Not Shazam, Not She Bop...
May 29, 2013 3:40 PM   Subscribe

Hasbro's TV channel The Hub has premiered what it hope will be its next breakout hit after My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic... SheZow. The premise: a 12-year-old boy finds the magic ring that transformed his late aunt into a superhero. He tries it, and gains superpowers... and a girl-hero pink costume, pink lightsaber and a pink batmobile. The Daily Dot covers the inevitable mixed (and mixed-up) reaction. Transgender? Transvestite? Trans-silly? SheZow's creator Obie Scott Wade (a dude) who's on Twitter, explains simply "It's Tootsie with super powers." (Rated Y-7)
posted by oneswellfoop (73 comments total) 16 users marked this as a favorite
 
As the Deviant Art examples in the Daily Dot article show, the fan art is... interesting, and pre-dates the TV debut. It also seems a natural for Rule 34. NO WAY I'M PROVIDING A LINK.
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:42 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


Wait -- The Hub is a Hasbro thing?

The more I know, indeed.
posted by Madamina at 3:45 PM on May 29, 2013


is the name of the first ep really "SheZow Happens"?
posted by boo_radley at 3:52 PM on May 29, 2013


Madamina: "Wait -- The Hub is a Hasbro thing? "

Very much so.

Pretty much every cartoon they air, Transformers Prime and G1, Littlest Pet Shop, Strawberry Shortcake, GI Joe, Care Bears, Pound Puppies, Voltron, MLP, etc., etc., are Hasbro properties.
posted by zarq at 3:52 PM on May 29, 2013


Honestly, I was kind of wondering when the casual gender bending in a lot of Japanese animation and comics would start making it way into US animation.

Also, as Spite Trotman tweeted, oh look the first generation to grow up as rabid Sailor Moon fans are Suddently pushing all these magical girl stories HOW INTERESTING.
posted by The Whelk at 3:53 PM on May 29, 2013 [7 favorites]


I'm honestly completely amazed this got greenlighted. Even if it gets cancelled after 5 episodes or something, the fact that it ever aired at all is a pretty significant milestone to me. Especially on a network owned by a major toy/kids product brand.

I can't even imagine what the backlash of westboro types against this is going to be once it actually starts getting some news coverage as "controversial".
posted by emptythought at 3:54 PM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


OMG. I want to watch this so badly.
posted by ooga_booga at 3:57 PM on May 29, 2013


Breitbart.com has already made its voice heard with a scornful post describing SheZow as a “soon-to-be dud”; commenters on social media seem to think the concept is unsuitable for children. “Prepare for another generation of degeneracy,” writes one, while another wonders “WHO THE F**K THOUGHT THAT UP FOR CHILDREN?”

@SheZowCreator sez "Hub did some new research with parents and the response is very positive. Haters be the minority."
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:57 PM on May 29, 2013 [4 favorites]


yes, the pilot episode title "SheZow Happens" shows a tendency toward the subversive, but @SheZowCreator says he just loves puns, which is another point in its favor for ME.
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:59 PM on May 29, 2013


I see this show also falls under the classic Hasbro merchandising formula, which is "One universe, Many characters." The SheZow website lists 16 unique characters which will no doubt each have an action figure and related toys, books and other assorted accessories and merchandise.
posted by zarq at 3:59 PM on May 29, 2013


HOLY CRAP I love this. Holy holy crap.
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 4:00 PM on May 29, 2013


Haters be the minority

That's always the case, with everything. That's why they're so loud, to seem like there's more of them. Like a cat raising its hackles when it feels threatened.
posted by davejay at 4:01 PM on May 29, 2013 [4 favorites]


Thanks for this. I saw a commercial for it on the Hub one morning but had completely forgotten it, and if I'd suddenly remembered it otherwise, I would have thought it was a strange dream. I was very apprehensive about it seeing the ad, but the pilot episode was actually not at all what I'd feared.

(though it does have that kid cartoon thing that I hate where everybody just tends to yell everything but I am old and perhaps shouldn't be casually watching the Hub so often anyway if I'm going to complain about such things)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 4:01 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


Oh my god, this is amazing.
posted by fight or flight at 4:01 PM on May 29, 2013


I seem to remember this show or a similar one being mentioned in an earlier cartoon thread a while ago?
posted by MartinWisse at 4:02 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


Oh, and on another note

“Prepare for another generation of degeneracy,”

Did none of these people ever watch rockos modern life, or ren and stimpy, angry beavers or any of the goosebumps/are you afraid of the dark/etc shows that were around when all the 20-30 year olds now were kids? This is REALLY mild compared to some of the pretty blatant "adult joke" stuff those shows got away with. Hell, even dexters lab and some other nick/cartoon network shows got away with some seriously "wow, i can't believe they just did that" shit that i didn't notice until i was older.

Cartoons now are comparatively mild. There used to be stuff on nick during the day that did stuff that shows like family guy do now at 11pm or midnight on adult swim.

Shows have gotten less controversial, not more. The only thing that isn't completely G rated about this is the concept of a boy wearing girls clothes.
posted by emptythought at 4:03 PM on May 29, 2013 [17 favorites]


MartinWisse: I think this comes from Australia, and it has simply been taken up in the US.
posted by Jehan at 4:03 PM on May 29, 2013




Did none of these people ever watch rockos modern life, or ren and stimpy, angry beavers or any of the goosebumps/are you afraid of the dark/etc shows that were around when all the 20-30 year olds now were kids? This is REALLY mild compared to some of the pretty blatant "adult joke" stuff those shows got away with. Hell, even dexters lab and some other nick/cartoon network shows got away with some seriously "wow, i can't believe they just did that" shit that i didn't notice until i was older.

I mean, it did produce a generation of degenerates, though. Look at all the progress we've made!
posted by vogon_poet at 4:05 PM on May 29, 2013 [4 favorites]


Ranma 2/3

Also, gender queer all the things!
posted by klangklangston at 4:05 PM on May 29, 2013 [14 favorites]


The only thing that isn't completely G rated about this is the concept of a boy wearing girls clothes.

Back in the good old days only a rabbit could pull this stuff!

This is the comment I was thinking off.

I'm surprised there hasn't been an FPP before this. The show has had a good amount of buzz out there.
posted by Drinky Die at 4:06 PM on May 29, 2013 [3 favorites]


So who remembers the infamous Ms. Magazine blog article that dismissed MLP:FiM as Sexist, Racist, Homophobic, and Smart-Shaming without having watched a single episode? (Previously on Metafilter)

I'm gleefully awaiting some old-media outlet to make just as awful of a snap to judgement about this show.
posted by radwolf76 at 4:08 PM on May 29, 2013 [4 favorites]


I just watched some of the first episode. I was expecting something I'd want my kids to see, but it seems to simply be putting a guy in girl's clothes in order to mine a new vein of mediocre jokes. Hopefully it gets better (no pun intended.)
posted by davejay at 4:09 PM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


SHEZOW: The show that asks the question: Would you wear a hot pink skirt and thigh-high go-go boots if they gave you superpowers?

Hell yeah.
posted by straight at 4:12 PM on May 29, 2013 [17 favorites]


(The question, "Would you want a real, working light sabre if it was pink?" is too silly to even ask.)
posted by straight at 4:13 PM on May 29, 2013 [3 favorites]


Dear god please let this result in an entire generation of little boys who get to realize that it's actually SUPER AWESOME to wear pink girlclothes if that's your thang.
posted by elsietheeel at 4:14 PM on May 29, 2013 [6 favorites]


I just watched some of the first episode. I was expecting something I'd want my kids to see, but it seems to simply be putting a guy in girl's clothes in order to mine a new vein of mediocre jokes. Hopefully it gets better (no pun intended.)

I haven't seen any of the show so I'd be interested in perspectives from people who have seen several episodes on how the show evolves from there. It seems like somewhere they kind of have to go to some degree, like any show that does a gender bending episode, but the quality will be judged on if they can take it beyond that.
posted by Drinky Die at 4:15 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


SHEZOW: The show that asks the question: Would you wear a hot pink skirt and thigh-high go-go boots if they gave you superpowers?

Sebastian finds the question thought provoking (again).
posted by The Bellman at 4:17 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


I figure if they could get a young Tom Hanks to do this for two seasons, they can come up with something for this show.
posted by radwolf76 at 4:19 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


yes, radwolf, but that was before Tom Hanks was TOM HANKS. Dues Paying 101.
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:23 PM on May 29, 2013


True, you can only be the drunk uncle on Family Ties for one very special episode.
posted by radwolf76 at 4:28 PM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


Curious, didn't see it in the links: Is the -7 for the gender bending or for 'intense scenes' or whatever the code for 'might scare 3 yr olds' is?
posted by PMdixon at 4:39 PM on May 29, 2013


Seems pretty interesting, as dos that Rebecca Sugar thing where the boy teams up with women superheroes.

That a major toy company has their own TV station is...less exciting.
posted by DU at 4:44 PM on May 29, 2013


I'm surprised that I just learned of SheZow myself (since I claim to keep my finger on the pulse of cartoons... no, wait, that's not the pulse...).

And I didn't see anything explaining the TV-Y7 rating, especially since it's supposed to be targeted to Ages 6-11 (which is a year younger than the protagonist character). MLP:FIM gets a simple TV-Y.

The Hub is a partnership between Hasbro and Discovery Networks (the people who bring you Mythbusters AND Honey Boo Boo on separate channels).
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:46 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


HA! Incredible power can be yours, but you'll have to battle evil in drag! That's awesome and whatnot; maybe they can have some special guest (s)heroes like Eddie Izzard as IzZow or something similarly fabulous.
posted by Mooski at 4:47 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


And The Kids in the Hall can show up as something analogous to the Legion of Doom. Just curious here, is there any evidence so far that this is aiming for anything more groundbreaking than "crossdressing is funny?"
posted by prize bull octorok at 4:49 PM on May 29, 2013


SHEZOW: The show that asks the question: Would you wear a hot pink skirt and thigh-high go-go boots if they gave you superpowers?

Hell yeah.
posted by straight at 4:12 PM


Epony ... no, I can't. You can just toss 'em up like that.
posted by 1adam12 at 4:49 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


I would watch the hell out of IzZow. "Cake or death!"
posted by DU at 4:50 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


Yikes, put Safe Search on before you do an image search on this show's title. My eyes.
posted by trunk muffins at 4:52 PM on May 29, 2013


Forgive me if I can't get excited about the "girl costume" being all pink.
posted by corb at 5:02 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


Well he is an "Action Transvestite".
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 5:06 PM on May 29, 2013 [7 favorites]


Forgive me if I can't get excited about the "girl costume" being all pink.

no.
posted by 256 at 5:06 PM on May 29, 2013 [3 favorites]




'Super Slap' and 'Sonic Scream' are more potentially problematic to me than the color of the costume.

Also, "If Dad finds out he'll have a cow," and Dad is a cop. So...maybe a bit too heavy on the stereotypes, yet also a pretty big forward step in cartoon gender equality.
posted by cooker girl at 5:44 PM on May 29, 2013


> Forgive me if I can't get excited about the "girl costume" being all pink.

Yeah what's up with that, can we get some lavender accents? Too monochromatic!
posted by seanmpuckett at 5:55 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


The pitch for this reminds me of Zsazsa Zaturnnah.
posted by 23 at 6:16 PM on May 29, 2013


Interesting. Not a new idea, but the first time I've seen it done for kids.

In Alan Moore's Promethea (a story in which ordinary people become vessels for a god-like being), one of the vessels is a man who then transforms into the female Promethea.

In the far more ridiculous and light hearted Empowered, one of the supporting cast is the MaidMan, a grim Batman-esque character that for some reason dresses as a masked french maid and brutally smashes criminals with a broom.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 6:33 PM on May 29, 2013 [4 favorites]


I'm rather surprised at how regressive the gender politics are in the pilot. The protagonist is all done up in pink, has a "female intuition" sense, and slaps people instead of punches them.

The first episode actually makes some changes, including cutting out a really disturbing sexist remark by a minor background character. They also change the female intuition to She-S.P. so that's not too bad. The show is rather fond of portmanteaus using "she" as a prefix, if you hadn't guessed.

All told, the writing's kind of middle-of-the-road and it's somewhat less sexist than the pilot but it lacks the charm of shows like Adventure Time or any of the other cartoons mentioned upthread. I expect it'll do well amongst the target demographic but won't see the crossover success of MLP or its ilk.

Anyway, I wish it were better but I'm still glad that some people in American media can get over the whole heteronormative gender thing.

P.S. Aside from Promethea, Erik Larsen introduced the character Mighty Man who was a Captain Marvel analogue with the twist that it was a woman who inherited the power from the original and she genderswaps when she changes.
posted by ooga_booga at 7:23 PM on May 29, 2013 [4 favorites]


The show is rather fond of portmanteaus using "she" as a prefix, if you hadn't guessed.

::headdesk:: I hate how prevalent that is with "man" and "bro" right now, so that sort of thing would probably come close to ruining the show for me.
posted by Foosnark at 7:32 PM on May 29, 2013 [3 favorites]


Man, I knew this would bring out the shitty opinions from conservatives the second I saw the commercial.

But I'm glad to hear the response is minor and just making them look silly.
posted by mccarty.tim at 7:48 PM on May 29, 2013


(The question, "Would you want a real, working light sabre if it was pink?" is too silly to even ask.)

Just keep it away from the babies. We don't need that video again.
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:05 PM on May 29, 2013


See also: Ozma.
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:09 PM on May 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


Woah, I was really excited about this until I watched the video linked in the fpp. The writing was surprisingly poor, especially compared to MLP. The premise is so neat, too.
posted by voltairemodern at 8:44 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


Was this done by the same folks who did Ruby Gloom?
posted by davejay at 8:51 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]


"I expect it'll do well amongst the target demographic"

I'm not so sure. Contemporary American Maleness being as repressive as it is, I don't know how many little boys would admit to watching a show like this, let alone buying the toys. I don't get the feeling it's aimed at girls, either. I haven't watched all of the footage from the show, but what I did see a while back suggested that the crossdressing is treated mostly as a joke, sort of like if his magic costume made him look like a circus clown or something. Maybe he eventually learns to embrace his fem side, but for now I don't really see this as a big pro-trans or anti-trans statement.

I think the subject matter will make the show pretty polarizing, even if the actual show itself is pretty middle-of-the-road stuff.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 8:52 PM on May 29, 2013 [3 favorites]


See also: Ozma.
posted by Halloween Jack


I immediately thought about Ozma when reading this. She's the original Edwardian gender-bending badass!
posted by Windigo at 9:18 PM on May 29, 2013 [3 favorites]


SHEZOW: The show that asks the question: Would you wear a hot pink skirt and thigh-high go-go boots if they gave you superpowers?

I think it comes down to how important your gender identity is to you, and it seems to me that one of the core values of modern enlightened gender politics is that each specific individual should have a very wide reign to set that level of importance, with minimal if any criticism or justification to others.

However, that takes place in a world where contextually, the "powers" (and "weaknesses") we get with our genders (and races, and the rest of our self-definitions) are socioculturally defined. If actual superpowers are on the line, the question is completely different than asking it here and now.

I suppose a better real-world analogy might be, to what extent will you change your appearance in order to make money? Many men will get suits and corporate haircuts, for example, for no reason other than that they perceive that they will get a higher salary, and the evidence is there to say that they are right. (Compare and contrast with neck tattoos and ear stretchers.) This is a compromise of identity and self-determination that many make, and many do not make, and being human, each one who made the choice in either direction, usually has less respect for those who made the other choice.
posted by aeschenkarnos at 9:55 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]




MartinWisse: I think this comes from Australia, and it has simply been taken up in the US.


I'm surprised I haven't seen this, since I watch way too many cartoons. I think its a cute premise, and hopefully it'll do well.
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 12:15 AM on May 30, 2013


Watched the first episode. Thought it was decent. No, it's not all clever with lots of over-kids'-heads adult jokes and cultural references and such, so adults hoping for something like My Little Pony or Powerpuff Girls are going to be disappointed. But I'd have enjoyed it as a 10-year-old. Australia doesn't do a lot of cartoons, but I'd put this on par with the ones I watched and enjoyed as a kid -- Lil Elvis and the Truckstoppers, Blinky Bill, etc.

Honestly, it looks like both the critics and vocal supporters I've read in the US press today are expecting/hoping for this to be something it just isn't. It isn't really groundbreaking. It isn't overtly political (or not so far, anyway). It's just a silly, fun show for kids. If this came on the TV in Australia, I don't think it would even occur to me that it might be political or controversial or making some great strides for LGBTQ issues or anything. Indeed, it's been apparently screening for months in Australia and Canada with zero comment.

Will American kids take to it? That I don't know. I think Australian kids are used to slightly more diverse and less flashy programming. I'd be pretty surprised if it's a "breakout hit" though -- in either country.
posted by retrograde at 1:42 AM on May 30, 2013 [3 favorites]


Would you wear a hot pink skirt and thigh-high go-go boots if they gave you superpowers?

Only because they gave me superpowers?
posted by MartinWisse at 3:42 AM on May 30, 2013 [3 favorites]


(The question, "Would you want a real, working light sabre if it was pink?" is too silly to even ask.)

Especially because Darth Vader's badass "red" lightsaber is pretty much pink if you actually look at it for a moment. Search your feelings, you know it to be true...
posted by Strange Interlude at 5:52 AM on May 30, 2013 [2 favorites]


The Hub is becoming a pretty cool channel all around. They're getting ready to start running "Wizards vs. Aliens" this Saturday, which was created by Doctor Who rebooter Russell T. Davies and is essentially the spiritual successor to "The Sarah Jane Adventures."
posted by jbickers at 6:15 AM on May 30, 2013 [2 favorites]


I will temper my loathing of Hasbro slightly.
posted by BrotherCaine at 6:21 AM on May 30, 2013


If actual superpowers are on the line, the question is completely different than asking it here and now.

Full disclosure: my "hell yeah" is valid only for full-on superpowers. Because I find walking even in hiking boots very uncomfortable. No way I'm wearing thigh-highs unless they enable me to fly.
posted by straight at 10:41 AM on May 30, 2013


What if they just make wearing them super-comfy?
posted by Drinky Die at 12:14 PM on May 30, 2013


My feet already have the superpower of being super-comfy without boots.
posted by straight at 1:23 PM on May 30, 2013


One important thing I'm not entirely clear on: he just ends up dressed like a girl, right? He doesn't actually change gender? If he's just in superheroine drag, that's one thing... but if he actually changes into a girl, that's more complicated and interesting.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 2:57 PM on May 30, 2013


Never mind. Courtesy of io9: "And one of the biggest misconceptions people have about SheZow is that Guy's body changes when he puts on the ring: it doesn't, says Wade. He's still a boy, just wearing a different outfit and hair. And the only ones who know that SheZow is a boy are his sister, his best friend Maz, and his supercomputer named Sheila — everybody else thinks SheZow is a girl."
posted by Ursula Hitler at 3:13 PM on May 30, 2013


That's just depressing.
posted by ooga_booga at 4:57 PM on May 30, 2013


isn't there a character like this in Dresden Files?

anyway based on another thread people here like dogs, so check out other Aussie cartoon Dog Star, which isn't about Keanu's Band but is rather like Star Wars, only about dogs and stuff
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 5:00 PM on May 30, 2013


Crossdressing boys need their own heroes as much as girls and transgender girls, just saying. Still haven't watched yet so I can't say if there is anything good here, but the standards to judge the gender politics of this show should be...flexible.

Don't hold SheZow to the standards of, "Is this a good girl superhero?" because it isn't one. Boys and even men who crossdress can get...well... obsessed with hyperfeminity and might be likely to choose an all pink outfit and might prefer to slap rather than punch because punching out of problems is something they are rejecting.

Based on the reviews this isn't a show deep enough to justify many excuses yet. For one thing, the ideal crossdressing superhero will obviously want to dress this way rather than see it as kind of a sacrifice, but I still really hope the show can be something more with a couple seasons down.

If there was a best path available to examine based on the initial setup as I understand it, it might be: "As a boy who must learn to express his strength in a manner normally associated with girls, how can I best express my own individual talents?"

Room to be great here, room to stink. Looking forward to finding out how it goes.
posted by Drinky Die at 5:14 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


they made a ShamWow show?
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 5:15 PM on May 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


Conservatives Condemn Gender-Bending ‘SheZow’ Cartoon For Promoting ‘Gender Confusion’
Focus on the Family is not happy about this gender-bending message for kids, as explained by the organization’s resident ex-gay, Jeff Johnston:
JOHNSTON: SheZow presents at a pop-culture level what transgender activists believe and what some academics have taught for years: that gender is completely socially constructed and that people can change genders… Instead of giving kids good role models to follow, this cartoon reflects our culture’s confusion about the two sexes, and kids don’t need that confused message.
Johnston regularly uses his platform at Focus on the Family’s CitizenLink outlet to trash transgender identities. He believes that trans identities are not “healthy” and are “problematic psychologically,” even suggesting that gender variation can be caused by sexual abuse. He also denies that gender is socially constructed and separate from sex, merely because none of the “other genders” can “replicate itself.” Focus on the Family regularly promotes ex-trans ministries, encouraging the use of shame to reject trans identities.

Despite its gender-bending premise, SheZow is not even about a transgender character. Instead, it simply sends the message that it’s okay to stray outside the rigid lines of gender norms, a sentiment which could go far to help reduce anti-LGBT bullying.
posted by zombieflanders at 11:02 AM on May 31, 2013


« Older "No! I'm Not okay!"   |   Modular synthesizer worship music done right Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments