![]() ![]() Through this constellation of characters and the choice of humour as vehicle, the writer has essentially written herself into a corner. making him "mansplain" gender equality to Amy. What the writer is trying to say is that even a self-professed "meathead" like Knuckles can be a feminist but by doing so she inevitably puts him into a non-feminist position i.e. In this scene, the humour arising from the fact that it is Knuckles delivering this little speech, is intended to be the vehicle for the writer's message. She is visible here on the left and clearly part of the conversation:Īnd this is another instance where the framework of Sonic Boom got into the way of the message the writer tried to convey. On the matter of mansplaining: It is true that Sticks the Badger could have delivered this speech. Essentially, Knuckles and Amy are talking about two very different things here, which is where the problematic nature of Knuckles' statement stems from. However, Amy, in evoking the metaphor of the "glass ceiling", an image that was coined by and gained traction within feminist circles, is talking about external limiting factors. The message is further muddied by what Amy says before:Īs I explained earlier, Knuckles is advocating for the autonomy of women. In other words, Knuckles isn't talking about how things are but how they should be. The way Knuckles' statement is phrased, it sounds as if he is denying the existence of gender inequality whereas it seems obvious that Knuckles is bemoaning the "status quo". This goes especially for shows directed at kids. Dialogue in TV shows has to be snappy, otherwise you end up with stuff like True Detective Season 2. The second part of his statement, however, goes too far in the sense that it tries to explain what I did above but has to do so in a succinct way. ![]() Certainly, one can also make the argument that any pointing out of women "breaking the mold" is a celebration of women's autonomy within a patriarchal system and their ability to break free from it. Explicitly calling attention to breaking of gender roles in media is an acknowledgment of said (forced) gender roles and to a certain degree removes women's autonomy by implying that most simply adhere to them. The first half of Knuckles' statement about the "undermining of the concept of gender equality" has some merit. Not implying that women can't have misconceptions about feminism but there seems to be a genuine attempt here, hampered by the fact that it had to be written within the framework of Sonic Boom. ![]() I think this is a case where writing and humour got in the way of conveying a deeper message. Against my better judgement I will try to unpack this. ![]()
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