Rewatching PPG as an adult and recognizing the parts that haven't aged well:
I know those kinds of jokes are sadly so ingrained that even nominal kids shows can make them repeatedly, but it still IS weird that they repeated the same joke with Mojo specifically not once, not twice, but THREE times (Cootie Gras, Monkey See Doggy Two, and The Powerpuff Girls Rule) to the point where the first example currently provides the trope image on TV Tropes. If the hippies from Save Mojo had brought that up, the show would've been over, although they probably wouldn't have known about that.
The creators at the time certainly would not have cared about the implications on Mojo's psychology or on Townsville's prison system as in their minds they were making a wacky violent cartoon about kindergartner superheroes, and so trying to parse a deeper meaning to it beyond edgy humor for the sake of edgy humor would be fruitless, but regardless it still leaves a bad taste in the mouth. What would a version of PPG look like that could have the maturity to even acknowledge this topic in a graceful manner? It would probably be best to relegate this to non-canon material and psychodrama fanfics.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
Hey have you guys thought of the RRBs having ptsd from getting kissed by the PPGs?
Like they were just born (created) and the first day of being alive they die
From a kiss
And not like quick and painless or just poof gone
Like screaming with big flashes like lightning and huge explosions
And they come back in boys back in town and clearly targetting their counterpart i.e the one who kissed them specifically unlike before where they just beat up who's closest showing oh ye they have a lil vendetta
And there was also a comic abt the rrb in CN action pack #6 called Root of All Cooties
And basically while the boys were messing around they try to find the ultimate cure for cooties which is like an egg
And when they find it, they start fighting over it, the ppg got their hands on it and take it for themselves which apparently gave them the ultimate cootie power
AND GOT KILLED AGAIN
And like I'm guessing HIM could just bring them back again
But my god ya telling me the boys were just trying to not die again by finding the cure and then said cure was taken and used against them to be killed with YET AGAIN!
And yeah I would not be surprised if they got ptsd and just very averse to affection and intimacy
The official phobia name i got from here
"Aphenphosmphobia (which is the fear of being touched) as well as Philophobia (which is the fear of love)"
Cos last time that happened they died so I hc the only way of showing any physical affection with each other is beating each other up
They closest they get to a hug is grappling, headlocks and noogies
And like imagine as they're growing up and they actually want to socialise and have friends that isn't just each other
And when they finally do and their new friend tries to be friendly like throwing an arm over the shoulder or a pat on the head or arm or even just getting too close to their personal space and they just freak the fuck out and like scaring them away or more distant with each other
And oh man ya try to even consider a more than friends relationship? Frustrating as hell, cos they're just always anxious as hell everytime there's even a little physical intimacy, especially when its more expected in relationships like these, it's more daunting to even try for a relationship
The simultaneous want and aversion of physical intimacy is just so confusing and hurts to think about it
And worse cos they're the rowdyruff boys and have some toxic masculinity so it's like feels even worse that they're so scared cos it's not "manly" to be so scared of something "so lame" even tho they know deep down why
And they're just stuck isolated and stuck in a cycle of shame/guilt
As for the ppg, I mean they were 5 and wholly responsible for saving the cuty of townsville who canonically so stupid they can't even handle minor emergencies by themselves
And like remember speed demon where they accidentally go forawdr 50 years into the future to find the town in ruins and miserable with HIM taking over the town and possibly world so when the ppg came back they were like hell no to the bahama weekend getaway like hell they're leaving townsville
So yayyyy ppg also traumatised
Basically saying it would take them sometime to consolidate oh ye what we did to the rrb was kinda fucked up
They may even try to attempt to apologise and try to get them help
But I believe they would be more like hahaha fuck no and may even be more aggressive and hateful of the ppg (and also again the toxic masculinity of "I don't need help I'm 100% ok" he says in lies)
Tho fr if anyone knows any fan content on this like tell me please because this literally driving me crazy
Season 1 of PPG hits a little different compared to every other season, it has its own particular atmosphere that none of the others really have except sometimes.
At least half or a little more of the episodes either have an outright horror or horror-adjacent theme (Boogie Nights, Abracadavar) or at least have moments that are unsettling (Fuzzy Logic, Mommy Fearest). Episodes like Uh Oh Dynamo, Bubbleviscuous, and the end of Buttercrush have a lot of the most intense violence in the whole show. Even in episodes that are more comedic or action-based, the lighting is often moodier, and the starker minimalism of many of the backgrounds make things feel a little off even when they’re not supposed to.
True, you could say the darkest episodes came in later seasons (Twisted Sister, Speed Demon, Knock It Off), but Season 1 had this more consistent tone throughout. In contrast, S5 and S6 had a lot more grossout humor, which didn’t add to the atmosphere was mostly unsuccessful because it was meant to make the audience laugh… which didn’t work by most accounts lol.
That’s not to say I necessarily prefer S1’s tone to the overall lighter stuff later, I love PPG when it’s silly! But I do wonder why they kind of toned it down later and reserved the scarier stuff for certain episodes per season. I believe the darker stuff in s1 was a holdover from the show’s Whoopass Girls days when Craig originally wanted the show to be more adult. I imagine Cartoon Network told them to dial it back at some point.
DISCLAIMER: I am not trans. I do not personally know anyone who is trans. As such, I have limited understanding on this topic. I know I am treading on extremely thin ice in this post. If I am wrong, someone tell me. I would love to discuss this to gain an understanding. I mean no malice in this post towards the trans community. I am speaking my mind and you are welcome to respond. A positive review of the episode follows after the break.
Horn Sweet Horn is a realistic depiction of the hardships trans people go through, and its ending is great encouragement for them.
Donny is a pony that wants to be a unicorn, and Bubbles wants to help him. I’ve seen people point out how it’s bad on the episode’s part for Buttercup to knock over Donny’s fake horn, and I respond with this: when is Buttercup ever shown to be right in scenes like this? She often does brash things without regard of how it will affect others. Heck, she didn’t even know Donny could talk or was sentient, and he gets rightfully upset and explains his situation.
I’ve seen people point out that Bubbles wants to befriend Donny not because of making a new friend, but for the prospect of proving the other kids wrong. Again, this is bad on the character, not on the episode. This running point becomes the focus of Bubbles’s development for the episode. She goes into this for the wrong reasons, for selfish reasons. This wasn’t a statement against trans people, this was a kid doing something (albeit good) for the wrong reason. People do this, especially those who don’t fully understand the situation and even more so with children.
Donny also makes a bad, hasty decision, and that becomes the focus of his development. This is the only point I will be firm in: you cannot deny that Donny was in the wrong for not understanding the possible consequences of his decision. His mistake leads to his transformation into a monster, and he starts rampaging through the streets of the city. Here’s one of the big points I’ve seen against the episode, that someone trying to transition is seen as a monster. Here’s an idea:
What if that is that point?
Think about it. There are thousands of people in this world who will be insensitive to trans people in one way or another, whether they mean to or not. There are people who will look at trans people (or pretty much anyone in the LGBTQ community) as a ‘monster,’ or an ‘abomination.’ Donny is in this stage right now, where his desire to transition has brought hardship upon him, because people are seeing him as something unnatural. People who he thought cared about him are now enemies to him. He feels betrayed by his loved ones and by society itself. Trans people, let me ask you this:
Have you ever felt that way before?
Have you ever seen posts or read articles about people saying or doing things that are transphobic? Have things or people you love and trust said or done something transphobic? Has anything ever happened to you to try and make you feel like an outcast? If so, then Donny suddenly becomes a highly relatable character. People are against this episode because it doesn’t paint trans people in the best light, and I agree with that. People who transition should be able to do so without issue, because it is their identity and a person should have the right to be what they want. It’s not the perfect picture of how a transition should be.
It’s a realistic depiction of what actually happens, though.
A trans person may go about their daily life and get mocked about their being trans, or may have someone try to take away the thing they are using to be trans, like Buttercup did. People may consider that person to be a friend and may want to help, but it is highly likely for them to understand the situation or the feelings of the trans person, and thus may cause more harm than good at some point, like Bubbles did. Anyone who doesn’t consider all the risks of any big decision may easily fall into negative consequences from that decision, like Donny did. The world in its current state does say and do things that are against trans people, like how the city went against Donny. Said behavior may cause the trans person in question to hate themselves; I don’t even have to begin to list the various cases of self-harm and suicide because of bullying about one’s identity.
This sucks, but it happens.
The good thing about the episode is highlighting this behavior, to show kids that life as a trans person can be hard because of the current state of the world. The ending is supposed to be both a light for the trans community and a lesson to kids. The lesson for the audience is through Bubbles’s development. She apologizes for her behavior and shows Donny that she still considers him a friend. Afterwards, other unicorns (a symbol of the trans community in general) arrive to welcome Donny and make him feel at home with his identity. The world sucks sometimes, and can be very mean to trans people, but there are people who care about you and an entire community of people just like you who can understand your struggle, and make you feel welcomed and accepted. Isn’t this a good thing? Isn’t this a beacon of hope for the community, reminding them that the nature of community can help someone be stronger and more confident in themselves?
This episode deserves credit for clever writing like this. Is it gold? No, but to this day this is one of the best depictions of a trans conflict I have ever seen on a kids show. Know that there will be hardship, but also know that people love you and want to care for you, and that there are others in this world like you who can help you with the struggles you have. You are not a freak. You are not a monster. You are not an abomination. You are beautiful, and you have people who love you. People will try to tell you otherwise, but don’t let them. Be who you are, for who you are is amazing.
