Why Legend of Korra and Friendship is Magic are good for breaking gender stereotypes

[TheColtofPersonality]

In modern society its still a mans world out there, rather if you have feminist insight or the drive to make things better for women its still a very male oriented world.

And what a better way to reflect this then to look at our entertainment, there is still this mentality out there that girls shows should only be watched by girls and boys shows should only be watched by boys.

This kind of stigma has been around for a little while now but it is mainly extended from the 80's when gender separation was very important to networks.

Before this shows were more or less made for general audiences but then crept in female empowerment, both a good and bad thing for the industry especially where animation was concerned.

Boys had stuff like Transformers and G.I Joe and girls had stuff like My Little Pony and Rainbow Brite.

Gender association with both was hammered in for so long that with the recent Brony craze can instantly be seen as many as something sexually deviant and or wrong. And its no wonder when the very name “My Little Pony” conjures up images of tea parties and the occasional magical fairy princess.

After all how can any boy like something like that unless they have something wrong with them sexually?

But you see this is where I think that My Little Pony Friendship is Magic is a GOOD THING, rather if you like the show or the fandom or not having so many fans of the show cannot mean they are all some sort of evil perverted pedophile like most Brony haters make us out to be.

I myself am a part of that fandom and I know I dont appreciate being called some sort of sexual deviant for liking it.

For me the show is a fun hobby, something to play with and have a laugh and in this day and age I think we all deserve something in our lives to make us happy at least for a short while.

The show is a real bright spot in my dull and depressing life.

So how does this all relate to Legend of Korra you may ask?

Well once again it relates to gender stereotypes and or what shows can be made for boys and what kind of shows can be made for girls and Legend of Korra is more or less a boys show but with a female lead.

For a boys show to do something like that is just astounding, normally a show targeted at boys normally have a male lead but here Korra is a female lead.

This is a very good thing in my eyes, both shows could basically break down some gender barriers and finally end some of the issues most boys shows have and vice versa.

Like no longer having to need to have the token female or male, granted friendship is magic does have a token make character but stuff like breaking out of having token males or females will take a long time to establish.

I really hope for the day we no longer have to rely on “The Smurfette Principle” to get a female character in or “the one guy” to get a male character in.

Its been three decades of this sort of thing and old habits will be hard to break.

The animation age needs more like Korra and Friendship is magic, heck I wish all cartoons were like this as it would shift a whole new paradigm and pull at least kids entertainment out of the gutter.

This is the 21st century people, its time to start acting that way and finally get out of the 1800's with this stuff.

[Rosewind]

I agree with this trend, and I hope it continues -- and hopefully changes attitudes about animated entertainment with a specific gender-intended audience.

[SirShadowdeath]

Aye, I always hated gender stereotypes and 'discrimination'. This is always a good thing to see.

[elsporko]

When I was reading about Faust making FiM it was mentioned that it was assumed girls would watch boys shows, but not the other way, which is why boy shows got more attention and investment