Living in Hawaii as a kid, I've watched television for a majority of my childhood, including channels such as Disney and Nick Jr. I loved seeing the characters interact with each other, usually finding a ridiculously planned solution to a not-so-big problem. Even now, I watch the occasional Spongebob, but I've noticed that some shows are set in Hawaii. I appreciate the humor and effort that goes into these episodes, but my family and I can't help but being somewhat offended when it comes to how Hawaii is portrayed.
Despite the fact that there are more channels that also do Hawaii themed episodes, I remember one in particular. In 2009 on Nick Jr., the Fresh Beat Band did a Hawaii themed episode called "Rock the Luau." Although Hawaii may have crystal blue water and white sandy beaches, we do not live in grass huts and wear neither coconut bras or grass skirts. I understand that this the main image that most people get of Hawaii, but it isn't accurate. It gives people the wrong perspective of Hawaii, which is misleading to most.
A while back, I visited California for camp. When I told people that I was from Hawaii, questions swarmed me about living in a hut, rowing from Hawaii to California in a canoe, and even speaking English. though slightly offended, I set their facts straight and asked where they had gotten the previous information they had spewed at me. Around a third of the answers I had gotten back were "Oh, I saw a show about it on (television channel/network)."
I understand that the stereotypical Hawaiian environment may mean more views and entertainment for children, but most of the activities, attire, and cultural events are not relative to most. Instead of creating semi-false ideas of Hawaii for children, maybe you could research about ancient Hawaii or specify on time periods. Hawaii has developed from living in grass huts to modern technology that can also be found anywhere from London to Sydney.
I have no oppositions about a show as a whole, just certain Hawaii themed episodes. most are greatly entertaining, humorous, and captivating, but please consider the stereotypes being taught to the viewers.
Sincerely,
Tiffany Agustin
My Blogger spazzed while I was editing my final and deleted my rough draft, but I had a backup saved on my flash drive. I lost the comments, but Luke and Charlynn commented and I got a 3+, but needed work on the research portion in order to make my argument stronger. Just saying~
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