Constructing Childcare in Three American Comedic Films

This paper examines the popular representation of childcare in North America. The author argues that the influence of popular culture on society's beliefs about childcare is an unexamined area that should be addressed as part of the larger project to improve the status of childcare educators in North America and internationally. Through the case-study analysis of three comedic films that address centre-based childcare settings--"Daddy Daycare," "The Longest Daycare," and "Toy Story 3"--the author examines how these texts construct, reinforce or challenge societal assumptions about childcare. The comedic genre of the films offers dual potential for the films to either perpetuate or disrupt stereotypical assumptions about childcare, especially in terms of gender identities. Three findings are discussed: the predominant representation of childcare settings as cold and threatening; the reversal of gender roles that offers some opportunity for progress to men, but little for women; and the diverse representation of the child figure as a marker of an adult carer's success. The paper concludes by suggesting that popular comedic films offer viewers an opportunity to develop awareness of their tacit endorsement of societal assumptions about childcare, and encourage citizens to disrupt these dominant conventions through critical media consumption.