Meta - Blog Posts
the way obi-wan is the first to hold the children, the one who actually welcomes them into the world, it's the way he looks at baby luke with SUCH WONDER, HOPE, DEEPEST SORROW & LOVE
something something the way obi-wan & padme are each other's proxies which enables the transference of motherhood and how obi-wan is the one who gets 'cradling a new born child' close-up shot usually reserved for the mother instead.
*foaming at the mouth in utter derangment* isn't it....isn't it ironic how lucas said he needed vader as the father but needed a father figure so he created obi-wan for the OG trilogy, but the prequels accidentally (and unintentionally) place him in the narrative position of the mother.
by have him directly take over from padme; both LITERALLY and SYMBOLICALLY. their similarities in demeanour, personalities and their relation to anakin - as apologists, as devotees, as those who believe in him- makes their narrative roles transferrable.
how making padme die in childbirth and obi-wan be the first to hold the children to - figuratively- be the one who brings them into this world, keeps them safe and watches over them makes him a mother figure in exile, in direct opposition to anakin.
maiden -> mother -> crone
quotes from:
time of death by cavan scott
lone wolf by abel g. pena
Turns out people really like me waffling about Narnia on Twitter.
So here’s a more hopeful spin on Susan Pevensie. (From the author’s pen to your eyeballs.)
Storify link.
Whats up with Hei Hei in some of the Moana promo art and posters? Like
And like
And even????
He’s so angry and ready to Throw Down
But then in actuality he’s just
Disney explain
As a person with a liberal arts degree who basically has never worked in the field for which she studied, I submit to you that Patty Tolan could potentially hold at the very least a Bachelor’s in American History.
Statistically, Black women are the most educated, degree-holding group in America, and STEM degrees are not the only ones that matter.
She could also potentially be an autodidact, but there’s no reason she has to be.
STEM degrees are not the only ones that matter. Those of us with advanced degrees who are underemployed know this. Hell, several STEM degree holders are also underemployed.
Picture Patricia Tolan’s Master thesis on the history of capital punishment in New York being how she identified that ghost in the subway and tell me that isn’t fucking awesome.
Why is a third of \#photography just naked/half-naked women (with no specific tags)?
I can't wait until I've followed enough people to unfollow this tag.
so i see a lot of people talking about how the asoiaf fandom treats it’s female characters today and i figured that i would give my two cents on it (also, it gives me a reason to procrastinate writing my history essay lmao).
first off, read this post by @maesterleia because they explained my exact thoughts better than i ever could.
female characters are treated are with a double standard compared to male character – which, unfortunately, is very typical in all fandoms but it seems to be taken to the extreme in asoiaf, a book series that does everything possible to make it’s characters as nuanced and shaded grey as possible. and while most of the male characters are analyzed with that in mind, every female character either must be a) a perfect woman that has never done or even think a wrong thing or b) an evil, scheming seductress who’s probably going to end up a worse war criminal than tywin lannister.
forget nuance, forget complexities of the human nature, forget being human – women are not allowed to be flawed here and if they are, they must be a villain. it’s like @maesterleia wrote in their post “Why is a female character having flaws seen as detrimental? Because this mindset is rooted in the idea that only villainous female characters are allowed to have flaws. Cersei, for example, can be dissected and analyzed critically because she’s on the villainous side of the narrative. She’s complex and sympathetic, but still largely classified as a villain (generally), and therefore, she is–according to this mindset–allowed to be flawed.”
it’s a ridiculous ideology and the cause of so many stupid and pointless fandom wars. the idea that a hero that happens to be female must be free of any flaws or arcs where they battle with their own morality when male characters like jon snow or robb stark is judged the same way makes no sense to me.
why isn’t jon judged for the way he called myrcella “insipid” for smiling at robb and being an eight year old girl or how he was classist and insensitive to his other night watch’s recruits in the beginning of agot the same way sansa was mean and insensitive to arya? why isn’t robb talked about descending into madness or dictatorship after he ordered the execution of rickard stark the same way daenerys is talked about after she ordered the execution of the slave masters? why is tywin admired for being ambitious but cersei or margaery or arianne is called a scheming slut for having ambitions too? why isn’t ned shamed for taking a young theon away from his home and culture and forcing him to live as a hostage the same way catelyn is shamed for not being a mother to her husband’s bastard? hell, why is jaime considered to be morally superior than cersei, who yes is a very bad and terrible person, when he tried to kill an eight year old boy and still shows no remorse, why he is the good lannister and worthy of redemption but cersei is not?
the unfair and ridiculous double standard is of no use when it comes to analyzing the female characters and the only thing it does is caused the fandom to pit women against each other. the “sansa vs daenerys” debate or the “arya vs sansa” or the “elia vs lyanna” debate, all discussion full of misogyny – deciding which character is better by saying who hasn’t done any wrong things (all of them have done some not-so-great things and all of have them done even more great things, give it a break guys) or who’s better by who’s more feminine or who’s less feminine (ridiculous AND sexist, especially considering it’s possible to be both feminine and masculine and not just one or the other). This also goes hand in hand with the idea that there is only allowed to be One female character that can be the hero in the series and all the others must be either be their enemy or something to prop them up – all while most of the fandom can find it in themselves to have multiple complex male characters in their heart.
the whole ideology that male characters can have flaws and make mistake and still be considered capable of redemption, or capable of learning, or still a good person while such ideas can’t be afforded to female characters is fucking toxic and a great way to make a fandom unbearable to be in.
The book is called Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams
Hey did you know there's a tell all book about the behind the scenes of Meta and the author is forbidden from promoting it?
The good news is however that it's already published and can't be stifled and whoever didn't sign the NDA can promote it as much as they want.
If you don't want meta to train their ai on your posts, photos+captions and comments please object here:
You have the right to object, so take advantage of it
I can't change the names and sell my fanfic because it was written under the premise that people already have the requisite background knowledge to enjoy it.
They already know who everyone is and how they're all connected to each other, what the plot is, what all the locations are, etc.
If I changed the names and tried to sell it, I'd have to also write the backstory.
The summary of my first story is this:
I wish I could say that my breakup with Kim was sudden. Or that it was entirely my fault. Or that it was completely my decision, un-influenced by anything or anyone else. But none of that is true. But like all good stories, we start at the beginning…
Which gets people interested because they know who Kim and Ron are and that they dated, and want to know what caused them to breakup.
However, if I changed the names:
I wish I could say that my breakup with Katie was sudden. Or that it was entirely my fault. Or that it was completely my decision, un-influenced by anything or anyone else. But none of that is true. But like all good stories, we start at the beginning…
You get a terrible romance with a lot of drama that no one wants to read, due in no small part to them not knowing who these characters are and why they should care about their breakup.
Even if your fanfic is an AU like mine, it's still entwined with canon.
And simply changing the names wouldn't be enough to fix that.
And, of course, the insistence on monetizing every hobby someone has is toxic, too.
Hobbies are meant to be fun. Not work.
It really is crazy how if you mention you write fanfiction with people outside fandom, they're always like "you should change the names and try to sell it." It misses the point (fun), but more importantly to me, I get slightly (and I know irrationally) insulted on a craft level. Excuse me, my fanfic is entwined with the canon, thank you very much. I wish sometimes less entwined. You wouldn't believe the stupid bullshit some of my fics have to include because of canon.
Sometimes it doesn't feel like Kim Possible is an actual character in her own show. And, on the surface, that makes no sense.
She has multiple personality traits, both good and bad; confidence, a desire to help others, concern over what others think of her, gets frustrated when she doesn't instantly excel at something, competitive, judgmental, kind of controlling, etc.
These are traits that should lead to well-developed character who people can relate to.
But she feels more like an icon than a character, and I think I know why.
Ron also has multiple traits, but he feels more real, and that's because they spend more time exploring Ron's thoughts and feelings. They don't just give Ron character traits, they explain them.
That doesn't happen for Kim.
A lot of Kim's traits exist in a vacuum; there's no reasoning for them. It's never explored why Kim is, say, competitive or controlling, just that she is.
Kim is confident in her abilities. This might have come from her parents constantly believing in her, but it's not really explored.
Kim gets easily frustrated if she doesn't instantly excel at something. Though it's relatable, it'd be better if the reason for this was explored more.
Kim is competitive. To the point of sabotage. To the point of considering sneaking into a game for a team she was coaching because she couldn't stand the thought of losing. There's no explanation for this, as her parents would definitely encourage sportsmanship and fun over winning.
Kim is judgmental of interests she doesn't share. But "Monkey Fist Strikes" shows that she definitely didn't pick this up from her family. And it's definitely not one they'd have encouraged.
Kim is controlling to the point that she expects Ron to always be willing to drop whatever he's doing to join her on a mission. To the point that she doesn't let other people handle tasks for her, even when she clearly can't do them on her own. Again, there doesn't seem to be a reason for this trait. It's never explored why Kim is like this.
Kim refuses to acknowledge that Ron is important to her success. Again, it's never explored why Kim refuses to recognize Ron's contributions to her success.
These are traits that could lead to an interesting character who grows and develops as a person.
But, because the show never wants to explore Kim's reasons for being this way, she doesn't get to really grow as a person.
And that's why she doesn't feel like a character in the series. She doesn't grow or change, and her underlying thoughts and feelings and reasons for being the way she is aren't explored.
And it's kind of detrimental to character development.
If part of your house randomly burst into flames at times, solving the problem wouldn't just involve acknowledging the flames and putting them out. You'd also have to figure out why it bursts into flames, even if it's uncomfortable.
In order for Kim to truly grow and develop as a character, it's not enough to just acknowledge that Kim has flaws, it's also important to explore why she's like that.
But, since that doesn't happen, Kim doesn't feel as relatable as Ron.
And this leads to Kim seeming like less of a character in her own show.
So, I know I point out a lot about how Kim doesn't seem to value Ron all that much. But, in the interest of fairness, I am going to point out that...
...it seems to be a recent development.
In "A Sitch in Time" we learn that Kim and Ron met in preschool. Kim thought Ron was weird back then, but seemed to enjoy it.
In middle school, Kim was more sensitive to Ron's feelings, such as apologizing for making Ron feel bad about not getting a new computer. She was also kinder about Rufus.
So, somewhere along the way, Kim started disliking all the things she used to like about Ron, including Rufus.
It's anybody's guess as to when and why this happened, but it is truly sad to hear.
Kim used to like that Ron was weird and different. Now, she can't stand it.
Since I mentioned that there are times when Kim could have gotten character development if the creators had chosen to do it, I thought it'd be fair to give examples.
"The New Ron" - Kim learns she can be pushy and needs to respect her friends' decisions, even if she doesn't agree with them.
Note: I'd like to take out the aspect where Ron embraces the haircut and have him stay miserable instead. The takeaway from this episode, as written, is that you shouldn't force people into things because you might hate it. I want to focus on how miserable it'd make others to be forced into something like that. So, for those purposes, Ron stays miserable with his new haircut, and Kim learns that the reason you don't push people into stuff like that is because they'll be miserable and that's not something you should do to your friends.
"Number One" - If they had chosen to portray Will as competent, this could have been a valuable lesson for Kim about how being good at something doesn't mean no one else is good at it either. And that someone else being good at something doesn't diminish your skills. And that, sometimes, it is better to let someone else take over. The episode could end with Kim having a moment of humility where she has Bonnie takeover the job as Cheer Captain, not because she believes Bonnie will give it up in a few weeks, but because Bonnie is genuinely much better suited for the job.
"Sink or Swim" and "Return to Wannaweep" - These could have been episodes where Kim recognizes that she tends to dismiss Ron's feelings and realizes she needs to work on that.
"Coach Possible" - This would be a great moment for Kim to recognize that her competitive drive can get the best of her. It would be great if, to show that Kim recognized this and is going to work on it, they actually showed Kim apologizing to the team.
"The Ron Factor" - This would have been a great episode about Kim recognizing Ron's contributions and learning to appreciate him more.
"Adventures in Rufus-Sitting" - Kim could learn a lesson about taking her responsibilities seriously, both watching Rufus and guarding the chip.
It has come to my attention that a lot of people are probably under the impression that I hate Kim since I criticize her behavior a lot.
This is not true.
I do believe that Kim is selfish and very flawed.
And I'm frustrated that her flaws are often overlooked or ignored or, in the rare instances where her harmful actions are actually acknowledged, downplayed, easily forgiven, and not changed.
But this is not because I hate Kim.
This is because I love Kim, or at least I used to, and wish she had gotten better character development.
Kim is the main character. Heck, Kim is the titular character. Kim is the focus of the show.
But Ron is the relatable character. Ron is the one who gets the most development. Ron got so much development that, in the fourth season, they actually had him take a back seat on some missions to a literal baby because they made Ron too good to keep being Kim's sidekick.
(Not sure if that was their thought process or intention, but it happened.)
Overall, Kim remains a static character. What little character development she gets does not compare to Ron. At all.
Now, obviously I love Ron, too.
But Kim also should have gotten character development. And every time the creators had a chance for it, they decided against it.
I would honestly love Kim a lot more if they had given her the same level of character development they gave Ron.
I mean, the fans deserve that, at least.
You know, now that you mention it...
The girls at my elementary school had crushes, but definitely not on adults. Teenagers were the oldest they had crushes on. The boys were the same.
Adults just seem so old at that age, so Jimmy's mom, Beautiful Gorgeous, and Princess Quin Shi "Peggy" Sue should've just seemed old to them, not hot.
I mean, they are attractive, to adults. And teenagers. Prepubescent children, not so much.
And, while I'm sure 11-year-olds were allowed some freedom, "One of Us" has Cindy returning from a competition out of town, and she exits the bus alone. That's an amount of freedom Cindy wouldn't have been allowed for legal reasons.
Not to mention, "Men at Work" has them getting jobs, despite being 10 at that point. Again, legally, this would not have been allowed.
It's a cartoon, not everything has to be accurate, I know. I'm not asking for accuracy, I'm asking for shows about children to remember that the main characters are children.
The show had some great plots that make sense for 11-year-olds:
Jimmy's upset at being the shortest in class
Jimmy's upset over not being athletic
School science fair
Candy-selling competition
Trying to make the perfect candy
Sheen's afraid of being held back (again!)
Jimmy doesn't want to pick up his clothes
Sheen's action figure goes missing
And more
But as the show went on, the romance aspect got emphasized a lot more. Of course, by that time, most of us were invested in the main ships, but looking back, it seems weird how much romance they put in the show.
I don't hate romance, but it feels weird to make it a central plot element in a show about elementary school-aged children. Especially when some of those romantic feelings are directed at adults.
Not to mention having it be such a flip-flop, back and forth, will they won't they thing.
The show would have been fine if the romance aspect wasn't so heavily emphasized at the end. Even though we liked the main ships, they weren't why we watched the show.
Well, time for another opinion! This one's about an older Nickelodeon show, Jimmy Neutron! It's very simple: the show would've made way more sense if the characters were teenagers instead of 11-year-olds. Things like:
Jimmy being allowed to fly around the world in a homemade rocket
Jimmy being allowed to fly into space
Jimmy being allowed to work in his lab unsupervised
Pretty much anything Jimmy does
The kids routinely go places like amusement parks or Cafés by themselves
The boys developing crushes at the drop of a hat
Cindy & Jimmy flip-flopping back & forth on their feelings for each other
Carl's crush on Jimmy's mom (still creepy, but makes more sense if he's a hormonal teenager)
The boys' brief crushes on Beautiful Gorgeous
These are all things that would make sense if the characters were teenagers. 11-year-olds just don't act like this. Trust me, I was 11 when the show was airing. I was in that age group, no one at my school acted like that. Crushes were only on classmates or teenage celebrities, we weren't allowed to go out by ourselves, and we would've needed supervision just to cook, nevermind the kind of science Jimmy was doing.
This level of drama, romance, and personal freedom, would make more sense for teenagers than children. Shows about kids can be fun, but you need to remember to have them act like kids.
So, it's not as though a fashion show isn't cool or anything, it's just that...
I feel like assigning each group to do a fashion show for their end of semester project is...limiting.
For example:
Ruby is a Mixed Media and Graphic Design focus. I literally cannot tell what her contribution to their final runway was.
(Someone tell me if they know what it is.)
Sunny's animations were good, but they weren't all that she could do. She could do more if she wasn't limited to doing a fashion show. A short film or animated music video would be cool.
And that's not even getting into some of the other people who's shows we didn't see.
What would Daria Roselyn, a Music Focus, and Georgia Bloom, a Performing Arts focus, do for a fashion show? Model?
What about Emi Vanda? Did she paint a set? Make props?
We don't even know who was in Colin's group, or what he did for his runway.
The point is, making everyone do a runway for their end of semester project can be limiting.
It also requires every group to have at least one Fashion focus, which seems a bit...unlikely.
A better system would be...well, it's complicated, but I'll do my best to explain it.
Everyone gets assigned a group. (I don't like this, but I'll leave it for now.)
The group has to agree on a project and submit their idea to a group supervisor for approval. (Our main girls would probably still do a fashion show.)
Their project proposal must say what each group member is going to contribute.
If it's approved, they get to start on it. If it's not approved, they have to make the changes their supervisor asks of them.
There's a deadline to get their proposals approved. If they're not approved by then, they'll be assigned a project. (I'm sure Miss Wright would have a few ideas.)
Regular check-ins would proceed as normal, with everyone showing the progress they made on their part of the project.
By the end of the semester, they have to have their project finished.
This could lead to some interesting ideas for projects, such as:
A museum exhibition
A clothing display
A mini concert
A short play
More ideas
This could be interesting. It could be fun to hear about groups doing something other than a fashion show.
And, like I said, giving the students a chance to pick their projects for themselves would give them better opportunities to show what they can do.
Also, even Ghoulia's texts were in "zombie", which isn't actually a great representation of non-verbal people.
The non-verbal people I knew, keeping in mind they were nowhere near as intelligent as Ghoulia, were still able to type and write.
G1 Ghoulia didn't have that. It sucks that there's no non-verbal representation, but g1 Ghoulia wasn't a great representation.
And the creators acknowledge that. So they changed it. Because they want to do a non-verbal character authentically.
One of the show runners even stated that this was the reason.
And, I still believe Ghoulia does represent some kind of disability.
In "Growing Ghoulia" she talks about how difficult it is for zombies to earn points at monster high because they're not as fast as other monsters.
That sounds familiar...
In "Flaunt Your Skeleton" we learn that Ghoulia has anxiety tics and, in "Dawn of the Dread" her anxiety manifests as a monster.
So, Ghoulia might not be non-verbal anymore, but she's still a good representation of disability.
People can be upset that she's no longer non-verbal, but she's still a great character.
And here's hoping that, when they include a non-verbal character, we love them as much as we love g1 Ghoulia.
Alright, time to share some thoughts. This is going to be about Monster High g3, specifically Ghoulia.
Now, I understand why people are upset that she can talk in this generation as there's now no representation for nonverbal characters, but I do love that they veered away stereotypical zombies that are super slow and can only communicate with grunts & other noises that aren't recognizable as words. But, more importantly, she wasn't intended to be representative of nonverbal people.
Now, I'm not saying that nonverbal shouldn't relate to her, that's not something anyone has control over. What I'm saying is this: the writers for the new generation likely decided to give her the ability to speak so that they could explore her character more, and so that when they eventually do add a nonverbal character, they can be sure to do it right & consult with nonverbal people about their lived experiences.
For example: when the live-action movie came out, I related to Frankie's struggles with social situations, but the creators said they're not autistic. (And my twin explained that Frankie's only 2 weeks old & it's hard to diagnose autism before 3 years). I was a little heartbroken, as they were the only character I sort of related to. Note: were.
And then g3 Twyla made her debut, and then had an episode about growing up, and it was like someone put my lived experience on the screen. I felt so seen & understood, as did many autistic fans of the show.
So, while I understand that the current lack of nonverbal representation is frustrating, I'm sure(ly hoping) that they will make a nonverbal character, and that they're just making sure they can make them accurate and not written as a harmful stereotype.
Don't you think you are missing the point? Because of how often Ron is overlooked whenever he gets any ounce of attention, it usually goes to his head. I think the chapter focused on this flaw not to make the conflict as one-sided on kim's end. Ron was being a bit patrionizing through the episode. So, Ron acknowladging it was the Kim factor, despite being Ron who defeated the villain showcase his character growth and is a sign of humilty and modesty.
Is one of my favorite moments of his character, I like how supportive and kind he is to Kim. Maybe what was missing was Kim acknowladging Ron more often? how would you've liked to see the episode/ending play out? What would you change?
I wouldn't say I'm missing the point. I'd say I'm saying it's stupid. Huge difference.
Furthermore, as I have rewatched the series recently, I can confidently say that, attention does not, actually, go to Ron's head when he receives it.
(And even if it did, that's not an excuse to constantly beat on the guy's self-esteem when even the anon asking this question admits he's constantly over looked.)
At this point in time, "Ron Millionaire" hasn't happened yet, so Kim's only examples would be "Bueno Nacho", "The New Ron", and "Two to Tutor", and in none of those did Ron get a big head.
(But if you're someone who's threatened by other people being successful and confident, it's the same thing.)
In "Bueno Nacho", Ron invented the Naco and got the job as the boss because of it. Being good at his job and actually enjoying it doesn't mean it went to his head, nor was asking Kim to do the job she originally signed them up for.
In "The New Ron", Ron started caring about fashion and hair-care, but this still doesn't mean he had an ego problem.
In "Two to Tutor", Ron was successful, popular, and confident because of his baking skills, and that still doesn't mean he had an ego problem.
Know why? Because he was enjoying the positive attention without putting down others or making fun of them.
Was Ron a little rude in this episode? Yes. But to say it's a recurring problem when it provably isn't shows more about Kim than Ron.
Namely that, to Kim, it doesn't matter if Ron actually has an ego problem or is just confident, it's unacceptable for Ron to be anything but her insecure, bumbling sidekick.
(Seriously, Kim is allowed to say she can do anything, but Ron isn't allowed to say he's good at one thing? How is that a fair and equal relationship?)
It's also worth mentioning that, yes, Ron is provably important to Kim's success, because she has failed any mission she tries to do alone.
Ron's already humble and modest, to the point of insecurity and self-deprecation. He really didn't need to be told, again, that he's nothing special.
How would I have liked this to go? Easy:
It starts out pretty much the same, but, at some point, Kim is watching feeds of her missions and sees, from an outside perspective, how important Ron actually is to her success.
*cue dawning look of realization*
At the end, after Gemini is defeated, we get an exchange like this:
Kim: "I was so upset about this whole Ron-factor thing at first, but, after watching some surveillance videos, I realized they're right."
Ron and Rufus: "Huh?!"
Kim: "I'm really good at the action stuff, but your quick-thinking and resourcefulness has been more helpful than I realized. I'm sorry I never acknowledged that before."
Ron: "Thanks, KP. That means a lot. Sorry I was kind of rude earlier. Friends?"
Kim: "The best."
*hug*
Ron: "But, for the record, it's not you or me, it's us. We're a team. It's not about a Kim Factor or a Ron Factor, it's us together that makes it work."
Dr. Director: "Hmm...perhaps we should spend time studying both of you."
Thoughts on "The Ron Factor"
So, obviously, this is an episode I have a lot of thoughts on.
I will acknowledge that Kim does have some cool moves in this episode.
But, it also seems fair to acknowledge that, despite those cool moves, Kim didn't defeat the bad guy.
That was done by Ron, with a little help from Rufus.
It's also worth mentioning that, yes, Kim is dependent on Ron to succeed on missions, as shown in "Bueno Nacho".
And it's not fair to anyone, Ron especially, that, after Ron defeats the bad guy, he decides to give Kim all the credit.
Kim has impressive skills and definitely demonstrated them in this episode, but that doesn't mean Ron isn't a factor in her success.
And a role model would recognize that yes, Ron is important to her success, but that doesn't mean she's not amazing too.
She'd be supportive of Ron and happy for him, while still making Global Justice see that she's still amazing.
(And, no one said she wasn't amazing, they just said Ron was probably the key factor to her success.)
Other thoughts, in no particular order:
So, did Betty and Sheldon actually lose their eyes, or are they just being dramatic?
(I wouldn't put it past them.)
Is Sheldon's robotic hand prosthetic or some kind of glove? If prosthetic, how did he lose it?
Realistic sibling relationship: Betty and Sheldon immediately resort to childish squabbling when near each other, despite having spent the entire rest of the episode being ominous and brooding.
(The Cain Instinct is strong with these two.)
Honestly, that Chaos Theory thing might not be far off. And if Wade thinks there's some merit to it, I'm inclined to believe him.
I realize they said Ron was a "non-factor" at the end, but there is canon evidence that contradicts this.
It's probably that Ron is a factor, but not in any way that would actually show up on tests.
Thus, they assumed there was no "Ron Factor".
I loved all three of the shows you mentioned. Though in Winx Club’s case I just love the earlier seasons they went off the rails.
I'm not sure "off the rails" is the term I'd use, but it did seem like some of the plots were pretty crazy towards the end.
Then again, it is a world of magic, so I guess crazy can be expected.
Still feels like a bit much at times though.
And, as I stated, I know Winx Club didn't handle everything perfectly all the time, but it still did "girl power" way better than Kim Possible did.
I have received a lot of backlash for criticizing Kim Possible as it was one of the most popular "girl power" shows of the time.
Not just here but in other internet spaces as well.
And, truly, I admit that, at the time, I admired Kim.
Emphasis: at the time.
But, as people tend to do, I grew up. I got older, learned more about the world, learned more about people, girls especially, and, when I started rewatching Kim Possible, came to a horrifying revelation:
Kim Possible is not a "girl power" show, it's just a show about a powerful girl.
What does a girl power show look like?
Well, it's best to explain with examples.
I'll keep them limited to crime-fighting shows that were on the air at around the same time Kim Possible was.
Shows being used as examples include:
Teen Titans
X-Men: Evolution
Winx Club
So, what is it that makes these shows girl power shows, but not Kim Possible?
Well, there's a lot, so it's best to grab a snack and a drink, this could be a while.
Let's begin:
Multiple Heroines
Teen Titans starts out with two awesome heroines, Raven and Starfire, and adds more to the cast later - Kole, Bumblebee, Terra, Argent, etc.
X-Men: Evolution had multiple heroines from the beginning, with more added later. And one of the original heroines was an older female mentor that everyone, including boys, looked up to.
Winx Club is a female-led show with five, later six, awesome female leads and powerful females in mentor roles that are admired and respected by men and women alike.
But Kim Possible only has one heroine for girls to look up to - Kim herself.
Sure, Yori's impressive, but she's not really her own character as she's meant to aid in Ron's development.
And while Dr. Director could be cool, we don't actually see her do more than delegate, which, while important, is hard for people to look up to.
And the professional heroes, Team Impossible, are an entirely male group.
Kim Possible only has one female for little girls to look up to.
So, if, for some reason, you find yourself not looking up to Kim, then you're out of luck with this show, because there's not any other girl for you to look up to.
It's not a girl power show if there's only one girl to look up to.
Complex Thoughts and Feelings
The girls of Teen Titans are shown with varied and complex thoughts and emotions. Starfire uses her feelings to fuel her powers, and, even though she's apathetic, there are multiple episodes that address that Raven has complex thoughts and feelings but has to keep them under control because of her powers.
In X-Men: Evolution all the characters, especially the girls, are shown with complex thoughts and feelings.
In Winx Club the girls are shown with thoughts and feelings, and it's established that their feelings fuel their magic.
But in Kim Possible, Kim's thoughts and feelings aren't very complex. Kim is shown to dislike something, or have strong opinions about something, but anything deeper is rarely explored.
When Kim didn't want Ron to be the mascot in "Attack of the Killer Bebes", there's no reason given.
When she's jealous of Yori in "Gorilla Fist", it's only hinted that it's because of her romantic feelings for Ron.
And she certainly doesn't actually talk about her feelings afterwards.
Her underlying thoughts, feelings, and motivations are rarely explored.
A girl power show should explore the thoughts and feelings of it's main character.
Competent Heroes
In Teen Titans, the Doom Patrol are in fact skilled and competent, even if they "die" a lot.
In X-Men: Evolution, the older heroes are actually good at what they do.
In Winx Club, the Specialists aren't considered less competent, they're just trained differently. And the older heroes are, in fact, very skilled.
In those shows, the more experienced and professional heroes are actually shown to be competent.
In Kim Possible, Agent Du and Team Impossible are (supposed to be) less skilled than Kim.
(Though, really, the laser web thing isn't a fair assessment of ability if they're not starting from the same place.)
While I get that Kim is supposed to be the hero, it'd be more impressive if the professional heroes were actually portrayed as good at their jobs.
The other shows don't require dumbing down the professionals to make the heroines shine, so Kim Possible shouldn't need that either.
A girl power show shouldn't need the professionals dumbed down for the girl to shine.
Independence
In the other shows, each girl is a formidable force on their own.
Maybe not able to take down every bad guy on their own, but certainly able to hold their own in a fight.
But in Kim Possible, Kim is dependent on Ron and Wade to succeed.
(As shown in "Bueno Nacho" and "A Sitch in Time".)
She is completely incapable of handling missions on her own, making her unable to be a stand-alone hero.
The main character of a girl power show should be capable of doing things without her sidekicks.
Kindness
In the other shows, the main heroines are shown to be kind to others, even those outside their immediate friend group.
A few missteps along the way, but rarely ever having malicious intentions.
Not never, but rarely.
And especially no ill intent towards their friends.
Being kind takes a lot of strength at times, so a heroine who is kind is strong and worth looking up to.
(Seriously, kindness is powerful. The world needs more of it.)
But Kim isn't very kind to her loved ones.
Don't get me wrong, she saves the world and does other things to help people, but the way she treats those closest to her is not kind, and not worth looking up to.
Hyper-competitive, bossy, controlling, condescending, judgmental, etc. These aren't actually behaviors we want little girls emulating.
A kind heroine is more powerful than a bossy, controlling, judgmental, overly-competitive one.
Acknowledgment
In the other shows, the heroines acknowledge their teammates' contributions, and don't feel jealous or threatened when one of them is better than them at something.
In Winx Club, Stella, a character who could have been a stereotypical vain, spoiled princess, is constantly praising her friends on their accomplishments.
In X-Men: Evolution, the girls acknowledge each other's strengths and skills.
And in Teen Titans, Starfire is constantly showing her friends affection and believing in their abilities. Raven too, but not quite as enthusiastically.
But in Kim Possible, Kim refuses to acknowledge Ron as important to her success, and never gives him credit for his contributions.
(Well, not to his face.)
And, while she might praise Wade when he does something cool, she clearly doesn't value him very much, as shown by her comment in "The Truth Hurts" and her disregard for his warnings in "Queen Bebe".
A role model has no problems acknowledging the contributions of others and respects her teammates.
Training
In the other shows, the heroines are shown training in the use of their powers.
But in Kim Possible, Kim is naturally good at everything.
Okay, maybe not driving or cooking, but Kung Fu and cheerleading, to name a few.
The only time we see Kim practice anything is cheerleading, but "A Sitch in Time" revealed that she was an expert from the beginning.
She was good enough at Kung Fu to impress Hirotaka, a life-long student of Kung Fu, despite saying herself that she only dabbles in it, and she's never seen training in it.
It's not even mentioned that she had any actual training in it.
And, honestly, "naturally good at everything" is hard to emulate. It's not easy to look up to "impossibly talented" when you're older.
A heroine who fails and keeps trying is more admirable than one who never fails.
Varied Interests
In the other shows, the female characters don't all have the same interests.
Teen Titans has Raven interested in things like books while Starfire is interested in cute animals.
X-Men: Evolution has Jean do basketball and soccer, Kitty enjoys theater and parties, and Rogue likes literature, to name a few.
Winx Club has Stella into fashion, Musa is interested in music, Tecna likes technology, Aisha likes sports, and Flora likes nature.
But in Kim Possible, the girls are all interested in the same things; boys, boy bands, pop music, fashion, celebrities, etc.
(Aside from Monique's interests in wrestling and extreme sports, which never get brought up more than once each.)
Despite Kim herself doing Kung Fu and other extreme sports on the regular, the other girls are shown to only be interested in stereotypical teenage girl things.
(Again, aside from Monique's interests that are only mentioned once each.)
(And also aside from Zita, who is stated as being interested in video games and on the swim team, but disappears after her second episode until "Graduation".)
A girl power show would have girls with a variety of interests, not just the stereotypical ones.
Romantic Relationships
The other shows have great romantic relationships.
In Teen Titans, Robin/Starfire had build-up, despite their interest in each other being obvious from the beginning.
In X-Men: Evolution, Jean/Scott had build-up despite their feelings being clear from the beginning, and Kurt/Kitty were never more than friends with them both ending up in relationships with other people.
In Winx Club, all the relationships took time to build up, and some don't stay together forever but neither half is entirely demonized for it.
But there wasn't a lot of build-up for Kim/Ron, with Kim insulting Ron for suggesting people might think they date and Ron expressing discomfort at the idea of dating Kim.
A girl power show should have a proper build up to a romantic relationship.
Lack of a Fool
In the other shows, there is no one "fool" character who is a majority of the humor.
There is no one character who is the butt of all the jokes.
Sure, Teen Titans has Beast Boy, who's pretty humorous and funny, but his abilities and skills as a hero are still acknowledged and respected.
And plenty of the humor comes from other characters as well.
X-Men: Evolution has Nightcrawler, who certainly jokes around a lot, but he's still taken seriously in serious moments.
And other characters contribute to the humor of the show to.
But in Kim Possible, Ron isn't taken seriously.
Ron, despite having many moments where he shows impressive skills, isn't taken seriously as a hero.
His feelings are also rarely taken seriously, even about things that are pretty serious.
And Ron is responsible for 90% of the show's humor, often at his expense.
Ron is meant to be a bumbling, clumsy, inept, incompetent character to emphasize how much Kim shines.
But a real girl power show doesn't need that, because the heroine(s) shine anyways.
Summary
Unlike some of the other "girl power" shows of the time, Kim Possible decided the only thing that's important is that Kim is capable of fighting bad guys.
But a strong female character is so much more than fighting bad guys.
Now, I'm not saying the other shows listed handled everything perfectly. I know some things were handled poorly, but in terms of "girl power", they were still handling it better than Kim Possible.
And, shockingly, only one of them was even intended to be a "girl power" show.
I guess a better girl power show would have girls as people first, icons second.
A criticism I’ve heard people say towards Ron’s character is that he was too caught up on his own anxieties and feelings through S4 and that he stopped being Kim’s emotional support, with there being no room for Kim’s own problems.
I’ve also seen people say Ron was much more competent on early seasons and that his characterization on later seasons was a downgrade. Do you think any of this is true?
Admittedly, I haven't watched every episode recently, but I think I've watched enough to comment.
Firstly:
Ron's always had massive insecurities to deal with.
Monique's debut episode, "Pain King vs Cleopatra", has him be afraid he's going to be replaced as Kim's best friend/sidekick.
"Exchange" has Ron show insecurity over his lack of ability in martial arts.
"Grudge Match" and "Virtu-Ron" show Ron has insecurities when it comes to dating.
So, it's not as though Ron having anxieties is a new thing.
Also, and this is a genuine question, but what problems does Kim have in S4 that Ron's not helping with?
He tries to help her feel better about her brothers being skipped ahead.
He tries to offer her advice about finding a new mission outfit. It was even his idea to go to The Fashionistas for it.
Remember, despite Monique having constructed the outfit, The Fashionistas had designed it.
So, it wasn't a bad idea.
The only problem he wasn't helping with was in "Fashion Victim", and it's not as though he didn't want to; he was locked in a crate with Barkin at the time and couldn't.
Also, the main personal conflict in that episode was between her and Monique. It's not as though Ron could've helped with that anyways.
Not to mention, after 3 seasons of Ron being Kim's emotional support, it's only fair that she start being his now that they're dating.
Secondly:
I wanted to argue against Ron getting a downgrade in S4, but I do see the point about Ron not having a lot of awesome moments in this season.
I'm just not sure if it was done with the intention of having Kim and Rufus shine more.
It could be because, to show the audience that Hana is a powerful weapon, they had her be the one dealing finishing blows to Monkey Fist, when typically that would've gone to Ron.
It could also be that they realize they made Ron too competent to be a sidekick, so they needed him to be less competent without explanation, and were just hoping that no one noticed.
Honestly, whatever the reason, it is kind of annoying. Ron is extremely competent at times, and he deserves to shine and be recognized for it.
He deserves to be Kim's partner, not her sidekick.
So, I do agree with the second criticism, though I'm not sure about the reason, but I don't really agree with the first.
But I do love when people send me asks! Feel free to send more!
Thoughts About "Clean Slate"
Obviously, I have thoughts.
And they're mostly about Kim/Ron.
More specifically, the fact that Kim doesn't remember the fact that she and Ron are dating.
Even more specifically, he reaction to being told they're dating.
Ron: No, not to worry. I’ll have KP back in time for dinner. After school I’ll give her a refresher around Middleton. It’ll be like a second first date.
Kim: Are you hitting on me?
Ron: Um, Kim, we are dating. I’m your boyfriend.
Kim: Boyfriend? Oh, wait, you’re serious?
So, here we have Kim finding the idea of her dating Ron amusing. She doesn't take it seriously, and doesn't seem interested in the idea.
I realize that Kim can't remember anything at the moment, and thus she's not really acting like herself.
But it's kind of unfair that Ron is the last thing Kim remembers.
Ron, who should be the most important person in Kim's life.
Ron, who is certainly the most integral person in Kim's life.
Ron, who is the biggest constant in Kim's life, the person she's spent the most time around, and she doesn't remember dating him until the end of the episode.
And it's annoying when we get scenes like this:
Ron: Hey, just take it slow, Kim. Nothing to worry about. You’re among friends.
Bonnie: Unh. Just learned to walk, K?
Ron: Except for Bonnie!
Kim: Bonnie? Oh, Bonnie! She and I are on the same cheer squad, right? So we’d be friends.
---
Monique: Ron, Wade told me. Lost memory. How’s she doing?
Ron: Eh, a little sketchy in some areas, particularly relationships. You know, she needs to remember things on her own, so don’t expect Kim to just--
Kim: Monique? Monique! I remember you! The first time I met you was at Club Banana. We’re, like, best friends.
---
Ron: Now, you can’t tell me that you don’t remember Bueno Nacho.
Kim: How could I forget? The center of the cheese and chip universe. Home of the naco and managed by Ned.
Ron: How is it you remember everything but the fact that we’re a couple?
Kim: Couple of what?
Ron: People who are dating.
Kim: Are you sure that we were dating? I mean sometimes people read a little more into things than they should, right?
Ron: OK, look, photo evidence, K.P.
Kim: Oh, wait a minute.
Ron: Prom, dancing, the kiss.
Kim: You called me in the middle of the night once to ask about us dating.
Ron: Yes!
Rufus: Yeah!
Kim: Then you said I melted.
Ron: No, ok, no, that was just a dream.
Kim: So we were dating in a dream you had?
Ron: Well, yes, in the dream, but also--
Kim: Why is my watch beeping?
Ron: Wade.
Kim: Hi, uh, Wade?
Ron: How did you remember his name?
Kim: You just said it.
Ron: Oh, right.
Wade: How are you doing, Kim?
Kim: Wade? Oh, Wade! Better. I’m starting to remember stuff.
---
Ron: Wait, wait, wait, wait! Shego, you tell her. Kim and I are dating, right?
Shego: What? For real? Oh, come on. That never made any sense to me. I mean--
Ron: See? That wasn’t a no. Unh.
Kim: Glowing hand. Glow…Go…Shego!
---
Wade: Ron? Ron fought Shego? Alone?
Kim: Well, I don’t know if fought is the right word.
Ron: Sure it is. I fought. Fought for my life.
Wade: Well, hopefully this will help Kim remember her fighting skills.
Kim: Cheer practice?
Wade: Well, so far all of your memories have been triggered by some event or meeting. Good luck.
Bonnie: Hello? Late for practice much?
Ron: OK, don’t let Bonnie get to you and whatever you do, don’t listen to anything she says. You’ll be fine.
Bonnie: I don’t know what your problem is, Kim. I knew this would happen when you started dating Naco Boy.
Ron: Aha, Kim, you see? Do you see? I’m Naco Boy.
Kim: Yeah, I shouldn’t listen to what Bonnie says.
It's not fair that Kim can't remember dating Ron, her best friend of 10+ years, someone who is extremely important to her, until he loses his pants again.
She remembers everything about Monique after just running into her in the halls.
She vaguely remembers Bonnie after running into her, and gets her full memory of Bonnie, including a complicated cheer routine, back after one try.
She remembers Bueno Nacho by just showing up.
She remembers Wade after a phone call.
She remembers Shego as soon as her hands start glowing.
And she remembers Drakken and how to fight before she even goes to confront him again.
But she can't remember Ron until the end of the episode?
This is unfair to everyone.
Especially since Kim is, for some reason, so resistant to the idea of them dating.
I mean, I guess I can understand not immediately believing you're dating some random guy, but Ron's not some random guy.
Kim still remembers their friendship, and trusts him on everything else.
But she doesn't accept that they're dating.
She won't even consider the idea.
And, if dating Ron was as important to her as cheerleading, fighting Shego, hanging out with Monique, or going to Bueno Nacho, shouldn't something have triggered her memory earlier?
Especially since Ron is involved in pretty much every aspect of Kim's life?
But, no, she doesn't remember until he loses his pants.
Not riding on the back of his scooter, which she did during the Li'l Diablos incident which, coincidentally, was the same day they started dating.
And did several other times before Kim got her own car.
Not going to Bueno Nacho, which they do all the time.
Not cheerleading, which Ron happens to be kind of involved in as the mascot.
Not even seeing Ron, which was enough for her to completely remember Monique and Wade (over video!) and kind of remember Bonnie.
No, the only thing that triggers Kim's memory of Ron is that he loses his pants.
And the fact that nothing but Ron losing his pants triggers her memory of them dating, implies that, on a subconscious level, that's how she views Ron.
Not as her boyfriend, but as her clumsy, bumbling, inept sidekick who's always losing his pants.
And everyone - Kim, Ron, us viewers - deserved better.
Thoughts on Dr. Bortel
People need to be watching this guy very closely. Because someone who builds mind-control devices in his free time isn't too far away from deciding to use them.
I mean, most scientists wouldn't even consider building something like that, not even once.
This guy did it twice.
(That we know of.)
And he's not even being paid to do it, or being forced to by a supervillain.
This guy chose to build those devices, for himself.
But I guess we're supposed to believe that he had no intention of using them.
I mean, surely someone would build such dangerous devices purely out of curiosity, right? /s
Honestly, while the guy may not be doing anything technically illegal, he is certainly doing stuff that's highly unethical.
And I don't believe there isn't any ulterior motive for making them.
I mean, would you?
Thoughts on "Emotion Sickness"
This is one of the most frequently-cited episodes for evidence that Kim's always been in love with Ron, even if she just didn't realize it. And, honestly, if that's how you choose to interpret it, fine.
But looking at it through adult eyes, and comparing it to the rest of the series, it doesn't quite fit.
But, before we begin, a thought:
It would have been better if they gave the little black dress scene to the fully grown woman instead of the teenage girl.
(Or not include it at all.)
Seriously. Gross.
Now, on to my analysis.
First, the outfit:
This is not the style of outfit Kim picks for dates. The dress is too short and too tight and there are too many accessories.
This is Kim's style for date outfits. Knee-length dress that doesn't hug her curves and minimal accessories.
Even her Junior Prom dress isn't quite like the one from "Emotion Sickness".
The dress Kim wore in "Emotion Sickness" isn't like one Kim would wear on a date.
At all.
Secondly, Kim's behavior:
Now, we've seen Kim on a few dates. She's usually nervous and afraid of messing up.
I'm not saying these are good traits to have, but they do coincide with another thing:
She's not usually the one initiating physical affection.
But under the effects of the Moodulator, she kisses Ron without even making sure it's something he'd want.
Conclusion:
Kim might have had some underlying feeling enhanced, but it doesn't appear to be romantic attraction, just physical attraction.
(Which, again, gross.)
Kim was attracted to Ron, but not in love with him.
Where do you think the belief that Ron isn’t good enough for Kim comes from? Do you agree with that claim?
I definitely disagree with that claim. As for where it came from...
I'm not sure.
I'm sure the fact that the narrative itself treats Ron like a loser has played a huge part in this.
Kim is treated like an all-star crimefighter who can do anything, and Ron is treated like her inept, bumbling sidekick.
So, obviously, Kim deserves a cooler boyfriend, right?
(That's sarcasm, for people who have trouble telling tone over text.)
Except, it's been shown that Ron is actually very capable when necessary, even if the narrative and the characters won't acknowledge it.
Not to mention, healthy relationships are built on more than just similar skill levels.
Healthy relationships are built on things like support, communication, and friendship. Those are all things Ron offers Kim constantly.
(I have made several posts about how Kim doesn't offer those things to Ron, so I'm not going to get into it here.)
Ultimately, Ron is too good for Kim, and he deserves someone who at least appreciates the effort he puts into the relationship, even if they can't quite match it.
So, I definitely disagree with that claim, even if I'm not sure where it came from.
(I have a fanfic series on AO3 that addresses a lot of my issues with Kim, but Kim and Ron break up in the first installment. If that's not your thing, I'm going to advise against it.)
Do you think Ron was a good sidekick for Kim?
I think Ron is too good a sidekick.
I think he's so good, in fact, that he deserves to be acknowledged as a partner.
Ron has impressive skills, and was shown to be able to handle missions on his own on several occasions.
He didn't have a problem following Kim's lead, though has expressed a desire to step out on his own as a hero.
My only problem with Ron as a sidekick is that he deserves better. An equal partnership, at least. With his own gadgets and battle suit and the same amount of recognition and gratitude that Kim gets.
Ron, even as "just a sidekick", is essential to Kim's success, even if she won't admit it.
So he is definitely a great sidekick, even though he deserves much better.
Thoughts on "Larry's Birthday"
First Thought: Who the fuck let an old lady own a puma?! How did this happen?! Just...what?!
And she owns an alligator too?!
And briefly owned a grizzly?!
Who is this woman?!
Second Thought: Wade should have told them it was a puma before they even went on that mission.
Kim might have had a battle suit to protect her, but Ron didn't, and should have been told ahead of time the kind of danger it really was so he could better prepare himself, even if it meant not going.
Third Thought: Since when does Kim have a Cuddle Buddy collection? I know it's been mentioned before, but her Pandaroo is the only one that's ever seen. I'd hardly call that a collection.
Not trying to be insulting, I'm saying it'd be nice to see Kim with other Cuddle Buddies. One Cuddle Buddy does not a collection make, so show us the other ones she has.
Fourth Thought: Ron needs to work on not telling other people about Kim's secrets. Not just about the battle suit, but her Cuddle Buddy collection was also meant to be a secret and he shouldn't have told Larry about that either.
Fifth Thought: Not really role model behavior from Kim here:
Says she and Larry don't share the same planet.
Runs out of the comic shop exclaiming "real world" as though spending time around geeks is physically harmful.
She apologizes for putting down Larry's interests at the end, but then makes a condescending comment about real life being cooler than science fiction.
(Kim's real life might be cooler than made-up scenarios, but the average person's real life isn't.)
Sixth Thought: Gotta agree with June here: a guy who willingly stands around during a fight, comments on how it's like a video game, ignores the suggestion to get to safety because "it's just getting good", and gets into a helicopter with strange people assuming it's a LARP for his birthday, is not someone who should be left alone.
Seventh Thought: Why is Larry's birthday party being thrown at Kim's house? Shouldn't it be thrown at Larry's house?
Kim's kind of condescending, but I feel bad that she has to either attend a party she, no doubt, doesn't want to go to, or spend the whole day out of her own house to avoid it.
Also, I feel bad for Kim, with her closet getting blown up. I know it probably gets fixed quickly, but I still feel bad for her.
Eighth Thought: Does June not have any pictures of Larry dressed in normal clothing to use for the posters? Is the wizard costume the only outfit he ever took a picture in?
Ninth Thought: Kim doesn't care about Ron or Hana. Okay, that's probably not true, but she should never have suggested that Ron bring his baby sister on a mission when he's supposed to be watching her.
(Would you be okay if your SO told you to bring your baby sister on a potentially life-threatening adventure?)
She called it "recon" and said it wouldn't be dangerous, but she was clearly expecting to run into Dementor and his henchman while doing it, and thus expecting a fight. And Ron would have had to protect himself and Hana while fighting. This is not the behavior of someone who cares about Ron or his loved ones.
(Especially when she will adamantly deny needing Ron on missions, so, if she had truly believed it wouldn't be dangerous, there was no reason to bring him along anyways. And if she had believed it would be dangerous, she should never have suggested bringing the baby.)
Also, it's not really fair of Kim to not believe Ron when he said he didn't blow up the lair. Ron is canonically a terrible liar, and he wouldn't lie in the first place. He'd own up to his mistake, like he's done every other time he accidentally destroyed something.
Final Thought: Regardless of Larry thinking the whole thing was a LARP, he was pretty badass at the end. He needs a reality check and his own battle suit. He would make great backup on a mission.
(Ron also needs his own battle suit, but that's a discussion for another time.)
I'm not the first to mention this, but one bit that I thought was really clever in Steven Universe is the ways in which the show subtly justifies the cartoonism of the principle cast always wearing the same outfit for ease-of-animation purposes. The gems are a gimme in that they're all hardlight-projections, and even before that's solidified as a plot point they're otherworldly and superheroic enough that you don't really think to question it. But Steven canonically just owns hundreds and hundreds of those star shirts, which are leftover merchandise from his father's fizzled-out career as a rock star. Into which you can read a whole bunch of other stuff if you really want to, right? And I do want to. It's reflective of Greg's misplaced optimism that he got hundreds of those made in the first place, and it's a benign but visible example of how Steven's life is shaped by the knock-on effects of decisions his parents made before he was even alive. He's got his mother's superpowers and he's wearing his father's shirts.
Who's Number One: Bonnie, or Kim? (Redux)
FOREWORD: THIS IS NOT A POLL! DO NOT ACTUALLY REPLY WITH YOUR OPINION ON WHO’S NUMBER ONE!
So, when "Number One" first came out, of course we're all rooting for Kim to remain captain. But, now, I don't think Kim really deserved it.
Kim’s skills, especially in cheerleading, should not be doubted. But is Kim really the best fit for captain?
Let’s discuss:
Kim has been doing cheerleading since seventh grade, but Bonnie not only has been doing it longer, but has already been Cheer Captain before.
(In "A Sitch in Time" she was the one assigning routines to the girls trying out, implying that, even if she wasn't the captain, she was at least some kind of authority in the squad.)
Over the course of one week, Bonnie organized a fundraiser, raised money for new uniforms, and wrote and choreographed a new cheer. Kim did nothing other than expecting Bonnie to just fail on her own.
The one time Kim's mentioned as doing any of that, it ended up with all the cheerleaders in a pile after Kim's dismount from the pyramid, as Kim crashed into all of them during her dance. Given that they were all standing around, it's possible that they couldn't follow Kim's routine very well. ("Mind Games")
In "Queen Bebe" Kim was supposed to write a new routine for the squad, but was unable to do so because of all her other obligations.
In "The Full Monkey" Kim showed up to practice tired and missed her cue, causing Bonnie to trip and fall. Luckily, Bonnie was uninjured. However, we get an interesting quote from Bonnie in this episode:
Bonnie: Looks like Miss Perfect's going to leave us hanging. So typ.
This implies that this is not the first time Kim's had trouble keeping her commitment to the squad.
Obviously, it kind of sucks that Kim's so busy saving the world that she has a hard time doing things like cheerleading, but she can be a cheerleader without being the captain.
And the squad deserves to have someone in charge who can actually do the job. Whatever the reason is for Kim being unable to do it, it's not fair to keep letting the squad down again and again. Bonnie was definitely a better fit for captain.
(As much as Bonnie hates Kim, she's not going to kick Kim off the squad just because. She let Kim join in "A Sitch in Time" because of her skill, even though she didn't want to, so she wouldn't kick Kim off unless it would be better for the squad that way.)
And it's really surprising that we're supposed to assume Bonnie quit being captain.
Bonnie's not lazy. At all. She's shown to have been taking dance lessons for a long time, got good grades in school, put a lot of work into becoming captain, was (most likely) captain before, and, most importantly, the whole reason she challenged Kim for the captain spot in the first place was because Kim couldn't do the work.
And Kim didn't even try to prove she should still be captain. She did nothing to deserve it, not even sell a chocolate bar. She just expected Bonnie to fail on her own.
So, even if Bonnie was going to give up the job of captain, she wouldn't give it back to Kim. Anyone other than Kim would be better in Bonnie's eyes.
I get that, as the main character, we’re supposed to root for Kim, but in this particular episode, the only reason to root for Kim is because she’s the main character, not because she actually deserved it.
And that's not fair to the viewers or the characters.