This week I looked at the LaBrant family’s latest YouTube video. This video was about the day that Cole and Savannah spent with Everleigh and Posie before they left for a 3 day trip. I attached the video below and spent my time focusing on the gender roles they play in their lives.
In the beginning of the video, they are standing outside in their backyard and Cole makes the comment that “dad builds everything in this household” which of course is a very masculine comment and idea. It is stereotypical that men of the household do the manly activities like putting things together and building things for their children. We immediately see that side of him being very masculine in this video, however Cole does show emotion at about leaving for 3 days and he is very emotional and sad about this. This isn’t as masculine for a man to show his emotion, it is actually more common for the female to show that vulnerable emotion about leaving their children for a trip.
Along with the masculine aspects of Cole in this video, we see very feminine aspects of Savannah as well. Savannah tells the viewers that a staple was dropped on the ground and she wants to find it so that her youngest daughter, Posie, doesn’t step on it and hurt herself. This was a very maternal moment for Savannah that we see right away as well. Along with that, she says that she can’t go in their hot-tub since she is pregnant and it could be bad for their baby so that showed how maternal she is as well.
Savannah wasn’t the only one showing maternal aspects, but Everleigh did as well. Everleigh is their oldest daughter and we see her taking care of her sister in this video. She is playing with her outside and holding her. When Everleigh takes Posie down the slide she sits her on her lap and says “head back, head back” as they are sliding down which is very feminine and caring of Everleigh. Even Cole makes the comment that “Ev’s the mom” as she is playing with Posie.
Another interesting gender aspect of this video is when Cole says that he needs “me and Savannah time” and right after he says that he inserted a picture of the peach emoji which could refer to sex in a very straight forward and heterosexual way.
Looking at the gender roles throughout the LaBrant family videos has been very interesting and we see that a lot of their followers comment on how beautiful their daughters are and how they want a family just like theirs.
This video of course also brings in their religious beliefs when Cole talks about his priorities and says the order from “jesus, wife, kids”. We see this throughout all their videos and reactions from people on their Twitters.
Cinema Media Studies 