Build Me Up Buttercup

No, this one isn’t actually about a song…
Though I am a huge fan of the tune from The Foundations, this post is actually named after one of the Powerpuff Girls.

If you have yet to hear that Cartoon Network is rebooting this late ’90s, early ’00s classic cartoon after 12 years off the air, it probably means you spend your time reading more important news than this and doing adult things instead of worrying about cartoons.

The reason I bring up the Powerpuff Girls reboot today is because Cartoon Network released the first footage from the new iteration this morning on their YouTube channel. Take a quick minute to watch it before you continue reading.

This clip shows me that the new Powerpuff Girls are going to be just as tough and awesome as the ones I remember from my childhood. Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup fighting against criminals (and male privilege) is something that TV could probably use more of.

This particular clip, that starts with the villain making the claim that, “Townsville needs to get back to its MANLY ROOTS.” Of course, the clip shows at face value the chauvinistic nature of the villain and his way of thought and punches it right in the face. Literally.

A quick aside:
 Violence is certainly not the appropriate response, let’s realize first that there’s violence in the words and mindset of the villain (even if not embodied physically in the clip). Second, we have to realize that our culture is one that glorifies violence and in which we see violence or threat of violence as a form of power. But let’s leave violence for another post (or multiple other posts).

Back on track. There’s something I want to point out that isn’t explicit in the clip but is important to point out. The words “manly roots” point toward the harmful narrative of masculine victory that courses through Western/American culture. The implication that we should return to our “manly roots,” not only implies that we need to go back to the “good ol’ days” when men and women knew their “proper places,” and gender roles were maintained. The reference to “manly roots” also implies that it was men alone who were victorious and independent in establishing “Townsville.”

The false narrative of independence lies at the heart of the American Dream. I call this narrative a false one because human beings are at their core dependent beings. We are created to be in relationship with others, and we are reliant upon one another. Anything we accomplish, we did not do on our own. So many along the way supported, encouraged, laid the foundation, critiqued, challenged us.

For many Christians, now is the beginning of the season of Lent which starts with Ash Wednesday and continues through to Good Friday. The ritual of ashes and the reminder that people are just dust is a reminder of the dependent nature of people. There is so much holding us together (protons, electrons, family members, pets, gravity). All of these forces are the active love of the divine holding us together, breaking down our myth of “manly roots,” independence and the “self-made” person, and drawing us into loving relationship with one another.

Remember and acknowledge that we are all dependent at our core (not just on a parent’s or partner’s tax forms). Encourage, lift up, challenge, support one another in love.

Shoutout:
 Before wrapping up, I would be remiss not to thank Amy Laura Hall‘s (@profligategrace) writing for raising my awareness enough to even be able to see this, much less articulate it to y’all. Particularly her chapter in The Blackwell Companion to Christian Ethics.

Thank you, Powerpuff Girls for the stiff kick in the pants and challenging the narrative that there are “manly roots,” that established our towns. Thanks for breaking us down, and for building us up, Buttercup.