#glamageddon

Never before has a televised beauty competition filled me with immense glee. Whereas previous shows and films emphasized the vapidness of a competition hinged on physical appearance, SheZow encouraged "glamor" in battle. Glamor is not about beauty or "lady-like" politeness. Glamor is about getting stuff done while still maintaining a positive image and attitude. The crowd preference for Shezow is not based on their opinions concerning objective superior beauty; they love Shezow for successfully defending herself from an antagonistic and bitter woman who does not use her strength and abilities well. Tara is dependent on her popularity, her very sanity hinging upon how many people see her as a hero. Shezow, on the other hand, has a beautiful humility that pairs well with a high level of self-confidence. 

Shezow encompasses everything I have ever loved and aspired to be. The role requires bravery, selflessness, intelligence, and perfect poise. Loss of any of these qualities leaves Shezow powerless, illustrating the need for balance between them. Sacrifices must only be made in order to strengthen each quality; there is no stigma against choosing one quality over another. Instances where Shezow would normally suffer some sort of physical damage to her hair are forgiven if the action embodied bravery or selflessness, allowing Shezow to maintain her powers when she would otherwise be weakened. 

Shezow's victories are never chance circumstances; they are the result of Guy's quick thinking and ability to adapt. He has learned much about accepting and enjoying "feminine" activities during the time he's masqueraded as Shezow, particularly those concerned with the importance of maintaining a clean physical appearance. However, he's still very early in his superhero career and hesitates to do things outside of his transformed form. His failure to do so ultimately leads to the creation of Shezap, a being so brilliantly colored and animated it's nearly impossible to not love. 

Shezap is chaotic evil at it's finest, choosing to cause wanton destruction with no other motivation than the fact that she can. Creeping through the shadows and materializing in darkness, Shezap is naturally designed to instill fear and discomfort in her foes. She has a darker, more visually appealing color scheme for those whose preference isn't pink, leading the audience to expect a bit of resentment from Guy for not getting the more "masculine" outfit. However, Shezap's disgust at Shezow's appearance is met with the introduction of laser lipstick, illustrating how little Guy cares about the color now that he has seen the full extent of it's power is not hindered by it's feminimity. This, combined with Guy finally realizing he must be well groomed, are perfect examples of SheZow emphasizing the importance of not having a dividing line between culturally designated male and female activities and preferences.

SheZow has never pretended to be about anything other than a boy learning how to fight crime while dressed as a girl. It isn't an allegory for transgender issues or sexuality. However, it has always striven to show the strength of women and feminine activities in a positive light without attempting to keep it in a strictly female box. Guy doesn't learn how to be a woman; he learns how to be a better person. 

Of course, there are other great aspects of these episodes that are only tangentially related to the villains. Maz starts stepping up as a well written source of humor rather than a stiff and occasionally amusing background object and Kelly begins to leave her shrill role as overbearing older sibling into a competent and likable assistant. Kelly and Guy's mother is also a strong force not to be reckoned with, standing up for Shezow and her family in front of Tara and later assisting Guy in his training. Their father is also given further reasons to hate Shezow and make keeping the secret identity even more imperative for the future.