults reviewed the show with mostly negative commentary - Interesting quote from a parent reviewer: “They produce a seemingly innocent show with underlying sexual meaning”. This confirms what I noticed by watching the episodes. The show teeters between harmless and overtly sexual - Kids reviews: negative things kids had to say were concerning the role of Sam; how she uses negative language, bully’s other kids and is in general a bad role model - Kids ranging from ages 7-16 commented on the sexual elements of the show, which seemed to make the younger children uncomfortable and the older children say that the show was only appropriate for kids over the age of 11 or 12. - The above went back to my question of who understands the dual meanings in the dialogue, older kids are picking up more on the sexual nature of certain episodes or exchanges and the younger kids are picking up mostly on the negativity of the Sam character __Questions__: - Why is there so much sexuality in iCarly and what purpose does this serve in the grand scheme of the show? - How are kids being socialized with their sexuality using iCarly?
 * Synthesis of reading reviews of iCarly on Common sense media:**


 * Synthesis of “Sex on TV: Do All Kids See the Same Show?” on the Center for Media Literacy Website:**

=- “The short answer is that the effect depends on the kids. More specifically, it depends on the way they look at media and on what they've learned from their families about media and sexuality.” = =- This information was generated by asking girls of various backgrounds (in private, so responses were candid) about their responses to media sexuality. = =- “Parents who encouraged their daughters to think for themselves were most apt to initiate the kind of independent thinking needed for media criticism. Girls whose families stressed conformity and familial harmony were more likely to accept media messages at face value.” = =- One girl commented "I like stories that have kissing." = = http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/sex-tv-do-all-kids-see-same-show =

Banet-Weiser said in her book, children learn socialization through television. This means that what they are seeing becomes part of their everyday life. One parent reviewer mentioned how Carly and Sam talk about boys and some of the language they used such as “he’s so hot you could bake cookies on him” and then hearing her daughter and her friends repeating similar phrases. She deemed this kind of behavior unacceptable for 9-year old girls who should be spending more time learning and being productive than worrying about boys and relationships. = It seems as though younger children (5-7) don’t get it anyway, so it’s not harmful. The next age group (8-11) seem to be the ones who could be adversely affected as they are old enough to begin to understand sexuality, but not old enough to be able to synthesize the effects of this and to understand that what is shown on television in terms of sexuality is not necessarily what happens in real life. The older viewers (12-16) seem to understand the sexual innuendos and accept the show for what it is. They see what is negative and are able to think critically about the show and still enjoy it. = = I believe that, like adults, kids like a little sexual tension to spice up their television. It is something intriguing, sort of forbidden, and still mostly a mystery to that age group, and the fact that iCarly uses it in their content makes kids want to watch. They want to see Carly get a hot boyfriend. They want to see Freddy continue to try to woo Carly. And they like seeing girls dressing up and trying to impress. These kinds of things are exciting for viewers, boys and girls alike, because they are not elements continuously present in their lives at that age. Like most mainstream television, Nickelodeon is trying to get as many viewers and consumers as possible and may have realized that this element of sexuality in iCarly is potentially profitable, not only because it generates children’s viewership but offers something of interest for adults as well. = = = Fascinating evidence here, Sasha. I think that you're captured a key concept of media literacy- that how people respond to the sexuality of iCarly reflects their interpretations of "what's appropriate" for children's developmental levels. In the final version, you should spell out the details of episodes that feature sexuality, including "the talking bra" I'm especially pleased to see how you've identified the diverse responses of CommonSenseMedia parents as they are contrasted with the views of children. Fascinating and important stuff. Good work here! Grade: A
 * Overall conclusions:**