All I know about the Smurfs is that they are little blue guys and that there was only one gal Smurf, whom I believe they called Smurfet (spelling?). This was a really popular cartoon in the 1980's (and the little I know about this show is from seeing them as I channel surfed).
Anyway, yesterday I'm reading Countdown and I'm thinking about the Monitors. Are they all guys like the Smurfs? Is there a female Monitor? I don't remember any female Monitors, but that could just be due to a faulty memory. I also got to thinking about Marvel's counterpoint of sorts to the Monitors, The Watcher. Accessing my memory I seem to remember there being more then one Watcher and they're all guys also.
So why is there only one female Smurf? Why are there no female Monitors or Watchers? Thus ends my deep thought for the day.
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6 comments:
I don't know why there's only one female Smurf, but I happen to know there's at least one female Monitor. She's pictured in this week's Countdown, in the awful History of the Multiverse back up. She has the same type of goofy haircut that the rest have, except without any of the facial hair.
I was talking to Kate this morning about this and she reminded me as you just did that there was one fmale Monitor, maybe two.
Well that still makes for over ninety pecrcent of the Monitors being guys so my analogy with the Smurfs still works. Are the Smurfs and Monitors some kind of uber he-man-women-haters club? Would Dave Sim just say that women just aren't suited to being Smurfs or Monitors?
The nearly absent female isn't just limited to just Smurfs, Watchers, or Monitors. Nearly every cartoon show from the late 70's/ early 80's is the same way. In HE-MAN you have a ton of big (scantly clad) dudes and only Teela and Evil-yn. Thundercats had Cheetara. The Transformers didn't even have girl robots until the animated movie (which brings up the interesting question: Did the robots even have a gender until they decided to introduce a female one? But that's an entirely different discussion). Up until recently, every comic super team had only one girl.
That being said, it's my guess that it just comes down to audience. These shows and characters were aimed at little boys. I'm guessing that the reason Smurfette was there at all was to keep a little sister entertained long enough until My Little Pony came on. I may have missed the point and taken the fun out of this blog, but there ya go.
warren wucinich
BTW Portland shops are great, but I really miss Alternate Reality. Glad to see the website up!
If memory serves, Smurfette was actually created by Gargamel as an attempt to infiltrate and subvert the Smurf village. She started out as a brunette with some wicked eyebrows to show she was evil. The pure love and kindness of the other Smurfs transformed her into a blonde sweetie. Also, Smurfs have few females because they have no need for sexual reproduction as they are magically generated "once in a blue moon".
Warren and Voq'ha, thanks for helping some of us understand why some cartoon and comics lines of characters are mostly male - it's discussions like this that'll make the world a better place!
Wareen, are you going to the San Diego con this year?
Wow, I had no idea that was Smurfette's origin. Thanks Voq'ha!
Sadly Ralph, I won't be making it to San Diego this year. I'm trying to move the girlfriend up here in the fall so all the extra money I have is going to that. However, I will be down in Vegas the second weekend of August. I'll be swinging by the shop to say hi and pick up a few trades.
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