Nintendo Makes Mistake, Gives Internet Ideas
September 24, 2018 1:26 PM Subscribe
In a recent Nintendo Direct discussing the Switch port of New Super Mario Bros. Wii U, a new item was brought up - the Super Crown, which allows Toadette to become Peachette, who looks like Princess Peach and grants her many of Peach's usual platforming abilities.
Then, a Twitter user posted a comic of Bowser using the Super Crown to turn into a Peachesque bombshell...and the Internet was off and running.
The embracing of "Bowsette", as the design quickly was dubbed was rapid, with fans posting their interpretations of the concept. (And like most other times this has happened, Rule 34 has been at play here, so searching is definitely NSFW.) There has been even further speculation as to what the Super Crown would to to other characters, or having Peach don Bowser's shell (and become a bishonen prince in the process.)
The lesson here is simple - giving the internet ideas will go weird places.
Then, a Twitter user posted a comic of Bowser using the Super Crown to turn into a Peachesque bombshell...and the Internet was off and running.
The embracing of "Bowsette", as the design quickly was dubbed was rapid, with fans posting their interpretations of the concept. (And like most other times this has happened, Rule 34 has been at play here, so searching is definitely NSFW.) There has been even further speculation as to what the Super Crown would to to other characters, or having Peach don Bowser's shell (and become a bishonen prince in the process.)
The lesson here is simple - giving the internet ideas will go weird places.
There is already cosplay of it! The internet moves so fast these days. By the time I hit "Post Comment" here I'm sure we'll be onto the next thing with someone having already gotten a tat of it.
posted by GoblinHoney at 1:32 PM on September 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by GoblinHoney at 1:32 PM on September 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
The creator of the original comic, @ayyk92, has exploded in popularity and doesn't really know how to react.
posted by zekesonxx at 1:39 PM on September 24, 2018 [11 favorites]
posted by zekesonxx at 1:39 PM on September 24, 2018 [11 favorites]
man, all three (I assume) authors of Bowser/Mario slash mush have felt like it was Christmas, the Switch release and Summer Slam all rolled into one.
posted by GuyZero at 1:40 PM on September 24, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by GuyZero at 1:40 PM on September 24, 2018 [4 favorites]
By the time I hit "Post Comment" here I'm sure we'll be onto the next thing with someone having already gotten a tat of it.
I wonder if the instant meme-mification of content, the willingness for some people to get tattoos on a whim, and the cruelty of the internet for mocking people who appear out of touch with modern trends has lead to a boom in tattoo revisions and removals.
Back to the topic at hand: a favorite reply to ayyk92's freak-out: "I am Japanese. I am not good at English. But, I love your work. We have scared you. I am sorry. Because your work and ideas were wonderful. English is difficult for me and I can not convey it well. However, many Japanese people admire. I was rude Excuse me ..."
"We have scared you. I am sorry." is my favorite part of that reply, but the whole thing is so sweet and polite.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:43 PM on September 24, 2018 [41 favorites]
I wonder if the instant meme-mification of content, the willingness for some people to get tattoos on a whim, and the cruelty of the internet for mocking people who appear out of touch with modern trends has lead to a boom in tattoo revisions and removals.
Back to the topic at hand: a favorite reply to ayyk92's freak-out: "I am Japanese. I am not good at English. But, I love your work. We have scared you. I am sorry. Because your work and ideas were wonderful. English is difficult for me and I can not convey it well. However, many Japanese people admire. I was rude Excuse me ..."
"We have scared you. I am sorry." is my favorite part of that reply, but the whole thing is so sweet and polite.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:43 PM on September 24, 2018 [41 favorites]
SungWon "ProZD" Cho has an...interesting take on how this all happened.
posted by NoxAeternum at 1:47 PM on September 24, 2018 [29 favorites]
posted by NoxAeternum at 1:47 PM on September 24, 2018 [29 favorites]
And with that, we have the sleeper hit Halloween costume of 2018.
posted by neuracnu at 1:51 PM on September 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by neuracnu at 1:51 PM on September 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
Oh Prince Peach is adorable. I want a Bowsette X Prince Peach full comic please. I would pay money!
posted by stillnocturnal at 2:00 PM on September 24, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by stillnocturnal at 2:00 PM on September 24, 2018 [4 favorites]
Nintendo . . . Gives Internet Ideas
Sometimes I think of an old Far Side cartoon that was captioned simply: "Never, never do this."
posted by Countess Elena at 2:24 PM on September 24, 2018 [13 favorites]
Sometimes I think of an old Far Side cartoon that was captioned simply: "Never, never do this."
posted by Countess Elena at 2:24 PM on September 24, 2018 [13 favorites]
Bowsette can go live with Omlette on the Island of Compelling Fan Characters Who Can Never Be Offical (Because They're Fan Characters).
Also, this explains who Bowser Jr's actual mama is. (And why he might mistake Peach for his mama)
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 2:27 PM on September 24, 2018 [3 favorites]
Also, this explains who Bowser Jr's actual mama is. (And why he might mistake Peach for his mama)
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 2:27 PM on September 24, 2018 [3 favorites]
Oh, that explains that reddit post I saw earlier. Wasn’t really sure what a Bowsette was so I just kept scrolling.
posted by Caduceus at 2:45 PM on September 24, 2018
posted by Caduceus at 2:45 PM on September 24, 2018
wanna add that if you didn't want to fuck bowser before bowsette you're a fucking coward
posted by kmz at 2:46 PM on September 24, 2018 [8 favorites]
posted by kmz at 2:46 PM on September 24, 2018 [8 favorites]
This has been, of course, all over transfemme reddit/tumblr/internet.
Also, I suspect this may be partially explained by the "goth gf" meme which blew up out of nowhere, too.
posted by loquacious at 2:50 PM on September 24, 2018 [5 favorites]
Also, I suspect this may be partially explained by the "goth gf" meme which blew up out of nowhere, too.
posted by loquacious at 2:50 PM on September 24, 2018 [5 favorites]
Awwww transfemme Bowsette is so happy!
posted by nicebookrack at 2:54 PM on September 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by nicebookrack at 2:54 PM on September 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
Would have suspect same if Mastodon but it’s mainly just Myst there right. Maybe I follow the wrong people.
posted by Artw at 2:54 PM on September 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Artw at 2:54 PM on September 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
Chompsette is the funniest thing I’ve seen all year.
posted by Caduceus at 2:55 PM on September 24, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by Caduceus at 2:55 PM on September 24, 2018 [4 favorites]
My preferred Chompsette is this extremely cute one.
posted by rifflesby at 3:16 PM on September 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by rifflesby at 3:16 PM on September 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
Also it turns out Bloopette already existed.
posted by rifflesby at 3:18 PM on September 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by rifflesby at 3:18 PM on September 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
It really disturbs me that everyone's LOLing about these hypersexualized images because sh*t like this passes for normal on the internet. Upset about GG? Rape culture? The horrible treatment of women? Then you should be equally upset about this garbage.
posted by papercake at 3:23 PM on September 24, 2018 [9 favorites]
posted by papercake at 3:23 PM on September 24, 2018 [9 favorites]
This has NOTHING to do with Sha Na Na.
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 3:35 PM on September 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 3:35 PM on September 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
> the Super Crown, which allows Toadette to become Peachette...
I thought the other FPP was the new politics post?
posted by rokusan at 3:35 PM on September 24, 2018 [4 favorites]
I thought the other FPP was the new politics post?
posted by rokusan at 3:35 PM on September 24, 2018 [4 favorites]
Or.... or.... maybe we can appreciate gender bending and trans-positive representation and people being happy about the physical appearance they want to have rather than the one they were shoehorned into at birth.
posted by seanmpuckett at 3:36 PM on September 24, 2018 [43 favorites]
posted by seanmpuckett at 3:36 PM on September 24, 2018 [43 favorites]
haha dangit. I saw that Bloopette link by RobotHero above, loved it, posted it to Slack, then said to myself "Oh I should share that in the Metafilter thread..."
posted by rifflesby at 3:44 PM on September 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by rifflesby at 3:44 PM on September 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
I will hold B and dash right past the discussion of whether it's a good idea to make sure every children's cartoon character gets reimagined as suitably fuckable in the fullness of time and ask The Internet if we can stop referring to every mildly notable online event as the Breaking and/or Destruction of The Internet because it's still here god damn it
posted by prize bull octorok at 3:47 PM on September 24, 2018 [18 favorites]
posted by prize bull octorok at 3:47 PM on September 24, 2018 [18 favorites]
Me: What about Walu— oh wait, there it is in the kotaku article
Though the best one in there is definitely baguette.
posted by ckape at 3:50 PM on September 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
Though the best one in there is definitely baguette.
posted by ckape at 3:50 PM on September 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
including Nintendo possibly jumping on board? Nintendo of America
posted by cfraenkel at 3:53 PM on September 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by cfraenkel at 3:53 PM on September 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
Admittedly, "What if this nonfuckable thing, but fuckable?" was a tired cliché long before any of us were alive, and Bowsette in particular is doing nothing on the "Feminine people don't need to be 100% fuckable all the time" front.
That said, like seanmpuckett points out there's a nontrivial amount of people who desperately wish there was some item they could acquire that could magically make them sexy and feminine and that's something worth supporting.
In my mind that's what makes this different than the endless stream of fuckable battleships and operating systems and video game consoles and philosophers and scientists and everything else that have come before.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 3:54 PM on September 24, 2018 [5 favorites]
That said, like seanmpuckett points out there's a nontrivial amount of people who desperately wish there was some item they could acquire that could magically make them sexy and feminine and that's something worth supporting.
In my mind that's what makes this different than the endless stream of fuckable battleships and operating systems and video game consoles and philosophers and scientists and everything else that have come before.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 3:54 PM on September 24, 2018 [5 favorites]
Or.... or.... maybe we can appreciate gender bending and trans-positive representation and people being happy about the physical appearance they want to have rather than the one they were shoehorned into at birth.
This is how I parsed it as well: one of the spectrum of memes coming from the (non-reactionary-leaning parts of the) internet embracing a polymorphous fluidity of identity. Fuck your conservative norms, it says; why shouldn't it be Mario and Bowser if they both want it to be?
posted by acb at 3:54 PM on September 24, 2018 [3 favorites]
This is how I parsed it as well: one of the spectrum of memes coming from the (non-reactionary-leaning parts of the) internet embracing a polymorphous fluidity of identity. Fuck your conservative norms, it says; why shouldn't it be Mario and Bowser if they both want it to be?
posted by acb at 3:54 PM on September 24, 2018 [3 favorites]
To be honest, the Mario universe was always an ontologically-troubled place.
Here's a Polygon article which looks into some of the Super Crown's racial and social implications.
posted by truex at 3:55 PM on September 24, 2018 [3 favorites]
Here's a Polygon article which looks into some of the Super Crown's racial and social implications.
posted by truex at 3:55 PM on September 24, 2018 [3 favorites]
(That link is to a parody account, cfrankel. This will never, ever, ever be official.)
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 3:55 PM on September 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 3:55 PM on September 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
including Nintendo possibly jumping on board? Nintendo of America
[...]
@NirtendoAmerica - Welcome to the UNofficial Nintendo profile for gaming news! We’re listening, too. For memes and fun tweets to retweet, follow this account. [PARODY ACCOUNT]
Remember, check for typos & verification before sharing something that looks too on-the-nose to be true
posted by CrystalDave at 3:55 PM on September 24, 2018
[...]
@NirtendoAmerica - Welcome to the UNofficial Nintendo profile for gaming news! We’re listening, too. For memes and fun tweets to retweet, follow this account. [PARODY ACCOUNT]
Remember, check for typos & verification before sharing something that looks too on-the-nose to be true
posted by CrystalDave at 3:55 PM on September 24, 2018
imagine if MAGA hats worked like this - oh, god, no, no, no, no ....
posted by pyramid termite at 4:04 PM on September 24, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by pyramid termite at 4:04 PM on September 24, 2018 [4 favorites]
SungWon "ProZD" Cho has an...interesting take on how this all happened.
When he is on, this guy is probably the funniest human being on the planet.
posted by The Bellman at 4:06 PM on September 24, 2018 [4 favorites]
When he is on, this guy is probably the funniest human being on the planet.
posted by The Bellman at 4:06 PM on September 24, 2018 [4 favorites]
For the record I haven't formed much of an opinion about this beyond that I find most transfemme memes (co-opted or organic) to be baffling or twee at best anyway, and that the Super Mario world has been weird and problematic many times, including Birdo.
posted by loquacious at 4:07 PM on September 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by loquacious at 4:07 PM on September 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
Speaking of Birdo, an artist on Tumblr did a very positive drawing of her using the Super Crown.
posted by NoxAeternum at 4:18 PM on September 24, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by NoxAeternum at 4:18 PM on September 24, 2018 [3 favorites]
SungWon "ProZD" Cho has an...interesting take on how this all happened.
The only thing I find wrong with this theory is that alarm would bring ringing every moment of every day.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 4:20 PM on September 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
The only thing I find wrong with this theory is that alarm would bring ringing every moment of every day.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 4:20 PM on September 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
I've been delighted by this entire turn of events. I saw it crop up on Imgur in the middle of last week and I was waiting for someone to post about it. :D
posted by Fizz at 4:23 PM on September 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 4:23 PM on September 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
Oh god yeah Imgur is just wall to wall bowsettes it's amazing.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 4:25 PM on September 24, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 4:25 PM on September 24, 2018 [3 favorites]
> people who desperately wish there was some item they could acquire that could magically make them sexy and feminine
Hello and welcome to every piece of fiction I've ever written.
posted by glonous keming at 4:31 PM on September 24, 2018 [14 favorites]
Hello and welcome to every piece of fiction I've ever written.
posted by glonous keming at 4:31 PM on September 24, 2018 [14 favorites]
There are some more conscientious bowsers & there's a lot of butch love going on as well.
Though yes on the other hand I did see some comment like, "all of this = every alt-right twitter avatar a week from now."
posted by fleacircus at 4:39 PM on September 24, 2018 [12 favorites]
Though yes on the other hand I did see some comment like, "all of this = every alt-right twitter avatar a week from now."
posted by fleacircus at 4:39 PM on September 24, 2018 [12 favorites]
The naming convention for this seems wrong. If Toadette puts on the Super Crown and becomes Peachette, then when Bowser puts on the Super Crown shouldn't he become "Peachser" or something, not Bowsette?
posted by ultraviolet catastrophe at 4:52 PM on September 24, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by ultraviolet catastrophe at 4:52 PM on September 24, 2018 [4 favorites]
Prince Peacher is the best one of these so far, thank you for sharing it with me. I'm enamored.
posted by Mizu at 5:26 PM on September 24, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Mizu at 5:26 PM on September 24, 2018 [3 favorites]
I mean I really like the ones where Peach sees Bowsette and is smitten.
posted by emjaybee at 6:11 PM on September 24, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by emjaybee at 6:11 PM on September 24, 2018 [7 favorites]
> The naming convention for this seems wrong... shouldn't he become "Peachser" or something, not Bowsette?
I mean, -gate for every scandal not in the hotel also made no sense, but here we are.
I think there's a name for this phenomenon in linguistics and/or semiotics, using the funny soundalike version instead of one that makes derivative sense. The funny soundalike catches on and takes over immediately because it's understood... but remembering that term or using it correctly is above my pay grade.
posted by rokusan at 6:30 PM on September 24, 2018 [3 favorites]
I mean, -gate for every scandal not in the hotel also made no sense, but here we are.
I think there's a name for this phenomenon in linguistics and/or semiotics, using the funny soundalike version instead of one that makes derivative sense. The funny soundalike catches on and takes over immediately because it's understood... but remembering that term or using it correctly is above my pay grade.
posted by rokusan at 6:30 PM on September 24, 2018 [3 favorites]
Is everybody really pretending that Mario Super Sluggers didn’t canonically make Toadsworth Princess Peach’s grandfather? I mean come I .
posted by Navelgazer at 6:39 PM on September 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Navelgazer at 6:39 PM on September 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
Also what percentage of this is due to Mario lore having so few strong female characters? Especially when Mario genders seem to be "Princess" and "Everyone else"? Maybe fans wouldn't have jumped on this so hard if there was more than Peach, Brunette Peach, and Space Peach.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 6:41 PM on September 24, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 6:41 PM on September 24, 2018 [7 favorites]
I think "relexicalization" is the term for that, if I'm remembering right. Like how the origin of the term would have us divide it into "helico-" and "-pter", but that's hard to Englishify with, so we say "heli-pad" and "gyro-copter" instead.
posted by traveler_ at 6:44 PM on September 24, 2018 [12 favorites]
posted by traveler_ at 6:44 PM on September 24, 2018 [12 favorites]
> It really disturbs me that everyone's LOLing about these hypersexualized images because sh*t like this passes for normal on the internet. Upset about GG? Rape culture? The horrible treatment of women? Then you should be equally upset about this garbage.
I agree that the Constantly Cresting and Unceasing Tidal Wave of Horniness that underpins so much of what we do on the internet is pretty unseemly, but how does this momentary alliance between transformation fetishists, rule 34 artists, and Mario fans possibly rival the organized harassment campaign or the institutionalized misogyny you've invoked? Even if the vast majority of gender-swap artwork and erotica is about horny straight cis men objectifying and degrading characters by transforming them into women, that doesn't stop nonconforming gender and trans folx from repurposing these characters and ideas for their own purposes, and I can attest that the Super Crown has permitted such repurposing for dozens of character variations from Nintendo's franchises, to say nothing of the many people who just think that this is Neat.
Rape is usually about a man asserting his power over someone else. This is emphatically not that.
> The naming convention for this seems wrong... shouldn't he become "Peachser" or something, not Bowsette?
I think what's happening here is complicated because Toadette's name is already a derivative of Toad's, and so if her name is going to be used in other constructions, the -ette suffix is the only part that's uniquely hers. You just can't combine Toad + Peach in a snappy way without also invoking the original Toad. I agree that it would make more sense for other combinations to reference Peach rather than Toadette, which is why I think this character should really just be named "Princess Bowser". But Bowsette sounds better.
posted by jsnlxndrlv at 9:14 PM on September 24, 2018 [24 favorites]
I agree that the Constantly Cresting and Unceasing Tidal Wave of Horniness that underpins so much of what we do on the internet is pretty unseemly, but how does this momentary alliance between transformation fetishists, rule 34 artists, and Mario fans possibly rival the organized harassment campaign or the institutionalized misogyny you've invoked? Even if the vast majority of gender-swap artwork and erotica is about horny straight cis men objectifying and degrading characters by transforming them into women, that doesn't stop nonconforming gender and trans folx from repurposing these characters and ideas for their own purposes, and I can attest that the Super Crown has permitted such repurposing for dozens of character variations from Nintendo's franchises, to say nothing of the many people who just think that this is Neat.
Rape is usually about a man asserting his power over someone else. This is emphatically not that.
> The naming convention for this seems wrong... shouldn't he become "Peachser" or something, not Bowsette?
I think what's happening here is complicated because Toadette's name is already a derivative of Toad's, and so if her name is going to be used in other constructions, the -ette suffix is the only part that's uniquely hers. You just can't combine Toad + Peach in a snappy way without also invoking the original Toad. I agree that it would make more sense for other combinations to reference Peach rather than Toadette, which is why I think this character should really just be named "Princess Bowser". But Bowsette sounds better.
posted by jsnlxndrlv at 9:14 PM on September 24, 2018 [24 favorites]
So as not to abuse the edit window, I also really liked this take from tumblr user dexer-von-dexer on why they think Bowsette is so popular:
"1. It’s surprisingly wholesome. Sure there’s lots of nsfw art now, but ayyk92′s original comic wasn’t sexual at all, and fully respects the characters.
"2. It transgresses boundaries, but in wholesome ways. The idea that Bowser and Mario would respect Peach’s rejection and go on rebound dates is hilarious. The idea that they’d immediately put aside their long-standing feud and date each other is hilarious. The idea that Bowser didn’t necessarily want Peach but just wanted someone to love him, and that even Mario would do, is hilarious. The idea that Bowser would willingly become Mario’s Peach replacement after he himself chased after Peach for so long is hilarious. And it results in basically a happy ending for everyone.
"3. It’s not necessarily “what if Bowser was a sexy woman,” it’s just “Bowser, but Peach.” There are no negative judgments or statements inherent in the existence of Bowsette, it can mean what you want it to mean. Lots of people make it weird of course, but there’s nothing inherently wrong with it.
"4. It’s an incredibly simple idea to get across. The original comic is only four panels and barely has any dialogue, which makes it very accessible.
"5. It uses only in-canon items, or at least how they’re to be understood. No weird contrivances, just the newly revealed Super Crown. It’s Nintendo’s own damn fault for breaking their own lore
"6. Ayyk92′s Bowsette design is fantastic. It’s simple, recognizable, and creative, reimagining a fusion of Peach’s dress and Bowser’s studded armbands as a “goth punk lolita dress,” which is surprisingly tasteful and surprisingly fits the character. You can instantly tell it’s the same old Bowser, only Peachified.
"7. Given the above two, it sets the stage for artists to make their own interpretations of Super Crown’d characters. It doesn’t even have to be a genderbend, some artists have even used the Super Crown to make Bowser a buff samurai king, or to make a humanized Birdo. The concept is infinitely remixable.
"Given all this it’s no wonder that it just exploded out of nowhere. It’s a perfect recipe-slash-excuse for creativity with a wide range of appeal from lewd to funny to wholesome. I for one welcome our new Koopa Mom Overlord"
posted by jsnlxndrlv at 9:23 PM on September 24, 2018 [43 favorites]
"1. It’s surprisingly wholesome. Sure there’s lots of nsfw art now, but ayyk92′s original comic wasn’t sexual at all, and fully respects the characters.
"2. It transgresses boundaries, but in wholesome ways. The idea that Bowser and Mario would respect Peach’s rejection and go on rebound dates is hilarious. The idea that they’d immediately put aside their long-standing feud and date each other is hilarious. The idea that Bowser didn’t necessarily want Peach but just wanted someone to love him, and that even Mario would do, is hilarious. The idea that Bowser would willingly become Mario’s Peach replacement after he himself chased after Peach for so long is hilarious. And it results in basically a happy ending for everyone.
"3. It’s not necessarily “what if Bowser was a sexy woman,” it’s just “Bowser, but Peach.” There are no negative judgments or statements inherent in the existence of Bowsette, it can mean what you want it to mean. Lots of people make it weird of course, but there’s nothing inherently wrong with it.
"4. It’s an incredibly simple idea to get across. The original comic is only four panels and barely has any dialogue, which makes it very accessible.
"5. It uses only in-canon items, or at least how they’re to be understood. No weird contrivances, just the newly revealed Super Crown. It’s Nintendo’s own damn fault for breaking their own lore
"6. Ayyk92′s Bowsette design is fantastic. It’s simple, recognizable, and creative, reimagining a fusion of Peach’s dress and Bowser’s studded armbands as a “goth punk lolita dress,” which is surprisingly tasteful and surprisingly fits the character. You can instantly tell it’s the same old Bowser, only Peachified.
"7. Given the above two, it sets the stage for artists to make their own interpretations of Super Crown’d characters. It doesn’t even have to be a genderbend, some artists have even used the Super Crown to make Bowser a buff samurai king, or to make a humanized Birdo. The concept is infinitely remixable.
"Given all this it’s no wonder that it just exploded out of nowhere. It’s a perfect recipe-slash-excuse for creativity with a wide range of appeal from lewd to funny to wholesome. I for one welcome our new Koopa Mom Overlord"
posted by jsnlxndrlv at 9:23 PM on September 24, 2018 [43 favorites]
I am unaccountably delighted and fascinated by all this. Sometimes I love the Internet.
And with that, we have the sleeper hit Halloween costume of 2018
Way ahead of you; already going through my closet to see if I can pull off a decent Prince Peacher.
posted by junques at 10:24 PM on September 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
And with that, we have the sleeper hit Halloween costume of 2018
Way ahead of you; already going through my closet to see if I can pull off a decent Prince Peacher.
posted by junques at 10:24 PM on September 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
It’s surprisingly wholesome.
Bit of a tang of bimbification?
posted by Segundus at 11:31 PM on September 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
Bit of a tang of bimbification?
posted by Segundus at 11:31 PM on September 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
If wearing this crown makes Bowser look like Peach, and Peach is also wearing a crown, isn't it then likely that Peach's crown is also transforming her? What does she look like without a crown?
posted by BinaryApe at 12:34 AM on September 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
posted by BinaryApe at 12:34 AM on September 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
> ...Given all this it’s no wonder that it just exploded out of nowhere.Stormy Daniels associated that horribly evocative mental image of Trump with poor Toad just 3-4 days before the original Bowsette cartoon appeared; I think many of the creative and meme-steeped minds (at least in the U.S.) revolted by ToadTrump are subconsciously running with Bowsette as a form of therapeutic brainbleach.
posted by Fiberoptic Zebroid and The Hypnagogic Jerks at 2:56 AM on September 25, 2018 [9 favorites]
So the crown is like royal jelly for toads? I guess Peach is the queen toad and all the other toads are her worker toad offspring. And Mario, Luigi, Wario and Waluigi are all drones. Maybe Bowser is a soldier toad? More research needed.
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 3:14 AM on September 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 3:14 AM on September 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
So the crown is like royal jelly for toads?
Yes, this was my first thought upon seeing Peachette. We finally have an explanation for the willingness of the mushroom kingdom's citizens to put up with what is seemingly a conquering despot in Princess Peach. It's not that she's not a toad, it's that she's a toad that has been bestowed her Princess crown and thus transformed into the Peach. Logically, Princess Daisy is also a transformed toad. So probably, when one Princess has reached the logical end of her rule, or if the kingdom has grown too large and needs to split, another crown would be made/found/grown? and given to another worthy toad.
The thought that went on after that was that maybe when the Mario bros first showed up in the Mushroom Kingdom, all the toads thought that their hats were a weird version of the crowns and they must be worthy of respect and help, and also that if the hats ever came off, they'd transform back into toad versions. The shock of it all! Poor scandalized Toad when first Mario doffed his cap! What had they done, bestowing such honor upon these fearsome creatures from another realm? Obviously, everyone's over it by Mario Odyssey.
posted by Mizu at 5:17 AM on September 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
Yes, this was my first thought upon seeing Peachette. We finally have an explanation for the willingness of the mushroom kingdom's citizens to put up with what is seemingly a conquering despot in Princess Peach. It's not that she's not a toad, it's that she's a toad that has been bestowed her Princess crown and thus transformed into the Peach. Logically, Princess Daisy is also a transformed toad. So probably, when one Princess has reached the logical end of her rule, or if the kingdom has grown too large and needs to split, another crown would be made/found/grown? and given to another worthy toad.
The thought that went on after that was that maybe when the Mario bros first showed up in the Mushroom Kingdom, all the toads thought that their hats were a weird version of the crowns and they must be worthy of respect and help, and also that if the hats ever came off, they'd transform back into toad versions. The shock of it all! Poor scandalized Toad when first Mario doffed his cap! What had they done, bestowing such honor upon these fearsome creatures from another realm? Obviously, everyone's over it by Mario Odyssey.
posted by Mizu at 5:17 AM on September 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
Listen, the whole "point" of Rule 34 is that people will make porn out of literally everything. There's Mister Rogers porn out there, I guarantee you. The fact that something has a porn version is an indictment of people who make porn drawings, not the original thing itself.
There's nothing inherently weird or gross or sexual about envisioning gender-transformed versions of Nintendo characters, any more than there was when people were passing around gender-transformed "Disney Prince" characters ages ago. I mean, unless you think that trans people are inherently weird or gross or sexual, but if so that's about you, not fanart creators.
posted by tobascodagama at 5:28 AM on September 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
There's nothing inherently weird or gross or sexual about envisioning gender-transformed versions of Nintendo characters, any more than there was when people were passing around gender-transformed "Disney Prince" characters ages ago. I mean, unless you think that trans people are inherently weird or gross or sexual, but if so that's about you, not fanart creators.
posted by tobascodagama at 5:28 AM on September 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
The problem with this is it's very hard to distinguish Bowsette from the larger trend of "What if this thing, but fuckable?"
The former is actually pretty wholesome as jsnlxndrlv laid out, the latter sums up the entire history of how men relate to women and has long predated Bowsette and will continue long after Bowsette is forgotten. There's a reason why Truth is depicted as she is in this painting, and it's not because nubile young women are particularly known for truthfulness.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 6:03 AM on September 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
The former is actually pretty wholesome as jsnlxndrlv laid out, the latter sums up the entire history of how men relate to women and has long predated Bowsette and will continue long after Bowsette is forgotten. There's a reason why Truth is depicted as she is in this painting, and it's not because nubile young women are particularly known for truthfulness.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 6:03 AM on September 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
The Mushroom Kingdom is simply one Kingdom in a larger world of Mario. I think that there was a Turtle Kingdom at some point, a divergence of the evolution of dinosaurs (such as Birdo, and minor enemies like Rex and Dino Rhino). Yoshi seems to have a shell/saddle so he may be a "missing link" between turtles and dinos, and I think that perhaps Goombas:Toads :: Neanderthals:Humans. I do not think Bowser is a type of Toad.
Mario and Luigi are humans who originally got stranded there via a magic pipe. My assumption was that with Princess Toadstool is that she was also from the human world, but she arrived very long ago and became a fixture. It's sort of a Peter Pan scenario where the world keeps her from maturing, thus Toadsworth can be her "grandpa" in an emotional sense even if she is older than him.
Therefore I think the crowns are magic items created by a wizard/magikoopa as homage to the immortal Princess rather than something that she personally uses to maintain form. Shape-changing already happens in Mario World quite a bit - outfits are power, like Mario's classic tanooki suit. This is simply another one of those magic outfits which gives you the abilities and appearance of a particular creature or object and it was spawned with the intent to make a person Peachier.
posted by one of these days at 8:34 AM on September 25, 2018 [5 favorites]
Mario and Luigi are humans who originally got stranded there via a magic pipe. My assumption was that with Princess Toadstool is that she was also from the human world, but she arrived very long ago and became a fixture. It's sort of a Peter Pan scenario where the world keeps her from maturing, thus Toadsworth can be her "grandpa" in an emotional sense even if she is older than him.
Therefore I think the crowns are magic items created by a wizard/magikoopa as homage to the immortal Princess rather than something that she personally uses to maintain form. Shape-changing already happens in Mario World quite a bit - outfits are power, like Mario's classic tanooki suit. This is simply another one of those magic outfits which gives you the abilities and appearance of a particular creature or object and it was spawned with the intent to make a person Peachier.
posted by one of these days at 8:34 AM on September 25, 2018 [5 favorites]
If you look closely at her crown, Peach has fully absorbed the mushroom that was in the super crown which created her, so at this point removing her crown will probably not do anything to her. Compare with the just-transformed Peachette whose crown still has the visible mushroom cap in it.
The understanding of the super crown being like royal jelly helps reconcile the Mario game canon with the plot of the live-action film, but also means that while everyone is celebrating Bowsette, what she actually represents is an attempt from a hostile foreign leader to usurp power.
posted by ckape at 9:24 AM on September 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
The understanding of the super crown being like royal jelly helps reconcile the Mario game canon with the plot of the live-action film, but also means that while everyone is celebrating Bowsette, what she actually represents is an attempt from a hostile foreign leader to usurp power.
posted by ckape at 9:24 AM on September 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
Look guys just trust me people were perfectly capable of hypersexualizing Bowser before this last week. There are lots and lots of horny pictures of a VERY MASCULINE Bowser out there. Lots of horny pictures of his daughter Wendy Koopa too, not so many horny pictures of her six brothers for whatever reason.
posted by egypturnash at 10:32 AM on September 25, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by egypturnash at 10:32 AM on September 25, 2018 [7 favorites]
Remember when Bowser/Luigi romance took Tumblr by storm a few years ago? Among the various other nuanced reasons for Bowsette's popularity more eloquently stated above, I think people have a deep abiding nostalgic affection for Bowser as a character, and we enjoy seeing Bowser wholesomely happy in ways not done for an antagonist in canon. "You are Bad Guy, but you are not bad guy."
The happiness is the significant element for me of all the ette-ified characters, Bowsette, Chompette, etc. I don't think this meme idea would have caught fire so quickly with such resonance if the original joke had been the common fantasy fiction trope of a traumatic magical sex-swap forced on Bowser to his horror or annoyance. Nor would the idea have been so resonant if it were an alternate universe, always assigned-female-at-birth Bowsette; there has been lots of Genderswapped AU Mario Universe art created before. This is a trans Bowsette who is happy to be herself, and that's what makes her so endearing.
posted by nicebookrack at 11:33 AM on September 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
The happiness is the significant element for me of all the ette-ified characters, Bowsette, Chompette, etc. I don't think this meme idea would have caught fire so quickly with such resonance if the original joke had been the common fantasy fiction trope of a traumatic magical sex-swap forced on Bowser to his horror or annoyance. Nor would the idea have been so resonant if it were an alternate universe, always assigned-female-at-birth Bowsette; there has been lots of Genderswapped AU Mario Universe art created before. This is a trans Bowsette who is happy to be herself, and that's what makes her so endearing.
posted by nicebookrack at 11:33 AM on September 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
naturally after I write long rambly paragraphs above I find the trans Twitter tweet that says the same thing better in four sentences
posted by nicebookrack at 11:42 AM on September 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by nicebookrack at 11:42 AM on September 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
VERY MASCULINE Bowser out there. Lots of horny pictures of his daughter Wendy Koopa too
Now I really want a Springsteen song set in the mushroom kingdom.
posted by rokusan at 12:04 PM on September 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
Now I really want a Springsteen song set in the mushroom kingdom.
posted by rokusan at 12:04 PM on September 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
Didn't see the Boo version posted here yet. It's even more wholesome and fun. And 1000% gother.
posted by explosion at 4:39 AM on September 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by explosion at 4:39 AM on September 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
Peachyboo is now my new most favorite thing ever!
posted by sharp pointy objects at 6:34 AM on September 26, 2018
posted by sharp pointy objects at 6:34 AM on September 26, 2018
Didn't see the Boo version posted here yet. It's even more wholesome and fun. And 1000% gother.
Taakoween!
posted by FatherDagon at 7:10 AM on September 26, 2018
Taakoween!
posted by FatherDagon at 7:10 AM on September 26, 2018
From reddit today - some things just can't be improved!
posted by Greasy Eyed Gristle Man at 7:46 AM on September 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by Greasy Eyed Gristle Man at 7:46 AM on September 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
Genderswaps of the genderswaps
posted by vibratory manner of working at 10:59 AM on September 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by vibratory manner of working at 10:59 AM on September 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
waluigiette
with surprise guest
posted by vibratory manner of working at 5:10 PM on September 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
with surprise guest
posted by vibratory manner of working at 5:10 PM on September 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
This thread has been pretty great.
posted by mhoye at 8:40 AM on September 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by mhoye at 8:40 AM on September 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
Nintendo reveals it invented “Bowsette” before the Internet did -- New "Art of Super Mario Odyssey" book shows official tease of a Bowser-ized Peach. (Sam Machkovech for Ars Technica, Sept. 28, 2018)
posted by filthy light thief at 9:09 AM on October 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
... as Nintendo itself revealed on Friday, fans' creation wasn't all that original... as Nintendo had already toyed with the idea itself.I'm glad that the internet took it farther and beyond, because this is a fun thread.So in THE ART OF SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY that came out in Japan today, there's an scrapped concept of Bowser taking over Peach's body with his own version of Cappy.... it was eventually removed, so here's that image for you.
Kind of surreal how there could have been an "official" Bowsette long before the fan one took over the internet. pic.twitter.com/gSMOqNDKKf
— Nao (@Sakusuru) September 28, 2018
posted by filthy light thief at 9:09 AM on October 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
If you need some body horror with your Bowsette.
posted by NoxAeternum at 8:02 PM on October 18, 2018
posted by NoxAeternum at 8:02 PM on October 18, 2018
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posted by Krazor at 1:28 PM on September 24, 2018 [3 favorites]