This Is Actually a Really Good Show
Photo via justwatch.com
I found myself thinking this as the third consecutive episode of The Wonder Pets started playing. I grew up watching this show, as many of my age did. I enjoyed the animals, songs and stories when I was young, and as I grew older, bonded with my middle school friends over the characters and theme songs from this part of our childhood. Years later, while trying to find something to watch, I stumbled across The Wonder Pets and was reminded of these memories. Usually, rediscovering over-glorified objects from your childhood is a disappointing experience. Knowing this, I entered with low expectations. But what I discovered in this show left me with a pleasant feeling very similar to both my initial enjoyment as a child, and my happy reminiscence in middle school.
In The Wonder Pets, a kid’s cartoon on Nick Jr., three talking classroom pets go on adventures to save baby animals who are in trouble. It was created by Josh Selig of Little Airplane Productions in 2005, and ran until 2009, comprising of four seasons with fifty-two episodes total. The show has multiple great messages for children, including the importance of asking for help, sharing and being kind, as well as an exemplary model of teamwork. It also demonstrates problem solving, and educates about animals found worldwide, as well as the place and culture that they’re from. It even has a positive influence on healthy eating as demonstrated by the constant consumption of celery throughout the show. From reading all this, you might say “Well, that’s great and all, but just about every kid’s show contains those same subjects.” And you’d be right. What’s incredible about this show isn’t a few lessons that can be found on any cartoon on the network. It’s about some very important subjects that The Wonder Pets covers that other shows seem to forget.
Let’s talk about gender. This show addresses this subject in a way that is surprisingly refreshing compared to other cartoons, and presents an unstereotypical viewpoint to children, who are so easily influenced by what they see. Not only does this show have so many dynamic female characters, they also aren’t just supporting roles. A girl named Linny, who is a guinea pig, is the leader of the main trio. She fills this role well, guiding her teammates and encouraging them. Not once is she portrayed as bossy or overbearing, as many female leaders even in adult media often are. And her character design shows no support of “gendered colors” either. She wears a simple orange baseball cap and blue cape. In fact, none of the character’s designs support this. Ming-Ming the duck, the second girl in the group, wears a green cape and leather pilot goggles, because she just learned how to fly. This character also sets a very important example for children. Ming-Ming can’t pronounce words the same as the other characters. Whether this is because of a speech impediment, or just where she is developmentally, it’s an essential thing for kids to see. More than just telling them that acceptance is important and that kids can be exceptional even when they’re different, it shows them- throughout the entirety of the series! Some child might be struggling with that very same problem, and seeing a proud, courageous character still accomplishing great things and contributing substantially to a team is incredibly crucial for them. Finally, the last in this adventurous trio is Tuck the turtle. He also provides an encouraging examples of breaking damaging gender expectations. Even though he is the only male in the group, he is the most empathetic and motherly. He shows this by providing emotional support for the baby animals that they save. His gentle and caring disposition is so nice to see in a world of kid’s shows with snarky and brash male leads. This is very important for little boys who might otherwise grow up believing that it might not be right to express too much compassion or tenderness.
Another reason I think these characters are so important is that they’re actually diverse. Even though they’re only animals, each show characteristics of being from different cultures, and are voiced by girls of those ethnicities. Linny is voiced by a white girl named Sofie Zamchick, Tuck by a black girl named Teala Dunn, and Ming-Ming by a Chinese girl named Danica Lee. Even though they’re still only a duck, guinea pig and turtle, presenting them as various ethnicities, not just white like many other shows, is important in teaching kids diversity.
The way these important subjects are presented really sets this show apart from some of the other children’s shows out there. Just examining popular shows such as Phineas and Ferb and Thomas the Train show a stark difference. How many female trains from that childhood classic can you actually name? The only two I could think of are Annie and Clarabel, who are basically Thomas’ trophy wives. I mean, talk about underdeveloped female characters who exist solely to support a male protagonist. Our next generation needs shows like The Wonder Pets to show how capable and dynamic people of any gender can be. Even shows that do include a large female presence do so in a completely different light than The Wonder Pets.
Compare this to Phineas and Ferb, another kid’s cartoon. This show is about two brothers on summer vacation who, every day, devise some grand new project that ultimately annoys their older sister, who then tries desperately to reveal their dangerous shenanigans to their mother. The sister, Candace, always fails to alert their parents, and is thwarted by the boys every time. Due to this, she is portrayed as insane, overly-controlling, obsessive and high strung. Her only other character traits are her constant fantasizing over boys, and addiction to her phone. What does this teach little boys, especially those with older - or even younger - sisters? That pestering girls is allowed, normal, and doesn’t have any consequences. What does it teach young girls? That it is their role to be the victim of boy’s boredom and dangerous antics. This show also perpetuates the stereotype of the “typical teenage girl”: annoying, bossy and obsessed with both boys and technology. This stigma can cause adolescent girls to feel like they need to fit this “teenage girl” ideal, even if it is not part of their natural identity. Media can be toxic, especially for young, impressionable minds. This is why shows like The Wonder Pets are so important.
Along with the standard lessons that are important for any kid’s show, and the stellar example of portraying issues not commonly found, this show also has unique animation and incredible original music numbers. The Wonder Pets utilizes photographs of real animals and animates them - sort of like photo puppetry - to give the characters realistic visuals. I know this may sound unsettling - or at least a little creepy - but it work well and looks really neat. It almost seems like you’re watching an animated collage. The music is equally as impressive. Along with the catchy recurring theme, there are multiple new songs every episode, each with fully orchestrated instrumentals. Another interesting aspect of the show is foreshadowing. At the beginning of every episode, the team has to deal with a problem that they later encounter again while figuring out how to save an animal. The use of this sort of device could improve the cognitive development of children to eventually notice this pattern, and teach them to start looking for other patterns like it.
Overall, The Wonder Pets is very impressive, and includes incredibly important lessons and values that are hard to find elsewhere. I give it a solid 10/10 and recommend that you encourage children of any age to enjoy it.
