My Favorite Shows are Problematic, What do I do?
On the one hand, I am deeply interested in the show’s content but, on the other hand, I feel the necessity to be in solidarity with the community that seeks diversity and inclusion in Pop culture. What should I do?
BY: HELEN JINGSHU YAO
I am a Star Wars fan, especially for the animated series The Clone Wars (2008). It concluded in 2020, and The Bad Batch (2021), a spin-off series from the last season of The Clone Wars, aired in May 2021. However, after the first few episodes, lots of fans started to notice problems with character designs. As many pointed out, the characters appear to be whitewashed.
Character design in The Clone Wars (top) and The Bad Batch (bottom)
The main characters of the show, a group of clones of Jango Fett, were portrayed by Temuera Morrison in the live-action film Star Wars Episode II: The Attack of the Clones in 2002.
Morrison is of Māori, Scottish, and Irish descent. Thus, the character design of the Clones in The Clone Wars had a tan skin tone similar to the actor. However, the new designs in The Bad Batch are very different. Since the new characters are genetically modified, they all have slightly different looks from the original design. Many can’t help but notice that their skin tone appears to be significantly lighter, and even their facial features are adjusted to resemble Caucasians. This Tumbler post gave a very detailed comparison between the new characters’ skin complex and the original ones.
The clones are not the only characters that experienced such change. The first episode also featured a younger version of Kanan, a character who appeared in Star Wars: Rebels (2014). The character also had tan skin as well as some Latino facial features and the voice actor Freddie Prinze Jr. also has Puerto Rican descent. However, the younger version that appeared in The Bad Batch has lighter skin and adjusted eyes and nose shape, which looks very different from the young Kanan that appeared in comics Kanan: The Last Padawan (2015).
Kanan in The Bad Batch (left), Rebels (middle), and comics (right)
The show received backlash from fans because of these problematic character designs. Numerous discussions and arguments also occurred online on whether or not these changes can be justified by reasons such as change in animation technology or the development of the plot. Lucasfilm did not directly address the issue but explained it as a lighting problem. Fans are not satisfied with the studio’s explanation. Connected to the previous criticism about its treatment of POC actors, namely John Boyega and Kelly Marie Tran, some upset fans decided to boycott the show and even Star Wars content in general.
I have felt guilty watching the show since then. On one hand, I am deeply interested in the show’s content but on the other hand, the problematic character designs constantly bothered me and in some way made it hard for me to fully enjoy the show.
What do I do when my favourite show is problematic?
I did some search online and found that many writers and editors had written blogs and comments about it. Their opinions vary from “you can still love it like you love a distanced aunt who can’t get used to the new ways of thinking,” to suggesting “a hard break up” because “you need to keep breaking your heart until it opens.”
I don’t want a break up with the stories I like.
On the contrary, I think audiences have an important role in improving the media they consume. Artistic choices in character design or plot development for a story are not decisions made by the writers, artists, and producers alone. The people who consume the media determine what is well received on the market, thus shaping the future of arts and media. Instead of breaking away from your favorite show because of its problems, we can be critical and outspoken about what we see, in the hope that our voice will be heard and bring changes.
A positive example can be found in another long-run science fiction franchise, Star Trek. While the show was considered as the pioneer of exploring diversity and inclusion in pop culture, elements from the show could still be problematic at times. One notable example being the design of female customes. From the very beginning, The Original Series (1966) starfleet uniform designed for females came in the form of a short skirt, which contrasted with the male uniform consisting of long sleeve shirts and long pants. Later on, the design of uniforms narrows the difference between genders, but female characters on the show are often given customes that are different from the rest of the cast for no reason other than emphasis on the female bodies. Notable examples are the V necks worn by Deanna Troi in The Next Generation (1987) and catsuits worn by Seven of Nine in Voyager (1995) and T’pol in Enterprise (2001). These designs were criticized by fans over the years and memes were constantly made about them on the internet.
Troi’s custom compared with standard uniform (top) and Meme where everyone was photoshopped into the V neck (bottom) / Photos via Geekologie
Jeri Ryan, who portrays Seven of Nine, spoke out in several interviews about how the tight costumes made it hard to breathe and restrained her physical movement which eventually caused her to pass out on set several times. Ironically, despite the sexual portrait the character started with, Seven’s story arc became one of the most iconic ones in Star Trek history. The discussion of individuality, free will, and identity initiated by the character made a fundamental difference to the show. Even though I dislike the design choice of the custom, I can’t break away from the stories and characters.
Seven of Nine’s costume in Voyager (1999) and Picard (2020) / Photos via Wikipedia
The criticism from fans and actresses did make a difference. When Seven of Nine returned for the new series Star Trek: Picard in 2020, fans were thrilled for the new costume design. Additionally, the ongoing series Star Trek: Discovery (2017) redesigned The Original Series’ skirt uniform to the gender-neutral black pants, and no female character received the “special costume treatment” anymore. The changes in costume design may be subtle and might not bring any changes to the plot. However, how these characters are represented on screen is a reflection of how audiences, and even society in general perceive the value and role of women. Even as one of the first few science fiction shows that discussed the issue of diversity and equality, it still took Star Trek a long time to acknowledge the costumes and make changes.
My favorite shows are problematic in one way or another. As fans, being outspoken about our criticism and asking for changes may be a better solution than a hard breakup. Not only is pointing out these problems necessary, but also is calling for the hiring of diverse writers, artists, and executive teams, so that these issues may be prevented beforehand. Pop culture is created by some, but it's ultimately shaped by the general public, which is made up of you and me.
