Scooby-Doo's Velma offically a lesbian

[Father Heathen]

Next up.... Rule 34

I'm sure that the internet has already been way ahead in that regard.

 

[Rival]

Velma has resonated with lesbians for decades, at this point this is more like a formality than a statement. She's never has a relationship or mentioned her preferencr before so it's not a change. Heterosexual isn't and shouldn't be the assumption unless proven otherwise.

Also I don't gaf if parents don't want their children to see gay people on TV. Americans and Europeans have been censoring out gay couples from TV since the 80's, and never once held 'preserving the original!' in high esteem until the original didn't have things they didn't like.

Sailor Moon had multiple gay couples, and it was a show aimed at 8 year old girls. But even Japanese people weren't so obnoxiously prudish as to care. But boy American and EU censors did.

I'm baffled that people old enough to understand their sexual preferences are still watching kids' shows like this or why they are latching onto such characters in the first place. It's a show aimed at primary school children. You're meant to stop caring about it and grow out of it. I've never heard of Velma being a lesbian before this and never cared one way or the other as a child. I wasn't watching Scooby Doo because I resonated with any of the characters.

 

[Rival]

So heterosexuality remains the default unless told otherwise?

That's not what I said.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

After Decades of Hints, Scooby-Doo’s Velma Is Depicted as a Lesbian

This is going to cause a lot of whinging and whining among conservatives.

Is this series even still made/aired?

 

[Guitar's Cry]

I'm baffled that people old enough to understand their sexual preferences are still watching kids' shows like this or why they are latching onto such characters in the first place. It's a show aimed at primary school children. I've never heard of Velma being a lesbian before this and never cared on way or the other as a child. I wasn't watching Scooby Doo because I resonated with any of the characters.

I enjoyed it in high school. It was about spooky things. Besides, nostalgia is a powerful thing.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

That's not what I said.

It's what's implied to those who don't see cultural representations of themselves.

 

[Father Heathen]

Is this series even still made/aired?

It's been rebooted a few times.

 

[Rival]

It's what's implied to those who don't see cultural representations of themselves.

Not everyone needs a cultural representation of oneself. You're just meant to watch shows and enjoy them. They don't need to include you.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

I'm baffled that people old enough to understand their sexual preferences are still watching kids' shows like this or why they are latching onto such characters in the first place. It's a show aimed at primary school children. You're meant to stop caring about it and grow out of it. I've never heard of Velma being a lesbian before this and never cared on way or the other as a child. I wasn't watching Scooby Doo because I resonated with any of the characters.

Contrary to popular belief many people know they're gay before adolescence. And others look back fondly and characters from their childhood and even revisit them, either out of nostalgia or experiencing a revival of the IP with their own children.

But at the end of the day 'target audience' doesn't mean others can't enjoy it.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I'm baffled that people old enough to understand their sexual preferences are still watching kids' shows like this or why they are latching onto such characters in the first place. It's a show aimed at primary school children. I've never heard of Velma being a lesbian before this and never cared on way or the other as a child. I wasn't watching Scooby Doo because I resonated with any of the characters.

I learned how heavily saturated with double entendres and covert adult humor Sponge Bob is watching it with my nieces and nephews.
I would hope many are like that and watching it with kids, but the fact there is an adult Happy Meal does not have me hopeful on this.

 

[Quagmire]

So heterosexuality remains the default unless told otherwise?

Hey, you know what would be really cool? If you could stop twisting people's points out of shape just so you could use them as a springboard to show everybody how sensitive and PC you are.

I mean, why don't you just put "I'm sensitive and PC" as your user title? It wouldn't be any more convincing, but it would definitely be less annoying.

 

[Father Heathen]

Maybe its not just religious people.

So if not religion then what other irrational, arbitrary basis?

 

[Shadow Wolf]

So heterosexuality remains the default unless told otherwise?

No, it's like Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek having the first interracial kiss on television compared to floods of remakes and reboots and recasts suddenly popping up with female and minority casts. It's not like Sense 8 where many characters are LGBT, it's mindless pandering of picking up a VHS tape, painting a rainbow on it and putting a Bluray disc in the package.
I'd rather see more characters who actually are gay or trans or whatever than crap that's so uninspired and unmotivated for everything but the dollar that it reaches for the lowest fruit possible and pats itself on the shoulder for the effort.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Hey, you know what would be really cool? If you could stop twisting people's points out of shape just so you could use them as a springboard to show everybody how sensitive and PC you are.

I mean, why don't you just put "I'm sensitive and PC" as your user title? It wouldn't be any more convincing, but it would definitely be less annoying.

I apologize to @Rival if it felt like a word twist: not my point. I may me misunderstanding her point, but I personally feel representation matters and was attempting to make my argument for that.

 

[Debater Slayer]

3. It has actually led to decreased tolerance for the first time in decades over being pushed so hard.

I haven't seen any evidence for this. Do you have a source?

As for the OP, I don't really care about Scooby-Doo, but it seems to me that it shouldn't matter whether a character is LGBT considering that many kids' shows have depicted heterosexual romance and relationships. Even when newer rather than old characters are depicted as LGBT, some people complain about "agenda," "politics," etc. From what I have seen, they also, more often than not, tend to be against LGBT rights in one way or another (most typically by being against same-sex marriage) or view homosexuality as something wrong.

I think corporations like Disney are being performatively "inclusive" for the sake of profit and desirable PR, so I'm sure at least some of their "LGBT inclusivity" is forced. However, as far as the idea of having LGBT characters goes, I think it's a net positive.

 

[Shaul]

Wait, Velma's a girl?!

My childhood was a lie.

 

[Rival]

I apologize to @Rival if it felt like a word twist: not my point. I may me misunderstanding her point, but I personally feel representation matters and was attempting to make my argument for that.

When I was growing up, 90% of children's television was made in the US. It didn't represent me, a Brit, or my culture at all. It didn't look like where I lived, no-one talked with an accent I recognised, the school system wasn't the same, the words were often baffling, the Brits were often depicted as weird, posh, or villainous and a lot of the humour went over my head.

But I don't think it would be right for me to call for more rural Brits in US children's cartoons. They are cartoons. I watched them and enjoyed them.

 

[Rival]

I haven't seen any evidence for this. Do you have a source?

GLAAD: Millennials Grow 'Uncomfortable' With LGBTQ Community | Time

 

[Guitar's Cry]

When I was growing up, 90% of children's television was made in the US. It didn't represent me, a Brit, or my culture at all. It didn't look like where I lived, no-one talked with an accent I recognised, the school system wasn't the same, the words were often baffling, the Brits were often depicted as weird, posh, or villainous and a lot of the humour went over my head.

But I don't think it would be right for me to call for more rural Brits in US children's cartoons. it's a cartoon. I watched them and I enjoyed them.

Thanks for your perspective. I really do apologize if my responses mischaracterized your perspective.

 

[Revoltingest]

When I was growing up, 90% of children's television was made in the US. It didn't represent me, a Brit, or my culture at all. It didn't look like where I lived, no-one talked with an accent I recognised, the school system wasn't the same, the words were often baffling, the Brits were often depicted as weird, posh, or villainous and a lot of the humour went over my head.

But I don't think it would be right for me to call for more rural Brits in US children's cartoons. it's a cartoon. I watched them and I enjoyed them.

As I see it, diversity of characters on TV needn't be
preachy or educational....things I don't want in cartoons.
But kids can simply become accustomed to seeing
not just hetero couples, but also gay ones. They
needn't understand anything...just absorb what's seen.