Recommended for you

Start writing a post

Entertainment

The Powerpuff Girls: Gender Studies 101

7 woke moments from your favorite childhood heroines

Tara Guo

Oct 24, 2016

Amherst College

857

Sugar, spice, everything nice - and a dose of KICKASS FEMINISM.

From challenging the traditional male superhero role to advocating gender fluidity, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup have defied social conventions for the past two decades, introducing to America’s youth in delectable thirty minute morsels the importance of gender equality and trans acceptance.

1. Professor Utonium is a single dad

Who says a man can't be a caring single parent? Turning the tables on an age-old convention of masculine detachment from care-taking, the Professor defies gender roles as he devotes himself to bringing up his girls.

2. Femme Fatale's critique of the superhero patriarchy

Sadly, female superheroes in the larger media come prepackaged as hyper-sexualized and inherently lesser than their male counterparts. To the mainstream entertainment industry: WE NEED MORE INDEPENDENT HEROINES!!!

3. Gender fluidity and cross-dressing

Okay, the Professor was definitely serving looks on this one!

Also, let's not forget about Mojo Jojo as Mojisha - engaging in sleepovers and ballet slippers, the lovable villain was not afraid to break from traditional conventions.

4. You can admit it, Him was kind of fabulous

Complete with over-the-knee pumps and a tutu, Him is one of the most memorable villains from this children's show, appearing as a gender-neutral devil character paired with an ambiguous voice and incredible fashion sense.

5. The Powerpuff Girls taught us to keep an open mind about gender

You go, Buttercup!

Again, what's up with these male superheroes reinforcing stereotypes? Not cool.

6. 'Masculinity' is hurting young boys' self-image

Providing a satire of perceived masculinity amongst males, the show noted the pressure of young boys to appear as strong, unfeeling and tough.

7. Girls can be the brains, too

Despite her looks, Sarah Bellum was more than just an attractive woman; in truth, she ran the big league behind the scene (sorry Mayor, you're kind of a dimwit). Fun fact: her name is a pun for cerebellum.

Report this Content

This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

Student Life

Things I Am Actually Going To Do This Semester

Or at least try to do.

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less

new year

Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

Southwestern University

785

woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch

Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less

library

Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

Michigan State University

606

Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less

Student Life

Top 20 Thoughts College Students Have During Finals

The ultimate list and gif guide to a college student's brain during finals.

University of Vermont

Thanksgiving break is over and Christmas is just around the corner and that means, for most college students, one hellish thing — finals week. It's the one time of year in which the library becomes over populated and mental breakdowns are most frequent. There is no way to avoid it or a cure for the pain that it brings. All we can do is hunker down with our books, order some Dominos, and pray that it will all be over soon. Luckily, we are not alone in this suffering. To prove it, here are just a few of the many deranged thoughts that go through a college student's mind during finals week.

Keep Reading...Show less

finals

Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

Kennesaw State University

1296

group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

Photo by Naassom Azevedo on Unsplash

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.