I’m A Better Feminist Because Of The Powerpuff Girls
By Rose Eveleth
The seminal cartoon taught me that we can’t all be the strong ones — and that being physically strong isn’t the only way to be heroic.
A promo for the Powerpuff Girls reboot, featuring Buttercup beating the crap out of an MRA-esque “man’s man” for calling her a princess, encapsulates what makes the show great, offering a clear nod to modern feminists who deal with trolls on the internet. Watching the scene reminded me, once again, how instrumental the Powerpuff Girls have been in my own feminist awakening — teaching me not just that girls can kick ass, but that actually, being a “princess” isn’t necessarily bad.
If you’re not familiar with the cartoon, the premise of the show goes like this: In the sleepy town of Townsville, USA, a scientist named Professor Utonium was trying to create the perfect little girl. But while stirring the pot full of sugar, spice, and everything nice, his giant spoon cracks a precariously positioned container of “Chemical X,” which turns his three perfect little girls into superheroes.
Blossom, Buttercup, and Bubbles have the standard superhero capabilities: super strength, the ability to fly, rainbows that follow them around. But they each have…
