Category Archives: Health and Human Sexuality

Families in Society, Health and Human Sexuality, Internal Dynamics of Families, Interpersonal Relationships, Parenting

That 70’s Show

Title: That 70’s Show

Date: 1998 – 2006

Media type: Television 

Format: Episode

TV Season-Episode: Season 2, Episode 24

Rating: PG 13 – Parents Strongly Cautioned

Audience(s): High School Age, College Age, Adults, Parents, Couples, Families

Language: English

Film/Episode Summary: That 70’s Show is a comedic television show set in the 1970’s in small town Wisconsin. By examining the relationship between the father, Red Foreman, and his teenage son Eric we are able to evaluate gender socialization. Specifically, we are able to look at the pressure on fathers to depict masculinity. At times this can create to distance in the parent child relationship because child rearing is seen as “soft” in American culture, and less socially acceptable for men to take part in.

Clip Start Time: 16:48

Clip Description: This clip takes place at the Foreman residence after Red has fired an employee from the store he and his son both work at. Eric is upset, and asking Red about why he did this. Red responds saying “what kind of man cries after 15 minutes of yelling?!”, giving the idea that men should not cry or be emotional. After Red leaves, his wife Kitty tells Eric that Red yells because he cares.

Comments or Recommendations for Teaching: What kind of parenting style would we classify Red Foreman as? What does Kitty’s reaction when she explain to Eric that Red yells because he cares say about fatherhood? About parenting? What is your reaction to her comment?

Places to view: Amazon Video

Contributor: Eva Peterson

Ethical Issues and Dilemmas, Families in Society, Health and Human Sexuality, Human Growth and Development, Internal Dynamics of Families, Interpersonal Relationships, Parenting

Roseanne

Title: Roseanne

Date: 1989

Media type: Television

Format: Episode

TV Season-Episode: Season 2, Episode 10

Category: Parenting

Rating: G – General Audiences

Audience(s): Parents, Couples, Families

Language: English

Film/Episode Summary: This episode centered around Darlene, the middle child in a family of 5, age 13, who is a self described “tomboy” who likes playing sports and watching sports on tv with her father. Darlene must write a poem for school, prompting her mother to share her love of poetry with her . Darlene’s poem ultimately wins the contest and is selected to be read aloud by her at the school’s “culture night”. Roseanne is insistent she attend. Darlene does want to do, afraid that her poem actually “sucks”. Roseanne and her husband disagree. Darlene is made to attend. Roseanne seeing, a bit of herself in Darlene is moved to tears by the poem as she hears of her daughters pain of being stripped of agency, feeling isolated and alone.

Clip Description: This episode is a touching and realistic example of a mother trying to find communion with the child she has the least in common with. It is a clear example of the bidirectional nature of agency and power between parent and child, showing the continuing theme of resistance in parent-child interactions with opportunities for growth and communion

Places to view: Amazon Video

Contributor: Lisa Erbes

Health and Human Sexuality

Tomboy

Title: Tomboy

Date: 2011

Media type: Film

Category: Health and Human Sexuality

Keywords: Transgender, sexual orientation, family dynamics, gender

Rating: PGPG 13 – Parents Strongly Cautioned

Audience(s): High School Age, College Age, Adults, Parents, Couples

Language: French

Comment or Recommendations for Teaching:

  1. At what point did you first realize that Mikael was not born a boy?
  2. Before that, why did you assume that he was a boy? What cues did you follow?
  3. When did YOU first realize that you were a boy or a girl?
  4. We see Mikael’s father playing cards with him and then offering him a sip of his beer – do you see this as a “father-son” ritual, or a “father-daughter/parent-daughter/parent-son” ritual? Why?
  5. When Mikael was caught urinating in the woods by another child, do you think that it was more socially acceptable for him to be caught “peeing his pants” or to be caught with a vagina?
  6. Why was it acceptable to Mikael’s mother that he was “playing the boy” but not for him to continue to do so in school?
  7. It appeared that in the end of the movie that Lisa accepted Mikael for who he was – if she continued to be sexually attracted to him does this make Lisa a “lesbian?”
  8. How many U.S. citizens identify as transgender?
  9. Was Laure going through a “tomboy” phase, or did she want to be identified as a boy?
  10. What would you do if your child indicated that they felt like they were “in the wrong body” and identified as the gender opposite to what they were assigned at birth?

Places to view: Youtube, Amazon Video, Vudu, Google Play, Itunes

Contributor: Lisa M Moyer