The scientist in cartoons: discourse, power and social representations

Abstract

A study on the representations of the scientist. This article attempts to make a reflection on how the image of this professional is presented in programs for children. In terms of methodology, it uses three famous cartoons as examples - Dexter’s laboratory, The powerpuff girls and The adventures of Jimmy Neutron: boy genius – that are shown in commercial channels. The study confirms that the scientists, as much as the artists, are recurrent characters in television cartoons. In the sixties, when television became popular in Brazil, it already showed the scientist as a character in cartoons for children. This was a reflection of what happened in the sci-fi series for adults: science set up as fiction was always successful. The article concludes that nowadays, other cartoons appear with new effects and resources and more colloquial language, but the image of the scientist is still frequent and stereotyped. The discoursive power of these stereotypes is such that, in opposition to them, appear channels devoted exclusively to the so called “educational” programs, concerned with the development and education of children and teenagers.