Rugrats' Character Comes Out In Reboot
Our favorite cartoons growing up are making a comeback. And along with the comeback, they’re bringing along inclusivity! It’s been a long time coming, and we’re ready to sit and enjoy it as we did as kids!
Rugrats is making a comeback but a little different from what we remember. This reboot will be a CG animation, which is quite different from the 2D animation we grew up with.
But the animation isn’t the part that’s breaking stereotypes; in fact, one of the characters is coming out as part of the LGBTQ+ community. It’s going to be great for representation!
Betty Deville, the twins Phil and Lil’s mom, is an openly queer person in the reboot! In the original series, Betty Deville was married to her husband and the twins’ father, Howard Deville.
Since then, the character has come out of the closet and will proudly represent the queer community! Betty will be a single queer mom who’s open about past relationships with ex-girlfriends!
While being a lesbian is a part of Betty’s identity, it sure isn’t her whole identity! We’ll get to see her character develop as the series plays out and figure out all the parts that make her who she is!
With few queer role models to look up to, it can make stereotyping easy. But introducing kids to a role model, even in a cartoon sense, can make them comfortable with the idea and even open the conversation!
Cartoons play a huge role in our childhood and as we grow up. By watching these shows, we learn life lessons even if we only recognize them later on.
Natalie Morales is a queer voice actor who will be voicing Betty this time around. She feels that it’s important for kids to see a queer person living their life happily and healthily!
“a beacon for young queer people who may not have examples of that.” Natalie Morales
Fans of the show have said that Betty has always exuded queer energy, but now she’s finally out and proud! And we’re happy that kids get to experience such a role model.
It might be for the kids, but no doubt will the 90s kids be turning back the clock to tune in to the show, especially now that we have Betty to look up to!