Noelle Stevenson’s She-Ra and the Princess of Power is out now on Netflix, and men have a complaint about the series: It isn’t horny enough for them.
Gaming “journalist” William Usher is a long-time supporter of Gamergate and runs the website “One Angry Gamer.” Between ranting about “SJWs” and “fake news,” he cooked up an article called “Netflix’s She-Ra Turns Spinnerella Fat and Gives Her the Power to Break Wind.”
In the piece, Usher argues that Netflix is “adopting the Social Justice Warrior agenda” and “attempting to produce material designed to appease NPCs.” (NPC, aka nonplaying characters, is a common term used by the right-wing to dehumanize anyone that doesn’t agree with whatever nonsense conservatives are peddling this week.)
As the article goes on, Usher claims Spinnerella has “devolved” from “a beautiful, empowered, fit woman” to “an overweight purple-haired wind-breaker.” He goes on to stress that the show is “making the female characters as unappealing and unattractive as possible.” Because clearly, all of She-Ra’s characters are supposed to look as thirsty as possible for Usher, who obviously fits into the show’s demographic of young girls.
“For Spinnerella it means turning her into the kind of depiction you would likely find as a profile picture on Tumblr, and any little girl who wants to grow up to mimic a Tumblr profile picture should be put into therapy instantly, like right now,” Usher complains.
Yes, this is the greatest adolescent travesty of our time.
The Netflix She-Ra released their redesign for Spinnerella. Can YOU tell the difference between the new and old designs? pic.twitter.com/LYcBkEKuEZ
— PelleCreepy (@PelleCreepy) November 5, 2018
Twitter user pattsuans quickly clapped back with a headline of her own that cuts straight to Usher’s point: “Female Character’s Design On A Show For Little Girls Is Not Horny Enough For Me, An Adult Male.”
https://twitter.com/pattsuans/status/1062725945063284736
Twitter loved her for it.
https://twitter.com/shaun_riaz/status/1063075833072488450
https://twitter.com/PodgePie/status/1063371883402461184
https://twitter.com/itinerantmagpie/status/1063086130118250501
Nothing makes me want to watch a show more than when people like this are mad at it.
— Hudston (@GHudston) November 15, 2018
Wow…just wow I have no words for that. I personally think she looks adorable.
— Dusty “Lykos” (@bakercharlesd) November 15, 2018
https://twitter.com/HufflepuffLord/status/1063098826041389056
I can’t. Really? Y’all are really complaining about a show created for PRETEEN/YOUNG ADULT GIRLS.
— ⚡️. (@AFormerDelight) November 15, 2018
Grow the fuck up. https://t.co/GABROPdHfM
wow she-ra is lifting up so many marginalized groups but they forgot about the angry gamers……. gamerphobia strikes again……………
— alex🎃 – krystira.bsky.social (@krystira) November 15, 2018
https://twitter.com/MoDrawsStuff/status/1063231739676512256
Meanwhile, many praised Spinnerella’s character for representing women with thicker and plus-sized bodies. For some young girls, she’s the first woman like her that they’ve ever seen in a children’s cartoon.
https://twitter.com/kat_blaque/status/1063193585485402112
It’s also important for kids who are just naturally heavier than others to see themselves in television. If every single character has a perfect hourglass body shape with huge boobs and a huge butt then everyone who doesn’t live up to that supposed “expectation” will feel bad
— ✧༺♡༻✧ (@sIasherboy) November 13, 2018
I know far more women with the body type on the left than on the right. Representation matters. You dont realize theres no one representing your demographic until one character is. And you find what you’ve been missing as a kid, someone to relate to and look up to ❤ https://t.co/wG3FeiZ9o8
— 🗑Alex🗑 (@IAmAlyJ) November 15, 2018
Body diversity and representation is so important. I’ve been reading the replies on this post, and I have to say that kids aren’t going to feel inspired to become healthy or whatever if they see a typical hourglass figure on tv. It’s only going to make them feel worse.
— 🫀Izzy 🫀 @ LUPIN III INSANITY (@TechnicianChem) November 14, 2018
*sighs*
— lightning_kf 🇧🇧 (@lightning_kf) November 16, 2018
Really?
Nothing is wrong with Spinnerella’s redesign. Hell, I never noticed it. NOR SHOULD IT MATTER. https://t.co/ssO7SvdrbS
It’s just a change in the body shape, it’s not that deep dude.
— Kat (@JackalzoneArts) November 15, 2018
People come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, ideal body types have existed for a long time and people often cannor meet the ideal types due to circumstances so. It’s also not cool to fat shame :/ https://t.co/S8xZBY9b0v
https://twitter.com/fanonklance/status/1062131548919619584
Others slammed Usher for being upset that a children’s cartoon doesn’t have wanking material.
Oh boo hoo no fanservice for me to jack my pathetic dick to woe is me boo hoo go fuck yourself https://t.co/Y3auMrG3bt
— Eden ⟢ (@siceachs) November 15, 2018
What kind of misogynistic incel piece of shit wrote this article? Trying to read it and it’s painful. I want to believe it’s just parody or trolling but I know there really are people out there this fucked up and bitter. Hes basically offended cause he can’t jack off to her. https://t.co/4QHgSjK6MA
— Big Bad Spider-Wolf (@KnottyBadWolf) November 16, 2018
What about Steven Universe? The Simpons? Family Guy? Clarence? Even Winnie the Pooh? There are so many cartoons with fat male characters but every alpha male seems to go after She-Ra because women can’t be shown being overweight smh stop sexualising children’s show
— ㋐lucy💫 (@narucchans) November 15, 2018
LMAO THIS REMINDS ME OF THE VINE THST GOES IM AN ADULT VIRGIN https://t.co/zFhascv7H3
— kyle maclachlan lover and defender (@kvsakabe) November 15, 2018
Okay and? It’s a kids show get the fuck over it https://t.co/67UePFae8y
— V ⚢ (@_munge_2319) November 15, 2018
The thread on this is such a riot.
— ♡ peachypee ♡ (@_peachypee) November 15, 2018
Virgin cis straight males complaining that it’s not realistic to have ‘fat’ characters, because clearly magical Princesses with flying unicorns is much a more realistic concept👌 https://t.co/QxFp4CZeMx
https://twitter.com/Savanna62992194/status/1063230584581906432
— Ed (@grizzEdd) November 12, 2018
Meanwhile, Usher is having a totally normal response in the replies. In a definitely-not-creepy move, he said kids “loved Hulk Hogan because of those tight, tanned muscles” and asked a Twitter user if she would rather “want to make love” and “have kids with” Hulk Hogan or Dusty Rhodes.
Alrighty then.
Dusty Rhodes had an over-the-top persona, too, but he was never loved as much. Kids definitely loved Hulk Hogan because of those tight, tanned muscles. Just look at them. Which one would you want to make love to and have kids with? pic.twitter.com/Bxh9Apy1cE
— One Angry Gamer (@OneAngryGamerHD) November 16, 2018
Well, he has good muscles. And people really like heroes with good muscles, this is why people like Spider-Man, and Batman, and Superman…. and Goku. They all have good muscles.
— One Angry Gamer (@OneAngryGamerHD) November 16, 2018
People look to heroes as idealized representations. If the heroes are less ideal than real life people, then what’s the point? You may as well stare at the fat kids at the park instead of watching the show. You will get the same level of representation, no?
— One Angry Gamer (@OneAngryGamerHD) November 13, 2018
Apparently, he also wants to encourage his very real 13-year-old daughter to stay fit so she can marry rich.
Oh? Hot dang… how will I explain this to my 13-year-old daughter?
— One Angry Gamer (@OneAngryGamerHD) November 15, 2018
Okay, but what if I told her that she’s very likely to find herself a hot hubby and get taken care of by a wealthy dude if she stays in shape, eats healthy, gets a good education, and has high self-worth?
— One Angry Gamer (@OneAngryGamerHD) November 15, 2018
Are you parent-shaming me? Pretty soon you’ll be telling me that I should make her play Battlefield V instead of Fortnite because it features historical representation of women. Isn’t it important to teach girls to find a good husband instead of growing old and only having cats?
— One Angry Gamer (@OneAngryGamerHD) November 15, 2018
It seems like Twitter has turned Usher into one angry gamer, indeed.
Lol these man tears pic.twitter.com/TMHL2tGO9a
— Lane @GayBreakfast Art (@NilLaney) November 14, 2018
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This isn’t the first time angry men on the internet have complained about She-Ra. When Stevenson’s reboot first premiered, critics complained about She-Ra’s new redesign, arguing that she looks too “boyish.” Women in animation were just as vocal against the backlash then, too.
“We promise the Care Bear reboot will have tons of boobs,” storyboard artist Kristen Gish quipped. “You’re welcome.”