Oh Silly Daddy Pig! A Positioning Analysis Of Post-feminist Masculinity In ‘peppa Pig’ Cartoon Narratives

Cartoon shows are ubiquitous elements in children’s early media experience. They serve as cultural repertoires, disseminating social values and norms. Through constant exposure to captivating visual narratives, children develop perceptions of their social reality and shape their knowledge about the world around them. Cartoon characters provide children with exemplary models who teach them how to perform their masculinity(s) and femininity(s) adeptly. Children classify the knowledge they acquire from cartoons as appropriate cultural norms and acceptable gender-typed behaviors. These shows are helpful learning tools, especially with the presence of appealing characters that are visually captivating. This qualitative research is particularly interested in contributing to the burgeoning trend of post-feminist readings of animation. The study focuses on masculine identity portrayals in the British animated series ‘Peppa Pig’. It explores how Daddy Pig’s masculinity is navigated through narratives. The aim is to unveil how masculine identity attends to dominant discourses. This article draws upon Bamberg’s (1997a) and (2020) positioning analysis and dilemmatic spaces in retrospect to a discussion of post-feminist sensibilities. The findings reveal that Daddy Pig represents a ‘New Man’ model. Throughout the episodes, he performs his masculine authority as a providing father who accepts handling domestic chores. Unlike traditional patriarchs, Daddy Pig is an affectionate and caring man of the house who humorously experiences vulnerability and helplessness.