running head: phineas and ferb: a deeper look

Running head: PHINEAS AND FERB: A DEEPER LOOK

PHINEAS AND FERB: A DEEPER LOOK

A THESIS

Presented to the University Honors Program

California State University, Long Beach

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the

University Honors Program Certificate

Marissa Anderson

Fall 2015

PHINEAS AND FERB: A DEEPER LOOK 3

Table of Contents

Abstract……………………………………..…………………………………………………….4

Introduction………………………………………………………..……………………………..5

Plot Synopsis . . . . . . . ……………………………………..……………………………………..6

Ideological Background ………………………….…………………………………..………….7

Examples of Gendered Stereotypes within Phineas and Ferb………………………………...9

Phineas……………………………………..……………………………………………10

Candace……………………………………..…………………………………………...14

Isabella……………………………………..……………………………………………18

Examples of Ethnic Stereotypes within Phineas and Ferb…………………………………...20

Baljeet……………………………………..……………………………………..………21

Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz………………………………………………………….……24

Conclusion……………………………………..……………………………………..…………27

References.……………………………………..……………………………………..…………29


Abstract

Phineas and Ferb (2007) is a Disney Channel animated children’s program that follows

the antics two stepbrothers encounter over the course of their summer vacation. The children’s

show has received a wide range of positive recognition and approval from young audiences, their

parents, and entertainment critics alike. However, while the show does promote positive civic

values such as friendship, good character, and creativity, a further critical analysis reveals

negative aspects of the show that often go unrecognized. After rhetorically surveying a multitude

of episodes over the course of Phineas and Ferb’s first season, evidence of stereotypical

depictions of gender and ethnicity from title and supporting characters are seen interwoven into

the storyline’s formulaic premise. With the popularity of the show among childlike audiences

growing, the gender and ethnic stereotypes presented in the children’s program can have a

profound effect on young impressionable viewers’ developing perception of the world and

should only encourage parents to be media conscious gatekeepers.

Keywords: Phineas and Ferb, media effects, Disney, children’s programming, stereotyping


Introduction

Disney’s Phineas and Ferb (2007) has all the aesthetic attributes and storyline features

needed to attract and retain a young viewer’s attention span: vibrant colors, dynamic and comical

characters, a narrative that is easily relatable to the age group. The animated program, which has

over one hundred episodes, has been both nationally and internationally recognized by

entertainment houses and critical viewers from all over the world. With over 36 nominations and

3 Primetime Emmy Award wins, Phineas and Ferb can easily be considered a success (IMDb,

2015). The positive response to the show from a wide range of different aged audience members

has allowed producers to expand the show’s success into different facets of the entertainment

industry. This includes but is not limited to: television movies, special holiday themed episodes,

live action plays, Disneyland theme park parades, and a plethora of merchandise.

Although Phineas and Ferb was one of the more successful animated programs Disney

Channel has aired in years, it is important to look past the awards and recognition it received and

examine the various qualities and characters presented in the show that made it such a popular hit

among young audiences. An extensive look at individual character’s backgrounds, motives, and

behaviors, as well as the storyline, exposes numerous examples of negative stereotypes that are

unintentionally being portrayed to young viewers. For this particular rhetorical critical analysis,

Phineas Flynn, Candace Flynn, Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, Baljeet Tjinder, and Dr. Heinz

Doofenshmirtz will be evaluated as the season develops and the circumstances around their

involvement to one another changes.


Plot Synopsis

Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher are two step brothers who attempt

to make every day during their summer vacation fun and non- repetitive in

the small town of Danville. In doing so, they come up with an assortment

of inventions, activities, and gadgets to occupy their abundance of time

and attention. Some of these activities range from building a rollercoaster

in their backyard, like in the pilot episode of the series, to creating and

casting themselves in their very own animated show. As wild, advanced,

and dangerous as their activities can be, Phineas, as the leader of the

group, is always able to keep their mother unaware of their antics, to the

dismay of his older sister Candace Flynn.

Aside from one of Candace’s main concerns being to expose her little brothers and their

mischievous doings to their mother, she is constantly trying to get the attention of her crush,

Jeremy Johnson. Much of the time, Candace attempts to complete both missions at once and

always fails, leaving her to try even harder the next time. As each episode progresses, the trouble

Candace goes through to gain Jeremy’s attention while simultaneously trying to expose her

brothers becomes more and more concerning.

Another female character present in most episodes is Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, Phineas

and Ferb’s neighborhood friend. Isabella is young, independent girl who is the leader of her local

youth organization, the Fireside Girls. Early on in the season, it is insinuated that Isabella has a

crush on Phineas, and she frequently tries to find a way to be involved in his boredom-alleviating

projects. As the show develops, Isabella’s affection for Phineas is not only confirmed repeatedly

Source: IMDb


in each episode, but intensifies. She will do almost anything to help him succeed and uses the

excuse of wanting to earn a badge for her troupe.

Another one of Phineas and Ferb’s friends that usually partakes in the shenanigans to

decrease the amount of unescapable boredom that comes along with a long summer break is

Baljeet Tjinder. As a young boy of Indian decent, Baljeet exemplifies one of the only portrayals

of diversity within the series. Unfortunately, Baljeet’s representation is one of the ways in which

the program employs negative and inaccurate stereotypes of ethnicity. As a part of Phineas and

Ferb’s small group of friends, Baljeet’s inclusion to the storyline is usually one of comedic relief,

where his stereotypical ethnic characteristics are the source of the humor.

Aside from Baljeet, Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz is another reoccurring main character of

foreign decent. Although the city he is from is fictional in nature, assumptions of his Eastern

European ethnic background can be made from the sound of his accent, his backstory, and his

name. Dr. Doofenshmirtz continuously plots ways to take over the Danville area, with all of his

elaborate and ludicrous schemes unsuccessfully ending by his own misdoings or by Agent Perry,

Phineas and Ferb’s two timing secret agent pet platypus. In most cases, Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s lack

of success is traced back to his ethnic origins.

Ideological Background

A bulk of the dominant ideologies, customs, values, and beliefs habitually practiced in

today’s society are introduced to people through “non-violent social formations such as schools,

the family, the church, and the media institutions- including film and television” (Benshoff &

Griffin, 2009, p. 11). These social formations, or what Benshoff and Griffin (2009) call

ideological state apparatuses or ISA’s, have a significant amount of influence on the way people


are expected to act, speak, and think within their community. Whether viewers are conscious of

it or not, ISA’s are often responsible for teaching their followers how to act based on personal

demographic factors, including but not limited to: biological sex, gender, ethnicity, age, and

sexual orientation. Film and television in particular can hold a substantial amount of

responsibility in relation to the frequency at which material is being broadcasted to large portions

of the population, especially children. With children being of such young age and with a limited

amount of first-hand experience, their reliance and nativity on other means of communication to

inform them of a society or culture outside their own is at a higher level than most.

The expanse of children’s television programming currently circulating within an array of

media networks only suggests that children are massive television consumers; so, it comes as no

surprise that they are particularly susceptible to the biased messages inexorably communicated

via mass media enterprises. While ISA’s are capable of presenting certain concepts and

behaviors to their followers, “media messages in general and television portrayals in particular,

and the presentations depicted in children’s programming” are just a few examples of how

potentially pervasive and influential media-created representations can be on susceptible child

viewers (Dozier et al., 2008, p. 301). With that being said, a closer look at the presentation of

perspectives, messages, and concepts generally instilled within children’s programming content

is worthy of further critical analysis.

Of the various ideological premises created and broadcasted by media enterprises, those

concerning gender and ethnicity will be the main topics of exploration within Phineas and

Ferb’s first season. Because Phineas and Ferb episodes are very formulaic in nature and follow

the same storyline and themes as the series goes on, examples of evidence used to back up the

claims presented in this thesis can be found in a majority of the episodes. However, for the


purpose of this particular paper, focus will be placed on the progression of gender and ethnic

stereotypes in episodes at the beginning, middle, and end of the season.

Gendered Stereotypes

The portrayals of stereotypical gendered behaviors enacted by Phineas, Candace, and

Isabella are not the first to conform to the hegemonic ideals typically employed in other

American made children’s television programming. Phineas has subtle, yet unmistakably

omnipresent masculine characteristics, as he is an embodiment of the patriarchal ideology

usually assigned to the male sex. Candace exemplifies hyperbolized feminine traits through a

humorous lens. Isabella provides a contrast to Candace’s character in that she is more

androgynous in relation to gendered portrayals. However, given her biological sex, Isabella’s

character still depends on conventional negative depictions of femininity. The importance of

looking at the negative gendered examples within Phineas and Ferb comes from the argument

that “[s]chemata about gender can affect the way people (especially children) process

information in the real world” (Bryant, Thompson, and Finklea, 2002, p. 257). The amount of

masculine and feminine themes illustrated in children’s content, including Phineas and Ferb, can

alter viewer’s perceptions to align with the popular ideals they are exposed to within their own

community.

A young audience member’s off-screen perception of the diversity the world has to offer can

be distorted by the lack of gender variation available onscreen, making the guidelines within

which they must abide by more rigid in comparison. This is concerning, considering the fact that

research suggests “television viewing can have an impact on developing or possibly reinforcing

children’s stereotypical attitudes and beliefs about gender” (Smith et al., 2010, p. 775). Just


because children are not aware of the consequential effect biased representations can have on

them does not mean they will not be affected by the actions, mindsets, and motives they have

been subjected to. More importantly, if children relate to or identify with the character’s lifestyle,

they may begin to reenact what they have seen onscreen because they are “incapable of

recognizing that these ideas are socially constructed and not objective truths” (Benshoff &

Griffin, 2009, p. 8). A close examination of the stereotypical portrayals displayed by Phineas’s

character will start the gendered portion of the rhetorical analysis.

I. Phineas

A majority of the masculine traits Phineas exhibits

delineates from the white patriarchal capitalist ideology,

which suggests that: “heterosexual, caucasian males” are

at the top of the social hierarchy, and “gaining wealth” is

their main priority (Benshoff & Griffin, 2009, p. 430).

Phineas exemplifies each of the traits outlined in the

ideology, being that he physically fits the description, and he is regarded as the leader of his

group of friends. With wealth and power being concepts that are so closely related to one

another, Phineas is well on his way to becoming a complete reflection of the dominant ideology

within which he was created from. Even though this version of the white patriarchal ideology is

indirectly framed through an innocent lens and seamlessly incorporated into the entire premise of

the show does not lower its ability to subconsciously infiltrate young viewers’ minds.

Episode 1: “Rollercoaster” (Povenmire, 2007)

Source: The Disney Wiki


In the pilot episode of the series, Phineas and his step brother Ferb lie under a tree in their

backyard as Phineas brainstorms what they can do to alleviate their already present summer

boredom. After asking Ferb and his pet platypus Perry what they want to do and receiving no

answer, Phineas takes it upon himself to find a solution to their monotony. The reoccurring

theme of Phineas assigning himself the leadership role sets precedent in the introductory episode.

The fact that Phineas is presented as the authority figure that calls the shots from the start of the

television series falls right in line with white patriarchal capitalist ideology often replicated in a

horde of other entertainment media content (Benshoff & Griffin, 2009).

Phineas is the one who engineers the blueprints for the rollercoaster, decides where and

what the rollercoaster will consist of, and designates what jobs and responsibilities Ferb holds.

Although it is a children’s program and framed through an unconsciously stereotypical lens,

Phineas’s character is mimicking the idea that one male should be in charge of a group or cluster

of people. It also communicates the idea that “[i]t is always men who work in science,

engineering, and other technical fields” (Brewer, 2015). This introductory episode sets up the

whole premise of Phineas’s role in the show and the type of power and authority he will hold and

continue to hold over his brother and their friends. It also establishes the ever present power

struggle between Phineas and Candace and which gender lies at the top of the social hierarchy.

Episode 19: “Mom’s birthday” (Povenmire, 2008)

About halfway through the first season, the nineteenth

episode provides an example of how consistent Phineas’s

dominance over the other characters is still important to the

plot and overall continuity of the show’s development. In

Source: Collider


“Mom’s Birthday”, Phineas wants to present his mother with the best birthday she’s ever had,

chalk full of her favorite foods, activities, and desired gifts. In order to meet the high

expectations he has set for himself, Phineas employs his brother, friends, the local Fireside

Troupe, and some neighbors to get the huge project underway. He assigns each person a specific

job while he is portrayed as the overseer of the whole production. There is a scene where he is

talking into a headset, answering multiple calls at once and speaking to people as if they were his

clients. While he may not be overly bossy in nature, he definitely exhibits some of the traits,

demographic and behavioral, that a typical, modern day male CEO would have, thus providing

an example of the masculine influenced dominant ideology midway through the first season.

This plays into the notion that men, even young men, “are in charge” and “are always at the top”

(Brewer, 2015).

Another less noticeable portrayal of the white, patriarchal capitalist ideology is apparent once

one looks at the relationship between Phineas’s attempt to make his mother’s birthday great and

Candace’s attempt. Throughout the episode, Phineas continues to raise the bar of expectations to

almost unattainable heights, yet he is always able to meet those expectations. By doing this, he

unknowingly undermines Candace’s efforts to make their mother happy on her special day, thus

appearing to be the better sibling. Whether or not this was a subtle way to showcase that the male

sex, Phineas, is better than an older and more experienced counterpart, Candace, is definitely up

for consideration. However, given the fact that Phineas is always able to outshine and outsmart

his older sister in every episode is only further evidence to support the notion that males,

especially white, heterosexual, capitalist males, are superior to people embodying other

demographic factors.

Episode 46: “Out of toon” (Moncrief, 2008)


The subtly of the gender argument becomes much more apparent in “Out of Toon”, as it is

the basis of the plot for one of the last episodes of the first season. In this episode, Phineas

decides that the group’s activity for the day will be to create their own animated television show.

He casts himself, his brother, and his friends as super heroes. Out of his group of friends, Isabella

is the only female character who is cast as a hero. It is enlightening to see that Phineas breaks the

threshold by including Isabella as a hero, when women are characteristically “meant to be the

damsel in distress; not the hero” (Brewer, 2015). However, the positive change in perspective is

soon matched with Phineas casting Candace as the villain he and his friends are trying to defeat.

So, not only has Candace been downgraded from a hopeless damsel in distress to an antagonist,

but she is literally assigned the role of evil. With Phineas casting himself as the main character of

his own show, he is unconsciously following and replicating the ideology that most other media

content instills within their own productions. Phineas’s masculine attributes are further

exemplified when he assigns himself the role of director and producer of the show within the

show.

Looking at the storyline from a critical perspective only proves just how gender-coded this

particular episode is when it comes to using ISA’s to employ and reiterate preferred social

constructs about keeping certain people in power. While it may be exaggerated by the fact that

Phineas is literally cast as honest, upright, and respectable as opposed to Candace as evil,

villainous, and untrustworthy, the hints about which gender is superior is definitely pointed at

more than once. As the first season came to a close, the number of examples that support the

notion of Phineas representing the dominant ideology by enriching his character with masculine

traits only increases in number and creative installment.


II. Candace

Candace Flynn has a few recognizable traits specifically linked to what are commonly

regarded as negative attributes of femininity. The most prominent feminine characteristics are

her exaggerated emotional nature, the lack of power or control over her brothers, and the

dependence she has on the men in her life (Planned Parenthood, 2014). A majority of these

gendered depictions are seen in the relationships and encounters involving her little brothers and

her crush, Jeremy Johnson. Candace’s erratic behavior is meant to be absorbed through a

comedic mindset; however, removing the humor from the situation reveals just how alarming her

actions can be to younger, naive audiences. Candace’s constant efforts to attract attention from

the males in the show can mislead young audiences to think that her behavior is normal, accurate

and healthy for all women to exhibit.


Candace’s role within the storyline of the show is

defined early on in the pilot episode. After realizing that

her mom is going grocery shopping, leaving her and her

brothers home alone, she immediately requests that she is

in charge during her mother’s absence. After her mother

tells her that no one needs to be in charge, Candace gets

over-emotional and begins to hypothesize about what would happen “if a satellite falls out of

orbit and crashes into the house” and her mother had not appointed her as the overseer. Although

Candace’s emotional persona is extremely exaggerated, the fact that she has this particular

stereotypical feminine characteristic assigned to her personality, and more importantly heavily

Source: Deviant Art


linked to her role in the show, suggests to audiences that all young, teenage girls are unable to

control their emotions.

The first episode also introduces another characteristically feminine attribute- passivity of

women in relation to the locus of power. Candace vies for her mother to officially deem her in

charge of her little brothers and usually takes it upon herself to act as supervisor of the household

when she does not receive her mother’s approval. This self-appointed leadership quality would

be highly regarded in a man; however, when it is sought out by a female character such as

Candace, this usually admired trait is given a whole new connotation, since “lack of passivity is

tragic in women” (Rubin, 2011, p. 786). Candace’s strive for power is an ever present narrative

component that constantly entwined in the plot, as if she knows that she is not entitled to it.

Candace’s presence in the show is also heavily reliant on the dependency aspect often

associated with femininity. Whether her dependency stems from needing her brother’s to do

something so that she can tell their parents, or on Jeremy as a male love interest, the overall

theme of dependence only reinforces the idea that women rely on men in all facets of their lives.

This is portrayed in the pilot when Candace is watching her brothers through the window while

simultaneously talking about Jeremy’s latest doings on the phone with her best friend Stacy. All

of her attention is placed on the males she interacts with in each episode. By having those men to

focus on, Candace has a purpose within the show. If the men were subtracted from the equation,

the idea that women are weak without their strong male equivalent is reinforced to young

viewers of both genders.

Episode 14: “Jerk de soleil” (Povenmire, 2008)


In this episode, Phineas and Ferb build a circus tent in their backyard after their plans to

go to the local circus were cancelled. In Candace’s first scene, she is shown waking up from the

sounds of the brother’s construction and rolling over to a picture of Jeremy in the bed beside her.

She picks up the picture frame and says “Good morning Jeremy”. She then responds back to

herself in a lower voice, “Good morning gorgeous”, as if Jeremy were actually replying to her

greeting. Straight away, the audience sees just how male orientated all of Candace’s behaviors

and thoughts are, as it is the first thing on her mind when she wakes up.

After Candace snaps out of her Jeremy induced daze, she is right back to her normal

power seeking self, wanting to be in charge of her brother’s while her mom is out and later

wanting to expose her brother’s circus event to their mother. In the process, Candace goes on an

emotional tirade, where she sings a song about how her little brothers are ruining her life. Her

irrational behavior seems to be stemming from the lack of control she has over her brothers and

is once again the central focus of the entire episode. She must decide on whether she wants to

expose her brother’s activities to her mother or seek out Jeremy’s attention. Again, the idea that

Candace is reliant on the males in the show is reinforced in this episode in that she literally relies

on her brother’s to partake in some sort of mischievous activity because without them having

held a circus in their backyard, Jeremy would not have had a reason to be at the Flynn-Fletcher

household.

Episode 33: “Boyfriend from 27,000 B.C” (Povenmire, 2008)

This episode provides another instance in which Candace’s attention is directed towards the

men in the show. In her first scene, she is in her room trying to decide what to wear to a costume

party that she knows Jeremy is going to. Upon realizing that she cannot decide what to wear, she


brings out a teddy bear with Jeremy’s face

taped to it and asks him what he thinks she

should wear. Using a deep voice to

impersonate Jeremy’s response, she says “Gee

Candace, I think you look beautiful in

everything”. Even as the season has

progressed towards its end, Candace is once

again solely focused on obtaining male’s

attention, this time by her outfit choice. This is

not only broadcasting the idea that physical appearance should be a top priority for women, but

may reinforce the idea that in order for a woman to get a man, she must appeal to him on a

physical level, if nothing else, because according to gender stereotypes, “[w]omen are supposed

to look pretty” (Brewer, 2015). For the first time, the emphasis that is usually placed on women

in the entertainment industry to be attractive, beautiful, and flawless is brought up in this

episode; however it is brought up in a negative fashion. Even a female cartoon character cannot

escape some of the pressures associated with a certain gender.

After realizing that her brothers have unearthed a caveman from a Danville glacier, Candace

wants to inform their parents on their ill-behaved activities, and goes on an emotional rampage in

the process. This episode incorporates all of the already mentioned stereotypical feminine

elements but also intertwines another commonly known feminine theme into the plot- the hyper

sexuality of women.

Source: fanpop


III. Isabella

In contrast to Candace’s character, Isabella provides a few more positive qualities for young

viewers to see and potentially mimic. As leader of the Fireside Girls, Isabella exemplifies one of

the only portrayals of women in control throughout the entire series. She is the one that her

troupe looks to for advice, help, and direction being that she is strong, smart, and incredibly

reliable. However, although Isabella’s character exhibits a few characteristics connotatively

associated with masculinity, none of those positive depictions are the ones that are capitalized on

or used within the narrative.

Both Candace and Isabella typically act in a certain way, most of the time hoping it will catch

their crush’s attention. A majority of the episodes in the first season support the notion that both

of the girls’ desired romantic relationships are one-sided, a usual trait for female characters to

display. Isabella yearns for Phineas’s affection and will go out of her way to get him to notice

her. Candace may be the more irrational of the two, but that does not mean that Isabella’s

seeking of male approval is any less concerning or gender oriented. Unlike Candace, Isabella is

originally introduced characterized in a positive manner. As the series goes on, her negative

feminine idiosyncrasies out shine the positive attributes her character had to offer. Isabella’s role

within the show is built on a foundation that

highlights her feminine attributes in a negative

fashion instead of capitalizing on the other

aspects of her personality that can be a good

template for all young viewers to follow,

despite their own personal gender. As

Source: Phineas and Ferb Wiki (Isabella Gracia-Shapiro)


refreshing as it is to have a female character exhibit such positive attributes, the employment of

stereotypical negative feminine ones overshadows any breakthrough portrayals of gender would

have had, thus failing to provide audiences with a diverse range of gender representations.


In the pilot episode, viewers are first introduced to Isabella’s character when she comes

over to Phineas and Ferb’s house to see what they are doing. However, Isabella’s usual leader-

oriented nature goes unmentioned in the first episode, despite the fact that she is a leader in her

own sphere of friends. Isabella’s only purpose in the pilot is to act as Phineas’s potential female

love interest. Her capabilities and talents are not recognized until later on in the series. Since her

accomplishments are not introduced in the first episode, this suggests to the audience that they

are not worthy of attention or all that important as a storytelling function. Instead, the main

reason behind her inclusion to the show will be her role as a typical female character seeking

male attention, as her character’s involvement in the show is reliant on the gendered stereotype

that women should constantly seek out a male counterpart to depend on.

Episode 25: “Dude, we’re getting the band back together! Parts 1&2.” (Povenmire, 2008)

After realizing that he forgot their wedding anniversary, Phineas’s dad is desperate to

make it up to his wife and he entrusts Phineas and Ferb’s help to salvage what is left of the day.

Phineas and Ferb decide to get their parent’s favorite band back together, so they can recreate the

night that they first met. In order to do this, they must find each individual band member, build a

huge stadium for them to play in in their backyard, and keep it all a secret from their mother.

Because he cannot do it alone, Phineas calls Isabella to ask for help. When she answers the

phone, construction of the stage is already going on behind her, with the help of some of the


Fireside girls. Not only does this scene show that Isabella is ready to answer Phineas’s every

beck and call, but it also demeans her character by making it seem as if her world revolves

around the idea she can help him out and land on his good side.

Episode 45: “Comet Kermillian (Povenmire, 2008)

In this episode, Phineas requests

Isabella’s help building a planetarium and

giant laser in their back yard so that they can

see a rare comet pass by later on in the

evening. As Phineas is explaining his plan to

her, he talks about how this is their only

chance to see the comet, because the next time it will orbit back through Earth’s atmosphere,

everyone will have grandchildren. Phineas then asks Isabella if she would like to join the

shenanigans he has planned for the day and she dreamily responds with “You had me at our

grandchildren.” Here is another instance where Isabella’s usually independent nature is

undermined by the fact that she is ultimately focused on love and affection. Even an

independent, intelligent, and versatile female character such as Isabella is susceptible to the

common stereotypes associated with her gender.

Ethnic Stereotypes

The limited and stereotypical portrayals of ethnicity within Phineas and Ferb’s first

season can been seen with the incorporation of Baljeet and Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s characters. The

stereotypes associated with these two characters stem from a term known as othering, which

“…refers to the way a dominant culture ascribes an undesirable trait (one shared by all humans)

Source: The Disney Wiki (Isabella Garcia-Shapiro/gallery)


onto one specific group of people” (Benshoff & Griffin, 2009, p. 54). This phenomenon can be

seen depicted through Baljeet’s studiousness and through Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s attributed evil

nature. The features that make both of these characters stand out are ones that can be seen in

people from ethnic backgrounds across the spectrum. “Studies on minorities in mass media now

generally fall under two main categories: descriptions of minority portrayals or their effects on

audiences”, both of which will be discussed in the following rhetorical character analysis (Bryant

et al., 2002, 263). While both characters fit some of the criteria outlined within the dominant

ideology, such as being male, they both have very distinct characteristics that inhibit them from

fully representing the ideal theoretical principle. This could lead children to believe that people

from specific ethnic and cultural backgrounds behave or act in a fabricated, monotonous way.

I. Baljeet

The ethnic attributes that set Baljeet apart from the rest of his friends arise from him being of

Indian descent. As with most shows, ethnic stereotypes about Indian culture are incorporated into

Phineas and Ferb in a humorous fashion. A majority of Baljeet’s behavior revolves around the

stereotypical “image of the Indian geek who can’t get a girlfriend” (Felicelli, 2012). Even though

the archetypal depictions are presented in a comedic and unoppressive style, the idea that people

of Indian descent are passive brainiacs is not providing children with a well-rounded look at

ethnic diversity.

Episode 9: “Raging bully” (Povenmire, 2008)

After ending up at the mall for the

day, Phineas and Ferb meet Baljeet for the

first time. Baljeet, who is sitting at the

Source: Phineas and Ferb Wiki (Baljeet Tjinder)


same table as the two boys, is shocked to see that they are enjoying a relaxing, fun filled day

instead of doing homework. With a very think Indian accent, Baljeet, who is surrounded by a

pile of books, turns to Phineas and Ferb and says “‘Excuse me, but, why are you not studying?’”

Phineas explains to Baljeet that summer vacation is not a time for kids to be studying, but to be

having fun. He is then met with a look of utter confusion on Baljeet’s face, as if he could not

fathom the idea of not studying over the course of summer vacation. Within the first minute of

meeting Baljeet’s character, the audience is immediately presented with the stereotypical

characterization that people of Indian decent are nerds. With this very formulaic ethnic portrayal

having been employed in a number of television shows previous to Phineas and Ferb’s creation,

viewers are conditioned to anticipate a majority of other common Indian stereotypes to be

integrated into the show. Those viewers who are being introduced to the overly studious Indian

stereotype for the first time may get a false sense of truth and believe that this common depiction

applies to the ethnic group as a whole.

As soon as Phineas is done explaining to Baljeet that the only school related aspect he

should worry about over their summer vacation are the bullies, the local bully Buford comes over

and sits on Baljeet. Phineas attempts to defend Baljeet and get Buford off of him, only to have

Baljeet refuse Phineas’s attempt by saying “‘Please go, you will just make him angry’”. Directly

after witnessing Baljeet personify the Indian geek stereotype, viewers experience his character

embodying the passive Indian stereotype, another quality frequently associated and with people

of his ethnic background. Even in his first appearance, the audience gets a first look at just how

academically centered and passive Baljeet’s character is, only solidifying the stereotype even

further.

Episode 16: “One good scare ought to do it! Parts 1&2.” (Povenmire, 2008)


In this episode, Phineas, Ferb, and the rest of their friends try to help Isabella get rid of a

sudden and unusually persistent case of the hiccups. Phineas asks Isabella what scares her most

and she discloses that haunted houses usually do the trick. So, the group decides to create a

haunted house that installs the things they fear the most in hopes of curing Isabella’s severe case

of the hiccups.

As Phineas takes Isabella

through the house, she experiences an

array of fears that her friends have

chosen as their worst nightmare. Some

of these fears include horrific monsters,

zombies, and witches. However the fear

that Baljeet has chosen as his most

frightening does not conform to the theme the rest of the house has implemented. Phineas and

Isabella walk in to an empty room to find Baljeet dressed as a piece of paper with a big red

“FAIL” on it. Phineas then asks him what he is supposed to be and he says “I’m the scariest

thing known to man… a failed math test!” Phineas and Isabella disregard Baljeet’s fear and run

to the next room in hopes of finding something that is petrifying enough to scare Isabella’s

hiccups away. As they are running, Baljeet yells “You can run, but it won’t be to the college of

your choice I tell you!” Most people would not associate math failures and the consequences of

failing math to their greatest fears, but because Baljeet is represented as an Indian geek, the fact

that he has chosen this particular representation as his biggest fear only plays into the

stereotypical depiction that academics and intelligence are a priority to people of this ethnic

background.

Source: Phineas and Ferb Wiki (Baljeet as a failed math test)


Episode 28: “Phineas and Ferb get busted! Parts 1&2.” (Povenmire, 2009)

This episode revolves around one of Candace’s dream sequences. This particular fantasy

depicts Phineas and Ferb finally being exposed to their parents and sent to a reformatory school

in hopes of straightening them out. While waiting on the bus to take them to the reform school,

Phineas and Ferb see that Baljeet has also been enrolled in the same school. Shocked that he

would have done something that would have caused him to be sent to the reformatory school,

Phineas asks what he did wrong. Baljeet replies with “Well I got kicked out of summer school

because my grades were too high.” Again, the level of intelligence that is usually associated with

Baljeet’s ethnic background is a prime reason for him to be included in the episode. Since he was

no longer allowed to go to regular school, he opted to go to another type of school instead of

wasting his summer vacation by not attending some type of school.

II. Dr. Doofenshmirtz

Dr. Doofenshmirtz is the other main character

who is ethnically coded, profiled and stereotyped

in a fashion that serves the narrative. While he

could easily fall into the gendered part of the

show’s analysis being that he is male,

heterosexual, and caucasian, the “othering” aspect

discussed earlier on in the critique is what sets him apart. The last trait of the dominant ideology

does not fit with Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s character profile. Given his name, backstory, and accent, it

is easily concluded that he is of Eastern European descent and is assumed to not fall in line with

Source: The Disney Wiki (Heinz Doofenshmirtz)


the capitalist ideology, but instead associates with the tyrannical connotation people from this

particular ethnic decent have.


In the opening episode of the series, Dr. Doofenshmirtz has devised another plan to take

over the Tristate-Area. Unlike most evil villains, Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s plans are usually

ridiculous and not the least bit malevolent. In this particular episode, his devious plan is to cover

the eastern seaboard in tin foil so that the giant magnet ray he created can be used to reverse the

rotation of the Earth. During his soliloquy to Agent P, he admits that he does not have a good

reason for wanting to go through with the plan as he has not “really worked out all the bugs yet”.

While his plan is not purposeful or foolproof to begin with, Agent Perry is sent in to stop his

scheme from going through. The fact that an animal, Phineas and Ferb’s pet platypus, is

responsible for stopping Dr. Doofenshmirtz from causing havoc only shows that Dr.

Doofenshmirtz’s evil antics are taken as a joke, and that an animal, instead of human, is able to

defeat him. In this episode, not much is needed to stop Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s plan; as all it takes is

for Agent P to kick a loose screw into the evil scientist’s foot to make his whole scheme fall

apart.

Aside from the fact that his inventions almost never work, Dr. Doofenshmirtz is

constantly oblivious as to why his evil plans always fail, which suggests that he is not even smart

enough to realize just how unintelligent and weak his plans were to begin with. Most of the time,

Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s failures are a result of his clumsiness, suggesting that people with his type

of ethnic background should not be taken seriously and are not a real threat. This episode


established the idea that Dr. Doofenshmirtz really is not much of an evil scientist at all, but a

mockery of certain ethnic stereotypes.

Episode 17: “Hard day’s knight” (Povenmire, 2008)

Agent P is sent to an evil convention in order to keep an eye on Dr. Doofenshmirtz. Once

Dr. Doofenshmirtz realizes that Agent P is there spying on him, he decides to battle it out with

him using some of the evil weapons from the exhibition. At first, Dr. Doofenshmirtz prefers to

have a giant Queen Elizabeth I robot as his fighting instrument of choice, leaving Agent P to use

the robot dragon. Right before they are about to duel it out, Dr. Doofenshmirtz decides he wants

to trade robots. It is not until after they switch and begin to fight that Dr. Doofenshmirtz realizes

he gave Agent P the better robot. The Queen Elizabeth robot Agent Perry is in has laser eyes and

the robot Dr. Doofenshmirtz is in breathes fire through the mouth, which burns him in the

process. Dr. Doofenshmirtz thought that he would be able to defeat Agent P by switching robots

with him and having the advantage of using the superior machinery when in reality he set

himself up for failure and defeat.

After realizing that he has a defective piece of equipment and is losing horribly, Dr.

Doofenshmirtz accidently pushes the self-destruct button on the control board of his robot, which

is not the first time in the series that that has happened. In an act of rage, he slams his fist down

on the control board again, upset that he pushed the self-destruct button only to realize that by

doing so he has hit the ejection button, causing him to fly out of the rocket into the sky without

having known to put on the safety parachute first. This episode provides further evidence of Dr.

Doofenshmirtz’s character is incompetent and that his threats are more humorous than anything

else.


Episode 40: “Oil on Candace” (Povenmire, 2008)

Dr. Doofenshmirtz is visited by his old

evil mentor and professor, Dr. Gevaarlijk in one

of the last episodes of the first season. Dr.

Gevaarlijk, like Dr. Doofenshmirtz, has an

Eastern European accent, name, and backstory.

One of the main differences between Dr.

Gevaarlijk and her pupil is that she is a woman.

She has come to monitor just how evil her former student has been and whether or not he was

successful as a villain. She is not surprised to see that he has not done very well at all and makes

it very clear to him that she never really had much faith in his abilities. While being visited by

Dr. Gevaarlijk, Dr. Doofenshmirtz is once again defeated by Agent P, which makes Dr.

Gevaarlijk even more disappointed in the fact that her student cannot even upstage or outsmart

an animal. Her lack of sympathy and the fact that she is portrayed as heartless only further

supports the stereotypical depiction that not only men, but women, with Eastern European

origins are inherently evil and continuously plot ways to take over the world.

Conclusion

The gendered and ethnic portrayals engrained in most media creations are often

overlooked due to their humorous or narrative qualities, and Disney’s animated children’s

program Phineas and Ferb (2007) is just another example. After thorough, in depth rhetorical

analysis of the shows first season, there are numerous examples of the show unintentionally

weaving narrative storytelling elements with stereotypical depictions of gender and ethnicity

Source: Anderson (Netflix)


through the use of major and minor characters’ relationships. Because the show has such a large

fan base, the amount of children exposed to these gendered and ethnic portrayals is alarming,

especially when one considers the fact that children “may not possess the intellectual tools that

allow them to distinguish which messages are meant as storytelling functions” (Goodall, 2012,

160).. The limited amount of media literacy children have may only perpetuate the problem

further and should only entice parents to talk with their children about the images they have been

exposed to onscreen. If parents and guardians talk to children about what they have been

subjected to and encourage them to intake media messages in an active state of mind, they “may

be able to actively distinguish which messages are more stereotypical and disregard them”

(Goodall, 2012, p. 162).

Within the show, Phineas, Candace and Isabella are characters who display stereotypical

depictions of gender. Phineas represents the white patriarchal ideology by having watered down,

yet distinctly present masculine characteristics. The problem with this over exposure in the

media may lead young male viewers to believe “that white heterosexual men have dominance in

society” and “that these traits are desirable” (Goodall, 2012, p. 162). Candace and Isabella

embody negative feminine attributes which are highlighted by the fact that they are both in

search of a male love interest, despite the other positive qualities they both have. In Candace’s

case, this constant search for love suggests that women cannot have their male counterpart and

expect to be in power, because if they did have a partner, he would be in power by default based

solely on the presumed power his gender holds in the social hierarchy.

Baljeet and Dr. Doofenshmirtz are depicted in a way that subjects them to othering

perspectives and provides detrimental examples of ethnic diversity to the young audiences tuning

into the show. These damaging illustrations of certain ethnic minorities acts as further “evidence


for the effects of minority portrayals on majority and minority audiences” and how “some

audience members might be more vulnerable to media effects than others” (Bryant et al., 2002,

p. 264). Knowing the significance media effects holds in relation to children and children’s

programming content, Phineas and Ferb is communicating certain ideals about the ethnicities

illustrated within the show to young audience members that could alter the way they perceive the

world and those around them.

A detailed and extensive look at the gendered and ethnic stereotypes present in all

seasons of Phineas and Ferb would be one way to further research this topic. One could

investigate whether or not the stereotypes employed faltered in anyway or if they increased in

number and concentration as the series went on. A more focused rhetorical critique could be

done on one individual character and the ways in which they are coded to represent a specific

subgroup within society. Whether or not the harmful depictions of gender and ethnicity cease to

exist as the series goes on is one aspect of the problem that is not as easily controllable. What is

manageable is teaching young viewers to be media conscious in order to help ease the ways these

detrimental ideals ultimately affect their upbringing.

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