Diversity and Representation in Media

Okay, let them make this into a series or film, now!

Otherwise, I just learned that they recently remade She-Ra on Netflix, through the… "«'controversy'»" surrounding She-Ra's new design. Ignoring the hilariously over-the-top freak-out from guardians of "trve femininity", how does the new show fare in terms of LGBT+ representation (considering that the main writer is apparently lesbian, and the fact that it's this franchise we're talking about)?

The main thing I could potentially see maybe becoming a problem is them perhaps making explicitly straight characters look foolish. Sea Hawk is the only character specifically courting a woman and he's kinda a fool and a braggart in this version.

I love the new She-Ra honestly. I'm just really bad at this kinda stuff. Do you think there's ever a problem of gay writers making straight characters look bad? Or is that a thing that just doesn't happen.

It amazes me Eliza Dushku hasn't quit Hollywood, given she's had to put up with sexual assault and harassment since she was a teenager.

In other news: Brie Larson wants to play Samus, if Nintendo does a "Metroid" film.

Edited by Brandon on May 13th 2019 at 4:07:07 AM

The first season of She-Ra is fairly light on explicit gay rep. There’s a lot of Ship Tease, and a few glimpsed couples (including Noelle herself and her wife) but none are openly said to be romantic.

The second season gets even more overt and we straight up (gay up?) meet Bow’s dads, with absolutely no mincing of words that they’re married and raised a dozen+ plus kids.

Edited by Tuckerscreator on May 13th 2019 at 4:27:53 AM

And in more gay cartoon news, Mr. Ratburn has a husband.

Edited by Tuckerscreator on May 13th 2019 at 4:17:31 AM

Yet another disgusting thing Brie Larson has done.

How dare she kiss Waluigi before i had the chance? Absolutely disgusting

Brie Lawson would be a good fit for Samus, considering her status is Nintendo's first Action Girl protagonist and as such a break from their Distressed Damsel formula. A little modernization and a Metroid movie would likely be as progressive if not more.

Wow, that's really cool they did that.

I remember about a decade ago, there was an episode of the spinoff show Postcards From Buster that had Buster meet a girl who mentioned she had two moms. This being around the mid-00's, that raised a lot of ruckus and the episode ended up getting pulled from broadcast because of it. So it's nice to see the show make some progress in that area, especially with a major supporting character like Mr. Ratburn.

I’m just surprised the show is still on. Good on them for not making it a big deal but just...something that is. That’s what will lead to acceptance, making it natural, not an “event”.

As for the other works, is it bad I look at The Mighty Grand Piton and just think of a few debacles about shows that pitched themselves on diversity when their writing rooms...really weren’t, and the final products weren’t that good? Stuff like this has me thinking of how many other creators are completely ignored in animation and other mediums, but we get a rather...limited view of what is considered diverse. The creator apparently has an art book for sale to show demand and I want to buy it. I never do that for Kickstarter projects or the like.

Edited by Beatman1 on May 13th 2019 at 9:25:01 AM

The funny thing is he has another sister, who looks a lesbian stereotype and one would suspect she would be the one getting married. It would be interesting if his sister turned out to be actually straight to invert the stereotype, in contrast with Ratburn being gay. I do wonder if he's gay or bisexual.

Brie would be a good Samus. Heck, she's a white blonde, so no issues with "purists".

Thought purists are massive hypocrites as well. (Endgame spoilers) Doing stuff as complaning of Falcon becoming the new Captain America rather than Bucky and pulling arguments about Bucky being worthier...despite that Falcon becoming Steve's sucessor is well established).

Edited by KazuyaProta on May 13th 2019 at 10:36:02 AM

Actually I wouldn't want Brie Larson in the role, because I find her condescendingly annoying.

Speaking of MCU actors in other roles, Luke Cage's Mike Colter has found work on CBS. He'll be playing a priest/carpenter who teams up with a forensic psychologist to battle dark, supernatural forces. The show is titled Evil.

Both characters have been Steve's successors at various points in time. The Bucky Cap period went on for a good amount of time and was well received, while the Captain Falcon period started off well but became well received because the author was Nick Spencer. Yeah.

Anyway I have my issue with how the shield was handed down, but that's primarily because the argument for it given by the Russos wasn't just Sam proved himself to be completely worthy, but that Bucky is too Ax-Crazy (the implication being that Sam got it by default, which is a bit of a backhanded dig at Sam too). It's a sentiment shared by a fair number of Sam fans as well. Not the most tactful Word of God.

The real Doylist reason for this is probably for synergy, because Bucky Cap happened before the movies while Captain Falcon happened afterwards, and after TWS came out the comics have pushed to establish Bucky's identity exclusively as the Winter Soldier to the point of making his hair long and giving him a mask. As well as removing his well-received romance with Black Widow since that's no longer a thing in the movies (and never will be).

Edited by AlleyOop on May 13th 2019 at 11:58:51 AM

It would be fun if Falcon could have gotten his own thing.

I think the whole "Sam becomes the next Captain America" scene would have had more merit, or seemed more meaningful if Sam actually had been given more focus in the films, or was given his own film by this point.

Edited by Brandon on May 13th 2019 at 9:12:26 AM

Yeah, as I said before, he probably should have gotten a movie to really build himself up. In contrast with Bucky, who did.

I would've been fine with him offering it to either one, but them both rejecting it because the name is too big for them to fill, and continuing to go by their current codenames, while sharing the shield amongst themselves, somehow. It's also possible the show will undercut what Steve did and have it so that Sam has the title, but Bucky holds the shield, since Sam does already have his wings to do the trick.

Steve's big speech to Sam did seem a little awkward when he only gave Bucky a brief goodbye, considering Bucky's not just Steve's childhood friend/brother figure but a crucial part of the plot for three whole movies, and the first one we see getting dusted and Steve having the strongest reaction to. I know it's implied they talked offscreen, but it would've been nice if he also spoke to Bucky afterwards, as it just being Sam is an odd choice.

Edited by AlleyOop on May 13th 2019 at 12:40:12 PM

Back to Ratburn and his wedding, this is technically the first gay wedding show on-screen in a children's television program. I mean first gay, because Steven Universe beat them to it with the lesbian wedding with Sapphire and Ruby. This time it's a gay wedding between Ratburn and Patrick.

I think it has happend in some anime once in the past. At least once. But whatever it was is incredibly obscure and I can't remember the name of.

And I imagine it was badly done considering I don't remember it.

Edited by OmegaRadiance on May 13th 2019 at 11:21:31 AM

His name is Patrick? Huh, guess I should feel good it's my name out there too. Hated my name a lot growing up and still do.

Excuse you. Patrick is an _amazing_ name thank you very much

I'm... not allowed to shit on my own name?

I totally saw the Ratburn twist coming.

Empire will end after season 6.

FOX CEO Charlie Collier addresses diversity concerns in light of the show's end.