One Million Moms Targets New Gender-Bending Cartoon
It seems as though the anti-gay group One Million Moms, which hardly has a million members, never runs out of things to complain about. Whether they're taking issue with Norelco for running a manscaping commercial, or JC Penney hiring Ellen DeGeneres as its spokeswoman or the Walt Disney Company for not banning Gay Days at Disney World, the group is ready to attack anything LGBT-related.
The group's latest gripe? A new cartoon about a male protagonist who transforms into a female superhero.
"SheZow" premiered in the United States on Saturday and aired on the Hub, a satellite TV channel created by Discovery and Hasbro. The show, aimed at kids 6-11 years old, follows a 12-year-old boy named Guy Hamdon, who has a female crime-fighting alter ego called SheZow. Hamdon turns into SheZow by putting on a magic ring and shouting out the catchphrase, "You go girl!"
"The media is determined to pollute the minds of our children and there is no better way to desensitize them than through a cartoon program," OMM wrote on their website. "Everyone knows children are drawn to animated shows; both boys and girls love superheroes. This character especially will appeal to both boys and girls since the superhero represents both genders by crossdressing and being transgendered. This dude becomes the FEMALE superhero SheZow dressed in pink and purple."
The group, a project created by the anti-gay and Christian organization American Family Association, adds, "This is just another attempt by the gay, lesbian and transgender community to indoctrinate our children into accepting their lifestyles."
Hub's CEO Margaret Loesch said her initial reaction regarding the show was, "'Are you out of your minds?"" she told the Los Angeles Times. She added, "Then I looked at it and I thought, 'This is just funny."
"There is no doubt this superhero character will confuse kids," OMM writes. "Children desire to be just like superheroes and will mimic a superhero's every action, even to the point of dressing up in costumes to resemble the characters as much as possible. It won't be long before little boys are saying, 'I want to be a girl, so I can help people and save the world!'"
"Loving your child is to teach them right from wrong and find help when they need it. We are all sinners, but we try to do better and get help when and where we need it in our lives," OMM's statement concludes. "Thousands of Christian counselors and pastors are available all across the country to help anyone who is struggling with any kind of sin including homosexuality, gender identity disorder, gender confusion or gender dysphoria."
Ben Shapiro of the conservative website Breitbart News also slammed the cartoon, writing, "Nothing says 'child-appropriate material' quite like gender-bending underage superheroes." GLAAD spokesman Rich Ferraro, however, criticized Shapiro's remarks, according to the Ledger.
"This Breitbart News article is just a laughable attempt at attention seeking, comparable to Jerry Falwell attacking the Teletubbies, and demonstrates a profound ignorance of transgender people since this show doesn't include any," he said.
Though the cartoon premiered in America last weekend, it's been on the air in Canada and Australia since December.
"SheZow" was created by Obie Scott Wade and is produced by Mood Street Kids and Kickstart Productions. Wade also wrote the series, along with Lazar Saric. The cartoon is directed by Gillian Carr and stars Lyall Brooks, Matt Hill and Samuel Vincent.
The Clarion Ledger points out that according to Nielsen rankings, the Hub averages 56,000 daily viewers among ages 2 to 11. The channel's competitors Nickelodeon and Disney, however, gain about 930,000 viewers.
Watch a clip of "SheZow" below: