New childrens' show features "gender-bending" action hero

[EnderD_503]

Reading the first post about it made me skeptical, which I usually am when it comes to supposedly "gender-bending" shows/movies etc. But I watched the first episode and actually think its pretty good. I like that he starts off as kind of like this stereotypical boy who thinks skateboarding/sports is for boys, while house/domestic tasks are for girls...but he changes pretty quickly. At first he seems pissed off about turning into Shezow, but by the end of the episode he's actually starting to like it. I feel like as the show goes on it's going to become more and more normal to him and not as "sensational" because it'll be apart of the normal pace of the show. I also feel like this is gonna differ from other instances of "gender-bending" in cartoons because he's pretty much made permanently into Shezow. It's not something he can change, and it's an actual part of the show and its concept instead of being one instance in an episode or a single episode. And in the beginning its played off as "comical" (in the same way "gender-bending" usually is made comical in the media), but even by the end of the episode it becomes more a part of the pace of the show than something merely for comedy's sake.

Originally Posted by Bad_boi

I watched the first episode of it and I don't really see the problem with him being unhappy/shocked at first. I think that would be a normal reaction really. As a trans person I guess I see it differently. Often trans people are unhappy about being trans and try to repress it before the accept it. I think the character will learn to accept his role as a female hero. He does seem exited when he gets the pink car and at the end of the episode he even smiles about being shezow.

The only thing I didn't like was everything was plastered with pink. This bugs me because I kind of hate the way pink is used to tell girls "its pink so its for you".

This is the first episode if you care to check it out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K3z-CRNi-E

I think the only reason some might see it as a "normal" reaction because society sees it as degrading to be a girl. I think that's the reason why the show does it, tbh. It's playing up the stereotypical male reaction to anything female-related, which is to see it as a negative or lesser than or "not for boys." Yet for him, he's still Guy/a guy but inherits his great aunt's superhero abilities and costume that happens to come in a feminine form. It kind of takes the whole idea of a superhero and turns it on its head, and takes a shot at society's negative valuing of female/feminine roles. For me I'm not really seeing this as specifically a trans thing or even the intent behind.

I think the link that Allison W explained it really well, and is so true when you think about female superheroes. I think the show's aim really is more toward negative valuing of female/femininity and the idea that you can't be a superhero and be female or feminine without being attached to a male or masculine superhero. For Guy being given a feminine costume/appearance isn't, in the end, negative, but actually the source of his power. I dunno, I think it's pretty cool.

[Femminator]

I grew up watching Bugs Bunny, who crossed dressed every other episode. When I was a little girl, I used to pretend I was guy Superheroes, I was NEVER Supergirl or Wonderwoman. I was Spider-man, or Ironman. Children will be fine with this, and not at all concerned as adults obviously are.

Kids gender bend while they are growing up, by wearing clothes that are considered oposite sex, this does not cause any of them to grow up TG. However, the TG youngsters out there KNOW they are in the wrong body, and this will give them support, they much deserve.

[Bad_boi]

Originally Posted by Femminator

I grew up watching Bugs Bunny, who crossed dressed every other episode.

That reminds me. When I was a kid, pokemon was one of my most favorite shows/games.It was a running gag with Team rocket for them to crossdress when they were wearing disguises.

In this picture we can see Jessie is in a men's suit and James is in a woman's robes/kimono type outfit. I never thought much of it as a kid.

[EnderD_503]

Originally Posted by Bad_boi

That reminds me. When I was a kid, pokemon was one of my most favorite shows/games.It was a running gag with Team rocket for them to crossdress when they were wearing disguises.

That's the thing though. In most past cartoons where characters are "crossdressing," it's seen as a joke...the joke is "oh haha, look at x character dressed as the wrong gender." That's how it was with bugs bunny. It was a comedy and bugs bunny did it to trick Elmer or whoever was chasing him.

What I like in this case is that in the beginning this cartoon seems to address that tradition of "crossdressing" as a joke...then it normalises it in the context of the show.

Also I think that the video Allison W posted addresses the male vs female superhero thing well. The point is that kids rarely want to be female superheroes, because they were always made less interesting and often dependent on an already existing male superhero.

[Bad_boi]

Originally Posted by EnderD_503

I think the only reason some might see it as a "normal" reaction because society sees it as degrading to be a girl. I think that's the reason why the show does it, tbh.

You have a valid point. When I saw that point in the show it was kind of like a flash back to when I was a kid and I realized that my body did not match who I was on the inside and I was uncomfortable with my body being female. I never thought "my body is female and being female is bad". It was more of a "this feels awkward/not right for me/how do I fix this". Therefore I interpreted it that way.

People have different interpretations of movies books and shows. When we observe a character, we may feel sympathy or empathy for them. Sometimes we relate to characters or situations in fiction in different ways because of our mindsets and experiences. It is interesting to see how people feel about things like this.

[Sheridan]

I want to see this cartoon sounds like it is not making fun of transgenderism (and may even give transgender and gender fluid children someone they can relate to), it is just showing someone having to deal with something new and making it through. It puts me in the mind of the old series The Greatest American Hero (a fish out of water story). Space aliens gave Ralph a super suit and a grumpy FBI partner named Bill and then Ralph looses the instruction book to the suit and the fun began (he had to learn the powers by accident and experiment, the flying and landings were priceless). It gave all us klutzy geeks a hero to look up to, because you did not have to be perfect to be a superhero. I hope that some day they might do a TV show with actors for Shezow (it would be cool to see who would be cast).

Opening Theme:


Ralph gets suit from space aliens: