• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Is Knuckles the Echidna's feminist statement accurate?

Link to scene by one of the writers of Sonic Boom

Polygon

The most recent episode, which aired on Cartoon Network over the weekend, was called ”Eggman's Anti Gravity Ray." In one particular scene, Amy Rose gives herself a little pep talk before taking a penalty kick in a pickup soccer game.

”Can the young woman break the glass ceiling," Amy says, ”and prove once and for all that a female can be just as good an athlete as a male?"

Knuckles looks on, arms crossed, and gives her a pep talk of his own.

”You know, Amy," chides the burly echidna, ”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."

DF_x8joVoAApQ1F.jpg

DF_x9kcV0AAO5A5.jpg

DF_x_ICUMAAL8fc.jpg

DF_yAC3UIAE1Jn2.jpg


Scene/tweet has a lot of positive feedback (and like 40k likes). Thoughts? On one hand I see the logic in his statement but on the other hand its like I never thought of gender equality to be so..literal? Like, does acknowledging the current lack of a status quo mean you don't believe gender equality to be worth working towards? Scene feels clunky, though I do like unabashed mentions of feminism in media (a far cry from older examples in cartoons)
 

Fury451

Banned
What in the fuck

Isn't Knuckles written as a dumb idiot who can't read in latest Sonic games?

As far as the statement, I don't see anything wrong with it in concept. True equality will arrive when nobody has to make distinctions anymore based on gender for these types of things. That's not where the world is at right now though. But a sonic cartoon is hardly the medium to have this discussion
 

Sou Da

Member
"scene feels clunky"

Because it's written as a typical cartoon "dumb guy makes sudden smart sounding statement" scene.
 
I think it was meant to be positive, and the writer who wrote the scene certainly seemed to think it was, but it's kinda clumsily written.
 

Order

Member
The scene is hilarious, but what Knuckles is saying is actually dumb as hell.

It's some "don't mention sexism and everything will be fine" bullshit people use to pretend like there's no problem.

Sonic Mania out August 15th
 

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
Whew, this could circle into itself. Knuckles has a point, but I think he's out of place as an ally for pointing that out during Amy's moment. She lives the struggle. Sit down, be humble, Knuckles.

Now if you'll excuse me, my nose started bleeding profusely the moment I had to consider the gender politics of Sonic.
 
That's like the people who say it's racist to call something out that is actually racist - you know that "you're racist for just assuming I was being racist" shit.
 
The statement might have been written in a different context and atmosphere. But if I saw this on a forum or twitter in 2017 I am assuming it comes from the MRA camp.
 

neshcom

Banned
I mean, in a vacuum, he's right, but that ignores the cultural inequality already present. We acknowledge and celebrate minority successes because they're so few and far between.
 

Veelk

Banned
First off, why the fuck does this exist

second, no, of course it's not. Gender inequality is the status quo. I mean, I get what he's saying that it doesn't have to be acknowledged every time it happens, but I prefer overemphasis over trying to pretend it isn't.
 
Whew, this could circle into itself. Knuckles has a point, but I think he's out of place as an ally for pointing that out during Amy's moment. She lives the struggle. Sit down, be humble, Knuckles.

Now if you'll excuse me, my nose started bleeding profusely the moment I had to consider the gender politics of Sonic.

I am laughing helplessly at this conversation.
 

LotusHD

Banned
Isn't that a case of mansplaining?

Echnidasplaining?

The scene is hilarious, but what Knuckles is saying is actually dumb as hell.

It's some "don't mention sexism and everything will be fine" bullshit people use to pretend like there's no problem.

Sonic Mania out August 15th

This.

That's really cute coming from someone who looks like a lady, and was probably confused by many as one up until they gave him a voice.

Take that voice back.

Wait, what?
 

PillarEN

Member
Is this the bit they put in for parents who have to watch the show with their children? Cause it's something kids would have no idea about. Needs to be more subtle like Spongebob changing the channel when Gary comes into the room. Funny for kids and parents who get the extra layer.
 

Brakke

Banned
It's the sort of thing where he's not exactly wrong but he's not right enough for it to be worth saying it out loud especially at the cost of chiding a chick.

Like it's a solid guiding principle but a whack thing to articulate. Consider the situation where she doesn't introduce it as a glass ceiling situation, makes the shot, and then Knuckles shouts "wow good shot I'm so impressed that a girl could pull that off!". Obviously saying that would suck for the reasons Knuckles lays out.
 
I think the statement is incorrect. The alternative to calling attention to the breaking of gender roles is to not call attention to the breaking of gender roles. Just completely ignoring the problem is going to more entrench society in the problem than maybe kinda sorta implying that it's an exception. Implying that it's an exception isn't even all that bad; that's reality, and we want to make it better.
 

KarmaCow

Member
Everything about this is awful.

Especially the part that this is being shared through yellow text on low res images. It's every joke about tumblr made manifest.
 

Sami+

Member
I can see it being kind of problematic, but I think the writer genuinely meant well and I also think the fact that Knuckles outright calls himself a feminist is a good message for the kids that would be watching.

Well-intentioned and good to get a feminist message out to a younger generations in a positive light, but yeah, you could call it mansplaining. Just imo.
 

Mesoian

Member
I can see it being kind of problematic, but I think the writer genuinely meant well and I also think the fact that Knuckles outright calls himself a feminist is a good message for the kids that would be watching.

Well-intentioned and good to get a feminist message out to a younger generations in a positive light, but yeah, you could call it mansplaining. Just imo.

Real talk, I think this is one of those things slipped into a kid's show that makes kids go up to their parents and start asking big quesitons. Questions that are usually never brought up.
 
Top Bottom