Discouraging girls away from science?

Question

Did you ever see the following TV commercial (in the U.S.) sponsored by the Girls Scouts of America?

Young girl: "Daddy, why is the sky blue?"

Father: "To match your pretty eyes!"

Young girl: "Nope. Not even close. See, all colors have wavelengths that are diffused by nitrogen and oxygen. Since blue has the shortest wavelength, it diffuses up to 10 time more."

Father: "Who taught you that?"

Girl: "Mommy."

Do you imagine that a commercial like that might be effective in sending a message that discourages people, parents in particular, from either consciously or sub consciously steering girls away from science? Or was it a waste of money?

Answer 1

How would that discourage a girl from going into science?

Answer 2

The commercial is typical of the left-wing tilt of the GSA.  Liberals, like neocons, don't mind wasting money.  The young girl comes across as a poor girl's version of Lisa Simpson.

The father in the commercial no more discourages girls from science than the cartoon dialogue below discourages boys.

I yield the balance of my time to Calvin and his parents, characters in Bill Watterson's masterpiece comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes:

Calvin:  Why does the sky turn red as the sun sets?

Dad:  That's all the oxygen in the atmosphere catching fire.

Calvin:  Where does the sun go when it sets?

Dad: The sun sets in the west.  In Arizona actually, near Flagstaff.

Calvin:  Oh.

Dad:  That's why the rocks there are so red.

Calvin: Don't the people get burned up?

Dad:  No, the sun goes out as it sets.  That's why it's dark at night.

Calvin:  Doesn't the sun crush the whole state when it lands?

Dad: Ha ha, of course not.  Hold a quarter up.  See, the sun's just about the same size.

Calvin: I thought I read that the sun was really big.

Dad:  You can't believe everything you read, I'm afraid.

Calvin:  So how does the sun rise in the east if it lands in Arizona each night?

Dad:  Well, time for bed.

Calvin:  I hope someday I'm as smart as Dad is.

Mom:  Why, what did he tell you now?

Answer 3

Tracey, nobody is preventing girls from studying science, there is no conspiracy. Most girls simply choose not to go into that field because girls are naturally better at arts and language arts... There are exceptions of course, its not completely black and white.

Answer 4

I miss understood something?, because to me, seems the mother knows science, and the little girl is interested on science.

Answer 5

I actually saw that as an example where children know more than their parents. Most parents actually don't know why the sky is blue. It shows the sad state of our educational system where people learn facts by rote and can spit them out when tested but don't really understand the reasons behind those answers because they haven't learned how to reason or think critically.

Answer 6

I don't know, for some reason i think it might of went like this for the same father with his son:

Young Boy: Daddy, why is the sky blue?

Father: Why must you ask stupid questions?

IF that's the case, then i doubt it will get through to them

Answer 7

I think the commercial will get some parents to think about how they talk to their daughters versus their sons.

Answer 8

What amuses me about feminism is that they are trying to push females into areas like science and math when a majority of women have no desire to go into these areas. They would rather go into a career where they interact with people.    

Answer 9

that explains it,girls scouts are sexists who try to make girls smart and boys stupid,and speaking of boys why don't you say the boys not to give up? and to follow their dreams?

Answer 10

I feel it will at least make people think.  What more can you really ask?

Answer 11

Frankly, there's no conspiracy to drive young women or girls away from the Natural Sciences or Maths.  Quite the contrary, there is a great push to encourage more young women to enter the Natural Sciences.  Much of this notion is media hype that really doesn't have a basis.  There are an awful lot of brilliant women in the Natural Sciences and Maths who contribute heavily, and in the coming years, it should be that many more women are involved.  I've been involved in the clinical application of science for a long time and I can assure you that there's no paucity of women in very high-paying fields.  And I've worked in quite a few centres.

Answer 12

PSAs (Public Service Announcements) are all a waste of tax payers money.

Drugs, Drinking and Driving etc.

They don't influence anyone. If you were that simple minded that such a commercial could sway you, there's probably a beer commercial or something 5 minutes later to convince you otherwise and then you're right back where you started...

Answer 13

I was a girl scout for over 13 years I have my badges, pins and all, the organization is getting ridiculous...the last Idea they had for a theme is "its her time" except the inside joke was what "her time" really meant.

Answer 14

I don't think the "Mommy" part should have been in there, because it perpetuates the Daddy-is-a-moron shtick. Otherwise, it's a great commercial, and I think it'll open a few eyes.

Answer 15

So the dad doesn't know why the sky is blue.  That's no more sexist than saying CO2 is poison.