Mizani Ferguson
English 1102
C. Bowers
24 September 2014
The Smurfe e Principle Rhetorical Analysis
A&er reading of The Smurfee Principle by Katha Polli her audience is forced to really
re-evaluate children’s media. She expressively brings a en-on to a problem in today’s culture, a
problem that directly a/ects the growing genera-on. As Polli states, “girls just don’t ma er
much” (546). She talks about how girls are not adequately represented in children’s media and
in the preschool culture. Polli shows that boys are always the main focus and main characters
in television shows, movies, books, etc. This showcase of genders in the media sways the views
of preschoolers who are exposed to these books and movies as it teaches them what the pre–
determined gender role of males and females are. These media sources teach them that males
are more important and are always the main a raction while females play the supporting role
and are not that important in the overall scheme of things. Polli de9nes this as the “Smurfe e
principle: a group of male buddies will be accented by a lone female, stereotypically de9ned”
(545). Polli proclaims that there are not nearly enough female protagonist characters in the
media that our youngest genera-on is exposed to, almost all of the shows that could be named
o/ the top of anyone’s head would 9t her description, Gar9eld, Winnie-the-Pooh, Muppet
Babies, Teen-Age Mutant Ninja Turtles, etc. The sexism in the preschool culture is deforming
both boys and girls and shaping the way they think of themselves. As Polli states, “Do kids pick
up on sexism in children’s culture? You bet” (546). This shows that as she says there is no -me
to wait for these preschoolers, “My funny, clever, Bold, adventurous daughter is forming her
gender ideas right now” (547). The problems needs to be fixed. This fault in the children’s media
and the e/ect she believed it had on the younger genera-on was a good enough reason to
demand a call for action.
Polli ’s essay serves as an alarm for her readers; she brings a major issue to light. Her
target audience for this essay would definitely be parents. More importantly it would be parents
of preschool age children, not just parents that have daughters because boys are a/ected by
