Week 5 2/2-2/6

Title of Resource: Legend of Korra Creators Confirm that Korrasami is Canon



Citation of source: Trendacosta, K. (2014, December 22). Legend of Korra Creators Confirm that Korrasami is Canon. Retrieved February 4, 2015, from http://io9.com/legend-of-korra-creators-confirm-that-korrasami-is-cano-1674384152

Summary of source: Lots of discussion has been had on the topic of whether Korra and Asami from the hit series "Legend of Korra" are officially a couple, or just very close friends. It has been confirmed by the creators that the season finale that showed unclear hints of a romantic relationship was really just that, a romantic relationship. This is a step for representation in the LGBT+ community, because this show is targeted towards youth. The creators express their goal of including LGBT+ characters in their story and the trouble they had getting it approved. They do explain that they are aware that this isn't a "slam-dunk victory for queer representation" because it's not very clear, but it really is encouraging. This decision has been received well by consumers.

2-3 Important quotes: "It is long over due that our media (including children's media) stops treating non-heterosexual people as nonexistent, or as something merely to be mocked. I'm only sorry it took us so long to have this kind of representation in one of our stories."

"Was it a slam-dunk victory for queer representation? I think it falls short of that, but hopefully it is a somewhat significant inching forward. It has been encouraging how well the media and the bulk of the fans have embraced it. Sadly and unsurprisingly, there are also plenty of people who have lashed out with homophobic vitriol and nonsense. It has been my experience that by and large this kind of mindset is a result of a lack of exposure to people whose lives and struggles are different from one's own, and due to a deficiency in empathy––the latter being a key theme in Book 4. (Despite what you might have heard, bisexual people are real!)"

Reflection: I chose to focus on a recent event in media history, where a television show marketed towards a younger audience created a main character that is bisexual. Although it's never directly stated, it's HEAVILY implied, and the creators of the show have confirmed it. They were limited in what they could do due to the network company, especially because of the younger audience, but they still managed to incorporate positive representation of the LGBT+ community, which is a step. Cartoons don't tend to include LGBT+ characters, or they do so "quietly". Two lesbian characters were changed to "cousins" in the Americanized version of Sailor Moon, and the couple of Marcelline and Princess Bubble Gum is extremely low-key. Although I understand that the creators were being restricted in how direct they could be, so I can appreciate this exciting storyline even with it's ambiguity. However, it's sad that most television shows make the identity LGBT+ characters unclear. If you're intending to make a change, go all the way. However, this is an important step, especially because this event takes place in children's television. It's showing young audiences that bisexuality does exist, and it's exposing them to diversity.