MDDM Ch. 38 Summary & Notes - Ornitology

[Dave Monroe]

An analogous question would be, what's the deal with
Smurfette?  See ...  

http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/favorites/smurfette/

http://www.smurfcity.com/smurfette.htm

http://www.dragonfare.net/AL/ch/smurfette.html

http://www.smurf.com/infos/qui.html

http://www.yesterdayland.com/popopedia/shows/saturday/sa1206.php

All the other Smurfs seem to be defined by position
(e.g., Papa Smurf), occupation (e.g., Cook Smurf),
characteristics (e.g., Brainy Smurf), but Smurfette
is, well, the female Smurf.  The ONLY female Smurf. 
And note her, er, Pandoran origins ...

"The wicked Gargamel originally created Smurfette to
stir up trouble in the village. But Papa Smurf’s magic
turned into the charming little Smurf that everyone
adores."

http://www.smurf.com/infos/who/qui1.html

There's even an Enamoured Smurf ...

"Since Smurfette’s arrival, all the Smurfs are in
love. But none more than this chap. He dreams about
her, carves her name in trees and pulls the petals off
daisies, reciting 'She loves me, she loves me not...'.
When she loves him not, he cries all night."

http://www.smurf.com/infos/who/qui3.html

But Smurfette, well ... well, speculation runs wild
...

http://www.obeygiant.com/stickers/bootlegs/smurfette.html

"Smurfette's physical characteristics draw her as a
stereotype which promotes sexism because of the
prejudice messages the writers illustrate.... 

"Smurfette's attributes, such as a tendacy to worry
and be silent, create subtle, but stong sexist
messages. Whenever Smurfette speaks she first starts
her sentence with the signal clause 'Oh!'....  Because
the writers soley choose Smurfette to endure feelings
of anxiousness and concern for children's safety, they
consequently draw with a biased hand.... the writers
consistantly position her next to or near Papa
Smurf.... Visually, because Smurfette does no stand
within the group of other Smurfs those watching assume
she actually does not fit into the group's dynamics.
When female children constantly watch Smurfette's
daily routine, they subliminally accept her actions as
right and tend to inherit various sexist qualities.
However, when male children observe Smurfette's
actions they will assume her as typical and expect
other females to act and respond similarly.


"Smurfette does not have a specific job or title to
her name, therefore others view her as insignificant.
She does not have a trade or ability to bring any
product to the community. Because Smurf Village
resembles a communistic society, having a vocation
secures a position in their communial environment....
By not giving Smurfette a job or title relays the
message that women should agree to any assignment the
men give. Whether the task be to help save a fellow
Smurf from Gargamel or take care of the adolescent
Smurfs, she must rise to any and all ocassions. Her
unemployment directly corrolates with her
insignificance to the community. Particularly male
children who watch 'The Smurfs' will begin to view
female as subordinate and try not to embody and
feminine qualities for fear of being insignificant....
If another smurf embodies a typically female
characteristic such as concern for self-appearance,
which Vanity Smurf does, or an interest in the arts,
as Painter Smurf is, then the writers give them
effeminate characteristics. Vanity Smurf speaks with a
lisp and wears a flower behind his ear and his job
seems vague which makes him insignificant as well."

http://www.engl.virginia.edu/~enwr1013/Mariruth/mpg5a2.html

Although for a dissenting opinion ...

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Shores/1656/smurfette.html

--- Otto <o.sell at telda.net> wrote:
> 
> On the Libido-weakness of Tailless Swans
> 
> Has anybody realized that the Disney-Ducks have
> genders, but no sexuality at all -- omitted by the
> fact that there are no parents, just uncles and
> nephews! Puritan America.

And thanks for the references.  See as well, off the
top of my head ...

Dorfman, Ariel and Armand Mattelart.
   How to Read Donald Duck: Imperialist Ideology
   in the Disney Comic.  Trans. David Kunzle.
   New York: International General, 1991 [1971].

Though I should probably stop here for the time being.
 Will be back ...  

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