Pokemon: Exploring the role of gender

In Study 1 college students ( 47 men, 104 women) watched Pokemon cartoons, and afterward they rated one of four trainers ( persons who train creatures called Pokemon) on 28 characteristics. James, the male "bad" trainer, was rated lowest of four trainers on "masculine" traits including strength, assertiveness, certainty, and being a leader. Jesse, the female "bad" trainer, was rated as sexiest and most aggressive. In Study 2 sixty-two elementary school children ( 28 girls, 34 boys) were individually interviewed. Fewer than 50% of the children could name a female Pokemon, and participants were more likely to choose a boy than a girl as a favorite trainer. Male Pokemon and trainers may be more central to the cartoon, and counter-stereotypical gender portrayals may be one way to portray a "bad" character even more negatively.