Welcoming a new Powerpuff girl to the squad

The significance of the new African American Powerpuff girl

Image supplied by: Supplied via Wikipedia

Growing up, my sister and I established a solid after-school routine: come home, grab our Dunkaroos snack and turn on our television to catch the latest episode of The Powerpuff Girls. 

I was mesmerized by the entire show. I mean, a show promoting female representation and girl power to children at such an early age? I was and still am all for it. 

Eventually, I thought to myself, “Hey, I could be one of the Powerpuff Girls too!” I felt the Powerpuff Girls and I shared similar traits. I believed I was intelligent like Blossom, courageous like Buttercup and optimistic like Bubbles. However, I failed to account for one major difference. 

I self-identify as a Vietnamese female. I’m not white, but all of my television heroes seemed to be. 

The Powerpuff Girls was originally released in 1998 and yet, it wasn’t until September 17, 2017 that Cartoon Network revealed there would be an official fourth member to the female empowering team. Here’s the best part: Her name is Bliss and she’ll be the first African American Powerpuff Girl. So yes, Bliss’ inclusion to the team is a big deal. 

It’s important to showcase racial and cultural representation throughout the media. The media has a long-standing history of being “white-washed“, resulting in the inevitable lack of diversity. 

This isn’t to suggest the notion that the media is racist, but rather struggling with a diversity issue.Though there has been an increase in racial and cultural representation, there needs to be a stronger push. Without groups of racial and cultural minorities shown in the media, it suggests these groups aren’t deserving of representation. It’s critical to recognize the significant influence media possesses on shaping our generation, especially 

amongst children. 

Our society embraces diverse fractions of numerous ethnic groups, yet this reality is often diminished or non-existent in television or on cinema screens. The cold hard truth is that the media fails to accurately represent and embody the nature of our society.

As a cultural minority, I’m proud of Cartoon Network for their drive for diversity in one of their most iconic series. With the newest Powerpuff Girl Bliss, young African American girls can grow up with representation. Hopefully, this will inspire other networks to introduce new characters with diverse racial backgrounds. 

Who’s to say you can’t be a cultural minority that identifies with sugar and spice and everything nice?

Tags

powerpuff girls, race, Television

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