Author: mkalb

For the assignment on difference, I will be analyzing my friend, Ben (not his real name, or any variation of it). Ben and I have been friends for nearly six years. He is a 25 year old intern architect and retail sales associate living in Boston. Just about a year ago, while out celebrating a friend’s birthday at a local bar, Ben had a couple drinks and told me he was gay. He has been with his partner the majority of the time we have been friends, but we were finally introduced early this year. While I know Ben pretty well, this will be an excellent way to learn more about him.

Based on a UCLA Williams Institute study,  there are more than 8 million adults in the US who are lesbian, gay, or bisexual, making up about 3.5% of the adult population.

I will be analyzing the female characters from Futurama, Leela and Amy. The series premiered on Fox in 1999 before being cancelled in 2003. After years in syndication, Comedy Central began airing new episodes in 2010.

The show follows a a group of employees of Planet Express, a intergalactic delivery company, 1000 years in the future. Despite being in the future (albeit a cartoon), gender roles are portrayed as they are today, but some stereotypes are broken, as well.

Turanga Leela is the captain of the delivery ship and displays many masculine tendencies, including confidence, strength and a general lack of feminine emotion. Despite being a mutant, she draws the affection of multiple male characters, despite not being interested. Amy Wong is the young, perky, cute and ditzy intern fills many of the feminine stereotypes that Leela does not.

As a cartoon made for prime-time adult audiences, topics covered in the series are satirical and reflect many social issues today, including gender and racial equality, globalization, politics and war.

Here is a link to a clip that addresses the topic of gender within the series:
Whoever heard of a plane with a WOMAN President!?