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!
As a heads up I do remember hearing claims of apologetics for the shows version of fash at the end but I have no real conception of how true this is.
It's liberal idealism more than anything else. They just convince the genocidal imperialists of the error of their ways by pointing out that they're sad and then they voluntarily dissolve their empire. Naive and moronic, yes, but "fascist apologetics" is a bit of a reach.
It has a lot of other stuff going for it, though.
It's not like they say the fash were doing the right thing, and given that they were a bunch of emotionally unstable beings with godlike power compared to the rest of their species it makes sense the diamonds were kinda messed up. So they get off light with just being forced to apologize and work on themselves but honestly what else is a children's show going to do?
I think it is more realistic. In the revolution that overthrows the fash they are given positions as caretakers. So kinda how china made the last emporer a gardener.
It is emltionally unsatisfying to not see them punished, but it is worth it to see a revolutiom happen