Maybe this is something I worry about more than I should, but I think a lot about the kinds of shows my kids watch. Because that stuff does influence them. For the parents out there, I had an idea to start a thread where we can list kids shows that are solid choices for us as leftist parents. I'm not expecting some cartoon characters to start discussing dialectical materialism. But I'm thinking shows that highlight values like empathy, community, etc. I would also include shows that simply avoid a lot of capitalist bullshit or cop worship (hard to avoid that one in kids shows, surprisingly). Also, we can use this thread to list shows we think kids should avoid.
Some of them that I came up with:
Mister Rogers Neighborhood - Fred Rodgers, while I don't think he was explicitly a leftist, really did seem to focus on really good things. Might be hard to get kids interested in a show that looks as old as this one, but it's honestly pretty great.
The Joy of Painting - Just a chill dude painting landscapes. Wouldn't think of this as a kids show but my kids loves it. I have friends with kids who say the same thing, too.
Eleanor Wonders Why - I like this one because the titular character observes the world around her and then wants to use science to explain what's going on. Just like our boy Karl Marx!
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood - In general I think PBS does a good job in most their shows of not promoting capitalism or bourgeois values. Daniel lives in a neighborhood that doesn't have the obligatory "good cop" in it, which is good enough for me. Overall seems solid.
Bluey - this show is pretty great, I love it. However, keep in there's one episode that's devoted entirely to troop bootlicking (really gross for a kids show), so just skip that one and you're good.
Doc McStuffins - this show is ok but I'm recommending it because the lead character is POC, and even in 2021 I'm kinda surprised by how many shows still feel they need a white lead character with POC characters off to the side.
And a show I'd recommend against is Paw Patrol, I think for obvious reasons. I'll stop here and then add more in the comments as I think of them. Please share yours!
The episode of Rugrats “Angelica’s Last Stand” taught me what a strike was when I was young. I haven’t watched it in a while, but I remember it being pretty anti-boss.
On pbs kids i really like the show Molly of Denali, about a native Alaskan girl. The episodes sometimes tackle issues such as discrimination more directly/less heavy-handed than other shows. And i think most of the cast/crew are native american/alaskan as well, so it feels very sincere and genuine. They even briefly mentioned the canadian boarding schools in an episode, which i was surprised to hear mentioned in a kids show.
I basically have the pbs kids channel on 24/7, and while passively watching I haven’t really noticed any capitalist/cop worship type content, but it’s possible ive missed it
And if you dont get the pbs kids channel with an antennae or cable, i think it’s streaming free on their website. I think the best part is no commercials. I was at my parents’ place during thanksgiving and turned on nickelodeon, and I forgot how aggressive kid’s commercials are
Oh yeah Molly of Denali is pretty great. And I'd agree, pretty safe to just leave it on PBS Kids.