There are certain shows that are on nowadays that look down on women and use gender binaries. These programs are easily spotted. It's not often that we find a cartoon that's completely different from all of these things. They're openly against the degrading of women, attempting to convince younger people that feminism and the respect of women is cool.
One of these shows is called Adventure Time.
Adventure Time is about Jake, a dog, and Finn, a human. It has been on Cartoon Network since April 5, 2010 and has been a hit with children and adults. Among the characters in this post-apocalyptic world, there are several powerful female ones including Princess Bubblegum.
We often see Princess Bubblegum being saved by Finn, which is the normal way things go- loyal knight saving the princess. In Adventure Time, however, Princess Bubblegum saves Finn in not one, but two episodes! Not only is she a princess, but she's a very intelligent scientist which makes her a great role model for young children in several ways. This character is a strong woman who can save herself and her friends while also being intelligent and independent. This is an interesting concept for current cartoons and seeing it definitely gives me hope.
Don't believe me? Seriously, check this girl out.
Princess Bubblegum isn't the only character in Adventure Time that makes the cartoon new and influential. It also makes very important statements about gender and body image. In Princess Cookie, a young boy (a cookie) is laughed at when he explains that he wants to be a princess. He ends up going to a mental hospital. Now, this part is controversial, but I believe (with the show's history), that his inability to express himself and the fact that he would get judged for wanting to break gender roles drove him crazy.
There's one more character I would like to discuss named Lumpy Space Princess. Lumpy Space Princess is, in one word, sassy. She's proud o her body- her lumps to be specific, and she's a powerful character who pays absolutely no attention to Finn as a hero. Sure, she's seen as pushy because she's a woman, but if she were a man she would just be seen as assertive.
You work those lumps, LSP!
After analyzing Adventure Time, I've found that it's an incredibly open minded show. It's brilliant in the way it passes these new ideas to children while it does not make them tacky or uninteresting. Not only does the show try to move forward within itself, but it's also launched a popular spinoff called Adventure Time with Fionna and Cake. It replaces Finn with a girl- making her a strong and powerful female role for young girls to look up to. It also gender bends other characters such as Princess Bubblegum (Prince Gumball)!
Don't be fooled- she'll kick your butt.
Here are some other examples from Adventure Time that address treatment toward women:
Jake tells the Ice King off, seeing as his usual wrongdoings are kidnapping an array of women for wives.
In this scene, Marceline is told to make a sandwich. She does not respond well. In the original video (which was taken down), Marceline is told to make a sandwich before she begins to kick her annoyance to the ground in fury.
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