Quote:
Originally Posted by TurtleGuy
And what do you mean sexist undertones? If by racist you're referring to Baxter, I'd agree, but sexist? Where?
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Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of what happens to Splinter in the OT, than I was the white washing of Stockman. Case could be made that the Mirage book was racist for having the only people of color in the book be the bad guys. But...since we're talking about the OT here, I'll stick to Splinter.
In the OT Splinter
was Hamato Yoshi which is really...uncool in a very fundamental way. During WWII, there was a whole lot of US propaganda against Japan that dehumanized the Japanese people by depicting them as rodents. I know as a white kid in the 80s I had no idea about this connection, and hell...it wasn't until a few years ago that I'd even heard tale of the depictions. And on a Smallville board of all things.
My hope is that the new Nicktoon will follow the Mirage Books, Movies, and 2k3 series and keep Splinter as Yoshi's pet.
As for the sexism?
April. Just...April. April in her objectified, cleavage bearing, bright yellow jumpsuit. Turtles Forever got that bit right, you really can set your watch by how many times April needs rescuing. I mean, the Mirage books are guilty of it too, and while one could argue that a good chunk of her damsel in distress'ness was really thumbing a nose at Frank Miller, it's still there.
Irma? The man-hungry dowdy friend of the hot-chick? That's a trope the media could do without another example of.
I'm not even going to try to go near the Cultural Appropriation topic, because I am by no means well versed in the trope to discuss it at length, but there's a whole lot of that too.
If you're ever bored, check out TV Tropes:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...njaTurtles2003
I'll stop here, as I can already hear the swords of detractors shaking, telling me I'm taking this "too seriously". That it's "just a kids show", and that I should "just lighten up."
To them I say, chances are good that you didn't grow up as a girl liking the turtles and constantly being told that they're for boys.
Hell, I had a five year old tell me that last month at a Con.
My response: My mother taught me that toys are made for people to play with, whether or not they're boys or girls.