Cartoons with Positive Female Images for Girls and Boys

For many of us, cartoons are a part of growing up. For some of us, cartoons are even part of not growing up. All bad jokes aside, cartoons are a main stay of many boys and girls early television entertainment. But are all cartoons just as good as any other? Are some cartoons better for you then others and, if so, will it vary depending on the person? I'm going to set a side my normal approach of complex inductive reasoning as it seems unnecessary. I doubt many people are going to argue with me over the claim some cartoons are better or worse for you then others and that may vary from person. Though our review will focus primarily on gender, specifically cartoons with positive female imagery for girls I find it hard to image a case in which providing positive female imagery to boy would do anything but good.

There will be three criteria that all of our entries will have to meet: There are female main characters that are competent (no one needs to be perfect), the characters exists in a mixed gender world in which males are not completely incompetent, and the show itself is not a direct female redo of a male show. I'll provide you with one good illustration for each issue before we begin the list. For criteria number one, the cartoon Popeye's only notable female character Olive Oil can not do anything meaningful and is in desperate need of rescue in nearly every episode she appears in. For criteria number two, the Power Puff Girls exist in a world in which nearly all male characters are incompetent goofy screw ups. For criteria number three, the cartoon She-Ra while being a decent cartoon was largely just a copy of He-Man with a female protagonist. None of these issues necessarily prevent these cartoons for being great in there own way, they simply will prevent them from making my list of positive cartoons for girls.

And now, for the list...

Cartoon Number 4: Reboot

Overview

There are probably a lot of you who don't recognize this one at all but this was one that I remember seeing as a boy and I just recently re-watched. This was a cartoon from the nineties that revolved around the world that existed inside of a computer, a little like the movie Tron. All of the characters lived in a city/world called Mainframe and largely went about their surprisingly normal lives unless they were under attack by one of the systems resident virus or dealing with an incoming computer game. That may sound a little goofy, and it certainly was goofy especially with all the odd computer terms and sci-fi references jammed into each episode, but the show managed to provide enough plot and amusement to keep the show going.

Since I'm presenting this as cartoon for girls and boys many of the specified audience may be fairly young. It's probably worth mentioning then the sudden shift the show makes by the beginning of season three. By the middle of season two the show's episodes begin to follow along a recurring plot and by the end of season two and the beginning of season three (which was never aired in the US) the show takes a darker turn. While the suddenly shift isn't too horrible it does defiantly shift the viewing audience age limit up a few years.

How it meets the criteria

Really no one in the show is portrayed as incompetent thus fitting my second criteria. While the "main" hero of the story is Guardian Bob, the character Dot Matrix is easily just as important to most of the story lines and is portrayed as a successful entrepreneur, leader of the citizens' defense force, and by season three commander of the city. At the same time the two main viral villains turns out to be a super powered pair of brother and sister.

On top of that two more characters are eventually introduced into the show, Mouse the hacker and Andraia a young girl warrior. Mouse quickly proves to be possibly the best hacker/programmer in the world and competent fighter while Andraia is a necessary protector for her best friend and eventual boyfriend Enzo.

Why it's number four

While good, the show is obscure, filled with odd and often now outdated tech and TV references and the sudden jump in the shows intended age range keep it from rising to number three, even if a romance novel set in cyberspace is one heck of an amusing concept (watch season three and you'll now what I mean).

Cartoon Number 3: Kim Possible

Overview

Kim Possible follows the everyday and not so everyday adventure of a teenage girl named Kim Possible and her best friend Ron as they try to manage to balance school live, home life, and saving the world from evil villains. Unlike reboot, this show is fairly easy to describe.

How it meets the criteria

While there are a handful of incompetent characters, mainly Ron and Drakken, most of the characters are fairly competent. Kim and her arch-rival Shego are both skilled martial artists, Kim's mom is a brain surgeon, and her close friend is an assistant manager at a clothing store.

Why it's number three

The show is far less obscure then Reboot but too many of the male characters feel like they might be bordering on goofy gender jokes to move the show up to number two.

Cartoon Number Two: My life as a teenage robot

Overview

My life as a teenage robot stars planetary defense droid XJ-9, also known as Jenny, as she balances her programmed job of saving the world from asteroids, monsters, and alien invasions with her desire to fit in and be a normal teenage girl. It often turns out it is a hard balance to strike, fighting the evil alien queen Vexus one moments, taking a history exam you didn't have time to study for the next moment, and trying not to embarrass herself in the cafeteria after that.

The show tends to poke fun at the quirky stereotypical teenage problems. The mean popular girls, the stuck up pretty boy, the science geek, the unlucky boy next door, the nitpicky vice principle, the uncool mom. It's all there.

How it meets the criteria

Jenny is a super powered, crime fighting robot but still a normal person. Jenny's mom is a genius scientist, Sheldon is a genius scientist if unlucky. When it comes down to it all the characters act fairly realistically for who they are. Of course no one is as hardcore as Jenny but there is no Olive Oil either.

Why it's number two

The stereotypes seem far less out of place in a show that is meant to be goofy and plays on all kinds of different preconceptions. This may have gotten a high score though if there was ever a female member of Skyway Patrol.

Cartoon Number One: Teen Titans

Overview

A children's cartoon version of a long running comic book series, the Teen Titans follows five teens that fight crime and defend their home town. The show borrows very heavily from its comic book roots being filled quite greatly with heroes, villains, super powers and super tech.

Much of the show is episomatic, meaning episodes can be seen independently of each other although there are recurring plot points that help to hold the show together and move it along.

How it meets the criteria

Starfire, Blackfire, Jinx and Raven.

Starfire, the team's resident alien, combines traits of soft hearted compassion with unnatural strength and built in fire power making her possibly one of the most powerful characters in the show. She does often portray a high level of goofiness and a very over the top girly girl persona but that fits well in her established character.

Blackfire, Starfire's evil older sister, shares many of the same powers as her sister but not the compassion. Although Blackfire presents a recurring problem whenever she appears the fact that she ultimately loses each time gives more importance to Starfire. Just because you're younger doesn't make you unimportant and just because you're kind doesn't mean you are weak. A worthwhile message for boys and girls of all ages.

Jinx, one of the recurring villains in the series is a somewhat snobbish sorcerer who, as her name might imply, is empowered by the ability to use bad luck against her foes. She probably wouldn't be worth mentioning here if it weren't for the fact that eventually she seems to become the defacto leader of the hive five, a band of villains she is a part of. Also, she clearly doesn't view her femininity as a weakness; in fact possibly quiet the opposite. It is in fact quiet funny that in the first episode in which she appears she fights a female hero and utters the insult "you fight like a boy!"

Raven, the other permanent female member of the team, is a half demon sorcerer who uses her dark powers while trying to restrain the supernatural evil within her. Unlike Starfire, Raven is not particularly strong nor particularly friendly. She is cold and level headed as well as extremely wise. She makes a good counter point to Starfire in almost every way.

Why it's number one

Numerous characters, most of which are balanced with strengths and weaknesses. The show does use some fairly stereotypical items but it is fairly clear that these are personal traits, not a caricature of a group (I.E. Starfire is bubbly, out going, and kind because that is who she is not because she is a girl and all normal girls must act that way.)

Conclusion

So there we go four cartoons that provide strong, positive views on women. This is not an exhaustive listing by any means, I know there are more cartoons then this and some of the cartoons may even be better then the ones on this list. Don't worry though, once I find those cartoons you'll know.