Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Powerpuff Girls Semiotic Data

These two iterations of the Powerpuff Girls give very different perspectives on the ideas of how children’s media should be as well as how to progress/express feminism in a constructive manner. Both episodes picked focus on the girls fighting a traditionally masculine villain and how they overcome the obstacle. While both shows are aimed at expressing a “girl power” message and attempt to appeal to a young demographic, both do so in very different ways that reflect the era of the shows creation.

While the original Powerpuff Girls feels like an action show with feminist undertones and lessons, the new one feels more centered on getting a message across and putting the storyline second. The genre is undoubtedly action/comedy for both; however the ways in which they treat their audience and present their overarching societal message are entirely different.

1990’s: The Rowdyruff Boys

-Mojo Jojo is using traditionally masculine/gross things to create male counterparts for the girls, returning to schoolyard ideals of boy vs girl 
(boys: snips, snails, and a puppy dog’s tail - and girls: sugar, spice, and everything nice)
-Brick, Boomer, and Butch are stereotypes for young boys; being violent, “gross,” and unruly. They are direct counterparts to the girls, with very similar appearances to them
Image result for the rowdyruff boys
-The boys treat the girls in regards with schoolyard ideals of boy’s vs girls; referencing sexism. This is in contradiction to reality, as they appear to be equally matched. Also, the girls seem to partake in this minimally.
-The differences of man v woman are even shown in fight sequences, with the men using more direct force and women are fighting with relative grace; even using acrobatics in comparison to boxing and martial arts. However, they are portrayed to be equally effective styles.
-An interesting addition here is Mrs. Bellum, who is the Mayor’s secretary, when he dismisses the girls slamming against the window she brings the importance of the event to his attention. Later, she is allowed emotion and is the one who wakes up the girls after defeat. She even convinces the girls to stay in Townsville and gives them the advice needed to defeat the boys.
-At the end, Buttercup is used to dispute the idea that little girls like kissing; breaking an ideal


The episode largely focuses on men and women being equal, as shown in fight scenes. The ideals of sexism are there, but are mostly integrated into the story rather than being outwardly stated. They also challenge traditional gender stereotypes through Buttercup at the end


-If we look at the humor and direction of the show, the humor is subverted and generally not “loud and in-your-face.” The audience is required to pay attention and be interactive with the media to gain the full-effect of the media. The show requires investment and challenges the minds of the audience with subtle humor that spans the test of time rather than be era-specific.

-The 1990’s was a period that focused heavily on the ideal of feminism and equal opportunity. It heavily pushed the ideal that men and women should be equal and properly represented in society. However, there was a large counter movement that hated feminist ideology. This put feminist propaganda in a strange spot: they couldn’t state it outright but it also needed to get the message forward. The Powerpuff Girls demonstrates this as the ideals of feminism are woven into the story rather than be directly stated.



2016: Man-Up

-In the first scene, the main villain (a traditionally masculine lumberjack) tells Buttercup she “throws like a girl” and calls her a “princess” which throws her in a frenzy; showing misogynistic ideals from Man-Boy (our villain) and a direct response from the girls.
-The humor is less nuanced than in the original, it uses a lot of repetition and loud/outward humor
-When the other girls are talking to Buttercup, the message is incredibly forward and not hidden whatsoever, something common in modern children’s media.
-The main villain is the embodiment of masculinity; using a giant wooden robot/tank as his weapons and he has an army of raw steaks. He has a large beard, short hair, and has a large, muscular frame and he frequently shows off his muscles. He’s trying to spread “manliness” across Townsville.
Image result for man boy powerpuff girls
-The girls revile in disgust after Man-Boy demonstrates his ability to regrow his beard instantly, showing traditional schoolyard boy v girl ideologies. Blossom later complains when man boy returns by saying “men,” implying disdain for masculine ideals.
-At the end of the episode, the embodiment of masculinity is defeated by a contradiction of his character and what could be considered a representation of feminine ideals; a block of tofu.


The episode seems to be centered not so much on equality, but on the conflict of masculine and feminine ideals and may even suggest that the latter is “better” than the patriarchy. The message is stated outright and can be picked up by a young audience. They use traditional ideals as a battleground rather than challenge them.


-The humor and feeling of the show is much more flashy and outward. Most of the jokes require little-to-no thought to understand and tend to play off things popular in the era of the show. Little investment is required to keep the audience entertained, and the audience is not challenged. Most of the humor is juvenile and slapstick, and largely based off of popular culture of the 2010's.

-The way feminism is shown is much more direct, reflecting the 2010’s modern-feminist movement. Feminism was brought to the mainstream through news outlets, protests, music, and social media (i.e. tumblr, reddit, and buzzfeed) and the show reflects this trend. Rather than subverting the message, we quite literally have the embodiment of masculinity being taken down by feminine ideology. They use gender ideals as a literal battleground. The girls even state their disdain for male culture by exclaiming “men” and reject gender-specific labels outright.

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