the casual representation in carmen sandiego

[@SILLYYZONE]

"Have you seen my dear boy?" "El topo?" "Not *your* dear boy"

[@TeaBeeLeaves12]

Why don’t people talk about this line more like seriously it’s just 👌👌👌👌👌

[@ashig4520]

Bro I died at that

[@yeetlydeet8282]

I was gonna bring this up! I love this ship cause honestly they’re wholesome

[@ino4757]

What episooodddeee

[@fakeusername.]

@@ino4757 it's the one where carmen goes to Australia, with the rocket in the outback and the noise device thing?? I don't remember the name or number but ik it's kn season 2

[@brawlfan]

casual representation implies the existence of ranked, competitive representation.

[@alexandrajones4518]

I'm Unreal 2 rank in representation, but everybody's a sweat so it's gotten a lot more difficult to rank up.

[@Catsmakemeselfconscious]

once a year gay men and lesbian women compete in the hunger games

[@ThatBowl0fRice]

its true, ive been stuck in elo hell for the past 7 years

[@yoyolex5976]

Im silver rank rn 😋

[@vanessale1903]

It implies the existence of focused representation

[@phyzarel1845]

-Be gay do crime- wait no *Be gay do foodtruck*

[@your_local_tv_girl]

Life motto right there-

[@Liz.potatoes]

Fr

[@olivescove]

We love el topo and el chevre

[@miyu1640]

@@olivescove Real

[@Pokefan_64]

One of those dudes sound like The Spy from TF2

[@toggle_cat]

love how they represent carmen without removing her femininity, very nice and no need to tell girls that they need to be masculine to be capable

[@toggle_cat]

@@Chaiirrlos yeah but a lot of attempts of making "strong" female characters end up just forcing masculine traits or ideals on them.

[@anikatasnimsaba]

@@Chaiirrlos it's actually the opposite

[@rewrittenwrongs]

This comment deserves more like because you hit it right on the nose, literally made me so happy someone pointed this out!!

[@superparamagnetism]

oh my god shut up. in what world do you people live in where masculinity in women is encouraged? every single time a female character is depicted as powerlful in any way you get people in droves going "oh, it's so cool that she's powerful AND feminine!" why do women have to compensate for being powerful and capable by feminizing themselves? why would it be worse if she WAS a strong butch/gender non-conforming woman?

[@toggle_cat]

@@superparamagnetism galadriel in the rings of power

[@bribri9680]

When a story about queer people is solely focused on them being queer it’s either stereotypical or real intense storylines. It’s nice to be able to relate to characters who get to just exist as regular humans and be happy.

[@cheezaroo]

Literally Q-force. I haven't seen the show but I've seen trailers and clips and wow. Just wow. The entire main premise of it is "oh haha queer agents they're queer" and it's just wrong tbh.

[@FirstLast-fl1co]

@@cheezaroo try seeing the actual show, i heard that the trailers and clips were out of context.

[@sp4c1ng_0ut8]

@@cheezaroo Show is actually pretty good The trailer did it dirty

[@thewitchstarot6975]

the only good show like that is Heartstopper

[@tollyolly]

@@cheezaroo Q-Force is satirical comedy though? I get how it looks wrong but ig its not too bad if you arent taking it seriously

[@Absolute_Lunacy]

OH MY GOD YOU PERFECTLY CAPTURED AND EXPLAINED HOW MEDIA SHOULD REPRESENT STUFF LIKE THIS!! "The Mitchell's Vs the Machines" also did this with the main protag and I was so happy that she wasn't overshadowed by the fact she was queer. I'm so happy someone else shares my thoughts and was able to publicize it. You've earned a sub, mate!

[@linwithawin1310]

For Mitchell’s vs the machines, I didn’t no think a fuckin second of what sexuality the characters were. And that’s how it should be

[@stargazer162]

She is? That completely went over my head when I watched the movie

[@aqui0]

@@stargazer162 I think the mom made a ship joke on the video call when Katie was at college so the mom either jokes like that a lot or Katie is sapphic and the mom ships her with jade

[@edwardboatman4554]

@@stargazer162 She has a pride pin on her outfit as well, I think.

[@legacy5526]

@@aqui0 she also blushed when talking about jade i think so i am pretty sure they were supposed to be a thing (jade is also invited to thanks giving dinner and i know that could possibly be as friends but based of her moms joke and katies reaction to her teasing i am positive she is queer/sapphic)

[@uncalamar]

le chevre literally uses the same staff-fighting techniques as young raya from raya and the last dragon. this is mlm/wlw solidarity

[@beebunzz5328]

Its called eskrima

[@marshiboi2991]

We dont need to be reminded by the garbage heap that is Raya (imo at least)

[@siorganism]

We are not gonna talk about that garbage excuse of SEA rep(coming from a SE Asian)

[@PichuElric]

@@siorganism At first i was excited because we haven't had good SEA rep since Avatar (it was a good mix of all asian i think) and then the movie dropped and I-

[@siorganism]

@@PichuElric fr, my excitement dropped after I see sisu I need cool dragons, not an mlp ripoff

[@sosolis2123]

i'm queer and i absolutely adore carmen sandiego, the implied queerness is amazing. but i think that a show can have casual LGBT+ representation while still making it much more explicit than what we saw in carmen sandiego. sure romance is not the focus, but i don't think i'm asking for too much when i say it would have been better representation if le chevre and el topo explicitly (but casually) referred to each others as boyfriend. (i would like to add, it's pretty fucking cool that the show doesn't reveal to us what Player's assigned name is, and no characters ever asks that. it's wonderful to normalize not knowing someone's birth name, since usually a big part of being trans is people feeling like they're entitled to that information)

[@yousufguro8030]

I wouldnt see a reason why el topo and le chevre would be in a relationship but it kinda makes sense? I personally like their relationship as best buds but whatever rows your boat!

[@lostuniverso]

@@yousufguro8030 it does say in the video they were confirmed to be dating, though? or mby i misheard

[@jackskydragon_JW]

@@lostuniverso Yes, it's confirmed that they are a couple, to my knowing.

[@li_ka2]

Honestly, yea. I hadn't heard abt this show before this video (it seems great btw, will probably check it out), but the representation shown honestly felt a bit lacking. Because, well, all the examples op brought up of queer representation were just subtext? And I'm of the opinion that any show that wants queer rep should make said rep clear. The only reason to not make it explicit is to placate homophobes, in which case you don't care community, you just our wallets. I mean, we had openly bi icon Captain Jack Harkness in 2005, why are we settling for a pair of boyfriends who (as far as I can see) don't even flirt? Like, the clip in this video could 100% be two good friends bickering. Let them casually call each other babe, flirt and hug. Because they're _dating._ I also feel like this video conflates casual representation and queer coding. Casual representation is when you have a queer character in a story that doesn't _revolve around_ that characters queerness. _But that doesn't mean said character can't be explicitly queer!_ If you can make the character cishet without rewriting large parts of your story, then congrats! You have casual representation! 🏆 Sorry for the rant, I have a lot of thoughts abt queer rep I needed to get off my chest. I have no beef with the actual show tho, the fact it even tried to include (actual, not disney) queer rep puts it leagues above 90% of the competition (which honestly makes me sad). The show also seems really interesting, I'm 100% here for strong women kicking butt :)

[@sosolis2123]

​@@li_ka2 I 100% agree with you!! For me Carmen's Sandiego's queerness is less about groundbreaking representation and more about having themes and characters' personalities that resonate with queer people... Be it by multiple characters canonically choosing their own names, by showcasing friendships between guys and girls that don't suddenly become romances, by showing gender non conforming characters, by telling tales about finding your own family and community - to me that's the queerness I get from Carmen Sandiego. And it would be nicer to have explicit representation, but I would be lying if i said that what the show gave me didn't feel deeply queer and made me feel seen. If you do ever watch me, feel free to come back here and share your thoughts with me! I couldn't recommend it more.

[@littleone.]

Ah!! I love Carmen Sandiego and it’s very casual representation. But also, for what was said about how fans could interpret Crackle as one of Carmen’s love interests, it was actually confirmed by the creator that her good feelings toward him were only platonic. So, it has been hinted at her liking women, but it hasn’t been confirmed she likes men.

[@rottenricey]

super interesting, that's good to know! personally I also like the idea of the big brother dynamic much more but I had seen a lot of ship art for them as well so it felt dismissive not to include it. after all the creator's word is certainly important but if the fans see something else, it can be their own form of representation I think? anyway I'm omw to watch even more Duane interviews 👁👁

[@batzdoartz]

Also they are shown to have a very brother-sister bond

[@cyb3rl0v333]

Carmen just radiates lesbian vibes.

[@batzdoartz]

@@cyb3rl0v333 true 😂

[@justanotherrandomfilipino9018]

I just repeatedly slammed my table reading this without thinking. Jesus, I'm way too invested in Red Crackle

[@Crystalline_cos2548]

Another show I really like is the Dragon Prince, it’s a very interesting plotline and concept, but the thing I like most is the representation. One of the main characters is an elf named Rayla, it’s been said that she’s extremely fast and strong but she’s not just there for girl power, not to mention there’s mute/ deaf representation with one of the coolest characters you’ll ever see, and a lesbian and gay couple.

[@Tagtot]

We're getting a new season soon as well :D

[@christina976]

yes! this is the show i was thinking of when i saw this video :D

[@dklir]

@@Tagtot ive been waiting for too long the last season was last 2019

[@CrystallineButterfly]

ruthari forever, jamaya forever, literally just amaya in general forever... yup

[@merelha5930]

there are a lot of queer couples in the crowds, no one bats an eye about same sex couples, there is actual ASL (and no one doubts their ability despite them being deaf), a lot of the men and women in the series don't necessarily follow genderroles (lot of female soldiers/strong/powerful women and plenty of men show emotions other than anger and very openly love people/have fears), there are quite a few poc in both plenty of background shots and main cast and at least one person is trans/agender/genderfluid. I love the series a lot and I was so excited by all the representation that I had to literally press pause several times because of the excitement

[@MainlyHuman]

The way I see it casual representation is more about the narrative importance of the subject, rather than whether the subject is made explicit. For example if le Chevre and el Topo has shared a quick kiss in the balloon scene I would still count their relationship as casual rep. It's not important to the plot, it's just something that happens.

[@58209]

yes. i think it's important that we remember how casual representation of normalized groups doesn't mean the same thing as it does for their marginalized counterparts. if a hetero couple were to mention in passing dialogue that they were dating, it wouldn't blip anyone's radar. but if it were a same-sex couple, suddenly that's not "casual", so we're still left with the plausible deniability of "they are just platonic friends". until marginalized groups are equally normalized, give me that explicitly stated canon. especially given popular media's history of queerbaiting and straightwashing, it still isn't okay to give us these scraps and set us up to be gaslight again when the executives change their mind about a charter being queer.

[@evasage14]

@@58209 100% agree, i think a good example of casual representation is the new movie Crush on hulu! you should check it out if you havent already :) ‘a character can be explicitly queer and it can still be casual representation’ is a thought i’ve seen circulating in the comments and i couldn’t agree more!!

[@ws6778]

@@58209 that was something like what I was gonna comment, casual representation should not be used as an excuse for queerbaiting.

[@jaydenjohnson1064]

I don’t know to me that would feel like over the top especially for a ‘kids’ show, even though it can be enjoyed by people older

[@MainlyHuman]

@@jaydenjohnson1064 do you feel the same about straight kisses in kids shows?

[@skyhideaway]

yes!! That's exactly what i was thinking when I watched this show too. Even more recent shows like She-Ra does put emphasis on "girl power" (with the majority of the cast being female and the men being not as important -unless they are a villain- ). As much as I love seeing women shown as they are, being strong and powerful and skilled, it does grind my gears when it's always right on the nose. Some character making a sexist remark and the female character immediately fighting back, or people going "she's a woman and she can do that?!" It just feels unnatural and ultimately only reinforces the idea that a strong woman is a rare sight to behold. I love how Carmen Sandiego has overpowered male and female characters, or characters who are equally strong. Both Coach Brunt and Shadowsan are shown to be equally powerful, one in strength and the other in skill. The same applies for Carmen and any of her former teammates. Carmen is also not the "chosen one", the person destined to be a hero. She simply is because that's the path she chose. It was her decision to be a good influence on the world.

[@rottenricey]

wow you put that so perfectly thank you so much! I'm a huge fan of shera but I agree it can feel a little odd at times with the girlboss messaging

[@janelbbuck]

I agree with this. Even when i was a kid i enjoyed shows with a varied cast. I never liked all one gender focused series cause it gets a little preachy at times, and as you said it feels unnatural.

[@Bezaliel13]

@@janelbbuck Counterpoint: it was a reboot of a cartoon from the 80's, that was a girl-marketed spin-off, so not really "girl power" so much as the mentality of girls buying dolls, not action figures.

[@cottoncandyhairamitystan8389]

This reminds me of a quote from a certain red echidna

[@elianab4081]

@@cottoncandyhairamitystan8389 You know Amy, anytime someone calls attention to the breaking of gender roles, it ultimately undermines the concept of gender equality by implying that this is an exception and not the status quo

[@willow_rosie]

my favorite ship is Carmen x Jules they are the CUTEST thing ever

[@Kyogaa_Kintsugi]

Yeeeeeeaaa always ❤️💙

[@starrymlku]

I don't ship them bc i want to be with either one of them and I cannot make myself feel like I'm trying to tear apart their relationship 💀

[@Trianglewithaface]

Same lmao

[@onyxyui6104]

I love it toooo! In the interactive, there is a part where she’s wearing Carmen’s coat and pre tending to be her, because Carmen trusted her with the secret.And Carmen leaves the stolen stuff at her door with a bouquet of red roses

[@HelloItsMe_29]

I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE- YAY

[@sobeerain]

another trans character from shera is perfuma! who is a main character. also pretty much every single character in shera is part of the lgbtqia+ community in some way and it does representation so well!!

[@starrymlku]

Whaaat i didn't even realize she was trans!

[@rawcookiedough7518]

Hold up what-

[@cubanpothead]

perfuma is trans???? didnt know that 😭😭

[@krakek99]

I remember hearing from people that perfuma was *supposedly* going to be trans but they couldn’t find a trans va for her in time. still, this could be wrong as I haven’t done actual research

[@Schnort]

There is some good evidence that Bow is trans, too. His voice is rather high pitched and cracks a lot in the beginning of the show. As the seasons pass, it becomes deeper and cracks less. I'm pretty sure Bow is older than Glimmer, and Glimmer has already passed puberty. Bow appears to be a fella whose transition started a couple months to a year before the show started.

[@hatimzeineddine8723]

Man this show really did not provide fans with a lot of shipping material though, none of the characters ever felt like they had romantic or sexual attraction to anyone the vast majority of the time. Which is fine, the show was definitely aimed at children with the edutainment angle. Also, what episode was "miss santa rosa" from? I binged the whole series like two days ago and don't remember that at all, did I skip one or something?

[@sunnystar2573]

Miss Santa Rosa is from the interactive series called " to steal or not to steal" where the vile faculty force her to steal for them to get Zack and ivy back! Hope this helped 😊

[@yousufguro8030]

It was never focused on romance, it did have it moments but they wanted to focus on the arc and its action. I mean its not really a romance type of show. It has some but not the main focus.

[@cuccohaHA]

@@yousufguro8030 honestly for me this was super refreshing as when I watch a show I usually watch it for the plot and world (especially if that is the main focus of the show) and just randomly choosing to focus the show on romance (which a lot of shows do) is extremely annoying. This isn’t against people who like seeing romance but I personally dislike it (even more so when the show doesn’t need it)

[@sopapopp]

I think it provides enough shipping material without making romance the main focus of the series, and I think that's nice

[@everyonegetselfears1444]

I’m pretty sure that was the “Choose your own Adventure”

[@artimiss1238]

There's also the cute symbology behind her eye color (grey). It's like saying she has eyes for Gray or Julia Argent(argent meaning silver). I thought this was an adorable subtle thing. :3

[@LoveDoesGacha]

I never noticed that 😳 But that's so adorable for my younger self who shipped Gray and Carmen way too hard lol

[@elio6361]

I feel like you might be reading too much into this... But hey, that's how art works

[@Aeiouaaaaaaaaa]

@@elio6361 as a character designer who likes thinking of little easter eggs for my designs, I like seeing people “read too much” into things. Art can be pointlessly layered/overtly symbolic sometimes and I think it’s nice when people recognize that :)

[@EsquilaxM]

Oh my god that's brilliant! xD

[@mineheart9247]

I never thought about it that way! I always interpreted it as a nod to Athena as she was referred to as the "Grey-eyed goddess".

[@Caterpillarnook]

Player is also casually represented, he has a pride flag on his laptop in a school episode and it is never mentioned or spoken about

[@tadbitsketch]

Wait really? Which episode?

[@aqui0]

@@tadbitsketch I think it’s in season four but I never noticed I’m gonna go check

[@kellabdjfoo]

That’s pretty cool

[@aqui0]

i went back and it was a star with a rainbow on it- idk if that counts as the pride flag but cool to know

[@aliostrowski1935]

@@aqui0 yeah that doesn't count lots of stickers are rainbow colored it's not gender specific

[@manuelamendes5766]

Love this kind of representation. I always hated how in those high school movies the sexuality basically defines the character as a person. It's always something like: Straight guy: "Hi my name is Zack, and I like to play football" Homosexual guy: "Hi my name is Nick AND I'M GAY"

[@L_k08]

Don’t forget, a homosexual man in high school happens to like lady gaga or Beyoncé

[@becausewhynot212]

Glee with gay men in a nutshell

[@L_k08]

@@becausewhynot212 That's why I don't like glee, almost all the lgbtq make being a part of lgbtq is their whole personality

[@legopussy2363]

@@L_k08 whats wrong with making a gay man like lady gaga or beyonce?

[@gayatriunni549]

@@legopussy2363 it isn’t a problem in itself because yeah, many gay guys do listen to lady gaga and beyoncé, but it’s a problem when a) every single gay guy likes them, usually to an obsessive amount b) it becomes their only personality trait c) their love for those artists is shown as intrinsically linked with their sexuality (and therefore saying that all gay guys like lady gaga/beyoncé) d) it’s used only for comic relief (i’m not saying you can’t have a gay character as comic relief, but when your only comic relief and only gay character are the same person, it has the potential of being a bit problematic), especially when the thing that everyone makes fun of is the character’s supposed “femininity” or “flamboyance” for liking those artists the most important thing to remember is that nothing exists in a vacuum, and while just casually making a gay male character like lady gaga may seem harmless, you need to look at the wider context

[@melancholicmemories]

I love how CS version of netflix is getting more and more recognition! Also, I could notice you put a pokemon platinum(if I'm not mistaken) soundtrack on the background. Than you for that, it took me back for a few seconds.

[@rottenricey]

agreed!! I really wish the show would catch on a lot more, its so wonderfully made! and yesss!! pkm b&w are my favorite games so I gotta pay tribute 😌

[@TheRebel04]

A bit off topic but can we take a moment for Carmen’s hair? ❤️ 3:36

[@Bluntz1289]

I remember the og Carmen Sandiego when she was the villain. Those were good times hunting her down and I learned a lot about other cultures. Carmen Sandiego has always been one to teach young kids about the other cultures of the world and I'm thankful for that.

[@aliostrowski1935]

I grew up on the original version and will always have a soft spot for it

[@melaniegaum9378]

I was actually disappointed she was a good character in the show. I wanted her to still be a villain.

[@Kris-wo4pj]

catchiest song ever created for a game. i miss old educational games they were so much fun and i wish i had my old cd roms of them to play.

[@timefliesaway999]

A beautiful and spread-out representation of queer people is also found in “legends of tomorrow”. It also follows the “show don’t tell” technique and there’s never any drama about anyone’s sexuality; it’s just accepted as much as hetero and there’s not even anything “special” about queer people. Basically just normal Very recommend that show!

[@xanderm6090]

I'd say Legends is more one that covers both angles on this topic. That being casual and shown representation, but that also is fine to do. And in fact can be better in cases of addressing the flaws of both methods. That being that shown representation can be very obvious sometimes or made the whole character or show, and casual representation can sometimes be easily dismissed as a method of progress depending. So having a combo that erases some of the flaws with both is a great idea which Legends does.

[@someplant5971]

Good for representation, horrible at being a quality show. One of the more recent twists was that eobard thawne was alive again for like the fifth time and can stop time for the purpose of keeping Franz Ferdinand dead. This is a real thing in the show.

[@timefliesaway999]

@@someplant5971 what exactly do you mean with quality? It might not have the best budget, but script/writing always wins above quality. When it comes to Thawne, I wonder if you’ve seen the flash. I mean, the flash has like 8 seasons and every season Thawne is the villain.

[@ofcourseidid]

@@timefliesaway999 very true

[@michelle-lz8kf]

@@someplant5971 the first few seasons were good but it just became shit after everyone starting leaving

[@sillyb.swirls5155]

But it's still is kinda frustrating tho If they want those two to be gay then why did everytime thier relationship is mentioned they said "friends" I understand wanting to rep the relationship over them just being gay but the writers and creater could have just as easily said "boyfriend" in those places It would have actually been rep instead of easily erasable guess work

[@deerinheadlights7179]

i do not really what a life you are living if your partner is not your best friend and if teh fact they are a friend is not staying at first place to be honest.

[@sillyb.swirls5155]

@@deerinheadlights7179 ?

[@yousufguro8030]

I think they were always suppose to be best buds, and i rlly like their relationship as best buds and making them in a relationship kinda iffs it.

[@sillyb.swirls5155]

@@yousufguro8030 I feel a similar way about carman and crackle but I think these two are super cute And I'm just gonna say Carmen doesn't really get flowers for anyone else

[@allurajane4979]

@@yousufguro8030 but in the video it says that they have been confirmed to be canon

[@StarField369]

It’s like this in cartoons like the owl house as well, where it is explicitly stated by the writer that homophobia just isn’t a thing within the show’s magical dimension, and people just do as they do. queer and genderqueer characters alike just simply exist, the main character is in a wlw relationship while she herself is bi, the supporting characters have a straight and a wlnb couple too, sexualities and genders are never explicitly stated, they just are, and it’s so rare but so amazing to see. it’s not even that the villains aren’t discriminatory because as the writer said, homophobia doesn’t exist there (although it probably does in their human world, as that seem mostly unaltered).

[@thymicthymic]

i've never watched a cartoon that handles queer representation better than the owl house. it's so casual but also explicit, so in some instances there's no room for interpretation, which is really important. you can't say luz and amity are "just friends" because they very clearly start dating. obviously it never has to be a big plot point like in the owl house, but words like "boyfriend", "girlfriend", "partner", "ex", and other explicitly romantic words are really important to make queer relationships clearly canon instead of implied. tldr: i agree with you so much

[@glimmeriing]

i love the owl house but i find it weird how it got cancelled around the time where luz and amity's relationship got less friendly? more romantic-like? idk how to say it but its weird how thats when it took a huge break then got cancelled :/

[@Kris-wo4pj]

@@glimmeriing disney like cancel shows it views as problematic after it gets 2 seasons cuz its harder to advertise it to other countries who want a shit ton of censorship. Thats why after the cancelation was confirmed the show creator Dana made it clear they were going to make the relationship more in your face and harder to censor. thats why the word girlfriend was said over 20 times in the very next episode of them getting together and they spent a shit ton of money animating the perfect first kiss in season 2b

[@sonyapopfire8617]

@@Kris-wo4pj just so you know, in a post hoot a animator that specializes in making animation better in fight scenes etc said that it didn’t get more expensive to make the animation better.

[@StarField369]

@@glimmeriing as the people above have said, disney is a fan of cancelling shows when they step too far outside of its limits, and the limits are ‘what makes us the most money’. having strong and obvious queer representation such as Lumity, Willow’s parents, the casual use of gender neutral pronouns and the existence of Luz as an androgynous female figure made it impossible to air the show in countries like Russia and many countries in North Africa who are obsessive over censorship of LGBTQ+ rep. This subsequently started to lose the show money (even if it got tons of support from queer and ally fans alike) so Disney slammed the breaks. We’re lucky we even get Season 3.

[@erin.artemis]

A show that does this wonderfully is The Owl House. It has the perfect balance of obvious casual representation and it not being the main focus of the show. The representation is always there, some episodes feature it heavily than others, and it is never mentioned as something unusual. The show introduced Disney’s first ever non-binary character, and there is TONS of other representation in there! (no spoilers tho... go watch it!! :D)

[@writer1395]

I WAS LOOKING FOR THIS COMMENT :D

[@erin.artemis]

@@writer1395 yoo :D

[@wren_.]

THE ROMANCE IS SO CUTE AND AWKWARD AT THE SAME TIME LIKE HOW TEENAGE ROMANCE IS SUPPOSED TO BE AAAAAAAA I LOVE THE OWL HOUSE

[@erin.artemis]

@@wren_. TOH is AWESOME :DD

[@juancabardo21]

When a kids show does strong female characters better than most adult movies:

[@Mrs.PiggyisNumber1]

because those people are real, and these are cartoon characters made from people who do not exist in the real world.

[@cinnatric656]

I wish the representation was a bit more obvious because I am a dumb child and didn’t realize it until I went on the internet and looked up videos on Carmen San Diego- I mean, of course I knew the goat and the mole were gay, that’s obvious to me. I didn’t realize Carmen was probably lgbt too. It’s okay though, I agree with what you said about representation not being in your face.

[@yousufguro8030]

Ehh? I always saw el topo and lesherve as bff's people who are partners in crime, but i never saw them in a romantic relationship.

[@cinnatric656]

@@yousufguro8030 🤷‍♀️

[@broblerone413]

@@yousufguro8030 i think there's a time in some dialogue (pretty early on in the series) between el topo and one of the heads of VILE that implies that he and le chevre are in a relationship

[@bluejay9461]

In fairness considering how low rep was back in the day mainly in WLW it wouldn't of been the first thought that came to mind when it was shown

[@cgarcia3614]

@@yousufguro8030 Same, I wish either they showrunners had made a clearer choice to either stick to having them be platonic best friends (because as much as I love shipping, I feel like friendship can rarely just be platonic anymore in media) or, better yet, make the implicit explicit and have them say "boyfriend" at least once in the run of the show. It's not great if the audience can only be sure about this stuff hearing it from a showrunner outside of the actual viewing experience.

[@ufoludDziad]

4:38 Carmen Sandiego walked so Q-Force could trip

[@JL-fp1oe]

I forgot this was educational because the storyline was brilliant.

[@osheridan]

Same-

[@phadenswandemil4345]

Hmm well i kinda disagree with Carmen being bisexual as "casual representation". I definitely see the possibility of Carmen's bisexuality. But i see this more as headcanon. I think confusing headcanon with actual representation can be bad. Because it gives creators a pat on a back for representation when it's really the fans of the show doing all the work. But yes it's subjective. The minimum threshold of textual evidence for a character to be considered canonically LGBT by one person is different from another. For example, I think El topo and le chevre are a canon couple, but Carmen's sexuality is open to interpretation, while another person may believe there's enough canon evidence to say Carmen is definitely bisexual.

[@gemink7939]

Yeah... it's like how I headcanon her as Aromantic

[@Freezient]

In regards of headcanons, I think its more about fans giving minor self projection and less about giving the creators a pat on the back. For example, if someone headcanons Carmens as Aro they’re not giving any credit to the creator, the creator did not say whether she is in the aro/ace spectrum (not that i know of) its just some fans simply wanting her to be, hence “headcanon” The creator can confirm her to not be aro/ace, but that same fan would probably still headcanon her as one regardless of what the creator says

[@phadenswandemil4345]

@@Freezient What i meant was headcanon is different from casual representation. Calling headcanon representation as the video did, is giving credit where it is not due.

[@Freezient]

@@phadenswandemil4345 Oh yeah I know what you mean, the problem is a lot of people wants to claim or insisted their headcanons are canons, even though they’re not. Often times I don’t even know if its serious or not

[@wren_.]

side note I did not pick up on her liking gray as anything more than a close friend, I really don’t know how people see them in a romantic relationship honestly

[@rukurazz]

i love all of these shows, ive watched them all at least 2 times 0:05

[@kellymacias7340]

When I first saw the show and Carmen mentioned that Gray was "Like a brother" I was like "NAaaa, you don't hug "Like a brother" like ThAt!" Then when I play the steal or not to steal I was like "Why does Carmen want to impress Julia?" Idk she's either full gay or bi, but when watching the show it did really matter and I didn't really care. I Just really liked the action and figuring out Carmen's back story (:

[@kellymacias7340]

Same goes for Julia She has really nice chemistry with Carmen. She also sorta flirts with Deveneau In the later season

[@yousufguro8030]

@@kellymacias7340 sorry DID I SKIP SOMETHING? FLIRT WITH DEVENOU? I BINGED THE THING I HOPE I DIDNT SKIP ANYTHING

[@ValeriaHernandez-06]

I didnt even thought of it. Also in my opinion, Carmen Sandiego is one of the best reboots. Not like the Thundercats reboot that seem more like a parody

[@JDM-is-my-name]

​@@yousufguro8030 when I watched the show, it never seemed like flirting, more like casual interactions. I think we just, as viewers, are expected to assume two grown people of opposite sexes are flirting when they are casually interacting in a comfortable way

[@endeavor1664]

It always weirded me out how ppl shipped Graham and Carmen…they met when Carmen was a young child, Graham being a bit older than her, and from what I saw their interactions were purely platonic and familial. Like u said, she sees him like a brother. I feel like ppl just read into their minimal interactions because it’s a man and a woman.

[@zzodysseuszz]

Representation itself is stupid. Just do whatever fits in the story. Stop trying to make things for the sake of giving reality fair depiction in fiction. It’s fiction.

[@soop3r872]

Facts

[@parasective5113]

stay mad lmao

[@cohan6963]

Exactly 😭

[@Draiocht012]

While I do appreciate that casual representation doesn't make a big deal out of it I feel like there's a certain degree of need for directly saying things at one point or another. Too many casual representation scenes are easily misconstruable as mere friendship or comradary and not in the dumb historical sense but in a real understandable way.

[@osheridan]

I was going to say I struggle with that as well, but I watched Twilight without realising it was a romance so I'm probably not a good source-

[@brunollamas1684]

Is it me or Carmen, Shadowsan , Countess, Player, Zack & Ivy, etcetera. Are eye-catching? Because the art style and animation, make it look so iconic & smooth.

[@auliamate]

not to mention carmen sandiego is just an overall amazing show, from writing, to animation, to the soundtrack to the voice acting and even the details! this elevates the casual representation even more so by having natural dialogue, excellent designs, and realistic characters, no matter how unrealistic a global thievery consortium is!

[@limeyell0w945]

I think having it be casual works much better than making it a big thing. It makes them feel less like "token characters" and shows that being lgbtq+ is a completely normal thing. Also, I really liked your editing and especially your music choices : )

[@stephensmith7327]

I feel focused representation works if it gets in depth about the character's relashonship with what he is meant to represent. Like a Catholic dealing with the specifics of his religion, or a Chinese American dealing with the culture shock of living in Mainland China, or a queer person struggling with the exact definitions of what their sexuality means. But Depth and Focus are the key words here. If you go in with a shallow understanding/use a shallow interpretation, it's gonna be awful for everybody involved.

[@greadams1858]

TOH is also really great at casuall representation. Raine in particular since although their enemies hatee them, they still use the right pronouns. Dana Terrace actually once said that Homophobia doesn't really exist in the boiling isles.

[@afsgsgqdah]

IM SORRY BUT 1:03 *WHERE DOES THE BAG GO!??!?!?!*

[@zorathesecond6713]

The bag is no more

[@realneonbluegamer]

**poofed**

[@edidk7298]

why does it fucking matter

[@tonalpleeb07]

0:15 Sadly, you are correct.

[@ZypherDecipher]

I feel like I rarely notice these things until someone points it out and I'm just like 'oh yeah, that was pretty gay' I think it may have crossed my mind that le chevre and el topo were quite close and could be dating but I don't think I ever really focused that much on it. I got too distracted by the coolness of Carmen, I was too gay to notice the gay! lol

[@SofiaSeijas-j6m]

Me too 🥲

[@cletusbeauregard1972]

how tf did Carmen and Julia NOT end up together? 😭😭😭😭😭

[@se0jun.mp3]

Because romance isn't rlly carmen sandiego, yk wot I'm sayin?

[@rosieg6989]

I know, but they are both still young so they have plenty of time.

[@ColonelMonarch]

kids show

[@rosieg6989]

@@ColonelMonarch Being lgbt isn't isn't inappropriate for kids.

[@rhonaforbes-bryan4927]

@@rosieg6989 yes it is

[@fvnt1m3z]

2:23 I LOVE EL TOPO AND LE CHECRE THEY’RE SO SILLY AND ITS CANON THAT THEY’RE DATING THEY’RE JS SOR SKNRLWKELSJD☹️☹️☹️♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@melda5278]

Raine Whispers from The Owl house (none-binary)...I love them so much! Also, Luz (main character) is Bi, and Willow (a side character) have 2 dads Lillith is also aro/ace, which is really cool (aro is canon, ace is heavily hinted at only)

[@jaivalnagindas8652]

I feel like we're just overthinking it. Never once did it feel like the show tried to pair anyone up with anyone. I'm also pretty sure Jules just looked up to and respected Carmen. This was a kid show where they really did not try to include any romance into it and now whe're just overthinking it.

[@animatedbun-gaming3315]

I would love for trans representation where they explore their gender. Casual representation is good but I'd like more.

[@neobonney]

Yes I agree, casual representation is good but without stories about trans peoples experiences its simply going to be pushed to the background like always imo, there should be a balance

[@Kris-wo4pj]

as a trans person. i dont i was preferred casual representation cuz i grew up in a time where they still went by the old censorship rules for lgbt characters ie they were always the villain, butt of the joke, turned "normal" or had were miserable for trying to be themselves usually dead or with AIDS but most of the time just wishing to be dead as their life is ruined around them and usually got sexually assaulted by an authority figure or just plain assaulted by random people who thought gay bashing mean beating someone nearly to death in the streets while others watched and did nothing to stop it. This was the 90s and early 2000s by the way when there was a dedicated "gay" channel on tv and Wanda Sykes was doing the "dont say gay" ads that went over as well as the "dont smoke" ads of the same era ie they wanted ya to do it was traumatizing and yes all of the YA gay books were the same way until the late 2000s early 2010s when i graduated from high school. the nicest rep i ever had was Degrassi and books in the adult section of the library that had rather heteronormative views or got kinda sexual assault-y everything else made me cry and/or hate myself. and yes i tried finding better stuff i checked out and read every lgbt fiction book out in my local library and any they could get from other libraries in their network and i watched the "gay" channel religiously it all was terrible for my mental health at the time. I'm now enjoying the casual representation cuz its so positive and doesnt make me feel like killing myself is the best option to being "not normal". i think cuz alot of creator are either older than me or grew up in the same time as me now they are just making shows they wish they could have seen as kids cuz shit turns the internalized bigotry and self hate up to max. and with how shitty the world is getting again i think this casual stuff will get past the crazies in power alot easier than being overt about it ever will. tho we might have to go back to subtext land which we are still in casual representation is just subtext land but confirming it and not queer baiting. which means dealing with even more people freaking out about making "everyone gay" cuz they cant understand subtext.

[@neobonney]

@@rightnostrilgaming4848 no shit

[@hoff7786]

@@rightnostrilgaming4848 obsessed

[@rightnostrilgaming4848]

@@hoff7786 𝙽 𝙾 𝙱 𝙾 𝙳 𝚈 𝙲 𝙰 𝚁 𝙴 𝚂 𝙱 𝙸 𝙸 𝙸 𝙸 𝚃 𝙲 𝙷

[@AwkwarddFoxx]

1:45 img: [ exists ] my brain, instantly: 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 *Ļ͓͓̣̽͟A̳̳̹̟̋ͣ͌ͅ F̼̼͓̙ͤ̋̅̚͞͞E̢̢̻ͮͧͦ͋͞͡M͚͚̻͂̇͜͟͟M͚͚̻͂̇͜͟͟E̢̢̻ͮͧͦ͋͞͡ R̛̦̦̝̤͌̏͜͟͜Ơ̷̴̪̪̝͈̥͈̆̀̚U̝̝̝̲̦ͣ͋͛̊G̯̯̩̙͆ͣ͟E̢̢̻ͮͧͦ͋͞͡* ‼️ 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨

[@AwkwarddFoxx]

damnit it was literally gonna comment something like this only to find out i did it 8 months ago 😭🤣💀

[@jujufoxie.-.]

yes

[@LonelyDuck69]

2:35 this is my favourite type of sideline relationship, when it are 2 people you see a lot but they aren’t main characters and it’s never explicitly said they are together but they care about each other more then anyone and spend almostall of their time together

[@comicimagination1702]

Which interview did you show in the video at 3:02 ? I have seen lots of the online interviews with duane, It would be nice to see more!!

[@jmugwel]

Interesting fact - Carmen Sandiego has official Russian voiceover by professional actors with no scenes removed and was legally available in Russia for a long time (now it is not, because Netflix does not work here anymore). Due to subtle representation it got opportunity to be not cancelled by our homophobic government. "They are just friends" idea literally saved the show from censorship. For example, Steven Universe wasn't that lucky and got heavy censorship at first and canceletion later.

[@kpopperqualquer221]

Why people need to make everything about feminism or lgbtq+???

[@hannarekhavi3478]

For "representation"

[@younggod5230]

Hey. Show and tell. Still doesn't have to be a big deal. But with just casual representation people will always be like "whhaat, why does the lgbtq community always read their agenda into the narrative".

[@ch_4rlie1237]

i love how much this show reminds me of wild kratts and she ra at the same time

[@amne4295]

1:21 „seminararbeit“ way to out yourself as a german 😭😭

[@LonelyDuck69]

3:21 a show that also does show not tell really well although not for lgbtq+ representation is Arcane they show Jinx going insane (she was always a little messed up) unlike most characters like Harley Quinn where they tell us she’s insane but it’s not really shown Also I guess Arcane also does show not tell with a lesbian couple (Vi and Cupcake)

[@Mark_Agamotto1313_Smith]

Didn't Carmen used to be the villain? And we (the audience) had to track her down across the world or through time?

[@MelMelodyWerner]

I think posing focused representation as being inferior to casual representation is just completely wrong. you can have a character who is "trans first" if that suits the themes of the story. if you are exploring gender thematically, that can be a natural angle. especially if you have a limited opportunity for what you can depict due to how long your story is, it can absolutely make sense to home in on that part of the character's identity. stories about queerness are just as important as ones that treat it as something normal. we can have both. straight, cis people get to have stories that are about nothing but how straight and/or how cis they are-why can't queer folks have that too? by the logic of "show don't tell" (which is also just a dogshit rule to try and apply to queerness, imo-in fact, it is a far less bulletproof a law of storytelling than 99% of the times it is invoked, generally), you cannot have a gay romcom. that's an obviously nonsensical idea that no one would agree with outside of bigots, and belies the fact that focused representation and casual representation both have their strengths and weaknesses. casual representation can be clouded, allowing people to maliciously deny a character's implied queerness-or to simply not pick up on it whatsoever if the hints are too threadbare. at that point, the representation can be kinda meaningless. sometimes there's a time and place for pussyfooting around queerness (e.g. evading censors), but sometimes you just want something that says, "this is about being an aromantic person." it's validating in a way that I guarantee casual representation can never be, to me, as an aro guy. yeah, maybe a character isn't interested in dating because they're aromantic, or maybe it's just cuz they're a late bloomer, uninterested in those they've met, or whatever. "show don't tell" + casual representation can mean invisibility to many queer folks, myself included. it is a terrible barometer for quality representation. you literally cannot simply show aromanticism in a way that meaningfully would feel like aro representation. however, where focused representation is more cogent, it can come across as boiling someone's dimensions as a person to one plank of their personality. this is why I say we can have both. focused representation can fill the holes left by casual representation and validate the experiences of who is being represented on a deeper, more direct level. casual representation can be more humanizing for people who feel they don't need to have their traumas thrown back at them to be represented. queerness is all about the many ways we can exist as queer folks, and pretending that there is just one right way of doing that is narrow-minded. I don't mean to come across too harshly towards you. you seem chill, I just disagree with the implications of your mini video essay.

[@jtraptor7776]

Yeah, I always hated it when shows/movies made a character who was part of the lgbtq+ community, and that was their only/primary character trait. Like, that's not what a character is. A character should be a believable representation of a person, not explicit propaganda for some political agenda.

[@-Persephone_Wannabe-]

Hey if you wanna see casual trans representation, check out mha! One of the villains is trans, but I really thought they were just a muscly woman until a different villain stood up for them. Yeah, their a villain, but being trans very clearly has nothing to do with that. I believe there is other similar stuff with heroes, students, and civilians :)

[@-Persephone_Wannabe-]

@@TwelviSC wait, really??? That's awesome!

[@playfulwriter9796]

@TwelviSC Also this isn’t really well-known but Mina Ashido is cupioromantic which means: “Cupioromantic describes a person who desires a romantic relationship but doesn't experience romantic attraction to others” Also a bit more well-known Himiko Toga is Bisexual. In season five episode 108, Toga outright says that she loves both Uraraka AND Deku. Also in her character profile it says: “SHE ALWAYS LOOKS LIKE SHE'S IN LOVE. SHE ADMIRES THE PERSON SHE LOVES AND FAVORS THEM TO THE POINT WHERE SHE WANTS TO BECOME THEM. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S A GUY OR GIRL?” I believe other than Tiger and Magne, those are the only other LGBTQ+ MHA characters.

[@emesea.2181]

@@playfulwriter9796 aren't Mina is in love with Kirishima?

[@playfulwriter9796]

@@emesea.2181 🤷‍♀️

[@angstyteen4647]

The goat dude called the mole dude mi amour in the show, I’d say that’s pretty gay though (I’m so sorry I forgot their names lol)

[@acorneroftheinternet4179]

the nonbinary character in She-ra i dont think really counts, as they are a non human shapeshifter. that is one of the most overused tropes for putting "representation" into a show, on par with the token neurodivergent being a robot that doesn't get emotion or jokes. oh, we have both humans and non humans in our show? how about most if not all the lgbt+ characters are the non humans. And lets make some of those gay relationships obviously abusive in some way: Steven Universe with PearlxPink slave ship and Catra attacking Adora every chance she gets, physically or verbally in She-Ra. Its a shame I havent watched Carmen Sandiego yet, I have netflix and this looks and sounds right up my alley

[@Andyatl2002]

I would have put Raine on this list they are a stronger example not that I dislike Double Trouble but they are a common stereotype that doesn’t really do anything to challenge that stereotype.

[@emerald9194]

Also kinda bothers me that Double Trouble, their main trans rep, spends a lot of time disguised as a young girl to deceive and harm the protagonists, which is a harmful stereotype used against trans women.

[@shmel3689]

...if straight relationships can be abusive why gay ones can't? It's compelling, simple as that

[@seveneedscoffee8810]

@@shmel3689 yes, gay relationships can be abusive too but the thing about those ships above is that they are shown in a good light or being glorified instead of well... being shown as toxic or not healthy (ex : catradora being canon even tho catra's redemption was very very rushed, she still acts pretty selfish, and the way adora acts towards after s3 feels ooc, etc)

[@KimonoSuki]

To be fair 1) a lot of the people in she-ra are "non-human" ( i mean none of them are except like,, Bow. Kevin, and the pirate guy no?) like catra, scorpia, the big buff desert lady, the evil guy, the lizard one, etc) 2) i mean there are shapeshifter characters who's non-shifted identity is cis (beast boy, ben 10, probably others) and double trouble is a nonbinary one, i actually dont think ive seen another? maybe i dont watch enough shapeshifting media 3) as a queer person i would also make all the queer people the aliens because aliens are cooler to be clear also about catra and adora, i wouldn't say it was *abusive* they were on opposite sides of a war , and they don't get into a relationship until their conflict has been resolved and theyre on the same side

[@ws6778]

My only problem with casual representation is that often queerbaiting and casual representation mix together.

[@Emelineeeeeee]

whaaaat I enjoyed this show but I didn't perceive the queer representation at all. i guess it went straight (no pun intended) over my head. I guess I'll have to rewatch it now with this in mind

[@crybaby-tl2px]

me too omg i was so suprised when i saw this video

[@goldfishy8359]

There is a little kids show callled Ridley Johns and in the show a character named Fred is only referred to as they/them. Their gender is never brought up or made a big deal. It's nice to see trans repersention in a show made for 3-7 years :) oh! Also, one of the characters has two dads, also not made a big deal. This is on Netflix too

[@DelusionalPoet]

Not only was this a super cool, informative, and well-researched video on a topic that deserves more attention, what I liked most about it was how incredibly concise it was! The amount of information you fit into less than 5 minutes was insane. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this :)

[@lonnie6771]

Really clear and to the point. Great video, Well done!

[@Mydogismypfp]

3:17 this comment about cartoons is probably the best thing about lgbtq representation. since MOST of cartoon viewers are younger children, this is just normalising the representation for the newer generation instead of trying to force the older people who already live with views that are most of the time not easy to change. representation in shows and movies like u said isnt the best at the moment due to a lot of movies kinda baiting the lgbtq+ community into watching that movie by saying "oh, its a gay guy you guys can relate come watch it" but in time i feel like it will become a lot less in your face and much more like "hey, thats a thing, anyway"

[@athena1491]

I personally like a bit more, concreteness, to a characters self identification. If only just because I am dense, but there is also the second part to it which is people cant as easily deny its existence, which, I feel casual representation can have the opposite effect. To me it, feels kinda like hiding those character traits. Mostly the me being dense though, but like, their lgbtq+ identities are probably important to these people, so it would make sense if there was things like, a bi heart sticker on a computer for example, or a lesbian pride colours diamond necklace. or a wallpaper that is subtle-y trans flag coloured. Doesnt have to be a massive show, or be anything more than subtle background details, just, idk, confirmation in universe instead of later on twitter would be nice. Casual representation does normalization, but, can be easier to sweep under the rug by those that wish to erase it. A more concrete representation says "No. This is who they are, end of story." Maybe I just feel this way because in our world nobody needing to know isnt an option, if lgbtq people stay silent, we'll be "forgotten"

[@osheridan]

Same. It kind of makes me sad when shows have to conceal it, like, you can just say?

[@athena1491]

@@osheridan exactly... we dont, live in a world where its treated as normal yet... so, giving the, lack of clarity allows others to take it away

[@kg5999]

One of my favorite books are the Magnus Chase series by Rick Riordan, for exactly this reason. The casual representation is what we need.

[@theSkin_of_a_Killer_Bella]

4:37 Thank you, say it louder😭 I have nothing against labels bc ik many hold at least one in a special place in their heart- but the stress put on them, always needing a name and definition; it just makes things 10 times more difficult. Labels themselves aren’t bad, but the way the “concept of labels” is carried out by some ppl rubs me the wrong way as of late (hopefully this made sense).

[@mariahello5472]

I'm not sure it's really representation if we can still have whole discussions about if they are friends or partners (like some comments below). Could still be explicit while still being casual.... Does author intent matter if its not understood by the audience? Like, I see no point in confirming le chevre/el topo to be a couple in an interview if the entire show they just say friends, i think half the audience didn't even catch them as a couple

[@puredemon5926]

This show is amazing! This is what we mean when we want more _good_ representation. The character dynamics are so good! Also, The Hollow does a good job of it too, while there's only one gay character (that we know of) it's still pretty good. They even say it in the show which was amazing. (season 2) Relationships aren't _really_ a big part of the show either. It was a bit more present than it is in CS, but it's not the main focus. Adam is one of the most "casual gay" characters in animation. I'm loving the more casual lgtbq plus rep in animation lately! :)

[@jan_harald]

casual representation is the ONLY acceptable representation I'm okay with...carmen sandiego is awesome, as is she-ra adaptation...

[@cameravice1825]

My thoughts exactly

[@DogsandPennies]

Nah, having stories about queer experiences is very important too. What we want is both so queer fans get to have a diverse choice of options. For example, the movie hidden figures explores black experiences during America getting to the moon very well. But we also have stories where a characters race isn’t the main focus. More stuff like that for queer characters would be perfect! (More casual rep for black main characters would be nice too actually)

[@limeyell0w945]

@@DogsandPennies yeah. I think the queer aspects can be the focus *if that's what the show is about*. But if the show has its own story, it's better to have casual representation.

[@ruriva4931]

I think casual representation is important. But there’s nothing wrong with having a story focused on on queer struggle. The problem with focused representation isn’t the focus itself but the lack of diversity in kinds of representation across shows.

[@cameravice1825]

@@DogsandPennies agree with you there. It’s all about finding that balance between stories that are all about a certain group and stories where they aren’t the main focus but their is still representation It’s important for us to see media that focuses on these groups and their struggles just as much as it is to see them casually represent in media where they aren’t the focus

[@lordmegatrondoesntdodarken5852]

4:04 I thought Perfuma was also confirmed to be trans by the creator?

[@SomeoneAnyonexx]

I love this show so much and I never even considered any of the characters being queer! (Not because I’m not myself-) it’s just not its focus but now that it’s been mentioned that’s awesome if these characters are queer/gay in some way!! I LOVE casual representation so so much, the most annoying thing for me about watching shows with gay characters is that very often they have to STRESS that this character is gay!! Look! Representation! Which don’t get me wrong, is super important!! I just appreciate there being shows that don’t have to do that, where the sexuality of a character just is. (although in this case it isn’t confirmed)

[@SomeoneAnyonexx]

I want to make this VERY clear, I SAY THIS AS A GAY/QUEER PERSON MYSELF- I’m not saying anything out of any kind of hate.

[@muscle_museum1]

Good show. Good gay. 10/10.

[@muscle_museum1]

But in all honesty, it's great to see us represented as normal people, since, we all are regular people. My identity isn't the focal point of my life, and I like that in the media as well.

[@Punarjagran]

Soo nice, thank you

[@tsulio7572]

Did she say "glitch teens"?

[@yokoso873]

Walking labels...it hurts but it's the reality of most of the show 😢.

[@enmanuelsan]

I dropped this show because the villains seemed too incompetent for me ,you cant show me that they trained years to be thieves just for them to be out smarted by kids with no training,but this video kinda makes me want to give it another try.

[@skraproadto1k41]

Carmen Sandiego Is also an artistic masterpiece if you ask me. It’s simple yet so detailed and in depth. I’m so sad the show ended, but it is what it is.

[@mahilagoncam8381]

Fun fact: 4:12 Perfuma from she-ra is a trans woman 🥰

[@DevNojo]

I was raised in a very traditional Christian family, (“woman weak, man strong”) that type of stuff. When I was watching the show when there was a strong woman I was confused at first, but slowly I realised more and more that it was okay! Carmen Santiago literally made me change my bad beliefs.

[@catlover7015]

Ugh, I’m always annoyed when shows make a character’s sexuality or gender orientation their whole personality, or makes it the main plot point. Sure, it’s nice to see things like that every once in a while to bring awareness, but shows like this are very much refreshing. But as I was saying, it’s annoying to see pretty much the whole representation of many identities (trans, aromantic, asexual, non-binary, etc.) being forced into the plot or only ever being the main plot. It’s even worse (this mainly applies to aros and aces I believe) when it’s being represented, only for them to end up not being that sexuality so “they get a happy ending.” This is an actual thing, characters who literally identify as aro or ace for the entire plot, end up suddenly getting a romantic and sexual partner at the end so they quote en quote “have a happy ending” when aros and aces literally don’t need a partner and are happy alone, that is literally the whole point. Okay, sorry for my long rant, I just hate underrepresentation in media.

[@jangelorum]

Thiiiiiis. More aces and aros. Pleaseeee

[@trickster5ever]

I just watched the episode where El Topo and Le Chèvre take a selfie together and I was like “Oh?!” and looked it up so now here I am 😂 I love all the points you make in this video even though it’s from over 3 years ago, and PS I love the pokemon music accompanying you’re commentary, very chic

[@josericardomartinezramirez4113]

the reality is most of these shows dont show representation and the best they do is "a small hint at it" because the distributors (like netflix) dont want representation on these proyects, because they want to spread the show to other places that have different values like china or the middle east, so they can edit out these parts. you can lie to yourself about "cultural acceptance" and "multiculturalism" as much as you want but the reality is that in many countries extreme racism and classism is an everyday thing and lgbt people are still shuned and even killed by their own goverment because of their orientation, so companies dont want the risk of their proyects being rejected by promoting "abnormal sexual relationships and sexual behavior that exaggerates the dark side of society" (in reference to homosexuality, extracted by the chinese guidedence for films). Thats why creators only confirm their orientation on social media or interviews, they can be described as gay as they want but it doesnt matter because it doesnt affect directly on the product. thats why disney cut out finn on the star wars sequels as much as possible, because chinese dont like black people, and why during pride month none of these companies changed their logos in their middle east area. i really commend shows and movies that trully and actually reference the characters orientation openly and build on it, like arcane.

[@nyxie789]

it's honestly insane how underrated this show is it was SO good

[@luanita307]

And this is why me and my mom loves Carmen Sandiego SO MUCH My mother is still opening her mind to the LGBT community, she 57, but she's also really respectful and curious and always ask me about it before taking conclusions. Watching characters being "explicit gay"(as we say) it's uncomfortable to her. When the gay is shoved in our face almost to a fetiche degree we both get the "that's not right" feeling. But in Carmen it's different. My mom even looked at me and asked "Do you think they are?" And I would say "Oh definitely". That's it. No long kiss scene needed, the relationship is there and we can perceive by ourselves!

[@andreiasilva4264]

I also love to watch shows with my mother too!! (she is 48). Same thing happened when we were watching Arcane :)

[@kellharris2491]

Part of the problem with a lot of lesbian characters is many times It's directed more for guys to get off on. It feels like the audience is treating them like porn. Homosexuality is not just sex. But love and friendship. Real relationships. Just like straight couples.

[@Frenchaboo]

The problem is, when you only ever show and never tell, you'll end up with the majority of the audience being stubborn and playing dumb for as long as they possibly can, denying queer representation and turning against queer people who see themselves in the show saying things like "why do you have to make everything gay? obviously they're just friends. can't two men/women be close without being seen as lovers?!" as they did to uhh... pretty much anything that's ever existed that had this sort of representation. Anime is a great example since creators often have to make things very subtle to play around censors. But hell, even Steven Universe had quite a rep for its LGBTQ characters, and until the last 2 seasons people argued that Ruby/Sapphire were platonic besties and Rose/Pearl were like sisters. It's good to have a diversity of approaches, but straight up condemning certain media for telling like it is smells like internalized homophobia. Like no, straight people won't find you more "normal" if you stay quiet and never say you're gay out loud and stay in your lane with your partner, sorry to break it to ya.

[@Danny_the_Platypus]

I love this actually, it definitely gives me some inspo for how I should write my characters and stories

[@gentlemancharmander4411]

Gross, I thought this was meant for kids :(

[@gentlemancharmander4411]

@Sirena I can and will complain about gay couples. It’s abhorrent, and not something shows need to be confusing kids about

[@mistydragonfan1008]

@@gentlemancharmander4411 so being a gay child is a no-no?

[@farteater72]

4:20 there was good casual representation in wendell and wild

[@ollie_3948]

This video came out before Wendal and wild, but I adored the film! Raoul was one of my favorite characters

[@supremeplatypus7192]

I feel like there's value in explicit confirmation as well though, I don't think this is a bad thing, but it's certainly not the only way to do things either.

[@kaitlynelisez]

one thing I love about casual representation in fiction is unfortunately often when T.V shows include diverse characters it is often marketed as a very "revolutionary" and "special" show, and I feel like sometimes companies will use this to promote the show when in reality having a queer or Asian or trans or female lead shouldn't be overly praised. instead, it should be the norm and should of course be celebrated, but not considered a marketing tactic or unheard of thing. with casual representation it just sends a clear message to me; "you are accepted, you are normal". additionally, casual diversity is rarely used as a promotion method and it feels like the scriptwriters and producers really included diverse roles for the right reasons.

[@D34th_rat.]

I like it when Dr.bellum and le chev are talking and bellum asks le chev 'How's my boy?' And le chev answers 'what, el toppo?' And bellum just raises an eyebrow and goes 'not your dear boy, mine'

[@sadwasdead5065]

3:13 also, by showing not telling, the show is not forcing romance. something that most tv shows do and have always done. (i'm not talking about "forced" lgbtq representation, i'm talking about amatonormativity)

[@soup8315]

casual representation is the best kind of representation

[@theeggatyourfrontdoor2092]

I really like seeing examples of casual representation more and more. A definitely memorable and well-executed example for me would have to be the Gourmet Hound WEBTOON, by Leehama!