Okay, so I’m sure most of you are aware of the controversy surrounding characters who may or may not be gay in children’s cartoons, so let’s cut to the chase here.
I’m planning to make a cartoon show one day, which centres around a young girl in a small rural town. I don’t want to give too much away, but one of the main characters is a lesbian. This being a show for children, I will have to face the soccer moms (and/or dads) at one point or another. And unlike most children’s shows, where the gay accusations are either incorrect or lacking in sufficient evidence, it’s definitely true this time, so I could get it much worse. But here’s my question: should I give in to the soccer parents, or should I just ignore them? Because I really want to ignore them, but I don’t know if that’s a good idea.
Also, I would like to point out that the film ParaNorman had an openly gay character, and although it caused some controversy, the writer, Chris Butler, was sure enough to defend the film, stating,
"It was part of the tolerance thing. It seemed important that we be brave about it. If we're saying to anyone that watches this movie don't judge other people, then we've got to have the strength of our convictions." (see below for source)
Of course, that was a film, and films usually allow more leeway than television, so this example probably doesn’t apply here. However, I will say that, before I reveal the sexuality of my character on the show, I’m planning to do an episode that expresses my (and preferably the other writers’) views on the soccer mom crowd. The way I see it, it’ll probably be something among the lines of “haters gonna hate”, along with teaching kids simply to ask their elders if they’re unsure about something, and maybe I’ll throw in the standard moral of “just don’t let your kids watch it if you think it’s inappropriate, and don’t go blaming the network”. Again, I know this is still sensitive territory, but if you want to want to make an impact, you generally have to take risks, something most kids’ shows rarely do these days. But with that said, what do you, the people, have to say on the matter?
Well, that’s all I have to say for now. If you are able to give some advice and/or have any questions, feel free to speak your mind by responding to this post.
And, in case you were wondering, here’s where I found that little interview snippet:
EurPublisher. "The Film Strip: 'ParaNorman' Says You Can Be Weird but Bullying Is Not Ok." EURweb. The Electronic Urban Report, 16 Aug. 2012. Web. 02 May 2015. https://www.eurweb.com/2012/08/the-film-strip-paranorman-says-you-can-be-weird-but-bullying-is-not-ok/ /