The Kids Cable Channel’s New Transsexual Superhero Show

Just Another Attempt to Push the LGBT Agenda on Your Kids?

Guy is described as a lovable yet mischievous tween who hates responsibility. he puts on his aunt’s rings and becomes SheZow.

The kids cable channel, The Hub, has a new cartoon superhero they’d like to introduce to your kids. What makes this show any different than the dozens of other superhero shows on TV is the disturbiung fact that SheZow is about a boy who turns into a “female” superhero.  That’s right! He a gender blending character. Shezow is an Australian-Canadian animated television series created by Obie Scott Wade. It features the adventures of a boy who inadvertently inherits the role of a superheroine, which imposes an explicit feminine theme to his costumed appearance and equipment. It began airing on Network Ten in Australia on 15 December 2012. Produced by Moody Street Kids and Kickstart Productions, it is distributed by DHX Media, and funded in part by Film Victoria. It was designed by Australian artist Kyla May. 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.  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. [1] [4]  “SheZow” doesn’t specifically address the issue of transgenderism. (For example, there’s no mention of body parts appearing and disappearing.) But, the show does play up the discomfort that male character, Guy, feels when he changes into a female. [11] The show also has its critics on the pro-social justice side, because SheZow’s appearance and affectations are very stereotypically girly.  [13] Her costume is pink with leopard print and high heels; her weapons include lipstick and a hairbrush; her powers of super strength, super speed and She-S-P (oh yes) are literally dependent on the lustre of her hair. [13] It sounds egregious, but the show’s concept is dependent on the idea that there is nothing wrong with being a girly girl.  [13]

SheZow has big hair, high heeled go-go boots and she-mazing superpowers like mega strength and she-riffic speed.

The chief executive of the Hub, who according to Ben Shapiro “may or may not have been high (and leftist) when she greenlit this project,” is Margaret Loesch. [1]  Loesch commented, “When I first heard about the show, my reaction was ‘Are you out of your minds?’ Then I looked at it and I thought, ‘This is just funny.’”  [16] The target audience for the Hub is children aged two to eleven. [14] As of December 2013, 52 eleven-minute episodes have been made, which are broadcast in pairs to make one season of 26 half-hour episodes. [2] In a 2013 interview, Wade expressed interest in making a second season. [3]

Obie Scott Wade

Although Obie Scott Wade, the creator of the show, insists there’s no agenda to the show, he does say that Guy learns a lot of stuff from becoming SheZow — in one episode, he gets a “sense of super-empathy.” [7]  In another episode, he learns that one key to maintaining SheZow’s powers is “good grooming,” and “his sister tries to give him a manicure, because that’s part of maintaining the power, and he doesn’t want to do it. And of course that has a drastic side-effect: part of his fingernail falls into some toxic goo and becomes an evil clone named SheZap,” says Wade, who represents “his dark side.” [7]  “Yes, there are a lot of experiences he has that broaden him as a character,” adds Wade, “but predominantly it’s about a laid-back kid who’s suddenly forced to save the world. It’s more about the responsibility that he has to take on, and less about gender.” [7] And the show is absolutely not laughing at girliness or saying that femininity is silly, says Wade. “I think that it shows a very positive role-model in SheZow. [7]

The comments on IMDB.com shows that Progressive parents agree that SheZows transgenderism is a good thing for their children to experience. “I think the gender angle of the show will be good for kids if left alone.” [11] “It’s quirky, genuinely funny and has good messages for kids.” [11]

I think it’s progressive and quite funny. The fact that a 12 year boy cannot save the world unless he’s in a pink costume meant for a female superhero is quite hilarious. And the fact that he will have to learn to embrace this embarrassing side-effect might actually be something good for kids to see. Maybe this is a cartoon who’s time has come.

I really like Shezow. What’s not to like. Lets remember who the target audience is, first of all; it is my daughter and her friends, not me. And She loves it. The colors are catchy and the jokes are cute. But what I really like about it is that I think ideally, it teaches tolerance and embraces the fact that there are no absolutes.

Initially wary of the position, Guy quickly adapts and becomes an incredibly competent hero, learning lessons and turning situations around in his favor. Furthermore, his distaste for all things ‘feminine’ and ‘girly’ fades away as he realizes how strong and capable he is with the added help of said items.

It is not until “Glamageddon”, an episode that explicitly deconstructs the socially constructed gender barrier concerning the concept of glamor, that both SheZow the show and Guy the character take a significant leap towards progress and greatness. From this point on, Guy embraces his role as a superhero with immense pride. He takes care to perform the actions required of him, including those society deems ‘weak’.

Conservatives and Christians Calls Shezow “LGBT Brainwashing”

Ben Shapiro

The Hub, launched in 2010 and co-owned by Discovery Communications and toy maker Hasbro, Inc., is hoping “SheZow” can bring the network top ratings and place it as a serious contender alongside networks like Nickelodeon and the Cartoon Network — while Bill Donahue, One Million Moms and other protesters are hoping the show gets the axe. [1] [9] [28] As you might expect, there’s been a bit of a freak out about SheZow among christians and conservatives medias. It started with Ben Shapiro with Breitbart News, which was upset by the notion of a show about a boy who gains superpowers along with a female persona, whenever he says the phrase, “You go, girl!”. Shapiro wrote:

Nothing says “child-appropriate material” quite like gender-bending underage superheroes. At least that’s the theory over at the Hub, the network co-owned by Discovery and Hasbro, which is trotting out its latest soon-to-be-dud, SheZow.

Shapiro wasn’t too enthusiastic about the show’s future from a ratings perspective either, calling the SheZow transgender cartoon The Hub’s “latest soon-to-be-dud.” [15] The story got picked up by the New York Daily News, which quoted GLAAD’s Rich Ferraro as saying, “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.” [27]  The Catholic League’s Bill Donohue criticized the show for exposing children to gender bending at an inappropriate age. “The target audience here is not adults,” Donohue said. “The target audience are young people, many of whom may be confused about their own sexuality.” [26]  “’SheZow’ presents at a pop-culture level what transgender activists believe and what some academics have taught for years: that gender is completely socially constructed and that people can change genders,” said Jeff Johnston, gender issues analyst for CitizenLink. [28] Girls and boys need adult guidance to grow into healthy women and men. “Instead of giving kids good role models to follow,” Johnston said, “this cartoon reflects our culture’s confusion about the two sexes, and kids don’t need that confused message.” [28] One Million Moms, an organization founded by the American Family Association, has issued a call to action for parents about a new cartoon picked up by the Hub kids network that features the 12-year-old gender bending boy. [9] Calling Hub’s airing of “SheZow” an “attempt by the gay, lesbian and transgender community to indoctrinate our children into accepting their lifestyles,” OneMillionMoms.com‘s call to action declares:

The media is determined to pollute the minds of our children and there is no better way to desensitize them than through a cartoon program. Everyone knows children are drawn to animated shows; both boys and girls love superheroes. This character especially will appeal to both boys and girls since the superhero represents both genders by cross dressing and being transgendered. [9]

“Hub network is being irresponsible and causing great damage to our culture,” partially reads the text of the “Take Action” email One Million Moms suggests concerned parents send to Discovery and Hasbro. “I am appalled that Hub intends to air a show that portrays cross dressing in a positive light on a kid’s channel. I strongly encourage Hub to drop all plans to air the program ‘SheZow.'” [9]  Claiming the program will confuse young viewers, the pro-family group suggests that impressionable children will want to imitate “SheZow’s” main hero character, Guy Hamdon (voiced by Sam Vincent). “It won’t be long before little boys are saying, ‘I want to be a girl, so I can help people and save the world!'” the group suggests. [9]  Despite protests, and sparring petitions on Change.org, “SheZow” has attracted an adult following, with many viewers responding to the Hub cartoon premiere episode over the weekend with support. [9] One Million Moms’ stated goal is “to stop the exploitation of our children, especially by the entertainment media” in television, music, movies and other areas and keep young consumers from exposure to “immorality, violence, vulgarity and profanity.” [9]

Launched in October 2010, the Hub has barely registered a blip in the highly competitive kids’ TV marketplace. It has a few minor successes including “My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic” and “Transformers,” but overall its ratings are tiny.  [16] Among kids 2 to 11, the Hub’s primary target, it averages 56,000 viewers a day, according to Nielsen. Disney and Nickelodeon each average 934,000 kids in that group. [16]

The Author Respond to the “Right Wing” Backlash

Obie Scott Wade