Extreme Human Makeovers: Supernanny, the Unruly Child, and Adulthood in Crisis

Abstract

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Notes Karen Corteen and Phil Scraton argue that the notion of childhood is inherently flawed: “No issue reveals the contradictions within the politics of childhood as starkly as that of sexuality, its definition and regulation. As ‘non-adults,’ children are assumed to be asexual. While they are socialized into gender-appropriate roles from birth, a universal feature of patriarchal societies, they are expected to retain a sexual naivety. Yet the images which surround them, implicit and explicit, of hegemonic/dominant masculinity and emphasized/subordinate femininity are all pervasive and all persuasive. The daily experiences of children and young people are contextualized by constructions of masculinity and femininity which are both gendered and sexualized” (76). Because of the large number of episodes broadcast, we examine only seasons one and two of Supernanny (both the UK and U.S. versions). These seasons were chosen largely for their availability: US seasons one and two are available on DVD. The UK episodes were purchased directly from Ricochet. Please note: the episodes contained on the DVDs may differ from those broadcast on television. Here we draw upon Ron Becker's observation that “regardless of the family, all problems are rooted in incompetent parenting” (184). The U.S. version utilizes split screens so that the viewers are able to see the parents' reactions as they watch the footage. Deery argues that the participants of makeover television “capitulate … to the rule of the expert and the power of the camera.” We will discuss the latter when we turn to the shifts in point of view that underpin the learning journey of Supernanny. See Hoyles, Postman, and Jenks. See Zelizer, Hays, and Stearns. Additional informationNotes on contributorsCatherine FowlerCatherine Fowler is a Senior Lecturer in Film at Otago University, New Zealand. She is editor of The European Cinema Reader, co-editor of Representing the Rural: Space, Place and Identity in Films about the Land, and author of a monograph on the British filmmaker Sally Potter.Rebecca KambutaRebecca Kambuta is a Ph.D. student in the Media, Film, and Communications Department at Otago University, New Zealand. Her doctoral dissertation traces the figure of the unruly child through film, news media, and reality television. She has also written on the makeover genre in her MA thesis, “Televising Transformation: A Close Analysis of Extreme Makeover and The Swan.”