Kids Rule!: Nickelodeon and Consumer Citizenship

Console-ing Passions: Television and Cultural Power

by Sarah Banet-Weiser

In Kids Rule! Sarah Banet-Weiser examines the cable network Nickelodeon in order to rethink the relationship between children, media, citizenship, and consumerism. Nickelodeon is arguably the most commercially successful cable network ever. Broadcasting original programs such as Dora the Explorer , SpongeBob SquarePants , and Rugrats (and producing related movies, Web sites, and merchandise), Nickelodeon has worked aggressively to claim and maintain its position as the preeminent creator and distributor of television programs for America’s young children, tweens, and teens. Banet-Weiser argues that a key to its success is its construction of children as citizens within a commercial context. The network’s self-conscious engagement with kids—its creation of a “Nickelodeon Nation” offering choices and empowerment within a world structured by rigid adult rules—combines an appeal to kids’ formidable purchasing power with assertions of their political and cultural power. Banet-Weiser draws on interviews with nearly fifty children as well as with network professionals; coverage of Nickelodeon in both trade and mass media publications; and analysis of the network’s programs. She provides an overview of the media industry within which Nickelodeon emerged in the early 1980s as well as a detailed investigation of its brand-development strategies. She also explores Nickelodeon’s commitment to “girl power,” its ambivalent stance on multiculturalism and diversity, and its oft-remarked appeal to adult viewers. Banet-Weiser does not condemn commercial culture nor dismiss the opportunities for community and belonging it can facilitate. Rather she contends that in the contemporary media environment, the discourses of political citizenship and commercial citizenship so thoroughly inform one another that they must be analyzed in tandem. Together they play a fundamental role in structuring children’s interactions with television.

Genres: Nonfiction, Cultural Studies

296 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Quin Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched case study of the Nickelodeon network as a key site for the construction of children as "consumer citizens" in the contemporary media environment. Discusses themes of girl power/postfeminism and racial commodification on the network. Provides a detailed historical account of the development of the network and the context of children's constrained agency as consumers. Excellent read for those interested in childhood, media studies, and/or consumption.

[Shant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know why I didn't like this book as much as I thought that I would. Maybe I officially hit the wall in regards to nonfiction books. Maybe I just see chapter titles and think about what I want the chapter to be about. Maybe it's just quarantine.

I feel like the gender and race chapters took too long getting to the Nickelodeon specific parts of the message (For context, I feel like I understood the camp essay a little more). That said, the observation that cultural diversity cannot be made into a more palatable message for marketing (Unlike girl power) was interesting.

It was interesting reading how Nickelodeon used to be considered the channel for young girls, given how Disney had focused on the girl demographic in the new millennium. I liked reading about the reception for the decision to include sponsors.

I wish Nick News had its on segment.

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The good: It was pretty interesting to think about Nickelodeon, and the Nickelodeon "Kids First" attitude, as an exercise in branding - their respect for the thoughts and opinions of children, rejection of pointless violence, and commitment to programming that features children of many racial and gender identities, while admirable, is also a well-planned mission that has kept Nickelodeon in the forefront of children's entertainment. It's a network that doesn't talk down to kids and that recognizes that above all, they want to be entertained, but that entertainment needn't be without substance.

The bad: This book feels half-done - there's lots of weird omissions and minor errors that will irritate a reader who grew up watching these shows. There's also some discussion of other shows that only kind of support the thesis, and I have a minor quibble with the author's synopsis of racial identity in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: it's not about an upper-class black family, it's about an upper-class black family and Will! He's from the streets! The clash of cultures is what makes it funny! And my digression in this review is about as pertinent to the subject as it was in the book, which leads me to:

The wildly tangential: Hoo man, I sure watched the hell out of Nickelodeon when I was a kid, and it was GREAT. I wish they still showed bizarre European cartoons instead of bland tween live action shows and uninspired animation. I'm not including Avatar in this sweeping indictment of their programming, though; Avatar's pretty much the best kid's show I've seen in 20 years. DON'T ANY OF YOU TELL ME HOW IT ENDS, I'm still on Season 2!