Sweets appear in cartoons targeted for girls much more than for boys, UO research finds

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Sweet treats are much more likely to appear in cartoons marketed for girls than they are for boys, according to studies co-led by a University of Oregon professor.

Researchers found that animated children’s series geared toward female watchers feature sweets like cupcakes and ice cream about eight times more than those geared toward their male counterparts.

These findings, from UO Professor of Marketing T. Bettina Cornwell and California State University, Fullerton Assistant Professor of Marketing Eric Setten, were uncovered in an article published to the

Journal of Consumer Affairs.

The article centered on “toy-tied media,” or cartoons based on toy characters such as “Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”

For the first part of their research, professors counted and named the foods shown in three episodes of four series each targeted for girls versus boys. The second part consisted of an “automated text analysis program” that tracked references to sweets throughout more than 1,000 hours of children’s shows.

Cornwell and Setten determined there was “gender stereotypical themes, such as domesticity, in the girls’ shows, and the underlying message that making and sharing sweets is the way to express love.”

UO noted that sweets are still prominent in cartoons despite some U.S. leaders’ efforts to limit food advertisements for children. Nichole Kelly, who researches eating behaviors at the university, said it is important to monitor how food is marketed to younger generations — as a “poor diet” can increase the risk factor for certain health conditions.

“That’s not to suggest that pie or cupcakes are inherently bad foods or morally problematic, but it is concerning that girls are being targeted with sweet snack foods while the promotion of foods like fruits and vegetables is nearly nonexistent,” Kelly said.

Researchers added that this is even more prominent in cartoons for the younger subset of watchers. Cornwell and Setten found that sweets were featured in media rated as appropriate for children younger than 6, nearly five times more than it was featured in shows for those above 7.