Lets Be Heroes demonstrates that media cant be perfect but also how changes can be made.
Lets Be Heroeshas been a delightful series in its opening season.
Its first twenty or so episodes have been fun, action packed, and heartfelt.
The idea that media cant and wont be perfect.
So what do we do about that?
Can we do anything about that?
If media cant be perfect can we at least make it better?
With Dendys people being excluded from Pow Cards, Dendy feels like she can never be a hero.
To them, he couldnt be Spider-Man simply because of the color of skin.
It would have been an easy way for the episode to resolve itself.
Just totally trash any piece of media that isnt perfect.
Thankfully, the episode is much more complicated than that.
and Dendy dont want to give up their Pow Cards.
Theyre what brought them together.
They know theyre bad but they can also be good to, right?
OK K.O.sensitively suggests its okay to like problematic media so long as youre aware of it.
Its a mature way to look at media, especially for a show thats mainly aimed at children.
Again, the episode could have ended here.
Its a great lesson, right?
Nope,OK K.O.isnt satisfied with just saying well sometimes things are bad and thats okay.
It actively has K.O.
and Dendy confront the Pow Card CEO, Mr. Cardsley, about the lack of Kappa representation.
The moment Mr. Cardsley allows Kappa Pow Cards to be made profits skyrocket!
After all, now that Kappas are represented theyre buying Pow Cards in droves.
Kappas never needed Pow Cards to be heroes.
But knowing that I can get one to makes me feel…
And then she just beams.
OK K.O.perfectly lays out a road map for dealing with problematic media.
While media might not be perfect (and thats okay sometimes) it can do better.
There are ways to make it better, one of which is of course upping the representation.
However, it is a start.
