There's a new TV character in town, a 12-year-old-boy-turned-girl-crime-fighter on Hub's new children's cartoon program, SheZow. Hub, a cable network owned by parent companies Discovery Communications and Hasbro Inc., is hoping their new superhero(ine) will bring in viewers and interest.
The Los Angeles Times reports:
In "SheZow," a 12-year-old boy – named Guy – uses a magic ring to transform himself into a legendary crime fighter. When evi lurks, Guy says, "You go, girl!" and becomes SheZow.
"When I first heard about the show, my reaction was 'Are you out of your minds?'" said Margaret Loesch, chief exeutive of the Hub. "Then I looked at it and thought, 'This is just funny.'"
Not everyone is as amused as Loesch however. Conservative blog Breitbart tagged "SheZow" with the moniker of "transsexual" and reported:
Nothing says “child-appropriate material” quite like gender-bending underage superheroes…That show follows the adventures of a 12-year-old boy named Guy who uses a magic ring to transform himself into a crime-fighting girl. Yes, you read that correctly. When Guy says the magic words – “You go girl!” – he becomes SheZow, wearing a purple skirt and cape, as well as pink gloves and white boots.
Breitbart also suggests that Loesch "may or may not have been high (and leftist) when she greenlit this project." The New York Daily News reported on GLAAD's response to the conservative backlash:
…a spokesman for GLAAD fired back that criticizing the animated series for "promoting" transgender themes is, well, cartoonish.
“This Breitbart News article is just a laughable attempt at attention seeking, comparable to Jerry Falwell attacking the Teletubbies, and demonstrates a profound ignorance of transgender people since this show doesn't include any,” said GLAAD’s Rich Ferraro.
"SheZow" represents a departure from the more gender-constricted programming readily available for young children. However, Hub sees the new show as a possible boon to their business, which is currently struggling against juggernauts like Nickelodeon and Disney:
…who knows, maybe if "SheZow" is a hit, Hasbro can start merchandising her white go-go boots, and her ring.
"We'll see, won't we?" Loesch said.
Watch the show's intro, AFTER THE JUMP…
