Representation in Gen 3 - Monster High

The nostalgia bug caught me, okay?
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[@yami1389]

As someone's who's autstic, and had to move to UK from a very different cultural background, I absolutely understand the "high five" part. Not understanding that for the question "how you doing" you're not supposed to answer honestly was a bit of a hard pill to swallow.

[@HiBuddyyyyyy]

I’m autistic and from the UK and I assumed you were supposed to tell the truth when someone asks you how you are, I just don’t because I know people probably don’t care.

[@yami1389]

@@HiBuddyyyyyy i did too but I actually did answer honestly xD they didn't react the way I thought they would oof

[@CapitalLuke]

I never understood why people were complaining that Frankie didn't know what a high five was, it's such a nitpick as missing out on very obvious or well known things isn't all that ...weird? It's like people can have different cultural backgrounds or simply didn't recognize the name of a popular activity...

[@Isabella-lm8ke]

I have a British dad and American mum and have lived in both countries so I find this distinction really interesting. How are you doing/What’s up is often seen as a greeting in America, much the same to are you all right/ You’ll right in England. My mum would always get frustrated with my dad when he asked “what’s up” in serious situations and then my mum would turn around and dump her whole life story when someone asked her if she was all right.

[@Alex-fc8xn]

It took me until like 20 to realize that the answer is "okay, you?" And not honesty 😅. No wonder I got weird looks before

[@Emile_for_Real_6206]

as a nonbinary and disabled person, i was terrified when frankie was revealed as nonbinary but they handled it awesomely. It makes me real happy! and just adding because i was thinking about this, i am a lil pissed that goulia talks now, as a semiverbal person I liked how she was in the original because i felt very seen and the people around her were so supportive. She was great because her ability to communicate wasnt a factor in her intelligence or social standing. I'm mad that they removed that aspect of her character completely.

[@venusgin7779]

Sameee- also the scene in the movie scared me even more that they would make it forced -

[@OnlyAmemory]

I incredibly agree, due to representation tending to not be the best when put on screen Im VERY happy thats not the case, they portrayed frankie as a nobinary so well!

[@LaDaDaDeDaDaDa..]

I didn't quite like it, they just slapped a figurative they/them badge on the character and expected us to think "Oh they/them means Non-binary" and vice certain and didn't even go into what the gender identity means to them, it was just Frankie flaunting they're NB and use they/them and people using they/them to address them.

[@Emile_for_Real_6206]

@@LaDaDaDeDaDaDa.. i kind of liked the lack of justification because i didnt want the soap box moment beacause i'm really sick of having to justify being what i am and i like how they didn't go into detail. It makes it feel more natural for me personally and i like this kind of reprasentation. I like how its not made a massive deal but i respect what your saying.

[@58209]

@@LaDaDaDeDaDaDa.. i haven't watched the show, so take this comment with a big ol grain of salt. to me, it's just nice hearing of casual and confident nonbinary representation where we aren't expected to be an Educational Moment, where a nonbinary character can just exist without their identity being a point of conflict. the clips of frankie saying their pronouns reminds me a lot of janet from "the good place", very confidently interrupting people with "not a girl!" when she's misgendered. it's casual, assertive, confident, and makes me feel cathartic for all the times it's not been safe for me to correct people who misgender me (which is basically all the time). the only way it could be more casual is if the shows introduced their appropriate identifiers once, and then no longer made it an issue worth repeating. (all that said, i don't disagree with the spirit of your comment. there are trade-offs for representation on the spectrum from "casual" to "educational" to "heavy-handed soapboxing". a children's show in the current reactionary zeitgeist could benefit from a more explicit scene talking openly about nonbinary people in an accepting context. and i've seen enough shows with queer "representation" that just felt like tokenization that i am usually skeptical of LGBTQ+ characters that are functionally LGBTQ+ in name only.)

[@MsSumoon]

I do worry that Frankie becomes the token LGBT+ character. Draculaura is clearly queer-coded in the animated series, I also don't enjoy Deuce X Clawdeen, it does feel forced to avoid the fanom about Clawdeen being a Lesbian. One detail that I loved from the animated series is that they animated Frankie's walk cycle taking in consideration their prosthetic leg(sometimes animations avoid this, because it's extra work, but this one they actually bothered).

[@JinsanSama]

Even if they ends up a token...I still count them as a win. And looking into the LGBTQ+ history of Nickelodeon...maybe they manage to convince Mattel that it is "time" now ;D I would go even further and say Draculaura actually is gay coded in the show? Having to hide something like Magic and the anxiety of not being accepted when it comes out reads hella gay to me. Like a metaphor for coming out. But then I guess Bi people also have to come out eventually. I sure had a comming out and I am Pan. So both readings are possible :D I don't think they push Deuce onto Clawdeen to avoid the talks about Clawdeens possibly queer identity. She is the main character of a teen drama show now. And Deuce is the only other main character around that's male. I'd say it's just story telling by the books. Like Frankie in G1 also had a thing for Deuce, remember? Only back then, he was already taken. I don't know if the animated series (which is not the same universe as the movie) will have Cleo and Deuce also be broken up...from what I have seen so far, its not the case. So maybe they plan on having an arc of the two comming together after all and are teasing Deuce and Clawdeen because ..well...again, story telling/Drama. Speaking of Deuce. He is canonically the son of Medusa and Lyra now. While mythological "lyra" never referred to a person (I think?), this looks to me like a lesbian couple on paper haha.

[@MsSumoon]

​@@JinsanSama I don't count parents, when I say they are avoiding, it because no MC so far is openly gay. Frankie being NB, doesn't mean their sexuality is defined. But Mattel have a lot of queer-coding in other mediums, for example-Barbie's newer character Rafa, the guy is clearly gay, but he is not openly gay, all the coding is there, and he is an important secondary character. Sure, Barbie Brooklyn has 2 cousins that their parents are 2 dads, but again, it's way easier to have gay parents that almost will never show up. So having Deuce having 2 moms, while being cool, it's also a very safe move in my opinion, like-oh we can choose not to show them. It would be nice to have an openly queer MC, since Monster High is the perfect franchise for that, since it main message is acceptance. Even Frankie being NB it's a rather “safe“ move, since it's not about their relationship, just their gender identity, while important, it's something very safe for conservative countries just to change their dub of MH, making Frankie gender identity for a cis character. For example, I haven't heard the Brazilian Dub(I'm from Brazil by the way) for Monster High new animated series, I truly don't know if they kept Frankie NB or not, since Portuguese is a very gendered language it's quite hard to dub a NB character, so if Mattel truly bothers they will make all countries accept this change, if not, they will allow the misgendering of Frankie. And the people who work with this Franchise are very aware about the fandom's head canons, they knew about Frankie's NB fanom, so they also knew about Clawdeen's. So yeah, I still think it's kind of forced Clawdeen's relationship with Deuce, regardless if he and Cleo will ever be together or not. If they wanted Clawdeen to be straight they could have created a new character, or you know avoiding romance, like they did in G1, it's sometimes better having an MC that is not interested in romance. So far, I still worry Frankie being the token LGBT+ representation for the main cast of characters and Draculaura just being queer-coded.

[@JinsanSama]

@@MsSumoon I mean, in the Loud house they showed the gay parents of Lincolns best friend a couple of times and that they are infact into each other. And even something like that I personally count as a win. And even if Frankie's sexuality isn't defined, NBs are still a part of the LGBTQ+ , which is why I see it as a win for LGBTQ+ in total too. You said even Mattel has gays in other franchises like barbie (I didn't know, I just remember Garret Sanders requesting Gay for Monster High and was told it "wasn't time"), we know Nick willingly risks their ratings and outrage from conservatives and antis to share and educate on LGBTQ+ topics (They had Frankies actor and a drag Queens etc. talk on certain related topics freely and under their brand) so I really do have high hopes for more LGBTQ+ in the MH franchise too. As you said, it would be the perfect franchise for that! I am from Germany, I believe German is even more gendered than Portuguese. We don't have an equivalent for "they/them" (at least not a "natural" one like "they/them" is for the English language, we do have neologisms for it...that I as a language student find horrendous, but it is what it is. If they catch on they catch on and if not we will find better solutions), either, so I understand your concerns and I have them for my Language too. We will have to wait and see, I guess. And I am sorry, but the "just create new characters" is an argument I am tired off by now. I can understand people hating the change to their beloved Nostalgia and involved characters, I really do, but if we create new characters in old franchises for representation's sake, it feels like we are asking to uphold the "us vs them" mentality, if that makes sense? Like "Get a new character and keep your representation away from the old ones" kind of deal. Maybe not so much in this particular instance, you are right. Monster High was known for creating new characters left and right anyway, so a new character wouldn't have been as weird as it would be for other series. Then again, it is the start of a reboot, so I do understand why they wanna work with the main cast before introducing new stuff or re-introducing characters even G1 barely used. We are just at the beginning. I think for now romance is just a plot device. And who knows maybe we do get a comming out story? (very high hopes here though)...in the Animated series SO FAR, it does look like Deuce likes Clawdeen more than vice versa (Though I have only seen 4 episodes so far, I don't have access to them yet, as I said...I'm from Germany and I don't have access to VPNs either...they do be kinda expensive haha) It is really really really hard to say at this moment, so I DO understand your concerns 100%!

[@YN-vw1jz]

Tbh cleo and deuce where a great mix, now days , being lgbtq feels forced in shows, like there isnt many straight relationships. As if its wrong or again lgbtq being forced, that isnt how it works though,

[@JinsanSama]

@@YN-vw1jz What? There is still way more straight couples on almost any show out there. LGBTQ relationships are also, IF they are a part of the show or movie, just a brief mention, a few short seconds on screen and a side plot or a token character at the most. I would love to see the shows you ar watching, please name them so I can watch them too :)

[@schwoop2465]

ghoulia was literally such a powerful character and very inspiring to someone like me who grew up with undiagnosed autism. she was so cool no one seemed to care that she had to do things differently. and it wasn't that she couldn't do things, she just thought in a way that was different from her "neurotypical" peers

[@KaminoKatie]

She was never nonverbal as she is speaking in a different language

[@Kwadratura]

I related to her so much and they littetaly took away every single aspect of her that was relatable for me BRUH

[@THATGuy5654]

Goulia's kinda tricky. "She's the class egghead, but she shambles and moans like a zombie." was definitely the core joke of the character, even if she would develop some depth as the stories went on. But at some point I suspect they realized that it could be seen as them making fun of people with communication or physical challenges. I guess I'm just not surprised that they tried to leave her out of gen 2, then bring her back in a watered down form in gen 3, but I can't fault you for wanting them to play it "smarter" than just "safer."

[@Universeofmany]

Funnily enough I randomly came up with two possible solutions that could fix the elimination of "zombie moans but they're still a language" without coming off as terribly offensive. Option A: due to the biology and/or physiology (I am NOT a science person so bear with me possibly misphrasing this) of zombies, they not only speak at a much lower rate than other monsters but there's a disconnect between their brains and their mouths, resulting in a racial trait that is reminiscent of aphasia, wherein their minds are functioning perfectly fine but the words that come out of their mouth are rarely what they intended to say and more often than not, resemble groaning; this has lead to the creation of "zombie language" because while it's not perfectly universal, there are enough widespread similarities to create a shorthand for non-zombies to use to interpret what zombie peers are saying. This could involve having Ghoulia's actress (and the actors playing other zombies where appropriate) speaking normally while filming, having the dialogue dubbed over with zombie groaning and other similar sounds during the editing process and either having what is being said be interpreted by the audience due to context, including other characters' responses, or having Ghoulia's actual lines appear as subtitles. Heck; they could even have a mix of the two to have a moment where they could imply Ghoulia swears or tells a dirty joke/makes a dirty remark by having someone gasp "GHOULIA! Don't say that where a teacher might hear you!" or something along those lines while Ghoulia's lines (which were something relatively tame or even innocuous during filming) go unsubtitled. Option B: due to the biology and/or physiology (again, NOT a science person so bear with me possibly misphrasing that) of zombies, they outright CAN'T speak, meaning Ghoulia is literally nonverbal, in the sense that she is incapable of speech (groans could be left in or removed since the purpose they served in Gen 1 would be covered by the lack of ability to speak). This led into the creation of ZSL, a recognized signed language used primarily by zombies; obviously it's not EXCLUSIVE to them just like ASL, JSL and the other signed languages of our world but it's an aspect of zombie culture, created for them and their benefit. Similarly to how all of Ghoulia's friends casually learned to understand zombie speech in Gen 1, here all of them "hear"/read ZSL fluently or in the case of newbies Frankie and Clawdeen, are clearly avid and eager students and it is never treated as a big deal that Ghoulia speaks in sign instead of verbally. They could even have a touching moment where Ghoulia bestows a name sign on Frankie and Clawdeen and the rest of the gang cheers about how that means they're officially part of the group now. Admittedly, Option B is the easier to execute of the two since A might come off as offensive towards people with aphasia but it still runs the risk of being potentially misread as being patronizing towards mute individuals. However, both would be a "solve it smarter" approach rather than the movie's "solve it safer". As for the shambling, they could have just had something like "zombies are prone to jerky movements occurring at random moments but this doesn't render them incapable". Possibly with a cane being a commonly carried item for zombies to help them in scenarios where the jerky movements might impede their balance or overall locomotion. Which again might be misconstrued as offensive (possibly against people with Tourette's) but would still be "solve it smarter" over "solve it safer".

[@sillyb.swirls5155]

Honestly in the original show I didn't really see it as her being the "egghead" She was pretty well developed as a character. She was extremely cunning, well put together, and was overall the most consistent character in the cast. And I can't forgive that we'll never have anything like the "zombie shake" with her again.

[@Lellowcake96]

@@Universeofmany As far as the physical aspect maybe an ambulatory aid user would fit better? Akin to Frankie? I’m sure being dead would definitely do something to your ligaments. Automatons and magic very much exists within the universe. So the verbal ability could be explained with an amulet or translator. I always thought her loyalty to Cleo was in relation to being undead one of those unsaid connections that cause a strong bond.

[@Universeofmany]

@@Lellowcake96 All good points. There are lots of ways they could have done it that are better than "let's just ditch this because it's complicated".

[@INSAMNIACDRAWS]

@@Universeofmanythis wouldve been amazing !

[@statsy150]

As a AMAB non binary person which still presents pretty masculine this is probably the best example of representation I have ever seen and I couldn’t relate more

[@Alex-fc8xn]

My partner is the same! They actually feel more dysphoric without a beard because their face shape is less defined. I'm AFAB and am trying my darndest to present androgynous but we still get people thinking we are a het couple which is hilarious because we are very very queer (but also it sucks that it means those people are misgendering both of us, which is why I have to focus on it being funny that they think either of us is anywhere close to being cis or het 😅 considering we are both nonbinary and demi-pansexual/demi-aro. Could only be more queer if one or both of us was intersex)

[@Juno.TheCat]

Yesss, I am AFAB non binary that mostly presents as female and uses both they/them she/her, I see a lot of people not understanding the difference of looking, feeling and being assigned. I personally seen people not understand that I can use she/her sometimes and still be non binary too

[@minuette1752]

There is no such thing.

[@lunachan682]

@@minuette1752cry

[@minuette1752]

@@lunachan682 Sorry I do not play into peoples disturbed fantasies. They are twisted and need help.

[@Wince_Media]

I really hope that Ghoulia would be like her gen1 self in the animated G3 show. It was cool that she was treated like anyone else. Nonverbal characters can be just a complex and well written as verbal ones, and I'm sure nonverbal children and adults would appriciate a character like that

[@bruh-js7tz]

She can speak english now, probably because the voice actor wanted to get paid more for lines.

[@thefragranceapothecary7281]

Ghoulia was never nonverbal she speaks zombie. Plenty of people understand her when she speaks.

[@Wince_Media]

@@thefragranceapothecary7281 yeah I get that. What he and I were trying to say is that how she was portrayed was very analogous for being nonverbal

[@bluebeesmarple]

she still has mobility issues though, that’s why she picked up skateboarding

[@thefragranceapothecary7281]

@@Wince_Media hmm okay.

[@Troubled_waters]

So sad that Headless Headmistress is no longer the accepting and patient role model for students she was in the webisodes.

[@rumis.dollsss.15]

Fr

[@rumis.dollsss.15]

I loved her as a leader

[@Man-wolf-]

What mattel did to ghoulia pissed me off to no end-like yes autistic people can speak but theres already very little good rep for nonverbal autistic people, it just comes off as them taking out all the “inconvient” parts of her disablity so she better fits an autistic caricature Also id wanna note-as a mixed afro-latino i really didnt like what they did to clawdeen and lagoona Clawdeen in g1 was very obv a monoracial darkskinned Black girl, yet mattel decided she has to be mixed race now to be more “inclusive” now despite the fact all of the white characters stayed monoracial white(expect for draclaura but they straight out took out her accent and gave her an american one so honestly still bad) they even casted a lightskinned mixed race girl to play her in the movie, clawdeen was already perfectly representive before darkskinned monoracial Black girls desereve to be represented too They even made her whole story about being mixed even tho werewolves are already half human but we had characters whos story was about being mixed (jackson and the hybreds) And honestly im really not comfantable with lagoona being made into this aggrassive bloodthristy girl the mintue she becomes latina, frankie stayed fairly similier to g1 why cant lagoona stay soft spoken & friendly? None of the other monsters act like her either shes the only one They even had her song talk about how “feisty” and “spicy” she is which-not a good look

[@leonineKelter]

As a latine person I really enjoy Lagoona!! My country colombia has the Amazon's connected to it and it's really cool to me that she's Brazilian. You can disagree obviously, but I personally really love that she's Brazilian even if she's aggressive, she deserves a little murder as a treat :] However, I do agree on Clawdeen. While I related to her story a LOT as diaspora, the second I saw her dad, I prayed her mom would be darker and. She was not. It would be cool to make her Latina, but she can be fully black and still be Latina and it's stupid that they didn't do that :/ especially since afro-latino representation is so lacking smh.

[@paperfoxka]

@@leonineKelter Isnt Lagoona from Honduras?

[@leonineKelter]

@@paperfoxka I thought they said Brazilian, although maybe I assumed because most people associate the Amazon with Brasil. If not that's super awesome though, I don't see many Honduran characters!

[@Man-wolf-]

@@leonineKelter lagoona isnt Brazilian, shes honduran , im Brazilian myself and i wont mind her being Brazilian but she isnt-it just feels like they throw anything ✨exotic✨ at her like her calling herself “aggrassive romsntic spicy mango” or being into novlas even tho shes like 16 n novlas r useally for adults , it just feels hypercritical and nostalgia biased that hazbin hotel which was made by a latina gets flack for having vaggie be aggrassive yet mh which was made by white gringos gets praised for making lagoona a spicy latina :/ Shes the only one who they made mixed too outside of drac😭all the white characters stayed fully white yet the one brownskinned monoracial Black girl becomes mixed & lightskinned to be more “inclusive”

[@Man-wolf-]

@@leonineKelter black lagoon, the monster shes based on , is from the amazon but g3 lagoona isnt-shes honduran

[@zoguy6988]

I want to point out the Jekyll and Hyde. I am so disappointed that Jackson and Holt were replaced. G1 had such positive representation of DID. Neither Jackson nor Holt was portrayed as villains, as a lot of media portrays DID as. I feel G1 could have gone more into detail about both boys' insecurities about having DID and being half monsters. Especially in Freaky Fusion. And I wish they wouldn't normalize other people forcing Jackson and Holt to switch. But for the most part. I loved Jackson and Holt's presents on the show. And I am so mad that the movie not only took away the DID aspect, but also made "Jackson" the villain of the movie. I hope new fans of the show don't look at either Jackson or Holt and think "villain". I haven't seen either Jackson or Holt in the G3 show yet. Seeing as there's new characters coming in almost every episode, I have hope that they would return with their DID. Heath, their cousin, was revealed to be a demon in G3. And if they do bring Jackson and Holt back, I wonder if they're gonna keep the boys related to Heath. I hope the fans nor the hatedom don't go apeshit on having an "evil alter" because Holt is "the demon half". I have a good feeling that the show will not go the "evil Holt" direction.

[@natureisneat8262]

GIVE US THE BOYS BACK MATTEL! Jackson and Holt literally are perfect for the current gen

[@amu9551]

thank you for commenting. i grew up with bratz and just getting into monster high. i have DID and didn’t realize that there was a monster high character with DID. i hope the positive representation comes back. the only positive DID representation i’ve had is twice from my hero academia.

[@rumis.dollsss.15]

I really hate that the reconciliation of the boys was not addressed in G1. We were just left off at Frankie advising them to get to know each other and figure themselves out before she (G1 frankie uses she/her pronouns) could date them.

[@gingerdog8203]

That was only the movie. The tv series is the main continuity and a different one from the movie

[@yukiandkanamekuran]

Honestly I feel like Frankie has some DID traits, especially in the show. All their brain parts reminded me of my own alters, and the fact that these parts have different memories really made it. Jackson and Holt have not shown up in the show yet, but I hope that the next season does a better representation of them.

[@thegayghost872]

3:54 according to an interview, the dolls were still being designed when the movie came out. So Frankie having a metal leg was probably a later addition

[@katherinelynch4193]

I'm happy that Finnegan Wake, a wheelchair-using merboy, is getting more screen time in this incarnation. And I love the reference to the siren myth by making him an aspiring rock musician.

[@sandradermark8463]

And did you know that his name is a literary reference?

[@katherinelynch4193]

@@sandradermark8463 yeah, like the James Joyce book. haven't read it though.

[@charmiiex]

I’m so so so happy about frankie being AFAB nonbinary and feminine presenting!! I didn’t grow up with monster high but I am also AFAB nonbinary and feminine, unfortunately I always get misgendered lol. it makes me so happy that frankie’s gender is treated with respect regardless of presentation :))) I am also autistic so aaaaaa this is just so cool!!!!

[@NbLumineIzHere]

ay im also an AFAB nonbinary and autistic! i switch between more feminine and masculine presenting but i also am rly happy abt frankie! i didnt grow up with monster high either, but i think now is a good chance to find that old monster high hair clip i got as a kid

[@cormorantcolors6791]

Same here! Except I did grow up with g1 monster high so there’s that extra layer there too ^^ Very happy with how they were handled!

[@crowmaster7094]

Ok so what’s AFAB mean I’m so confused

[@adrienholland6819]

@@crowmaster7094 Assigned Female at birth although I don’t believe Frankie is AFAB since they were created in a lab

[@crowmaster7094]

@@adrienholland6819 thanks mate

[@jolinewitsen3925]

Once a few more of the episodes are out, I would like to see your opinion on Cleo! I think with her having to carry her organs around (in jars, because she's a mummy) in order to keep her body functioning seems like very clear disability-coding to me. Personally I love how they've introduced this concept so far in the episode Case of The Moondays, it leans into some interesting monster lore and from my very quick viewing the disability-coding seems pretty well-handled so far

[@tinmanlover1994]

That's True with Cleo having her heart in a jar and needing it close to her Maybe it could mean in the coding of disability it could represent a heart condition

[@jolinewitsen3925]

Absolutely! In the episode Case of The Moondays she gets too far away from her inner ear (because,, she removed all her organs after death) and fell over because she could no longer keep her balance. And I assume the same thing goes for any of her organs, though she usually keeps all of them in the same place. I've so far compared it to disabilities such as diabetes or having a stoma, in which someone's organs don't work so the person has to carry a sort of external replacement around

[@bruh-js7tz]

Everytime someone mentions Cleo now, it reminds me of how (tiny spoiler for the 2022 live action movie) of how she and Deuce broke up and how he started dating Clawdeen instead 😭

[@bluebeesmarple]

that’s the first thing i said! mummies typically keep their hearts but hers is in a jar and it causes complications, people said it was inaccurate the culture, but i thought that it looked through the disability view it could be interesting also in an episode she says that mummies have SOME of their organs in jars but ALL of hers are, so it’s an uncommon health problem for the mummy people

[@rumis.dollsss.15]

@@bluebeesmarple yes. If I remember correctly they usually remove other organs BUT the heart

[@crazylizze98]

I wish Clawdeen was written to be a lesbian. It was suspected in gen 1 and would've been cool if it was confirmed in gen 3

[@binkiebonk]

i think with the movies that wish is over but I'm pretty inclined to say that they wont go super deep into the clawdeen x deuce stuff in the series. like for example I literally found myself shipping clawdeen and cleo in the show which I think would be pretty cool, even if I don't see that happening at all (if they did it'd probably be a deuce cleo clawdeen love triangle which just isn't something i'd look forward too). if not than even if its a cop out I wouldn't mind if the writers just continued to make her less boy crazy (which tbh all the main three kinda give atm) and maybe just use another character to write as sexually queer. (while not confirmed at all venus would be cool, and even if its a safer option i'd love to just see valentine and Nathan casually being lovey dovey in the background) but yeah id def prefer her to be into her own gender since I already feel like they can definitely take that route. idk all the characters are so platonically chill atm which tbh I like but I'm also hoping when given the opportunity they also go in and develop queer relationships with many of the characters as well. if nick can make frankie nonbinary they shouldn't be afraid of same sex !!

[@crazylizze98]

@@binkiebonk making Clawdeen and Duce a thing hurt my soul. I REALLY wish that never happened

[@khanolval9848]

The creators of gen 1 confirmed she was a lesbian, she didn't have a love Interest because it was early two thousands

[@crazylizze98]

@@khanolval9848 that's all the more reason to give her a female love interest now in my opinion. Even if they HAD to give Clawdeen a male love interest why Duce? Duce and Cleo were the original power couple

[@moonbunnygw8342]

Clawdeen should have been aroace instead of lesbian

[@carolinanuccialcala9600]

i've seen some people call Frankies disability dumb because they can attach and detach their bodyparts but im just like, you'd rather _not_ have the representation?

[@Universeofmany]

Plus the fact that their body parts COME OFF is still potentially disabling, especially since this can happen without warning. Like, what if they come off while fleeing from a threat and they can't get back to their room and closet of replacements in a timely manner so they have to function for hours or even DAYS sans a hand, arm or other body part...or even possibly without a body AT ALL because their body unexpectedly comes completely apart and the pursuer is able to snatch their body and due to it not being safe for their friends to retrieve the body, Frankie choose their friends' safety over the retrieval of their body and thus spending the remainder of the plot up until the antagonist's defeat operating as merely a head? Just because a disability's effects can be mitigated doesn't mean they don't exist or that the disability still doesn't cause limitations for the person in question. Depression doesn't go away because you take antidepressants, you don't stop being an amputee because you've got a prosthetic and the list goes on.

[@od3910]

Isn't that in itself a disability? Plus people with prosthetic limbs can do that as well? Maybe I'm being ableist but I can't see the issue here.

[@justanothergoth6544]

I have a headcanon to explain this. Basically, the leg one day came of and they were not able to put it back in place because of complications with it, so they decided to just ditch it and make a replacement.

[@zoguy6988]

I know right. I liked Frankie's leg. I think it's cute, regardless of the necessity. But unfortunately, people just get pissed off at any difference they see in media.

[@58209]

"you'd rather not have the representation?" i have no opinion on frankie as disability reprensentation, but it's worth noting that, in general, bad representation can often be worse than no representation at all. hell, half of oakwyrm's channel is dedicated to deconstructing harmful misrepresentations of disability in media.

[@katherinelynch4193]

According to the press releases, Ghoulia still has some mobility issues, but they treat it ... weirdly. Basically the new cartoon treats her skateboard as a mobility device. Here's a direct quote from the Nickelodeon website: " She's also great at skateboarding, which is great for getting around school faster than her undead legs will carry her. If only she was as good at stopping. Good thing zombies can't get hurt!" So she still shambles when walking, but she has no need to worry about injuries or worsening her condition. It kind of reminds me of Daredevil: sure, he's Blind, but he has superpowers that effectively cancel out any actual experience of Blindness.

[@Man-wolf-]

I really wish theyd just give her mobilty aids-giving her a skateboard instead just feels like a way for them to not have to give her any sort of actual mobility aids

[@marxm2253]

That is..... Deeply upsetting.

[@NotAnotherKuromi]

That's a really odd decision, like throwing a crumb of disability representation which sucks. I didn't even know this was the case so they must not have made it obviouse. I also dislike the idea that she uses a skateboard as an disability device as it could have been a great opportunity to normalize mobility devices and that a lot of people can walk short distances but need help when walking further. It does seem like this new series were trying to be more diverse and I do like them explicitly mentioning the characters disabilities and not pretending they don't exist (minus ghoulias mobility I will have to look up clips of I being mentioned) but the disability rep seems like such missed opportunities where they could have done something real good and helped educate and destigmatize disability.

[@ShatoraDragondore]

Ghoulia is/was my favorite in G1, I am 100% team Ghoulia is ASD or at least part of the spectrum. And vary often I would find my self going mute or getting badly tongue tied. I saw a lot of my self in her. While G3 Movie Ghoulia was just in the poorest of taste to undo all of her Freaky Flaws like they did. I am hopeful that G3 Cartoon Ghoulia will be closer to G1 as we have only seen one Zombie kid say "Brrrraaaains" in a gag

[@bluebeesmarple]

she’s been confirmed to have picked up skateboarding to help with mobility issues :) so there’s that

[@rumis.dollsss.15]

It's sad cause in a clip of the animation I saw, she said just that.

[@ybnormal42_they_them82]

I love the whole 'not knowing what to do/say in a social interaction so just info dumping' , as an autistic I find it very relatable, especially because I also have adhd and know a lot about a lot of topics

[@jax_firestorm9689]

The live-action movie’s treatment of Clawdeen’s exclusion made me feel a lot like when gay men bar me, a bisexual man, from reclaiming the F slur, calling myself a twink or a twunk, or other gay male cultural things, because I’m not “fully gay.” My brothers in Christ, the homophobes do not care that I am bi. They will still hate crime me for holding my boyfriend’s hand. Felt similar to Clawdeen getting hate crimed by the humans, and then getting barred from the school because she’s not “fully human”.

[@jax_firestorm9689]

@@dilfluvr9000 okay uhhhhh I’m also mixed race- I was just using a queer lens to view it. I didn’t compare racism to LGBTQ cultural gatekeeping.

[@jax_firestorm9689]

@@dilfluvr9000 I just don’t think the mixed-race allegory landed well, and that’s the lens I used. I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make, but I don’t think you’re making it.

[@jax_firestorm9689]

@@dilfluvr9000 whatever I don’t really care enough to have to explain myself to you. If you don’t get it at this point then I don’t really care enough to explain it again

[@SaKura-il8op]

@inboxmeondiscordoakwyrm6292Do we have to report this person? This is obviously impersonation.

[@SkullMerchantMain]

This exactly. I’m bi as well and got told to “get out” of a queer space I created because I’m “invading” spaces for gay people and “shoving myself where I don’t belong”. I was also told we can’t reclaim words like twink and the f-slur. It’s so hurtful and made me not want to engage in queer spaces at all because I never feel welcome.

[@lunamoona4920]

I always identified with Abby Bominable due to her difficulties with socializing and understanding modern trends

[@ancorealm]

So I don’t actually know a lot about Monster High- but as an ND queer person (trans aroace) who is also disabled I tend to refer to your videos to learn more about series that may or may not represent people like me… Seeing that clip of Frankie casually informing their audience of their pronouns made me so happy. I’m definitely not used to this new wave of representation, I still tend to think of cartoons from the early 2000’s in terms of it- but god am I so glad to be proven wrong time and time again. As an AFAB trans man who still enjoys wearing skirts and feminine attire in general, Frankie means so much to me. I’m loving some of these modern cartoons, because it’s going to mean so much to kids who identify with these experiences.

[@lunarialoonatic]

Yeah I was born in 04 and it’s so weird to see this getting acknowledged now (am disabled). A good weird but still!

[@violetkerridge4154]

Frankie’s parents putting them in school at fifteen days old is so unfair. Imagine having just been born and suddenly you’re being loaded with homework and assignments. You’d think these mad scientists would give their child some time to just experience life first.

[@moonphae342]

I grew up w undiagnosed autism and loving monster high, I was so insecure about my posture and seeing ghoulia have a similar posture to me made me both really uncomfortable and somewhat seen. Now that I’m an adult, I’m really thankful to have her presence in my childhood, it makes me super sad that they didn’t carry that design choice so far. But her being into video games is a nice addition, as they are really important to me too haha. (I’m mostly only interested in the dolls, but I do plan on watching the show with some other monster high friends)

[@Zufallige.Eidechse.auf.Felsen]

She was into Video games in the Gen 1 too?

[@moonphae342]

@@Zufallige.Eidechse.auf.Felsen oh, I didn’t remember that, I mostly just love that her new doll comes with a switch haha

[@Zufallige.Eidechse.auf.Felsen]

@@moonphae342 hah

[@NotAnotherKuromi]

Sorry if this is unwanted advice but in case you have not explored the cause of your posture, I suggest that you look into hypermobility and specialist exercises to strengthen your small muscles. I had bad posture and back pain (& other joint/muscle pain) and the regular exercises didn't seem to help but it turns out that my body is too stretchy and my muscles are overactive and finding the right management (including massage and targeting precise muscles) has been life changing.

[@moonphae342]

@@NotAnotherKuromi you’re good, I’ve never really looked into hyper mobility, but its not something that I believe I have based off my limited knowledge lol

[@Attickyy]

Would anybody else love if the Frankie doll was to eventually have a line of just their prosthetics? I feel like it would be amazing for a number of reasons.

[@ocu8378]

I don't even watch Monster High but I would buy it

[@soymolk]

I never grew up with Monster High, but after learning that Draculaura was written as half-Taiwanese, I never felt more seen!! I don’t typically see Taiwanese representation in media, so I adore Monster High for all of their inclusivity and representation of multiple groups~

[@GraceMaplegem]

I didn’t know that! I love that so much

[@SaKura-il8op]

I though Marcy from Amphibia was Taiwanese too or did I confuse that

[@Zr-jj3zy]

so i never actually watched any of the new gen monster high but on the clawdeen issue with how it's described in this i honestly relate more to the 1st version of how they handled things where the humans see her as not human enough and the monsters see her as not monster enough and lump her in with her own oppressors, as someone who's mixed race this speaks very true to my own experiences with that, with this reading in mind the 2nd version of this actually really rubs me the wrong way because it seems more focused on making this rejection of clawdeen seem more understandable and only when she changes into a way that's more "monster enough" for them is she accepted, in the 1st version clawdeen is never expected to change herself but instead it's the system of how they view one being "monster enough" and this idea that a half monster should be lumped in with their own oppressors that needs to change, i know that in this video you likely weren't viewing these stories through a racial lens but i can't help but see them through one

[@58209]

thanks for sharing your thoughts on the racism allegory. as a white person, i figured there might be some more layers regarding colorism, but i didn't have the experience or knowledge to really grok it. fantasy racism allegories are so often superficial and messy and end up getting their metaphors mixed up in ways that aren't really applicable to the nuances of real-world racism, so i often find myself at a loss for when to take them seriously and how to analyze them.

[@leonineKelter]

Exactly!!! Im mixed diaspora and it really felt like experience. It felt like the show made it much tidier. My indigenous ancestors suffered attempted genocides and successful destruction of our cultures, from the same ancestors that come from the other side of my family. Really brushing off the heightened stakes felt a bit less relatable to me even if the original was really heightened lmao

[@bivolos9432]

THANK YOU!!! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING. I felt like saying it "makes more sense" that she's rejected in the animated ones felt so.. weird? She feels a connection to MH because of her heritage although she is not aware of it yet. You cannot read Clawdeen without seeing her minority status as a monster (and doubling it over with her father being black). It doesn't give justice to the character.

[@raekyzu]

frankie being non-binary literally makes me so happy, i’m nb myself and seeing my favorite characters having something similar to me makes me really happy!! i relate so much to g3 frankie, their the best!!

[@kalamariunicorn6071]

I agree with you on Ghoulia, the whole mute thing was her and she was perfect rep for austic and deaf. Mind you, words from actual Autistic people not mine. but the could have had Clawdeen a lesbian, the OG creator (a gay man mind you) wanted her to be a lesbian. also, why is magic forbidden in monster society of all places?

[@ronjaj.addams-ramstedt1023]

Ooof, the autistic social misunderstandings! Memories that feel a bit embarrassing still after 50+ years -- what's not to like? /s The expectation that I somehow should know what I _just demonstrated_ that I do not know is always what has the biggest impact on me, as it is not a logical nor a fair expectation. Why do so many neurotypicals insist on flaunting that they are reflexively neither realistic / clear-thinking nor empathic / kind? Story time: I was six. My one family of cousins, whom I met after we moved from the US to Finland, called their Swedish speaking father "Heikki-papi" (approximately "Henry-papa"). I knew "pappa" (Swedish for dad) but did not make the connection to "papi" as it sounded quite different to me. I thought it was a long name. So when I addressed him I said "Heikki-papi", too. Swiftly my nine years old cousin descended on me to offendedly explain that I cannot say that, because her dad is not my dad. It was very clear that she expected me to know what she knew, while to me, having lived in a very international community in Baltimore, MD, it was obvious that everyone does not use the same words or know the same things. I was both mortified and confused and felt let down: why had no adult told me that the "name" was in fact _not_ a name? And why did no adult explain to my cousin that I cannot know everything she knows and vice versa? There are plenty of other such memories, but the first one apparently holds a sting even after half a century.

[@VenhedisKaffas]

As someone who was super into Monster High as a kid and recently got diagnosed with autism, G3 Frankie has my whole heart. I love them. I figured they were a little autistic coded, since I somehow really related to them in the clips I saw, so it's fun to see that others thought the same thing.

[@WafflesX3XD]

as much as this new monster high gen doesn’t vibe with me, i really love what’s been done with frankie! ^_^

[@allyrose9494]

I grew up with the old Monster High movies, and after being so disapointed with Gen 2, I am so happy with this new take. Hope things keep going up

[@HiBuddyyyyyy]

I don’t really like the newer designs of the characters over the old ones, and that did put me off a bit, but I’m glad to hear they’re putting representation in a show that kids will watch and are succeeding in doing it well. But I am disappointed about Ghoulia though. :(

[@cherrydreampalladin9784]

I agree, the fashion could have been executed better, especially since some inspirations could have improved the new changes made to the cast. The Ghoulia thing really hurts tho:(

[@magicrainbowkitties1023]

I personally really miss Deuce and Cleo. They were an adorable, healthy relationship where both parties actually enjoyed each other's presence. It was so refreshing to see the "queen bee" and "the bro" be both genuinely good people and a good match for each other. Also the scene in the 3D movies where her sister Nefara tells her to dump him because "he says 'duuuuuude' every other word" only to then have that dashed by him literally just going down the hall goin "dude💜, dude💜, DUUUDE💜, duuuuuude💜, dude💜, dude💜, babe💜" then immediately upon seeing Cleo he goes "😍😎😍😍😍 CLEEEO WHAT'S HAPPENING!?" That scene is forever burned into my mind for how wonderful it is at explaining that even though he has a lot of love to give out to so many people, he's 100% head over heels for Cleo and knows that she doesn't like being called dude or babe, so he calls her Cleo with all the love in the world, and I just love it. And even though she initially spurns him because her dad (who doesn't approve of their relationship) is watching, and later breaks up with him because her dad told her to, she literally video chats their getting back together because by that point, she knows she loves him and the hell with her dad and sister. They're easily my favorite relationship in the whole series and I was so sad to see them split up in the new series.

[@Stargazer_Ley]

I remember the one film where Cleo's dad wanted her to be with someone else and she just couldn't break Duce's heart like that. Or the episode where he worked with Operetta to write her a song but she got the wrong idea and felt foolish. Cleo and Duce are a staple couple in Monster High. I've heard the new show seems to push Frankie and Cleo and I just don't see that because Cleo, to me, belongs with Duce. (I don't care if Frankie ends up with Clawdeen or Draculara or someone else. I just don't see that as a ship.)

[@cherokeenevin3763]

Oh god there was two, literally only two, conditions I had for this reboot, and they betrayed me on both! I'm seriously 'bout to take the dolls off my Christmas wishlist for this 1. Ghoulia isn't slow and non-verbal, yet still smart anymore!? 2. They aren't bringing back Jackson Jekyll and Holt Hyde! They gave his conflict (being half-human and there-for nobody being sure he belongs at the school) to Clawdeen!?!? Edit: I should have kept watching before commenting, they did my precious pure Jackson and Holt so mother-flipping dirty I am literally holding back tears for how they've butchered my sweet innocent boys 😫

[@EveryDayALittleDeath]

Gotta say I also love the body diversity in this version. As someone who is both short and curvy, seeing a character like Draculaura looking like me would have meant a lot as a young teen.

[@NotAnotherKuromi]

I agree, as someone who is tall and lanky I enjoy Frankie's design. I also like that the background characters are more diverse in body shape and size too, as well as their voices seem more varied.

[@RhysezPieces]

I can definitely relate to Frankie. Even if I say I'm nonbinary, I like having long hair and I don't have masculine features so I must be a girl. Meanwhile my friend who also has long hair but has masculine features is auto-assumed to be more androgynous than me. Like sorry but I love my long hair and I'm not changing that just to fit into the mold of what people expect. :T

[@MayWoods_Noise]

I hate what they did with lagoona blue, she was very heavily implied to be a aboriginal Australian girl and it really upsets me about her race change. Since there is little to no aboriginal Australian representation in media

[@liesebeam8910]

Another bit of representation that wasnt out while this video was being made but is now, Cleo and Frankie are hinted to have a mutual crush!

[@ThePunkina1]

Can we also talk about how they gave people different body types in this show like draculaura having a more plus size body is really nice to see

[@3Y3ce]

I feel like your analyzation of gen 3 has to be better and more in-depth than most I know of because you dived into what said character situation is, how it's taken in the setting, how it REALISTICLLY would be taken, and how it usually plays out. The fact that you've pointed out even the smallest details is what makes this a genuinely great and strong take on the seesaw ride we call gen 3, and I would love to see how it's analyzed again when we have more episodes and footage put on the table for us. Great work!

[@portuguesetrash5285]

You should totally do a video on the new monster high again because of Twila she's now canonically autistic

[@sillyb.swirls5155]

I love that they made Frankie nonbinary. I kinda dropped off monster high around the 3D animated movies because I wasn't much of a fan of them. I hate to see how they kinda stripped clawdeen of all her best features tho. Like she had a whole family with a liter of siblings that I'm definitely gonna miss. It really made her far more headstrong and responsible in comparison to the others. And it's always heartbreaking to see how they come for ghoulia who was and will always be my favorite character.

[@antuando]

The siblings exist!! Howleen appeared in the show and clawd is confirmed to come soon in an episode

[@sillyb.swirls5155]

@@antuando ok good

[@plague9774]

Also, they made her no longer a lesbian :

[@queerios1077]

@@plague9774 she was never a lesbian in gen 1 a fan just had a headcanon and Garrett liked it I don't even think Garrett was working for Mattel at that time

[@frankielovejoy9928]

I actually think it would have been really cool to see Ghoulia using sign language. That way, we'd still have the characters needing to learn a new language to communicate with her and still fit into the zombie thing but with an added bonus. Ghoulia would still be a zombie, but she just had a different way of communicating.

[@sadlobster1]

I really like this take on Frankie's character, to be honest. As a being literally made up of random parts, it makes sense for them to be neither male nor female in this iteration; considering the fact it's unknown WHERE Frankie's creator got the parts from. I also like the fact there's more disability representation in media these days. Although...it would be awesome to see someone like ME on a movie, show or cartoon be featured; namely someone with Hydrocephalus

[@sleepylionking1103]

I had a sister that was literally the exact same as Ghoulia. She has mobility issues and communicated through groaning. She passed awhile ago and you can imagine my frustration when Ghoulia’s “disabilities” were taken away. Also I really love that Draculaura does witchcraft bc she has always struggled with her vampire abilities in the OG series so it makes sense that she would practice witchcraft. And I’m not nonbinsrybhut I am Transmasc who dresses feminine a lot so it feels nice to see Frankie, a nonbinary person, being female presenting.

[@yukiandkanamekuran]

I will say in the show, there is quite a DID coded bit with Frankie's brain and it makes me really happy as a nonbinary, neurodivergent and traumatized person. They have a lot of memories from different brain bits and sometimes they're scary and sometimes its interesting. And it reminds me of how my own brain is shattered sometimes. Also, I do love the autistic coding on Frankie, I also love the other canonically autistic character in the show a lot. This sort of thing makes me happy. :)

[@babysleepysheepyrainbow]

My only problem with the reboot is how sanitized their aesthetics are.

[@spoopyvirgil4944]

Rewatching this with the reveal of Twyla being canonically autistic in G3 and being such a mood for me.

[@_void_with_eyes_]

I honestly didn't even know it was Goulia when she was introduced in the movie. I remember just thinking "Huh, but that's literally just a human with body paint" and I mean that's fine, but I didn't even realize it was Goulia until right now lol

[@derrylew8843]

In the live-action film, I think the way Clawdeen feels unsafe in the human world and a little unwelcomed in the monster world mirrors the way a lot of biracial kids feel growing up in-between race. As a mixed-raced person, I know what it's like to be intentionally and unintionally othered by people within my own races. More children identify as mixed-race now, so it makes sense for MH to try and appeal to this growing population of kids. It was a little clumsy, though. And I'm not impressed with how it was handled in the animated series.

[@Man-wolf-]

The issue is-why clawdeen?? Clawdeen was already representive of those who are darkskinned monoracial Black, why does she have to be mixed now to be “inclusive” but the white characters (expt draculaura) get to stay monoracial whote..?

[@NoName-dx1no]

@@Man-wolf-yeah and many are pointing out technically werewolves are kinda both human and wolf at the same time so a half werewolf half human shouldn’t make too much of a difference, plus monster high actually introduced monster students with parents who are different monsters in freaky fusion who faced some difficulties because of being biracial, so yeah for a bran that has so many different characters they could explain on or make they really didn’t need to make existing iconic characters to different people

[@tsavorite324]

About Frankie's gender: The fact they are secure in their gender identity despite being 2 weeks old and not knowing much about the world, I'd have to assume they'd both be learning a lot from their own personal studies AND their parent(s? I forget if it's plural) Which says to me their parents had a talk with them about gender and helped them find the identity they would feel secure in and that makes me happy and a bit sad considering my own parents and gender :,)

[@brookgordon7351]

Franky and Goolia are my favorite characters. I always loved how they were different from the rest without being mean. I totally understand the pulling yourself together part. My joint pop out of place when ever they want. I freaked out my mom and my doctor when my collar bone popped out. It kinda looked like I broke my neck. I got it back place myself and just went home. I was 6 by the way.

[@nomisunrider6472]

Given the recent update that Twyla is explicitly autistic, I'd love to see an update on this video and her. Especially since they don't dance around it or say she's "different" or anything, she outright says she's autistic and what her needs are.

[@mk-aka-morgan8386]

I love how they have so many characters with disabilities in gen 3 monster High!!! I know Frankie, Twyla, and Gill are all disabled, their might be more though, and it’s excited to not only see a disabled character, but a disabled character that’s also queer 🥺 I’ve been watching a lot of the show on the monster high KZbin channel so I might be missing things since i haven’t watched every episode. I haven’t seen a lot of Goulia but I was also pretty upset when I found out she wasn’t nonverbal 🥺

[@YondaMoegi]

I didn't plan to engage with the new Monster High because it was too ~different~ from what I'm used to. Like Clawdine being the MC and being a nerd. But wow! Nonbinary afab Frankie with they\them pronouns! I want to see that

[@anib8863]

Honestly, I haven't been able to get used to some of the changes (I miss OG Lagoona and Ghulia too much), but I'm happy it's doing something right and has pretty good representasion, it's just not for me.

[@jungvxyy]

is frankie even afab (cause they were created in a lab)

[@anib8863]

@@jungvxyy Possibly, their creator either chose traditionally feminen parts or used what they could find. We won't know for sure unless the show decides to explore that.

[@jungvxyy]

@@anib8863 it’s most likely different body parts

[@anib8863]

@@jungvxyy Yeah, there's no way of telling how much of what they are just by looking at them, I was thinking of how they look more like the AFAB characters (rounded face, big eyes, thick eyelashes, etc.).

[@aquamarine13yt]

I’ll admit I find it an interesting device the movie uses to see how being half human and half monster affects you in both spaces, very vaguely does it remind me of being in straight and more strict queer spaces as a bi person although this is a very different thing. I may be partial on the reboot but the animated show did a great job with their animation and character designs, overall I am happy with them. Especially Frankie, since I was very underwhelmed with the live action versions of all the characters, although I wish that Clawdeen’s ears were more visible in the animated series because some shots look like she doesn’t have them

[@tyronebroson9180]

as a disabled enby, I am so excited for this reboot, I love Frankie, and I'm so excited to see things about myself that are almost always shunned or misrepresented presented in such a lighthearted way without it being an issue at all its so cool!

[@K1B0CyberSpace]

It's nice to see young AFAB non-binary rep like Frankie, and as an AFAB non-binary person who also is a minor, I was very iffy at first because what if they messed it up? But they didn't at all, which I am happy about! (I'm also pleased with how they handled her disabilities, but since I'm not physically disabled and only mentally disabled, I won't say much about it.) Everything else is great, but the biggest thing I kinda hate about the new gen is Clawdeen. First, they just got rid of how she was heavily coded as lesbian, which makes me so angry and feels so unnecessary as a lesbian. Also, I'm sorry, but as a mixed person, I much prefer the darker clawdeen is a mixed plot because they could give rep to many mixed kids, and it adds a new aspect to Monster High's world-building that can also be rateable (both races not wanting a person and feeling like they need to lie about who they are or risk being in danger because their mixed). It's darker and more uncomfortable, but it also opens up a discussion about being mixed and what it means for people, rather than how cartoons Clawdeen acts like a person who wants to be in a closed practise because they think it's cool, even though they're not invited and have been kicked out multiple times, and how they're just rewarded with becoming a werewolf just makes me so angry, but I could be wrong because I haven't seen it and I'm going off the video, but I'm also not saying the mixed Clawdeen plot is perfect and could have some fixes in it just saying how I prefer that idea than the cartoon one (If anyone wants to correct me or add more they more then welcome to)

[@elyly]

finally someone mentions clawdeen!!

[@lyxthen]

"they use it as a perty trick" my hypermobile ass: I may have chronic joint pain but I can also put my feet over my head isn't that cool

[@nitpick7]

as an afab nonbinary + autistic person, frankie means so much to me. i never watched monster high, but i'm so happy for the nonbinary, autistic, and disabled kids who will get to grow up with them. if i'd grown up with good representation, i might've actually realized i was autistic and nonbinary sooner - i'm so glad that younger generations will get to have that representation.

[@leonaelement746]

i love this the broom stick closet is a real thing 🥳

[@DrawnByDandy]

I never got into Monster High when I was a kid, but now I'm curious about it for the queer and disabled rep :) Thanks for this!

[@ColdestLivewire]

0:40 My dad to a tee - jokes on him I'm actually the daughter you wanted but will never see

[@acorneroftheinternet4179]

I like to imagine Frankie's body parts re a mish-mash of amab and afab parts as well. Clearly They have a female torso, or at least a chest, but I'd think it would be difficult to find matching female parts that would make them so tall compared to the girls at the school. Maybe that's why they only have one organic leg in the animated series; their parents couldn't find a suitable matching leg and thus had to make do, or maybe its more like those programming quirks you find in games sometimes. A "Yes, there's a bowling ball inside the wall, when we tried removing it the game kept crashing" situation. It could also be the equivalent of a texture issue like a lot of autistic people have. At least for me, i cannot stand most shoes, i want to rip my own skin off in shoe stores ( yet im fine with basically anything else on my feet). Maybe its a parallel thing with Frankie where she just couldnt stand the feeling of an organic leg on that side despite being fine with swapping back and forth between organic and mechanical limbs everywhere else. of course this is all speculation, and I would love for Frankie's personality and way of thinking to be explored more deeply as the series continues!

[@crimezone3865]

i don't know if you've seen but they added a canonically autistic character, twyla boogieman !!! i haven't watched anything monster high related before (except for maybe a tiny bit when i was younger but i don't remember almost anything), but i've seen a lot of autistic people talk about how they always headcanoned twyla as autistic and now it's officially canon :]

[@artwilliams8885]

Frankie was always one of my favourites, and as a non-binary and autistic person, I absolutely loved what they did with their character!

[@redrasegarden]

You don’t feel like it was forced or contrived? Cus I don’t see the point why she couldn’t stay a she.

[@artwilliams8885]

@@redrasegarden Honestly, considering Frankie was the one I related to most, no. And Frankie being a girl doesn't add anything to the story, meanwhile Frankie being non-binary gives genderqueer kids a person to see themselves in. I get that some people might not like it, but so far the majority of my enby friends that watched MH are happy about it.

[@redrasegarden]

@@artwilliams8885 fine, your right about it not effecting the plot. But that’s not my issue. My issue is pandering, and that’s what this is. If her being a girl dose nothing, and her being non bi dose nothing (for the plot), that only means one thing. Hasbro(or is it Mattel it’s been a while)only wanted to make bank on representation. They know it’s a buzz word and can get those in the LGBTQ community to buy there product. Why else is it only a thing in this incarnation when they had 3 other ones to do something like this?

[@artwilliams8885]

Oh, I don’t give my personal contacts to adult strangers, especially ones I’ve never met in person. Sorry, hope you can understand my hesitance.

[@redrasegarden]

@@artwilliams8885 smart move, I think this is a bot

[@Luna19912]

My partner introduced me to Monster High and I can't thank them enough for it. I've dealt with a lot of insecurities about my gender, my mental health, my physical health, etc. for as long as I can remember and watching the movies with them genuinely made me feel better in my own skin. From what little I've seen of gen 3, it's going to be perfect not just for me, but for all the people who struggled with their identities the same way I have. Honestly, it's beautiful

[@Theredpearl3113]

Nice to know I wasn't the only person frustrated about goulias communication changes

[@alexiskuwata]

I'm happy for Twyla. Shes my favorite besides Ghoulia. I'm happy that I relate to her. Even though you're talking abkut Frankie.

[@cicirosehannigan]

When I was getting back into Monster High after the 2nd Reboot and found a clip of Ghoulia talking, I was disappointed and it was when I kinda started to headcanon her as non-verbal. I was like "Where's our Non-verbal Brainiac?!"

[@rumis.dollsss.15]

The whole "humans are not accepted" always rubbed me the wrong way too, especially in a kids' movie.

[@Technilogica2019]

im just glad we have a nonbinary character who isnt trying their hardest to appear andro i try to but my body type and facial structure are both just so feminine that it just never seems to work, its comforting to see a character i used to love as a kid who now identifies the same way i do and dresses feminine if that makes any sense

[@sillyb.swirls5155]

I can't really forgive the movie and new show pulling a "no humans allowed" plot especially when the original had the character Jackson Jekyll

[@zoguy6988]

So sad about Jackson's reboot. They got rid of his DID and made him the villain. smh

[@sillyb.swirls5155]

@@zoguy6988 EXACTLY when they could have just kept him the same. Literally the only thing he had to put up with was some bullying because people would talk trash about him being part human. But him and Frankie were so cute together.

[@zoguy6988]

@@sillyb.swirls5155 I sure hope the animated series redoes Jackson and keep the DID. Also keep Frankie with Jackson and Holt. I dated someone with DID, and it was so heartwarming to see the romance with Frankie and the bois.

[@joaovitorfarinabraga690]

12:52 that plot line is kinda weird, I know that these characters are nothing like their original counterparts but in the original Dracula book, it’s not obviously stated but it’s hinted at that Dracula learned magic with the devil (yes in Dracula there’s a type of hogwarts that’s ruled by the devil themselves).

[@Man-wolf-]

Most of the monsters there have some sort of a connection with witchcraft, even werewolves which are seen as a curse made by them It makes no sense for them to hate witches when they were a result of witches-granted i dont expect mattel who made a kid for davy jones claiming he counts as a monster somehow to know that

[@rileysjonger4192]

@@Man-wolf- most likely because media can be interpreted in different ways, and doesn't have to be quintessentially accurate to the original source. it's called creative branching. not everything needs to be 100% accurate to source material in regards to creative outlets. people are allowed to reintroduce new ideas or change certain elements of previously-established lore in their own works. it's obvious that's what mattel is doing, taking their own spins on monster lore. it's hardly a concern, and it'll more than likely get explained later on in the reboot.

[@lauchsuppesan55]

I'm super sad about ghoulia. I loved her personality in G1, smart and quiet a good friend. Now (at least in the movie) she talked weird stuff and is super over the top energized. Just doesn't sit right with her original character

[@thedanishcatgirl3205]

I think making Frankie ne NB kinda makes sense. They were probably made from multiple corpses and likely from ones of more than just one gender.

[@DecepticonScout]

Things like that have happened to me with my understanding of things, but I learn from my mistakes and use the misunderstanding as new knowledge and power to help others. Misunderstanding is more fun as a way of re-looking at the world. Look at history, misunderstandings get changed and still recorded throughout history! Nobody gets it right the first time!

[@lalas181]

From what was mentioned here about it (I'm probably not going to watch the live-action movie myself mostly because I genuinely can't bare the idea of Jackson Jekyll being the villain, and it makes me scared for what they'll do with Operetta if she ever shows up) I have mixed feelings on some of the Frankie-doesn't-get-people jokes. I laugh at stuff like the high-five misconception and the scene where they panic while trying to improvise a distraction and just infodump about toilets to the headmaster because I can _totally see myself doing stuff like that._ As an Autistic person, it's just relatable comedy for me. If asked to distract someone socially outside of a setting where I'm already doing improv like a TTRPG, I'd totally just default to talking their ear off about The Phantom of the Opera, or The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, or Steam Powered Giraffe. I too have little to no idea how humans work and am constantly winging it. I hate that people will inevitably be laughing for the wrong reasons, though, and it makes me angry that people will just think it's "OMG so quirky and random XDDD" instead of just like... normal operations for a lot of people. I hate that people will be laughing _at_ them instead of laughing because "haha that's a mood, I totally do that, Frankie is just like me". I hate the very real possibly that people will use these instances to eventually flanderize them into being Reanimated Enby Teenager Sheldon Cooper™. It's a vile eventuality. I hate that so many people are laughing for the wrong reasons. I wish they wouldn't so that I could just laugh because of how relatable these moments are in peace without people who don't know I'm Autistic thinking I'm mocking a disabled character for doing the same stuff I do.

[@sworddragonsliege]

Never knew much about Monster High, but this seems very interesting.

[@shaleelindsey6664]

As someone who has brain damage and have issues doing things and when you mentioned Ghoulia and how they changed her made me sad 😢

[@rileysjonger4192]

that's disheartening. :(

[@13KcMagicGirl13]

As a class monsters fan. I thought the og monster high was adorable.

[@_chEEZ]

Just realised I was nodding my head so fast I was getting dizzy when he was talking about the autism thing and not having things actually explained when you miss understand them

[@whatalsaid]

While I do think it makes more sense for Frankie to be the main character of Monster High, since that’s how it was in Gen 1, I think it’s only fair that Clawdeen gets to be the main character this time around, because Frankie was the MC in Gen 1, Draculaura was the MC in Gen 2, so Clawdeen being the MC in Gen 3 just makes sense.

[@redballoon9007]

Wait what? Frankie was still the MC in G2-

[@joaovitorfarinabraga690]

I can’t man every time that you say “gen 3” I can only think about Pokemon lol

[@SilverSoul106]

Fantastic Video as always!!! :3

[@cassidyarnold505]

The Monster High rule of no human blood is made to be bad and stupid

[@SebastianSeanCrow]

4:47 the way I always saw it was zombies basically had like… their own language/dialect? Idk for the most part everyone seems to understand what Ghoulia is saying Though that kinda gets thrown out the window with the movie where the wolf and vamp schools get combined with monster high and it seems like the only people who understand zombies when they talk are Ghoulia’s friends So it could be either a linguistic thing or like a only the people who actually are willing to treat her like a person understand her kinda thing I could also be misremembering a few things But yeah it does seem like an odd choice to say the least to make her speak the way she does in the live action movie

[@akumakuroyuki4214]

i'm adoring the newest iteration of Monster High. it's definitely a huge improvement compared to the last one. the redesigns are fangtastic, in my opinion. nitpicks aside that is. also can we appreciate that each gen had a different main ghoul from the trio for the series. Gen1 was frankie, gen 2 was draculaura, and gen 3 is clawdeen.

[@doindaworst5824]

IM SO STOKED I FOUND YOU! I mean I’m happy to find more good mental health rep, thanks for the content friend

[@ApocalypticAnarchy01]

I can’t believe i didn’t get interested in this series sooner, my aunt has loved it forever and frankly ive been meaning to get in touch with her more recently. hopefully we can bond over this together

[@theflickster]

Normal People: This is fine. Good even. G1 Fans: "Everything is awful"

[@tsukikosmith6908]

I am at like minute six. And I already have a great way to keep Ghoulia nonverbal, have her carry a small pad, you can show her typing on it and then a robotic voice speaks for her. I think it would show she is disabled but she is not letting it affect her. Like you could have Clawdina ask about it and Ghoulia say she built it, showing her determination to work with her disability and her intelligence on finding a way to properly communicate.

[@KaminoKatie]

She was never nonverbal even back in G1

[@OctopusOrbeez]

Hi, I'm autistic. On the topic of the high five thing the term "Have a good one" has always been super confusing to me, It is an alternate way of saying goodbye that means "Have a good day" but to me has been unclear and frustrating and still a phrase that upsets me. Especially since my genuine questions about things I do not understand are met with laughter being perceived as a joke.

[@angelhunter7555]

Now that more episodes are out I'm really hoping you talk about it again. There is now a character who out right says she has autism and I'm pretty sure her voice actor actually has autism which is very cool.

[@tabithadefee5390]

As an autistic person myself, I loved the way movie Frankie is. I'm a jokey, goofy person who leans into my awkwardness and taking things literally to make people laugh, and I felt like movie Frankie was more like me than a lot of other autistic coded characters. I thought their bubbly and quirky personality, though often used for jokes, was awesome. They always brought a smile to my face.

[@Shadoe.]

I grew up with gen1 and gen2, I loved Frankie and still love her in gen3. However I don’t really enjoy the redesign of everyone, especially Clawdeen.

[@jwolfsilver5397]

The weird moment that you're talking about (hi fives asisde) is a very ADHD thing. Considering their brains come from people who had historically had adhd AND autism. (She even mentions curie, Plato and einstein) frankie in general represents both adhd and autistic traits really well. The weird info dump then abruptly leaving is something I have actually done before (I'm both) so it's really interesting to hear differing views because since I live with both, I dint actually know where the line when one crosses into the other so it's cool to listen to you talk about it

[@mutecryptid]

I’m so excited we’re all old enough to make cool things about these kinda niche franchises that end up meaning so much to people in these communities, it is so wonderful. Especially since there are so many similar intersectionality’s that I finally share with other people 😊 I relate so much g3 Frankie, it’s unreal but I always feel ashamed to say I go by they/them and just default to he/him since my transition “looks” ftm. Maybe I could learn from them