History Main / FairForItsDay

* ''WesternAnimation/TheDickTracyShow'' has three characters (Joe Jitsu, Go-Go Gomez, and Officer Heap O'Calorie) who were drawn (and acted) very stereotypically for the time period. However, while their portrayals can be ''extremely'' uncomfortable for modern viewers to watch, they are at least presented as intelligent and capable heroes within the show's universe.

** ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}'': is also a good example. As pointed out [[https://betterwithbob.wordpress.com/2018/06/14/my-100-favourite-films-in-review-number-50-pocahontas here]], despite the [[ArtisticLicenseHistory glaring inaccuracies]] and stereotyped Native characters, the central protagonist is still Pocahontas -- who's a Native American female, voiced by Creator/IreneBedard, [[ActorSharedBackground a Native American actress]]. She also has personal motivations and life goals that don't involve getting married, and she doesn't end up as a TrophyWife for the colonist John Smith. Considering the lack of representation Native Americans still suffer from in Western mainstream films -- especially with the whitewashing controversy over Tiger Lily in ''Film/{{Pan}}'' -- that is saying something. While the Blog/UnshavedMouse didn't like the film, he did admit it was at least good that Disney attempted to do a better depiction of Native Americans than they have done before this movie's production.

* ''Franchise/{{Barbie}}'' dolls often showed Barbie in professions generally not regarded as appropriately feminine at the time they were made, and earning enough money to own extravagant houses, clothes and other luxuries without ever getting married. Later, the dolls faced criticism for allegedly promoting unhealthily skinny body shapes or even promoting stereotypically feminine jobs (such as veterinarian). It's worth noting that the same mold is used to create the dolls' faces regardless of ethnicity, thus completely avoiding FacialProfiling.

* ''Franchise/{{Barbie}}'' dolls often showed Barbie in professions generally not regarded as appropriately feminine at the time they were made. Later, the dolls faced criticism for allegedly promoting unhealthily skinny body shapes or even promoting stereotypically feminine jobs (such as veterinarian). It's worth noting that the same mold is used to create the dolls' faces regardless of ethnicity, thus completely avoiding FacialProfiling.

* The CharityMotivationSong "Do They Know It's Christmas?" has come under fire in recent years for its stereotypical description of UsefulNotes/{{Africa}} and WhiteMansBurden overtones but it was released in ''1984''. This is long before TheInternet and TwentyFourHourNewsNetworks so the vast majority of the general public in UsefulNotes/TheWest simply were not aware of the realities of the subtler socioeconomic and geopolitical landscape of the continent at the time. Bob Geldof and Music/MidgeUre have gone on record to state that the song and subsequent UsefulNotes/LiveAid concerts were an emotional appeal to raise awareness of and try and galvanise the public and western governments into doing something major and effective about the critical famine and refugee crisis in Ethopia at the time, and that it should be viewed in the context of trying to do this in the middle of the TheEighties with its "Me! Me! Me!" attitudes -- the song was trying to be evocative and emotional rather than accurate and academic. It's fair to say that the most vitriolic critics of the song and concert [[LetsSeeYouDoBetter haven't done anything]] as remotely high profile and effective for a good cause.

* "Baby Got Back" sounds shallow and objectifying nowadays, but it was actually a body positivity message at the time. The song's opening features two white women body shaming a black woman, and Sir Mix-A-Lot then comes in to refute them that he in fact finds the woman attractive ''because'' of her large ass -- in effect declaring that there are multiple forms of beauty, implying that everyone is attractive to someone. It's also criticising how standards of beauty in the African-American community were more commonly looked down on because they didn't meet the more Anglo standards.

* Disney's "It's A Small World" was and is an appeal to everyone's shared humanity. While the various stereotypical attributes (folk costume, etc.) of the animatronics in the ride haven't aged well (mostly because only the most traditional societies still wear such garb on an everyday basis), it's still TheThemeParkVersion (no pun intended) of the possibility of a world where we can live together in peace. It's worth noting that the same mold is used to create the dolls' faces regardless of ethnicity, thus completely avoiding FacialProfiling.
* ''Franchise/{{Barbie}}'' dolls often showed Barbie in professions generally not regarded as appropriately feminine at the time they were made. Later, the dolls faced criticism for allegedly promoting unhealthily skinny body shapes or even promoting stereotypically feminine jobs (such as veterinarian).

* When purist fans talk about pro wrestling history, they tend to overlook (or more likely ignore) Wrestling/{{GLOW}} completely, with the González sisters, The Crush Gals, and the Thunder Queens being looked upon today with disdain[[note]]Not helping is GLOW promoter (and noted sleazebag) David [=McLane's=] absolutely toxic reputation in wrestling circles, particularly among the women the worked for him[[/note]]. In fact, if a female wrestler in the 1980s was nationally known, she was probably working for GLOW. And despite the organization proving that women could carry a show (even if a was just a {{camp}} show), there were no other successful attempts to broadcast women's wrestling until Wrestling/{{TNA}}'s ''Knockouts Knockdown'', about 30 years after GLOW ended.

** The episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS2E2SimpsonAndDelilah Simpson And Delilah]]" featured a character named Karl who kisses Homer and pats him on the butt, [[AmbiguouslyGay but whose sexuality is not officially confirmed]]. Nowadays, Karl would be derided as an example of queerbaiting, since Matt Groening [[ShrugOfGod never made any official statement on the issue]]. However, Karl is depicted as an incredibly loyal, helpful, and self-sacrificing assistant to Homer, and his kiss isn't done for a cheap joke, but is taken as a sign of how much Karl cares for Homer. Which is pretty remarkable considering the episode aired in 1990, when AmbiguouslyGay characters had yet to gain recognition in ''any'' American media, animation or otherwise.

--->'''John''': Well, Homer, I gained your respect -- and all I had to do was save your life! As soon as every other gay person does that, you'll be all set.
** "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS4E3HomerTheHeretic Homer the Heretic]]" was once praised for its sympathetic treatment of non-traditional spirituality, but it's now occasionally criticized for copping out on its message by having Homer [[StatusQuoIsGod go back to church at the end]]. For its time, though, it was remarkably open-minded in its frank discussion of organized religion, pointing out that adhering to religious rituals isn't necessarily for everyone, and that people can practice their spiritual beliefs in all sorts of ways. And like many ''Simpsons'' episodes, it was quite adamant about showing Springfield as a multi-cultural town of many different faiths, favorably depicting Krusty's Jewish faith and Apu's Hindu faith alongside the Protestant Christian Simpsons.
** The character of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon got a ''lot'' of flak in the late 2000s and throughout the 2010s due to being viewed as a blatant stereotype of Indians and Southern Asians in general, along with the fact that he's voiced by white actor Creator/HankAzaria. However, during the show's run in the 90s, he was also the first if not the ''only'' depiction of a Southern Asian to appear on mainstream television in the U.S. Add to that is the fact that Apu wasn't overly defined by religion like most Hindu characters today, is shown to be capable of running a successful business, and is generally portrayed as a flawed but nice guy who gets along well with the other characters -- impressive considering the complete DysfunctionJunction that is Springfield. The "problem with Apu" is that, as the show [[LongRunners continued]], his stereotypical traits were not toned down or removed -- if anything, they [[{{Flanderization}} got worse]] -- which is what cemented his position as a racial caricature in today's society. Interestingly, while he has been criticized by Indian-Americans and South Asian Americans, [[MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales Apu is well-liked in India itself]] - and in Britain, it's almost taken for granted that an Asian character will run the corner shop.

* Gender-non-conforming characters always had a presence in ''Manga/OnePiece'', and especially in the earlier days, especially with the very infamous and unflattering Okama in the Kamabakka Kingdom, they were often drawn as caricatures and PlayedForLaughs - however, many of those characters proved themselves to also be very competent. For example: Bon Kurei, the first ''Okama'' seen in the manga, was a very deadly fighter enough to match Sanji blow-for-blow in their fight, and eventually ended up having an HeelFaceTurn and become an ally of the Straw Hats. Thanks to the Manga [[LongRunner continuing into the modern day]], representation of gender-non-conforming and LGBT characters would significantly improve, especially in the recent Wano arc with the introduction of canonical trans woman Kiku, drawn as a StatuesqueStunner with none of the Gonk-ish caricatures of ''Okama'' characters, and gender-non-conforming Yamato who is born female but, since he considers himself the reincarnation of Kozuki Oden, also adopted Oden's gender. As if to affirm their identity even further, at one point the characters go into a gender-segregated bath house and Kiku goes in the women's side while Yamato goes to the men's side.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981'' episode "A Hug For Grouchy": Even into the 1980s, teachers and adults sometimes encouraged children to hug, including those who didn’t particularly like being touched, in an often well-intentioned if not misguided attempt to get some – particularly, those with autism and related disorders – to show emotion and affection. Today, especially in the wake of increased child sex abuse awareness, “no means no” and the #[=MeToo=] movement, this episode and its attempted Aesop would be completely disapproved of.

* ''VideoGame/BanjoTooie'': These days, Jolly Roger and Merry Maggie Malpass would be seen as stereotypical depictions of UsefulNotes/{{homosexual}} and UsefulNotes/{{transgender}} people respectively, with Jolly being CampGay and Maggie being a GonkyFemme, but for being depictions of LGBTQIA+ people at the start of the TurnOfTheMillennium, they're reasonably tactful, with the two showing nothing but kindness to Banjo and Kazooie for their help, and being very hard workers who have good chemistry as the barkeeps of the tavern. often frowned upon when including LGBTQIA+ characters during the late 90s and early 2000s, They were also progressive for the time period they were created in, as British media was often frowned upon when including LGBTQIA+ characters during the late 90s and early 2000s, resulting in many characters of the sort not being as blatant in their sexualities and identities as Jolly and Maggie are.

* ''VideoGame/BanjoTooie'': These days, Jolly Roger and Merry Maggie Malpass would be seen as stereotypical depictions of UsefulNotes/{{homosexual}} and UsefulNotes/{{transgender}} people respectively, with Jolly being CampGay and Maggie being a GonkyFemme, but for being depictions of LGBTQIA+ people at the start of the TurnOfTheMillennium, they're reasonably tactful, with the two showing nothing but kindness to Banjo and Kazooie for their help, and being very hard workers who have good chemistry as the barkeeps of the tavern.

** In some ways, depictions of gender and sexuality in both ''Manga/UruseiYatsura'' and ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' were arguably downright subversive, not for the implication of non-normative sexuality but for the specific ways norms were parodied: Ryunosuke being forced to crossdress because her father thinks she's a boy (then attracting legions of schoolgirls despite them knowing she's a girl), Ranma getting engaged despite his GenderBender status and paired with Akane for precisely this reason, the implied hypocrisy of some homophobic characters in both works, etc. These are things a modern audience probably wouldn't pay much attention to, while the casual displays of homophobia would be much more noticeable.

** In some ways, depictions of gender and sexuality in both ''Manga/UruseiYatsura'' and ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' were arguably downright subversive, not for the implication of non-normative sexuality but for the specific ways norms were parodied: Ryunosuke being forced to crossdress because her father thinks she's a boy (then attracting legions of schoolgirls despite them knowing she's a girl), Ranma getting engaged despite being a GenderBender and being paired with Akane for precisely this reason, the implied hypocrisy of some homophobic characters in both works, etc. These are things a modern audience probably wouldn't pay much attention to, while the casual displays of homophobia would be much more noticeable.

** In some ways, depictions of gender and sexuality in both ''Manga/UruseiYatsura'' and ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' were arguably downright subversive, not for the implication of non-normative sexuality but for the specific ways norms were parodied: Ryunosuke being forced to crossdress because her father thinks she's a boy (then attracting legions of schoolgirls despite them knowing she's a girl), Ranma being engaged despite his GenderBender status and paired with Akane for precisely this reason, the implied hypocrisy of some homophobic characters in both works, etc. These are things a modern audience probably wouldn't pay much attention to, while the casual displays of homophobia would be much more noticeable.

** In some ways, depictions of gender and sexuality in both ''Manga/UruseiYatsura'' and ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' were arguably downright subversive, not for the implication of non-normative sexuality but for the specific ways norm was parodied: Ryunosuke being forced to crossdress because her father thinks she's a boy (then attracting legions of schoolgirls despite them knowing she's a girl), Ranma being engaged despite his GenderBender status and paired with Akane for precisely this reason, the implied hypocrisy of some homophobic characters in both works, etc. These are things a modern audience probably wouldn't pay much attention to, while the casual displays of homophobia would be much more noticeable.

* ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' has a...''complex'' relationship with the LGBT community. There are a lot of casually transphobic and homophobic elements thrown around; Ranma's SexShifter status is often invoked as making him perverse, guys hitting on or trying to sexually molest Ranma in his female form is played for laughs, and lesbians are explicited described as perverse at least twice. There's also the central gag that Akane is explicitly engaged to Ranma under the logic that since she DoesNotLikeMen (due to a recent campaign of sexual harrassment), she must ''obviously'' be a lesbian. However, the series also shows most people as simply not caring about Ranma's curse once it is explained to them and treating him normally, including always referring to him by his preferred pronouns regardless of his physical gender at the moment, Ranma and Akane receive no negative commentary for their perceived pseudo-lesbian relationship, and Ranma's desperate drive to be cured of Jusenkyo resonates with some transsexuals in regards their struggle to achieve their true gender. The series has even developed a MisaimedFandom that idolizes Jusenkyo as a form of wish fulfilment, and/or who champion Ranma as a transgirl -- ironically, even though the canon is that Ranma '''despises''' turning into a girl and his greatest wish is to remain all male, permanently.

** In some ways, depiction of gender and sexuality in both ''Manga/UruseiYatsura'' and ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' was arguably downright subversive, not for the implication of non-normative sexuality but for the specific ways norm was parodied: Ryunosuke being forced to crossdress because her father thinks she's a boy (then attracting legions of schoolgirls despite them knowing she's a girl), Ranma being engaged despite his GenderBender status and seen as a perfect match for Akane for precisely this reason, the implied hypocrisy of some homophobic characters in both works, etc. These are things a modern audience probably wouldn't pay much attention to, while the casual displays of homophobia would be much more noticeable.

** In some ways, depiction of gender and sexuality in both ''Manga/UruseiYatsura'' and ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' was arguably downright subversive, not for the implication of non-normative sexuality but through the specific ways norm was parodied: Ryunosuke being forced to crossdress because her father thinks she's a boy (then attracting legions of schoolgirls despite them knowing she's a girl), Ranma being engaged despite his GenderBender status and seen as a perfect match for Akane for precisely this reason, the implied hypocrisy of some homophobic characters in both works, etc. These are things a modern audience wouldn't pay much attention to, while the casual displays of homophobia would be much more noticeable.

** In some ways, depiction of gender and sexuality in both ''Manga/UruseiYatsura'' and ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' was arguably downright subversive, not for the implication of non-normative sexuality but through the specific ways norm was parodied: Ryunosuke being forced to crossdress because her father thinks she's a boy (then attracting legions of schoolgirls despite them knowing she's a girl), Ranma being engaged despite his GenderBender status and seen as a perfect match for Akane for precisely this reason, the implied hypocrisy of some homophobic characters in both works, etc. These are not things a modern audience would pay much attention to, unlike the casual displays of homophobia.

** In some ways, depiction of gender and sexuality in both ''Manga/UruseiYatsura'' and ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' was arguably downright subversive, not for the implication of non-normative sexuality but through the specific ways norm was parodied: Ryuunosuke being forced to crossdress because her father thinks she's a boy (then attracting legions of schoolgirls despite them knowing she's a girl), Ranma being engaged despite his GenderBender status and seen as a perfect match for Akane for precisely this reason, the implied hypocrisy of some homophobic characters in both works, etc. These are not things a modern-day audience would pay much attention to, unlike the casual displays of homophobia.

** In some ways, depiction of gender and sexuality in both ''Manga/UruseiYatsura'' and ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' was arguably downright subversive, not for the implication of non-normative sexuality but through the specific ways norm was parodied: Ryuunosuke being forced to crossdress because her father thinks she's a boy (then attracting legions of schoolgirls despite them knowing she's a girl), Ranma being engaged despite his SexShifter status and seen as a perfect match for Akane precisely for this reason, the implied hypocrisy of some homophobic characters in both works, etc. These are not things a modern-day audience would pay much attention to, unlike the casual displays of homophobia.

** In some ways, depiction of gender and sexuality in both ''Manga/UruseiYatsura'' and ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' was arguably downright subversive, not for the implication of non-normative sexuality but through the specific ways norm was parodied: Ryuunosuke being forced to crossdress because her father thinks she's a boy (then attracting legions of schoolgirls despite them knowing she's a girl), Ranma being engaged despite his Sex Shifter status and seen as a perfect match for Akane precisely for this reason, the implied hypocrisy of some homophobic characters in both works, etc. These are not things a modern-day audience would pay much attention to, unlike the casual displays of homophobia.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981'' episode "A Hug For Grouchy": Even into the 1980s, teachers and adults sometimes encouraged children to hug, including those who didn’t particularly like being touched, in an often well-intentioned if not misguided attempt to get some – particularly, those with autism and related disorders – to show emotion and affection. Today, especially in the wake of increased child sex abuse awareness, “no means no” and the #MeToo movement, this episode and its attempted Aesop would be completely disapproved of.

* Gender-non-conforming characters always had a presence in ''Manga/OnePiece'', and especially in the earlier days, especially with the very infamous and unflattering Okama in the Kamabakka Kingdom - however, many of those characters proved themselves to also be very competent. For example: Bon Kurei, the first ''Okama'' seen in the manga, was a very deadly fighter enough to match Sanji blow-for-blow, and eventually ended up having an HeelFaceTurn and become an ally of the Straw Hats. Thanks to the Manga [[LongRunner continuing into the modern day]], representation of gender-non-conforming and LGBT characters would significantly improve, especially in the recent Wano arc with the introduction of canonical trans woman Kiku, drawn as a StatuesqueStunner with none of the Gonk-ish caricatures of ''Okama'' characters, and gender-non-conforming Yamato who is born female but, since he considers himself the reincarnation of Kozuki Oden, also adopted Oden's gender. As if to affirm their identity even further, at one point the characters go into a gender-segregated bath house and Kiku goes in the women's side while Yamato goes to the men's side.

* While ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' has become a symbol of the LGBT community because of Ranma's ability to change genders, the story itself is much more problematic by today's standards; the reason Akane was forced through an arranged marriage with Ranma in the first place was that her tomboyishness (which was framed negatively by the story) [[NoManWantsAnAmazon drove off every other potential male suitor she had]]. Also, Ranma had to re-learn much of his martial arts training following his curse because turning into a girl made him [[MinusFourStrength physically weaker]].

* When purist fans talk about pro wrestling history, they tend to overlook (or more likely ignore) Wrestling/{{GLOW}} completely, with the González sisters, The Crush Gals, and the Thunder Queens being looked upon today with disdain[[note]]Not helping is GLOW promoter (and noted sleazebag) David [=McClaine's=] absolutely toxic reputation in wrestling circles, particularly among the women the worked for him[[/note]]. In fact, if a female wrestler in the 1980s was nationally known, she was probably working for GLOW. And despite the organization proving that women could carry a show (even if a was just a {{camp}} show), there were no other successful attempts to broadcast women's wrestling until Wrestling/{{TNA}}'s ''Knockouts Knockdown'', about 30 years after GLOW ended.