My favorite cartoon on PBS Kids was WordGirl. It got me interested in learning big words and creative writing. Rewatching the show as an adult, I was surprised at how great the writing, characterization, and racial and gender representation are. The only time I saw a kid's cartoon with a black girl as the protagonist was The Proud Family. That's even rarer with superhero cartoons. Becky Botsford is one of the most well-written black girls I've ever seen. While she is a kick-ass superhero, she also still acts like a quirky and awkward 10-year-old. She unapologetically loves girly things like unicorns and glitter, and she also likes gender-neutral things like reading and art. She's intelligent, confident, and funny. I also like how the show isn't afraid to give her flaws. For example, she's terrible at singing and dancing, uses her powers for selfish things like winning competitions and finishing chores, and sometimes slips up keeping her secret identity a secret. Becky's best friends Todd and Violet are also excellent. Violet is like Chelsea from That's So Raven, but more soft-spoken. Todd is a great example of Asian representation because he's not the stereotypical overachieving mathematician; he likes journalism. Becky's parents, Mr. And Mrs. Botsford, are some of the best parents I've seen in a kid's show. Mrs. Botsford is a district attorney, and Mr. Botsford is like Victor Baxter from That's So Raven. Unlike many dads in cartoons and sitcoms, he's goofy without being completely stupid, is a kind and caring father who's comfortable with showing his emotions, and is also a great cook. The only character that I don't like is Becky's younger brother TJ. However, unlike Caillou and Arthur's parents, when TJ acts out or says something rude, they call him out on his bad behavior and punish him. This show is also a genuinely good parody of superhero tropes. There's this narrator who breaks the 4th wall and banters with the characters, kind of like Dave the Barbarian and The PowerPuff Girls. Plus, the villains have creative designs and are all hilarious. It's sad how no one talks about WordGirl since it's on PBS Kids. It had a great run with 130 episodes. It's probably one of the best superhero kid's cartoons I've ever seen. It's definitely leagues above Teen Titans Go.
Review of WordGirl
