There is an alternate universe morph that was pretty popular. But that was a short lived series that only lasted 4 months in the 90’s. It was the age of apocalypse and it was pretty good
What does the way their body is has to do with their gender identity? I thought the whole point of gender identity is that it's separated from your physical body traits ? No offence I am just still learning.
Mostly because experiencing the social phenomenon of gender in a variety of ways because you can present in a variety of ways probably would have a way of breaking down your inherited understanding of what gender is and how it feels. It would often, but not always, lead to someone shaking off the shackles of cis society and doing gender your own way once you realise how trapping the traditional way is. @@fruity4820
@@fruity4820 Gender identity can be a lot of things! People finding comfort in their own bodies and physical traits is also a form of gender identity! Gender identity is basically boiled down to how *you* perceive your own gender, and this can actually include cis men having comfort in the masculine and cis women having comfort in the feminine, alongside trans people having comfort in whatever they choose to be. Gender identity is your sense of self and your own identity. Gender identity is *also* about the physical! Sometimes people having certain physical traits will play into their gender identity. Some men love having standard male traits, while others would rather have feminine ones (it's also important to note that "gender identity =/= being transgender", some people would just like to have gendered characteristics while still being happy with identifying with their assigned sex at birth). And when it comes to Morph here, sometimes shapeshifter characters will have a different outlook on their own gender identity, because they hold the ability to change their physical characteristics and can experiment with physical gender expression a lot easier than normal people can. Gender identity can be about self expression, physical traits and appearance, what you feel inside, and a whole lot of other things! (Hopefully this makes sense in some way, I really enjoy talking about this stuff so I can get a bit carried away)
Got to love how people don’t understand how X-men was written as an allegory for racism and cultural hatred. It’s like metaphor completely goes over peoples heads. The very name refers to Malcolm X. Stan lee even had interviews referring to how the relationship between professor X and Magneto was based somewhat on the relationship between MLK and Malcolm X.
That's an urban legend that has somehow become canon. The dichotomy of those two characters came to be very similar to the urban legend of MLK and X's relationship... which in and of itself wasn't much of one in reality either. And the X in both might be read to refer to similar ideas, but X-men isn't specifically referring to Malcolm X. For the X-men it was meant as just an unknown variable. In X's case it was a reference to the brand that a lot of run away slaves would get. So his reason was a lot more blatantly political
@@whateverwhatever4026 Out of curiosity, when exactly is 'today'? Because I'm pretty sure writers were aware of the allegory they were working on since at least the live action movies in the 2000s. I mean, the first movie is about them trying to save a politician backing a Mutant discrimination bill, it's VERY unsubtle.
Oh man Willie when you said "you have never sat down on Saturday morning for half an hour to fantasize that the things that make you different weren't just cool but superpowers" baby queer disabled me felt that
I’ve never seen a trans person freak out if someone uses the wrong pronoun. I’ve seen a TON of cis people freak out if you use the wrong pronoun though.
As a trans person, I’ve seen both, but a LOT more on the cis end of the spectrum. Us trans folks know we’re different, being misgendered by mistake is something we expect. Cis people on the other hand have gone their entire lives being referred to by the correct pronouns, being misgendered is more shocking to them. Turns out when something doesn’t happen to you every day, you don’t have much time to get used to it lmao
Honestly the biggest reaction I've ever given to being deliberately misgendered was sighing. Just Existing While Trans is too exhausting to raise a stink about it at this point lol
There’s a trans guy at work that absolutely hates when people refer to them as she/her/woman/female/girl so much. I know of other trans folks at work and they don’t have that same visceral reaction so it’s very telling.
@@douglasfreer you're no trans ally if you just expect us to be okay with misgendering, he's allowed to hate things that most likely make him dysphoric, try having a little empathy
Believe it or not, I blame the movies. They do lip service to the marginalized message of the comics, but in reality the stories always revolve around a straight, white, cis-male while stripping away the ensemble aspects of the group as much as possible. They're either about Wolverine and friends, or their about Xavier, Magneto, and not-Mystique (which in the movies is portrayed as a straight love triangle). So it's MUCH easier for that viewer to just ignore the actual political message and focus on how cool their favorite characters are, how big things go boom, and define different however they want... which I hate to tell you but a key component of right-wing radicalization is making the target feel different and then telling them their answer is to try to live up to an impossible standard... and to get violent.
To be fair, most of the people whining about it get paid to do nothing but complain endlessly about the "woke agenda", which they will just make up out of nothing if they aren't given something like this to fumble. It's a whole stupid industry.
Honestly, it's just a lack of self-awareness. People don't realize it's about oppressing minorities because it's not literally about black or gay people, it's about dudes who shoot lasers or people who look like cool demons or whatever. So they don't see themself as the hate mob because they compartmentalize it as a different issue. "It's not a queer allegory, you're not GROOMING people into being Mutants!" They think while completely missing the fact that that's not how queer identities work or that people in-universe are saying the same thing lies the literal superheroes. I think this is genuinely why representation matters. Because people are stupid. They refuse to see themself in the bad guys unless the plot is SPECIFICALLY about how the person being discriminated against is a member of the actual group they hate. Then it stops being fun and games and it becomes something they actually get angry over, because now, suddenly, it's "pushing a message" to them. It's like with literal Nazi ideologies and fascism. Nobody wants to admit they're doing the thing because "I'm not like THOSE guys, I'm not even wearing an arm band!" Because people are stupid. And they need to be shown crap directly without any allegories or excuses or they just won't 'get it'.
Gendered pronouns don't really exist in my native language, so when people use English as a way to other non-binary folks, I like to use my language as a counterpoint! Also we have a lot of volcanoes here.
Whenever people complain about characters being too woke, I think about how people don't know everything about their closest friends. Would you really walk away from your friends if they revealed something so huge? And if you would, what does that say about you? Having had several friends come out later in life, I would never judge their journey. And if a character makes them feel seen, why would I want to take that away? I guess what I am trying to say is that I would rather see more representation than see everything be the same forever and ever.
Also we can have different head canons and that doesn’t mean anyone is wrong. I’ve seen people read Elsa from Frozen as a lesbian and others as some form of ace for instance. Both seem understandable to me. Neither has to stop the other
Truth is, a lot of them would. It's not super uncommon for people to lose friends and even family when they come out. Once you're out, your sexual orientation or gender identity becomes everything you are to them, and everything that proceeded is only valid in their mind as long as you're conforming to their worldview. I literally had my mom and a cousin try to convince me I couldn't be what I am, because I like girls and do things they see as masculine. I had to conform to what they believed or I was a lying traitor who deceived and made life harder for them. Fortunately, that isn't always the case. I do think generally speaking, people are decent. It's just the ones who let their warped perspective of society rule them that end up causing so much damage.
@@Nortarachanges i dont understand why people get so aggressive about headcanons. On one side, people will get angry at you for saying anything that deviates even _slightly_ from what is written in canon, and this ends up limiting what kind of discussions you can have with other people. On the other, people will get really upset sometimes if you don't agree w their headcanons, even if you're not trying to argue against theirs at all
@@actualgoblin , yeah it can be exhausting. I usually don’t bring up my own headcanons or shut up quick, because it really isn’t worth fighting over. Hearing other people’s ideas is a lot more fun than explaining mine over and over anyway. Only thing I won’t tolerate is intolerance. Or anyone trying to pressure the creators to make a post grad-age character horny for a minor. You know, just as a random example XD
As a trans man, honestly, I’m fine with people being unused to meeting a trans person, as long as they’re willing to learn and change their ways if they’ve been intolerant previously. I’m not some scary evil person, I’m just a guy who has to take some medicine that most guys don’t need to take. The fact that I’m trans is the least interesting thing about me, honestly, I have hobbies and opinions and interests like everyone else. Thank you for the video, Willie, I’m also autistic and love knitting, I really like your videos as they’re perfect to watch while I’m knitting.
"It must be fear... which is funny, if you've ever met a nonbinary person..." Lol accurate. On a completely unrelated note, the Spiderweb sweater is my favorite, it's awesome, volcano
X-Men were always woke, it started in the middle of the civil rights movement with the mutants as a proxy for segregation and human rights, people from all backgrounds and colors shunned for being born with special abilities and other unique mutations. The comic series is really good at capturing the worst about human nature and our fears of the unknown.
So doesn't that make it even more insulting to compare it to modern day wokism? It's akin to saying actual slavery, is as bad as, that one time they got your name wrong at Starbucks....Like literally.
@@ChrisLeeW00 Its in the title, and you already know what it means. But fine, I'll humour you. It depends who you ask. Like most slang words. Do you want the original usage? Or the current year positive misinterpretation? Or the current year negative truth?
@@whateverwhatever4026No? Queer issues aren't limited to 'people use the wrong terms for me,' which by itself does impact the mental health of queer people, but lack of access to gender affirming healthcare is rampant across the world and is especially affected by class. On top of that, eliminationist rhetoric against trans people is seen as acceptable in many circles
I love X-Men, I've read... most of them in existence. I think it's also important for people to realize that why yes, X-Men has always been about discrimination (even to the point of having a stand in for the aids epidemic) they have not always done it in the best ways, and with the best writing staffs. While X-Men should get some props for what they've done, they should also get the other side of that with a mostly all white staff writing a mostly all white team of superheroes and some questionable decisions when it comes to actual race and LGBT plotlines.
„You’re an adult now, you can’t feel things the same way you did when you were a kid“ My inner child: Watch me *throws a tamper tantrum because I said no to myself*
20:37 This is also the best take on why people remember the “good old days” so fondly and want to bright them back that I’ve heard in years. The world wasn’t better back then… we were just younger and being old is hard!
Also adults often "protect kid's innocence" or whatever by not telling them about the real world. And then they're surprised we struggle when we get suddendly thrusted into the real world completely unprepare for it. Of course everything was better when you were a kid, you're childhood was purposfully curated to be that way
I made my peace with the "all girls" scene in "Endgame" when I reflected that if an identical scene had taken place with all male characters no one would have batted an eye. I do agree that it feels artificial and forced though.
Well, the reason it felt forced to you and artificial because you’re not a female I have female friends, who saw the movie and put a smile on their face. It gave them validation that they are important to the group. I’m not bashing you for saying what you’re saying, but it goes to show you the differences in gender if it’s OK for a man to feel that way it should be OK for a woman to have a smile and relate to a female character that’s all I’m saying
@@Christian_Ada1 I mean.... I have plenty of female friends that just felt superficially pandered to with that scene and hate it for that. I am glad that some people earned validation from it, but it was still clunky and unearned. That's not to say there wasn't a way to properly pull it off, but that it was executed terribly in the version that we have. Its more of a "if its important then make it feel important and put the work in to make it so" issue. I would rather have it in than not at all, but I would have definitwly appreciated it not being an afterthought for the people that made the movie.
Honestly, I disagree? I think it's kind-of a bad comparison, though, because most of the cast is ALREADY guys, so it'd just be almost every single character standing together for no reason just to go "Boys get it done!" Lol! I mean, it's just kind-of pandering, right? Don't sell your female characters with a lineup call. Sell them by actually making films around good female characters! We've got Captain Marvel and Black Widow as main leads for two movies out of, like, 50 or whatever. Just, come on, Marvel. You can do way better than that.
7:03 Morph... was my favorite X-Men TAS character as a child. I loved their powers and was very excited when they were brought back to life and really sad about how conflicted they were and how they felt the team failed them. I am ALSO extremely happy my favorite character is bringing some nonbinary rep to the series, and I hope they explore how finding your identity can help process trauma. tldr: There are dozens of us! Dozens!
@Rotom0479 True fans also don't allow bigoted comments on youtube videos to affect their opinions childhood favorite characters from a 32 year old animated television show. If you can't separate your need to spread your repressive hatred from your enjoyment of pop culture, that's a personal problem that you might need to explore further with a qualified mental health professional, instead of on an internet forum.
@Rotom0479 Uh being male was never a defining trait of the character's identity. Did you consider Morph was chosen for this for a particular reason by the writers? Look at Morph's powers, there's a story to tell there if you think about it for more than five seconds. My bet is a writer saw the story potential and then marketing made a big deal out of it as its want to do because when people like you get mad about these things its gets loads of free advertising.
@Rotom0479thats ok man, you just dont have to watch or interact w the show. Comics are always changing and adjusting in ways that you will or wont like, and in the end we all just pick our favorite storyline and interpretations to hold on to. For some people this will be the morpho they grow to love, for others like yourself itll be the original that speaks most to them and who theyre most invested in. The beauty of comics is that both people can be right! Dont hurt yourself online trying to fight against rhe constant flowing tide of comic canon, itll cause nothing but exhaustion and frustration. Enjoy what you enjoy and let others live on in peace
Even though it's the worst of the XMen movies, I think X3 has a scene better than the X2 Iceman one. It's the opening scene where Angel as a kid is trying to saw off his wings before his parents see. His dad busts down the door and goes, "Oh, no, not you too."
Sorry but honest strait southern guy question… But how does that work for being gay? Like mechanically I mean. Your dad walks in on you in the bathroom sees you have abs and is like, “Oh no my kid is one of the gays!” I don’t understand…
@@mokunmokkun I haven't seen that scene in a long time, but the way this commenter described it reminds me of two types of scenes in queer movies. One is pretty brutal, where a trans girl attempts to cut off her genitals, or alternatively where a trans boy does his best to hide his chest. The second is a type of scene where a kid/teen is putting on makeup and trying on their mother's/sister's clothes (I said "their" because it could either be a boy interested in drag or a trans girl) and then their parent barges in and gets angry at seeing them experiment with gender expression.
one of the big reasons that the representation in media seems to be so sloppy is because of the lack of diversity in the people not just making it but also the people all the way up that meddle with it. Its the room full of middle age white guys writing a teenage girl of color issue.
Compounding the problem is that when we do get women writing women or poc writing poc, LGBTQ etc, the bad actors among us commit to making life hell for them just for having a job. I mean look at what they did to one actress after she had the audacity of being in a Star Wars movie. I can see why we don't get as many as we'd like, the ones that do it put up with far more abuse (and outright threats) than any middle aged white writer.
@479 Good lord dude that's a reach and grossly misunderstanding the criticism. For example adults who haven't talked to a teenager in decades probably won't write a very good one. EDIT: Oh you're not actually arguing in good faith and just looking to be mad, got it.
@Rotom0479 except that character is always going to be a weak collection of outsider looking in cultural signifiers or worse, stereotypes, hung loosely of the plots paper doll. This is why you end up with so many magical negro and ancestral spirits in media. Culture used as props instead of insight. So no, if the current landscape of media is supposed to paint your case that talent writers and endless research should make for actualized characters without lived experience, than I am going to have to press x to doubt on that statement being in good faith.
As a nonbinary person thank you. It's hard living in a world that hates me because I exist. I didn't do anything wrong by being nonbinary. Why hate me? I never hurt anyone by being nonbinary. Why hate me?
“I sincerely doubt that there is a single person invovled with the creation of the property who would say that they weren’t using the characters as a way to tell stories about the issues of the day” me in my head: “meh, Rob Liefeld” Willie Muse immediately after I finish my thought: “maybe Rob Liefeld”
I mean, you could argue that being pro-child soldier is a politcal stance. Seriously, Cable recruited and indoctrinated the New Mutants into becoming X-Force.
I cannot believe you managed to use the term trap in a description of trans people that did NOT allude to how it is used as a slur against trans femmes. Throughly impressed, though my transfemme heart did jump when you said that initially. You're wonderful Willie!
for the record I did not know that was a thing when I said it, and I regret using the term. I was gonna make a pinned comment but contractually I have to use that spot to advertise surfshark!
@@WillieMuse2 Happy you addressed it. I think most people here will know you well enough to assume ignorance, but I cringed a bit at how loaded that sentence could have come across.
I just need Morph to be a snarky brat. For years when I was a teenager, my siblings and I would quote a specific line of theirs. Morph shifted into (I think) Senator Kelly and drawled, "My fellow Americans, I AM an idiot." Their death was the first time I cried during a cartoon. Under the circumstances, I'd have come back evil, too, buddy.
ive been watching the og x-men series for the first time to catch up before this new show comes out, and let me tell you sometimes its political messaging is so on the nose its downright uncomfortable. theres an anti-mutant spremacist group that all wear iron crosses and firebomb random buildings and talk about driving mutants out of their city, theres a father who gets mad at his daughter for dating a mutant, theres a scene where rogue gets kicked out of her house while her father shouts that he can't believe his own daughter would be one _them,_ theres a scene where xavier says verbatim like "humanity will always find a scapegoat to blame all their problems on." like its ON THE NOSE its unavoidable that it is a race, disability, and homosexuality metaphor, like in every scene where anti-mutant discrimination comes up. one of the plot points in the first season is them being worried an anti-mutant politician will be elected president. i cannot imagine being a grown adult and watching this show and missing that nowadays, but since most people were kids the messaging washed over them, i'm baffled how you could've watched this specific show as a kid and still come out like well i think homophobia is good. xmen, especially xmen the animated series, has always been about discrimination, and in a lot of characters (beast, rogue, the nightcrawler episode, those. people who live in the sewers.) its also specifically about feeling disconnected with your body or your powers and how people see you, how its hard to find love or how people will turn on you when they see you because you can't avoid what you are. a lot of those narratives are very queer and transgender to me. i think it makes perfect sense morph is nonbinary, because morph is a shapeshifter who frequently shifts into a woman, i think it makes sense if that does weird shit to your gender, i think it makes MORE sense than them just being cis. i actually would've loved maybe to see a depiction of them as a binary gender but they're transgender, like theyre a trans man who chose to shift into a male form and just never turned back because they like that more, but on a super surface level nonbinary morph is literally just the obvious way to take their character in a modern age, like watching the og show and the scene where they turn into sexy jean grey to fuck with wolverine my first thought was "this character would make more sense if they were queer." and i have to imagine so do half of the people who watch that scene lmfao. such a nothingburger of a controversy when i think changing this character in that way for a modern reboot is just the only thing that makes sense lmfao
Codeword Volcano (but not really): Willie you seem like a kind and gental person, and i hope you allow yourself time to be kind to yourself. So much of your onscreen persona involves self deprication, and i want you to know that many people care about you, and that you are special and important.
I urge everyone reading this, if you've not already seen it then you must, must, must watch the 90s X-Men show, and especially the episode Beauty and the Beast. Whoever came up wtih the name Friends of Humanity for an anti-mutant hate group was surely a genius, it's absolutely perfect, it magnificently represents exactly how that kind of group markets itself to the public in contrast to how they behave.
Friends of Humanity - first appearance Uncanny X-Men #291 "Underbelly" Aug 1992. Written by Scott Lobdell. Edited by Bob Harras. So one of those guys. The first episode with them was a year later, so it's really, really close turnaround. The first analog I thought of was Focus on the Family, which was founded in 1977, but you can also consider the names certain hooded weirdos would call themselves to avoid those three little letters. In universe, of course, the Friends of Humanity was founded by Graydon Creed, the non-mutant son of Mystique and Sabretooth, which also makes him Nightcrawler's half-brother. Actually, you want to talk about enby characters, Marvel just revealed Mystique is actually Nightcrawler's FATHER, which had been what Chris Claremont wanted when he and Dave Cockrum first came up with the character but editorial wouldn't go for it at the time. She admits in the course of the issue, after reeling from having years of repressed memories unlocked, that she's lived as women AND men pretty much equally and when she wanted to make a baby with the actual only person she loved (Irene Adler, a precog named Destiny), she was physically able to provide the sperm. She has that much control of her powers.
Yep, for example any political group in the real world that has family in its name is probably hostile to any type of family outside of the nuclear model. Its a basic trick, labelling your group as the real one and thus any not represented is the "other".
First off, the bit you did before the ad at the beginning was great, and if you made a second channel just talking about your very real and exciting life I would subscribe to that one as well. Secondly, the main part of your video was nuanced and good.
Willie I always appreciate your clear-headed but nuanced takes, and your humour! I feel like honestly the only people I know who hate 'forced wokeness' as much as bigots are the actual marginalised people who don't like seeing their identities flattened, used as tokens, and shoved into narratives awkwardly in a way that's clearly more about making money and/or generating controversy than helping people feel included. As a nonbinary person, a grey alien-looking shapeshifter with an annoying personality, who's generally a side character but still gets shoved to the front of marketing campaigns as if they're specifically being used to bait the anti-trans crowd is... actually not my ideal version of representation! Anyway as you said, we haven't actually seen the show yet, so I'm going to try to keep an open mind. But I do wish the 'anti-woke' crowd realised they might have more in common with us than they think. We're just normal people who want to see well-written characters and stories and don't always enjoy the way corporations use our identities to score points. Having a non-binary character is great, but having the marketing team jumping up and down saying "look! look! We did a queer representation! Everyone look! Do you love it? Do you hate it? Either way that's more engagement!!" doesn't really benefit anyone.
In fairness, Morph was the most popular character to come out of Age of Apocalypse and Exiles, with the "gray" being more of a white Play-Doh type deal. He was the most normal member of the group, whose annoying personality got fleshed out as a reaction to a trainwreck of a life. I think he kept that book alive and it only stumbled when they wrote him out after a hundred issues. And while this includes major reprints in other languages, he's listed as 656 individual appearances on comicvine (there are several Exiles series, so I dunno the total). He's the only AoA action figure I bought (almost got Sunfire, but that's solely for cool factor) So while he seems like a side character here, he's been a lot of people's favorite character for a long time.
@@solomonverrico That's fair enough! To be honest I'm really only reacting to the advertising for the show, I don't know anything about the comics, so I guess I represent more like a random member of the public who's being introduced to this character through the marketing campaign. I'll try to keep an open mind, and I can definitely understand if fans of the comics feel differently if they already liked the character, but in the end I'll only be judging based on how this particular series presents them. Hopefully the writers give them nuance and character development etc. I guess I just find the way it's being marketed kind of tiring, especially in the current political climate when things are so tense for our community... maybe that's not even fair and the showrunners are just genuinely trying to do some nice representation, I guess it just hit me slightly the wrong way that this is one of the first/only pieces of information they released about the show, and it kind of seems to have been designed to create controversy and get attention... which is definitely working!
Absolutely beautifully expressed, Willie! Thank you for such a balanced, honest, and quietly powerful take. I was a little nervous because of the thumbnail but I should've known. Thank you!
Morph was based on "Changeling," an early villain who reformed when he found out he was dying of cancer. Professor X had to isolate to work on stopping an alien invasion, so he had Changeling take his place. Changeling died soon after, leaving the X-Men (and readers) thinking Xavier had died. (The switch was a reveal/retcon.) By the 90s, DC had a far more famous character called "Changeling," so Marvel had to pick a different name for the animated version. Morph became relatively popular via his alternate-universe versions in the A.o.A. and Exiles comics, so the new name has stuck, even though DC's "Changeling" is now better known as "Beast Boy."
this isnt true, beast boy has been around since at least the 60s, first appearing in the original Doom Patrol run by arnold drake before later joining the teen titans in the 70s and 80s
@tape-6 I think OP was just saying that beast boy was popular in the 90s, not that he first appeared then. He had just been growing in popularity since the OG Doom Patrol run and George Perez Teen Titans run
Willie: You obviously know what the controversy is because that's how thumbnails work. Me, having already forgotten what the thumbnail is: I have not a damn clue what we are talking about, but I know it will be good.
Great vid! My only gripe with making Morph nonbinary is it's gotten lazy to make every shape shifter nonbinary, especially if you're not going to explore what it actually means. Gen V did a pretty good job with it actually, with the bi-gender character's parents always wanting them to be a boy. I guess it comes down to what you were saying about lame rep vs no rep unfortunately. I'd be way more interested in a character with some sort of actual personality being nonbinary. Also like...morph sucked who are these people who care!
I have no idea why I can't read my own post. Friggin' RUclips. tl;dr Morph HAS a personality. It just wasn't in the show because the (overwhelming) majority of his appearances weren't in the show.
And aliens. Shapeshifters and aliens. And sometimes robots. (Have there been any non-binary characters who are shapeshifting alien robots? Because it wouldn't surprise me. The low-effort representation tropes just keep on going.)
You got a sponsor! I imagine you’ve had offers before, but I’m so happy to see you find one you’re comfy working with. I love your videos, hope this helps you out 😊
I almost made it through the whole video... but then right there at the end you brought up why Morph looks different. The original character was created for the cartoon to replace The Changeling, because someone else was using that name. (Also, it was originally supposed to be a native American x-man but the writers thought twice about killing off a native American so casually). The grey version is an alternate universe version that later appears in the comics. Also, if it helps, there is an even dumber discourse now about x-men 97 because they shrunk Rogue's big ole booty. Also also, never forget the comics forced Iceman to come out of the closet
Not if you have the media literacy and maturity to be able to distinguish between the different versions of the property and why they might be changed for one medium or another.
Happy that this is my first time hearing about this discourse. Following my therapists advice to get off of socials was probably the best life change I've made in recent years.
The main problem is that the industry doesn't fund new creators with new ideas that incorporate nuanced representation for minorities. The entertainment industry is a middle aged white guy club for the most part and those people, even when well intentioned, just don't have the experience to write a well rounded, interesting character that isn't also a (middle aged) white guy.
The weird grey monster is morph 's regular form in the comics, and afaik they've been non-binary for a long time. I'm non-binary too, and I'm stoked! VOLCANO because I love you Willie and I love your voice
Nah, they didn't have the guts to make him non-binary in the comics. Or the inspiration. They had his best friend be a lesbian tho. (not for titillation. Before his comic book career, the writer was in the first season of MTV's The Real World and became close to the gay guy on that show and was devastated when he died. He made it a point to include LGBTQ characters in everything he wrote)
@@solomonverrico that's super cool to know! I guess I just picked up on a vibe, I've related hard to shapeshifters long before I even knew what non-binary was, or even could admit that I was queer.
I’m so excited about this video because I just started rewatching the 90’s show and Morph makes so much sense as nonbinary because he shapeshifts constantly, when he is actually in the show 😂 And the X-Men have always been so political. The whole show is literally surrounded by the fact that the homos (homosuperior) are as good or bad as everyone else
I wasn't a big fan of Morph's personality overall but I liked their ability to shapeshift. I like how they still used shapeshifting with X-Men with Mystique instead.
@@miiwithoutaface Yeah but they had to change her personality to make her fit in. The Mystique I've seen in the movies isn't the one I grew up with (well, the first one was close). Morph's personality, however, was non-existent on the show because they weren't really adapting the character. They were making a plot point. He's since been developed in the comics to be more nuanced and (occasionally) mature. He's not Plastic Man. He's not Jim Carrey in The Mask.
this is so good, it's just algorithm bs that willie hasn't blown up yet. follow now so you can say you knew him while he was small and humble, before he becomes an a-lister and demands only blue m&ms
One very obvious example of this is with the star wars sequels. There was some forced LGBTQ representation in the background, all the while there was a really obvious way to have actual gay romance that would be natural, earned, trope-ish and in line with parallels with the original trilogy.
Yeah as a nonbinary person who wishes for shapeshifting abilities and hasn't watched the 90's animated X-Men show in forever, I don't want Morph. Y'all can have him back. I'll take Nightcrawler; blue furry elf can be NB. Really, anyone could be. Morph is low-hanging fruit lol. Edit: And I think more people will be angry if they change the theme song truly haha.
@@Morgan-ug2rt Yes! To continue with the family, Rogue could've been exciting given that her ability hands her other people's memories (to a small degree, right?) and powers which could've been a genuinely controversial pick instead of the nothing burger that is discussing Morph. Nonbinary Jean Grey would've been kind of bland but safer than Rogue while making her more interesting IMHO. Same for Angel or... IDK it's been years since I watched any of the movies, any of the cartoons, and any of the comics so I'm not even sure. There's soooo many X-Men with multiple takes. Making Morph NB is the same as making LeFou gay; there's nothing wrong with that and it could be done very well but I doubt most people were dying to see this happen.
@@DoveJS I see what you are saying and mostly agree that Morph can be a bit boring, but because marvel is doing Multiverse stuff they could very easily make the character join the Exiles like in the comics and have them start out as the annoying character they are in the comics and the show but as it goes on have them become a more well rounded person as they lose teammates and see some of the darker timelines. I'm not saying make them misogynistic like in the Exiles but take the good parts and ideas and adapt them to fit the wider universe. It wouldn't be a perfect solution but I think it would give one of my favorite characters a chance to shine. Plus the Exiles visited some awesome dimensions I would love to see adapted.
Nooo, i may be driving when this happens..... willie take the wheel im gonna watch it! I made it on time though I'm not sure if it was just because of my location and the weather but I couldn't watch the premiere RUclips kept bugging out opening and closing the chat the video going black but still hearing audio and not being able to close the app 😢
Morph's look is based on his appearance in the comic "Exiles," which was a subversive, sex-positive superhero comic written by the amazing Judd Winick. So fortunately, it's not a "random gray monster," it's oddly more faithful to the comics. The irony of this video is: X-Men '97 was probably the most political thing on Disney Plus, and not in a forced way at all. Cause BOY, they put supremacist talking-points in the mouths of the badguys, Morph's gender was naturally integrated into the show, and it was a LOT more overt than the original show. Which I'm cool with, I think the original was so "subtle" because it had to be. Not because it wanted to be.
Morph has been a weird gray monster for a while in the Exiles comics and if you ask me it makes perfect sense for them to be nonbinary and the only reason they weren't originally is because that wasn't really something a lot of people even considered at all at the time.
Reporting for nice duty! Hey, Willie, how's it goin'? Hope you are well. Your dog is adorbable. Watching your knitting grow from literally nothing to a patch of material the size of a book while the video ran was like watching some kind of magic trick. I enjoyed it. Anyway, have a good 'un! 😊 (hope that helped)
This video was amazing, I love when you make these really powerful points that really resonate with me, hearing that with the x-men being different didn't just make you cool but was a superpower was amazing. I loved your sponsor bit too, well done Willie, I wish there was more video because I really enjoyed this one.
Honestly, I really hope we do see a lot more media made by LGBT+ creators in 2024, it just feels like to be that we are at this tipping point in terms of the community's representation in media this year.
@479 I said EACH. Your rant is just a cookie-cutter hodgepodge of generic criticisms that lgbt+ animation always gets from the same edge-lords over & over like a broken record. It's funny that your paint-by-number rant is focused on cartoons when only 2 out the 5 creators from my list have ever made cartoons! That already indicates that you have no idea who most of these people are. If you AREN'T bullshitting, then it's even more funny how you keep consuming all of this lgbt+ material, despite detesting all of it. That's A LOT of stuff to go through. It would be better to just watch stuff you enjoy instead of hate-watching ALL these shows, movies, & graphic novels. I imagine these lovely artists appreciate your intense dedication to their work, though! One of these creators hasn't even released her first big story yet. She's a video essayist who's in the middle of filming her first big movie, which has a well respected team of actors & producers attached. Judging by her productions on RUclips & Nebula, I think it'll be a homerun! You see, I wasn't JUST listing creators who've already made fantastic work in the mainstream. I was ALSO listing creators who have promising futures. AND creators who have plenty of more opportunities to keep hitting it out of the park! One of these artists is even currently nominated for an Academy Award, baby! Matthewsetlak5589 has nothing to worry about. The future is bright with amazing lgbt+ stories & artists!
@Rotom0479 You just keep confirming you aren't arguing in good faith, yet again. "so many LGBT characters it's both laughable and ridiculous" This one is a particularly silly criticism. Guess what? We tend to hang out with each other. Queer people tend to have majority queer friend groups. Your ignorance of something strikes yet again I see. I'm also willing to bet you don't know anything about animation either with how your track record is going.
@Rotom0479im gonna be real man, the fact you said abagail thorne and jessie earl put too much focus on shipping shows you havent interacted with their work? as neither of them have made cartoons. oh wait its you again, man ur all over the comments! take a chill pill dude
Only tangentially related to the subject at hand, but I have a theory to why Morph is gray now. Okay, so the 90s X-Men cartoon is in the same universe as the 90s Spider-Man cartoon, and the Spider-Man cartoon has a shapeshifter-themed villain named Chameleon. When Chameleon isn’t in disguise, he has a gray appearance that is startlingly-similar to Morph (X-Men 97). The Doylist Explanation: Morph’s new design is a reference to Chameleon. The Watsonian Explanation: Morph, being the chaotic little gremlin that they are, saw Chameleon on the news and was like, “You know what would be really funny?”
I feel that I must bring my years of X-Men knowledge to bear to offer context. Morph was not in fact created whole cloth for X-Men: The Animated Series, but was based off of a Silver Age character called Changeling, who ironically, was also killed off in the comics. They were later renamed Morph after a DC character also named Changeling (better known as Beast Boy) was introduced. The grayish-white bald look for Morph came about from the Age of Apocalypse universe in the mid-90s and was popularized by the version of Morph in the Exiles comics.
I too have wondered whether some people are reacting more to the obviously crass, superficial, mercenary nature of ostensibly "woke" stuff in movies and TV, but then getting mad at the woke part instead of the underlying crapitalist bullcap. I find some of these attempts offputting myself, but for reasons that are almost exactly the *opposite* of what the loudest voices in the room are screaming and pissing themselves over.
Right, like most LGBT+ people loath rainbow capitalism because we see it for what it is, but then you have the people who somehow think its genuine support and not a cash grab trying to use it as an excuse to go after LGBT+ people.
It was very sweet to see your face light up when your dog came in. It was nice to see you happy. You generally appear calm and thoughtful, but it was so nice to see the joy on your face. I wish you much joy. Your videos provide joy to others.
People getting mad over Morph being nonbinary is stupid. It also shows they've never understood X-Men comics, or Stan Lee and Jack Kirby as artists and people
I’ve always enjoyed Willie as a Drawfee guest but this is my first Willie video proper. I had no idea where that story at the beginning was going. Is it always like this here? Because I’m already delighted.
The ending moments were even more wonderful. Great posing. Adorable puppy. I think I like it here. All the stuff in the middle was perfect. Your thoughts are on point and your delivery is succinct and clear. As a tired trans man I agree that the quality of the representation we’re getting is what’s so frustrating about it.
I just found the channel; it's really interesting. You're also great. You are right; when I was younger, I had an issue with non-binary people. Until I got diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, and I realized they nonbinary people don't really care if I mess up, it happens; it is just my anxiety freaking me out.
10:58 I feel the same way about that scene as I do about every 30-second LGBTQ+ scene in Marvel movies that are deliberately set up to be easy to cut for international release. It's not a sincere statement of support but a soulless corporate grab for liberal and leftist dollars. I'm glad little girls can enjoy it and feel empowered, but only one of those female characters actually got her own movie before Endgame, and it was so poorly written that everybody hated it.
I've often explained my gender as a grey blob... Still I don't agree with it as a visual representation for it. Since it doesn't remove gender, it only removes identity.
Secure your privacy with Surfshark! Enter coupon code WILLIEMUSE for an extra 3 months free at surfshark.deals/williemuse
I wanna hear more stories about your heist days, as long as they don't incriminate you further!
my boy got a proper sponsor, so proud of you buddy!
Hell yeah so glad you got a surfshark promo! You deserve all good things Willie
There is an alternate universe morph that was pretty popular. But that was a short lived series that only lasted 4 months in the 90’s. It was the age of apocalypse and it was pretty good
I've never laughed harder at an ad before you're an icon
I for one am SHOCKED the character whose power is making their body look like other bodies might not have a hegemonic binary gender identity.
What does the way their body is has to do with their gender identity? I thought the whole point of gender identity is that it's separated from your physical body traits ? No offence I am just still learning.
Mostly because experiencing the social phenomenon of gender in a variety of ways because you can present in a variety of ways probably would have a way of breaking down your inherited understanding of what gender is and how it feels. It would often, but not always, lead to someone shaking off the shackles of cis society and doing gender your own way once you realise how trapping the traditional way is. @@fruity4820
@@fruity4820 Gender identity can be a lot of things! People finding comfort in their own bodies and physical traits is also a form of gender identity! Gender identity is basically boiled down to how *you* perceive your own gender, and this can actually include cis men having comfort in the masculine and cis women having comfort in the feminine, alongside trans people having comfort in whatever they choose to be. Gender identity is your sense of self and your own identity.
Gender identity is *also* about the physical! Sometimes people having certain physical traits will play into their gender identity. Some men love having standard male traits, while others would rather have feminine ones (it's also important to note that "gender identity =/= being transgender", some people would just like to have gendered characteristics while still being happy with identifying with their assigned sex at birth). And when it comes to Morph here, sometimes shapeshifter characters will have a different outlook on their own gender identity, because they hold the ability to change their physical characteristics and can experiment with physical gender expression a lot easier than normal people can. Gender identity can be about self expression, physical traits and appearance, what you feel inside, and a whole lot of other things!
(Hopefully this makes sense in some way, I really enjoy talking about this stuff so I can get a bit carried away)
Got to love how people don’t understand how X-men was written as an allegory for racism and cultural hatred. It’s like metaphor completely goes over peoples heads. The very name refers to Malcolm X. Stan lee even had interviews referring to how the relationship between professor X and Magneto was based somewhat on the relationship between MLK and Malcolm X.
That's an urban legend that has somehow become canon. The dichotomy of those two characters came to be very similar to the urban legend of MLK and X's relationship... which in and of itself wasn't much of one in reality either. And the X in both might be read to refer to similar ideas, but X-men isn't specifically referring to Malcolm X. For the X-men it was meant as just an unknown variable. In X's case it was a reference to the brand that a lot of run away slaves would get. So his reason was a lot more blatantly political
It's not a matter of what was, it's about what is now. No one has a problem with past X-Men. It's pretending today hasn't changed that's the issue.
@@whateverwhatever4026 lol.
@@phangkuanhoong7967 Lololololololzzzz Argue if you have one.
@@whateverwhatever4026 Out of curiosity, when exactly is 'today'? Because I'm pretty sure writers were aware of the allegory they were working on since at least the live action movies in the 2000s. I mean, the first movie is about them trying to save a politician backing a Mutant discrimination bill, it's VERY unsubtle.
Oh man Willie when you said "you have never sat down on Saturday morning for half an hour to fantasize that the things that make you different weren't just cool but superpowers" baby queer disabled me felt that
Yesss that line hit super hard.
THIS. fully hit hard frfr
I’ve never seen a trans person freak out if someone uses the wrong pronoun. I’ve seen a TON of cis people freak out if you use the wrong pronoun though.
I accidentally used the wrong pronoun in front of a trans peers once. I immediately realized my mistake, apologized, and we moved on
As a trans person, I’ve seen both, but a LOT more on the cis end of the spectrum. Us trans folks know we’re different, being misgendered by mistake is something we expect. Cis people on the other hand have gone their entire lives being referred to by the correct pronouns, being misgendered is more shocking to them. Turns out when something doesn’t happen to you every day, you don’t have much time to get used to it lmao
Honestly the biggest reaction I've ever given to being deliberately misgendered was sighing. Just Existing While Trans is too exhausting to raise a stink about it at this point lol
There’s a trans guy at work that absolutely hates when people refer to them as she/her/woman/female/girl so much.
I know of other trans folks at work and they don’t have that same visceral reaction so it’s very telling.
@@douglasfreer you're no trans ally if you just expect us to be okay with misgendering, he's allowed to hate things that most likely make him dysphoric, try having a little empathy
How are people getting upset about characters who are different in X-Men, which is about the struggles of people who are different?
Believe it or not, I blame the movies. They do lip service to the marginalized message of the comics, but in reality the stories always revolve around a straight, white, cis-male while stripping away the ensemble aspects of the group as much as possible. They're either about Wolverine and friends, or their about Xavier, Magneto, and not-Mystique (which in the movies is portrayed as a straight love triangle).
So it's MUCH easier for that viewer to just ignore the actual political message and focus on how cool their favorite characters are, how big things go boom, and define different however they want... which I hate to tell you but a key component of right-wing radicalization is making the target feel different and then telling them their answer is to try to live up to an impossible standard... and to get violent.
To be fair, most of the people whining about it get paid to do nothing but complain endlessly about the "woke agenda", which they will just make up out of nothing if they aren't given something like this to fumble. It's a whole stupid industry.
Honestly, it's just a lack of self-awareness.
People don't realize it's about oppressing minorities because it's not literally about black or gay people, it's about dudes who shoot lasers or people who look like cool demons or whatever. So they don't see themself as the hate mob because they compartmentalize it as a different issue.
"It's not a queer allegory, you're not GROOMING people into being Mutants!" They think while completely missing the fact that that's not how queer identities work or that people in-universe are saying the same thing lies the literal superheroes.
I think this is genuinely why representation matters. Because people are stupid. They refuse to see themself in the bad guys unless the plot is SPECIFICALLY about how the person being discriminated against is a member of the actual group they hate. Then it stops being fun and games and it becomes something they actually get angry over, because now, suddenly, it's "pushing a message" to them.
It's like with literal Nazi ideologies and fascism. Nobody wants to admit they're doing the thing because "I'm not like THOSE guys, I'm not even wearing an arm band!"
Because people are stupid. And they need to be shown crap directly without any allegories or excuses or they just won't 'get it'.
@@robertstull8759 personally, I think Xavier and Magneto should have had a tragic gay romance like Dumbledore and Grindelwald
Because media/art literacy is a skill, not a default trait.
Gendered pronouns don't really exist in my native language, so when people use English as a way to other non-binary folks, I like to use my language as a counterpoint!
Also we have a lot of volcanoes here.
What's your native language?
@@lydias376 Tagalog (one of the Philippines' languages)
Whenever people complain about characters being too woke, I think about how people don't know everything about their closest friends. Would you really walk away from your friends if they revealed something so huge? And if you would, what does that say about you? Having had several friends come out later in life, I would never judge their journey. And if a character makes them feel seen, why would I want to take that away? I guess what I am trying to say is that I would rather see more representation than see everything be the same forever and ever.
Also we can have different head canons and that doesn’t mean anyone is wrong. I’ve seen people read Elsa from Frozen as a lesbian and others as some form of ace for instance. Both seem understandable to me. Neither has to stop the other
Truth is, a lot of them would. It's not super uncommon for people to lose friends and even family when they come out. Once you're out, your sexual orientation or gender identity becomes everything you are to them, and everything that proceeded is only valid in their mind as long as you're conforming to their worldview. I literally had my mom and a cousin try to convince me I couldn't be what I am, because I like girls and do things they see as masculine. I had to conform to what they believed or I was a lying traitor who deceived and made life harder for them. Fortunately, that isn't always the case. I do think generally speaking, people are decent. It's just the ones who let their warped perspective of society rule them that end up causing so much damage.
@@Nortarachanges i dont understand why people get so aggressive about headcanons.
On one side, people will get angry at you for saying anything that deviates even _slightly_ from what is written in canon, and this ends up limiting what kind of discussions you can have with other people.
On the other, people will get really upset sometimes if you don't agree w their headcanons, even if you're not trying to argue against theirs at all
@@actualgoblin , yeah it can be exhausting. I usually don’t bring up my own headcanons or shut up quick, because it really isn’t worth fighting over. Hearing other people’s ideas is a lot more fun than explaining mine over and over anyway. Only thing I won’t tolerate is intolerance. Or anyone trying to pressure the creators to make a post grad-age character horny for a minor. You know, just as a random example XD
As a trans man, honestly, I’m fine with people being unused to meeting a trans person, as long as they’re willing to learn and change their ways if they’ve been intolerant previously. I’m not some scary evil person, I’m just a guy who has to take some medicine that most guys don’t need to take. The fact that I’m trans is the least interesting thing about me, honestly, I have hobbies and opinions and interests like everyone else.
Thank you for the video, Willie, I’m also autistic and love knitting, I really like your videos as they’re perfect to watch while I’m knitting.
"I'm just a guy who has to take some medicine that most guys don't need to take" that's so well said, I'll definitely be using that myself!
Our boy got a sponsor let's gooooooooooo
Wooooooooo!!!
HELL yeah!
Oh yeah, good point.
@@hillah4981 Another good point. Doing this now.
"It must be fear... which is funny, if you've ever met a nonbinary person..."
Lol accurate.
On a completely unrelated note, the Spiderweb sweater is my favorite, it's awesome, volcano
Shapeshifters have been portrayed as non-binary or pansexual in SO many different sci fi and fantasy properties. It's so not new it's ridiculous.
X-Men were always woke, it started in the middle of the civil rights movement with the mutants as a proxy for segregation and human rights, people from all backgrounds and colors shunned for being born with special abilities and other unique mutations.
The comic series is really good at capturing the worst about human nature and our fears of the unknown.
So doesn't that make it even more insulting to compare it to modern day wokism? It's akin to saying actual slavery, is as bad as, that one time they got your name wrong at Starbucks....Like literally.
@@whateverwhatever4026what does woke mean? Maybe we should start there.
@@ChrisLeeW00 Its in the title, and you already know what it means. But fine, I'll humour you. It depends who you ask. Like most slang words. Do you want the original usage? Or the current year positive misinterpretation? Or the current year negative truth?
@@whateverwhatever4026No? Queer issues aren't limited to 'people use the wrong terms for me,' which by itself does impact the mental health of queer people, but lack of access to gender affirming healthcare is rampant across the world and is especially affected by class. On top of that, eliminationist rhetoric against trans people is seen as acceptable in many circles
I love X-Men, I've read... most of them in existence. I think it's also important for people to realize that why yes, X-Men has always been about discrimination (even to the point of having a stand in for the aids epidemic) they have not always done it in the best ways, and with the best writing staffs. While X-Men should get some props for what they've done, they should also get the other side of that with a mostly all white staff writing a mostly all white team of superheroes and some questionable decisions when it comes to actual race and LGBT plotlines.
„You’re an adult now, you can’t feel things the same way you did when you were a kid“
My inner child: Watch me *throws a tamper tantrum because I said no to myself*
several days ago I became dehydrated because it felt too much like being bossed around when I tried to get myself to drink water, I felt that
@@Romanticoutlaw omg, I have that too 😭 Basically with anything I know I have to do, it’s annoying af
"You're on a diet, you have to avoid getting heart problems at your age..."
"Aww, but I wanna eat it NOWWWWWW!"
20:37 This is also the best take on why people remember the “good old days” so fondly and want to bright them back that I’ve heard in years.
The world wasn’t better back then… we were just younger and being old is hard!
Yep, we were just easier to please as kids.
Also adults often "protect kid's innocence" or whatever by not telling them about the real world. And then they're surprised we struggle when we get suddendly thrusted into the real world completely unprepare for it. Of course everything was better when you were a kid, you're childhood was purposfully curated to be that way
I made my peace with the "all girls" scene in "Endgame" when I reflected that if an identical scene had taken place with all male characters no one would have batted an eye. I do agree that it feels artificial and forced though.
Well, the reason it felt forced to you and artificial because you’re not a female I have female friends, who saw the movie and put a smile on their face. It gave them validation that they are important to the group.
I’m not bashing you for saying what you’re saying, but it goes to show you the differences in gender if it’s OK for a man to feel that way it should be OK for a woman to have a smile and relate to a female character that’s all I’m saying
@@Christian_Ada1 I mean.... I have plenty of female friends that just felt superficially pandered to with that scene and hate it for that. I am glad that some people earned validation from it, but it was still clunky and unearned.
That's not to say there wasn't a way to properly pull it off, but that it was executed terribly in the version that we have.
Its more of a "if its important then make it feel important and put the work in to make it so" issue.
I would rather have it in than not at all, but I would have definitwly appreciated it not being an afterthought for the people that made the movie.
My mom really liked it.
Honestly, I disagree? I think it's kind-of a bad comparison, though, because most of the cast is ALREADY guys, so it'd just be almost every single character standing together for no reason just to go "Boys get it done!" Lol!
I mean, it's just kind-of pandering, right? Don't sell your female characters with a lineup call. Sell them by actually making films around good female characters! We've got Captain Marvel and Black Widow as main leads for two movies out of, like, 50 or whatever. Just, come on, Marvel. You can do way better than that.
@@dracocrusherYeah but that's my point. The reason why most of the cast is male is BECAUSE of sexism.
Damn that Willie with his well thought out/well spoken videos and his cute sweaters
7:03 Morph... was my favorite X-Men TAS character as a child. I loved their powers and was very excited when they were brought back to life and really sad about how conflicted they were and how they felt the team failed them. I am ALSO extremely happy my favorite character is bringing some nonbinary rep to the series, and I hope they explore how finding your identity can help process trauma.
tldr: There are dozens of us! Dozens!
@Rotom0479 True fans also don't allow bigoted comments on youtube videos to affect their opinions childhood favorite characters from a 32 year old animated television show. If you can't separate your need to spread your repressive hatred from your enjoyment of pop culture, that's a personal problem that you might need to explore further with a qualified mental health professional, instead of on an internet forum.
@Rotom0479 Uh being male was never a defining trait of the character's identity. Did you consider Morph was chosen for this for a particular reason by the writers? Look at Morph's powers, there's a story to tell there if you think about it for more than five seconds. My bet is a writer saw the story potential and then marketing made a big deal out of it as its want to do because when people like you get mad about these things its gets loads of free advertising.
@Rotom0479 In the original series and/or your head canon, when morph transforms to an animal, is the animal gendered?
If so, which gender(s)?
@Rotom0479thats ok man, you just dont have to watch or interact w the show. Comics are always changing and adjusting in ways that you will or wont like, and in the end we all just pick our favorite storyline and interpretations to hold on to. For some people this will be the morpho they grow to love, for others like yourself itll be the original that speaks most to them and who theyre most invested in. The beauty of comics is that both people can be right! Dont hurt yourself online trying to fight against rhe constant flowing tide of comic canon, itll cause nothing but exhaustion and frustration. Enjoy what you enjoy and let others live on in peace
@Rotom0479oh hey! i already responded to you on another comment thread lol. nice to see you again i guess
Even though it's the worst of the XMen movies, I think X3 has a scene better than the X2 Iceman one. It's the opening scene where Angel as a kid is trying to saw off his wings before his parents see. His dad busts down the door and goes, "Oh, no, not you too."
That scene was heartbreaking. And absolutely fit the experience of most queer kids at the time.
Sorry but honest strait southern guy question…
But how does that work for being gay? Like mechanically I mean.
Your dad walks in on you in the bathroom sees you have abs and is like, “Oh no my kid is one of the gays!”
I don’t understand…
@@mokunmokkun LOL. It's the idea of hiding what you really are in shame, trying your best to change it, etc.
@@Cat_Woods ah, okay so its about the hiding it part not about the getting caught part. Okay I see, thanks for clearing that up.
@@mokunmokkun I haven't seen that scene in a long time, but the way this commenter described it reminds me of two types of scenes in queer movies. One is pretty brutal, where a trans girl attempts to cut off her genitals, or alternatively where a trans boy does his best to hide his chest. The second is a type of scene where a kid/teen is putting on makeup and trying on their mother's/sister's clothes (I said "their" because it could either be a boy interested in drag or a trans girl) and then their parent barges in and gets angry at seeing them experiment with gender expression.
Honestly, my only complaint is that I had settled in for a much longer video…
Yeah, I feel like the narrator in "The Night Before Christmas" 😂 I just settled down for a long evening's watch!
one of the big reasons that the representation in media seems to be so sloppy is because of the lack of diversity in the people not just making it but also the people all the way up that meddle with it. Its the room full of middle age white guys writing a teenage girl of color issue.
Compounding the problem is that when we do get women writing women or poc writing poc, LGBTQ etc, the bad actors among us commit to making life hell for them just for having a job. I mean look at what they did to one actress after she had the audacity of being in a Star Wars movie. I can see why we don't get as many as we'd like, the ones that do it put up with far more abuse (and outright threats) than any middle aged white writer.
@Rotom0479 they literally put an example in their comment. try reading it.
@Rotom0479 Nice Sea lioning
@479 Good lord dude that's a reach and grossly misunderstanding the criticism.
For example adults who haven't talked to a teenager in decades probably won't write a very good one.
EDIT: Oh you're not actually arguing in good faith and just looking to be mad, got it.
@Rotom0479 except that character is always going to be a weak collection of outsider looking in cultural signifiers or worse, stereotypes, hung loosely of the plots paper doll. This is why you end up with so many magical negro and ancestral spirits in media. Culture used as props instead of insight. So no, if the current landscape of media is supposed to paint your case that talent writers and endless research should make for actualized characters without lived experience, than I am going to have to press x to doubt on that statement being in good faith.
As a nonbinary person thank you.
It's hard living in a world that hates me because I exist. I didn't do anything wrong by being nonbinary. Why hate me? I never hurt anyone by being nonbinary. Why hate me?
I don't hate you. I'm happy you exist
@@donaldhanning1359 Thank you Donald 💞
I don't hate you either. You seem like a cool person.
As another that doe snot hate you, keep up with being awesome!
@Rotom0479 I hope everyone around you knows that you can't count past two and that they should cover their drinks around you.
“I sincerely doubt that there is a single person invovled with the creation of the property who would say that they weren’t using the characters as a way to tell stories about the issues of the day”
me in my head: “meh, Rob Liefeld”
Willie Muse immediately after I finish my thought: “maybe Rob Liefeld”
I mean, you could argue that being pro-child soldier is a politcal stance.
Seriously, Cable recruited and indoctrinated the New Mutants into becoming X-Force.
I cannot believe you managed to use the term trap in a description of trans people that did NOT allude to how it is used as a slur against trans femmes. Throughly impressed, though my transfemme heart did jump when you said that initially.
You're wonderful Willie!
for the record I did not know that was a thing when I said it, and I regret using the term. I was gonna make a pinned comment but contractually I have to use that spot to advertise surfshark!
@@WillieMuse2 Happy you addressed it. I think most people here will know you well enough to assume ignorance, but I cringed a bit at how loaded that sentence could have come across.
I came here to comment this haha, my trans fem partner literally slapped her knee when it happened
I just need Morph to be a snarky brat. For years when I was a teenager, my siblings and I would quote a specific line of theirs. Morph shifted into (I think) Senator Kelly and drawled, "My fellow Americans, I AM an idiot." Their death was the first time I cried during a cartoon. Under the circumstances, I'd have come back evil, too, buddy.
they said morph is going to be played as a much more lightheaded character which i’m 100% here for, i want that snarky brat back too
ive been watching the og x-men series for the first time to catch up before this new show comes out, and let me tell you sometimes its political messaging is so on the nose its downright uncomfortable. theres an anti-mutant spremacist group that all wear iron crosses and firebomb random buildings and talk about driving mutants out of their city, theres a father who gets mad at his daughter for dating a mutant, theres a scene where rogue gets kicked out of her house while her father shouts that he can't believe his own daughter would be one _them,_ theres a scene where xavier says verbatim like "humanity will always find a scapegoat to blame all their problems on." like its ON THE NOSE its unavoidable that it is a race, disability, and homosexuality metaphor, like in every scene where anti-mutant discrimination comes up. one of the plot points in the first season is them being worried an anti-mutant politician will be elected president. i cannot imagine being a grown adult and watching this show and missing that nowadays, but since most people were kids the messaging washed over them, i'm baffled how you could've watched this specific show as a kid and still come out like well i think homophobia is good.
xmen, especially xmen the animated series, has always been about discrimination, and in a lot of characters (beast, rogue, the nightcrawler episode, those. people who live in the sewers.) its also specifically about feeling disconnected with your body or your powers and how people see you, how its hard to find love or how people will turn on you when they see you because you can't avoid what you are. a lot of those narratives are very queer and transgender to me. i think it makes perfect sense morph is nonbinary, because morph is a shapeshifter who frequently shifts into a woman, i think it makes sense if that does weird shit to your gender, i think it makes MORE sense than them just being cis. i actually would've loved maybe to see a depiction of them as a binary gender but they're transgender, like theyre a trans man who chose to shift into a male form and just never turned back because they like that more, but on a super surface level nonbinary morph is literally just the obvious way to take their character in a modern age, like watching the og show and the scene where they turn into sexy jean grey to fuck with wolverine my first thought was "this character would make more sense if they were queer." and i have to imagine so do half of the people who watch that scene lmfao. such a nothingburger of a controversy when i think changing this character in that way for a modern reboot is just the only thing that makes sense lmfao
Codeword Volcano (but not really): Willie you seem like a kind and gental person, and i hope you allow yourself time to be kind to yourself. So much of your onscreen persona involves self deprication, and i want you to know that many people care about you, and that you are special and important.
I urge everyone reading this, if you've not already seen it then you must, must, must watch the 90s X-Men show, and especially the episode Beauty and the Beast.
Whoever came up wtih the name Friends of Humanity for an anti-mutant hate group was surely a genius, it's absolutely perfect, it magnificently represents exactly how that kind of group markets itself to the public in contrast to how they behave.
Friends of Humanity - first appearance Uncanny X-Men #291 "Underbelly" Aug 1992. Written by Scott Lobdell. Edited by Bob Harras. So one of those guys. The first episode with them was a year later, so it's really, really close turnaround. The first analog I thought of was Focus on the Family, which was founded in 1977, but you can also consider the names certain hooded weirdos would call themselves to avoid those three little letters. In universe, of course, the Friends of Humanity was founded by Graydon Creed, the non-mutant son of Mystique and Sabretooth, which also makes him Nightcrawler's half-brother.
Actually, you want to talk about enby characters, Marvel just revealed Mystique is actually Nightcrawler's FATHER, which had been what Chris Claremont wanted when he and Dave Cockrum first came up with the character but editorial wouldn't go for it at the time. She admits in the course of the issue, after reeling from having years of repressed memories unlocked, that she's lived as women AND men pretty much equally and when she wanted to make a baby with the actual only person she loved (Irene Adler, a precog named Destiny), she was physically able to provide the sperm. She has that much control of her powers.
@@solomonverrico I'm glad the creator was finally allowed to realise his vision.
Yep, for example any political group in the real world that has family in its name is probably hostile to any type of family outside of the nuclear model. Its a basic trick, labelling your group as the real one and thus any not represented is the "other".
First off, the bit you did before the ad at the beginning was great, and if you made a second channel just talking about your very real and exciting life I would subscribe to that one as well. Secondly, the main part of your video was nuanced and good.
Willie I always appreciate your clear-headed but nuanced takes, and your humour! I feel like honestly the only people I know who hate 'forced wokeness' as much as bigots are the actual marginalised people who don't like seeing their identities flattened, used as tokens, and shoved into narratives awkwardly in a way that's clearly more about making money and/or generating controversy than helping people feel included.
As a nonbinary person, a grey alien-looking shapeshifter with an annoying personality, who's generally a side character but still gets shoved to the front of marketing campaigns as if they're specifically being used to bait the anti-trans crowd is... actually not my ideal version of representation!
Anyway as you said, we haven't actually seen the show yet, so I'm going to try to keep an open mind. But I do wish the 'anti-woke' crowd realised they might have more in common with us than they think. We're just normal people who want to see well-written characters and stories and don't always enjoy the way corporations use our identities to score points. Having a non-binary character is great, but having the marketing team jumping up and down saying "look! look! We did a queer representation! Everyone look! Do you love it? Do you hate it? Either way that's more engagement!!" doesn't really benefit anyone.
You nailed it! Willie's video and your comment 🔥
In fairness, Morph was the most popular character to come out of Age of Apocalypse and Exiles, with the "gray" being more of a white Play-Doh type deal. He was the most normal member of the group, whose annoying personality got fleshed out as a reaction to a trainwreck of a life. I think he kept that book alive and it only stumbled when they wrote him out after a hundred issues. And while this includes major reprints in other languages, he's listed as 656 individual appearances on comicvine (there are several Exiles series, so I dunno the total). He's the only AoA action figure I bought (almost got Sunfire, but that's solely for cool factor) So while he seems like a side character here, he's been a lot of people's favorite character for a long time.
@@solomonverricoYeah but people complaining that he’s nonbinary is kind of a dumb complaint because he can literally go to man to female on a whim.
@@solomonverrico That's fair enough! To be honest I'm really only reacting to the advertising for the show, I don't know anything about the comics, so I guess I represent more like a random member of the public who's being introduced to this character through the marketing campaign. I'll try to keep an open mind, and I can definitely understand if fans of the comics feel differently if they already liked the character, but in the end I'll only be judging based on how this particular series presents them.
Hopefully the writers give them nuance and character development etc. I guess I just find the way it's being marketed kind of tiring, especially in the current political climate when things are so tense for our community... maybe that's not even fair and the showrunners are just genuinely trying to do some nice representation, I guess it just hit me slightly the wrong way that this is one of the first/only pieces of information they released about the show, and it kind of seems to have been designed to create controversy and get attention... which is definitely working!
Absolutely beautifully expressed, Willie! Thank you for such a balanced, honest, and quietly powerful take. I was a little nervous because of the thumbnail but I should've known. Thank you!
Morph was based on "Changeling," an early villain who reformed when he found out he was dying of cancer.
Professor X had to isolate to work on stopping an alien invasion, so he had Changeling take his place. Changeling died soon after, leaving the X-Men (and readers) thinking Xavier had died. (The switch was a reveal/retcon.)
By the 90s, DC had a far more famous character called "Changeling," so Marvel had to pick a different name for the animated version. Morph became relatively popular via his alternate-universe versions in the A.o.A. and Exiles comics, so the new name has stuck, even though DC's "Changeling" is now better known as "Beast Boy."
That Xavier would just let his students think he was dead hasn't changed either.
:0 Beast Boy? Yo he's cool as hell! I loved his depiction in the original Teen Titans TV show!
this isnt true, beast boy has been around since at least the 60s, first appearing in the original Doom Patrol run by arnold drake before later joining the teen titans in the 70s and 80s
@tape-6 I think OP was just saying that beast boy was popular in the 90s, not that he first appeared then. He had just been growing in popularity since the OG Doom Patrol run and George Perez Teen Titans run
Definitely should include your dog in more episodes. Gotta capitalize on that cuteness.
🙋🏻♀️ seconded - more dog 🐕
I don't think enough people are talking about Dipper being a more permanent fixture on the program.
Life long X-Men fan here and super excited to hear you talk on the subject!
Non-binary here! When you said “lemon poppy cake” and “thrift store”, I actually died. That’s me for real. Volcano!
Willie: You obviously know what the controversy is because that's how thumbnails work.
Me, having already forgotten what the thumbnail is: I have not a damn clue what we are talking about, but I know it will be good.
I ALWAYS forget what the thumbnail is and it drives me up a tree!
Great vid! My only gripe with making Morph nonbinary is it's gotten lazy to make every shape shifter nonbinary, especially if you're not going to explore what it actually means. Gen V did a pretty good job with it actually, with the bi-gender character's parents always wanting them to be a boy. I guess it comes down to what you were saying about lame rep vs no rep unfortunately. I'd be way more interested in a character with some sort of actual personality being nonbinary.
Also like...morph sucked who are these people who care!
I have no idea why I can't read my own post. Friggin' RUclips. tl;dr Morph HAS a personality. It just wasn't in the show because the (overwhelming) majority of his appearances weren't in the show.
And aliens. Shapeshifters and aliens. And sometimes robots. (Have there been any non-binary characters who are shapeshifting alien robots? Because it wouldn't surprise me. The low-effort representation tropes just keep on going.)
@@M_M_ODonnell That's probably also partially because its easier to do with aliens without getting parents trying to ban you.
Not really related to the topic, but I'm really curious if the tapestry is left up or gets put up for every video? It has to be so heavy by now!
if i took it off the wall, it's never getting back up
@@WillieMuse2Makes sense.
@@WillieMuse2 Do think sometime, if we’re really good, we could get a zoom-out or a pan that shows the whole thing?
Just letting you know I've seen it on patreon and I thought it was excellent. Cleared a lot of things up for me
Most unhinged ad segue and I'm here for it.
You got a sponsor! I imagine you’ve had offers before, but I’m so happy to see you find one you’re comfy working with. I love your videos, hope this helps you out 😊
I'm worried that knowing incredible amounts of X Men lore will make this video hard to sit quietly during.
I have a friend who didn't watch any of the X-Men movies because of that.
I almost made it through the whole video... but then right there at the end you brought up why Morph looks different.
The original character was created for the cartoon to replace The Changeling, because someone else was using that name. (Also, it was originally supposed to be a native American x-man but the writers thought twice about killing off a native American so casually). The grey version is an alternate universe version that later appears in the comics.
Also, if it helps, there is an even dumber discourse now about x-men 97 because they shrunk Rogue's big ole booty.
Also also, never forget the comics forced Iceman to come out of the closet
Real
Not if you have the media literacy and maturity to be able to distinguish between the different versions of the property and why they might be changed for one medium or another.
@@robertstull8759Most people don't have the media literacy to figure out when to use Google.
Thank you for thanking me.
>head to comments
>sort by new
>crack knuckles
Time to report some comments.
this was SUCH A GOOD EPISODE
🏔️ I watched til the end, but I'm not a meanie, tho'. So I left a snowy mountain emoji. I think you're a good person.
Happy that this is my first time hearing about this discourse. Following my therapists advice to get off of socials was probably the best life change I've made in recent years.
Love that Sponsorship Intro 😂 was seriously confused as to where that story was going
Same here. I was so lost how it was going to tie in to X-Men
A little algorithm gift to you because I like your content.
The main problem is that the industry doesn't fund new creators with new ideas that incorporate nuanced representation for minorities.
The entertainment industry is a middle aged white guy club for the most part and those people, even when well intentioned, just don't have the experience to write a well rounded, interesting character that isn't also a (middle aged) white guy.
Well said Willie 🙌🌠🌠🌠 wonderful video 🦑
(I stuck till the end btw 👌)
The weird grey monster is morph 's regular form in the comics, and afaik they've been non-binary for a long time. I'm non-binary too, and I'm stoked! VOLCANO because I love you Willie and I love your voice
Nah, they didn't have the guts to make him non-binary in the comics. Or the inspiration. They had his best friend be a lesbian tho. (not for titillation. Before his comic book career, the writer was in the first season of MTV's The Real World and became close to the gay guy on that show and was devastated when he died. He made it a point to include LGBTQ characters in everything he wrote)
@@solomonverrico that's super cool to know! I guess I just picked up on a vibe, I've related hard to shapeshifters long before I even knew what non-binary was, or even could admit that I was queer.
When I first learned about nonbinary people ten or so years ago, the very first thing I thought of was Morph
"There is a genocide going on and ppl are complaining about Morph"
yea... yeah that's the mood
Willie is a wonderful guy and makes good videos.
I’m so excited about this video because I just started rewatching the 90’s show and Morph makes so much sense as nonbinary because he shapeshifts constantly, when he is actually in the show 😂
And the X-Men have always been so political. The whole show is literally surrounded by the fact that the homos (homosuperior) are as good or bad as everyone else
I wasn't a big fan of Morph's personality overall but I liked their ability to shapeshift. I like how they still used shapeshifting with X-Men with Mystique instead.
@@miiwithoutaface Yeah but they had to change her personality to make her fit in. The Mystique I've seen in the movies isn't the one I grew up with (well, the first one was close). Morph's personality, however, was non-existent on the show because they weren't really adapting the character. They were making a plot point. He's since been developed in the comics to be more nuanced and (occasionally) mature. He's not Plastic Man. He's not Jim Carrey in The Mask.
Let's thumbs it up and share before it starts!
this is so good, it's just algorithm bs that willie hasn't blown up yet. follow now so you can say you knew him while he was small and humble, before he becomes an a-lister and demands only blue m&ms
One very obvious example of this is with the star wars sequels. There was some forced LGBTQ representation in the background, all the while there was a really obvious way to have actual gay romance that would be natural, earned, trope-ish and in line with parallels with the original trilogy.
Yeah as a nonbinary person who wishes for shapeshifting abilities and hasn't watched the 90's animated X-Men show in forever, I don't want Morph. Y'all can have him back. I'll take Nightcrawler; blue furry elf can be NB. Really, anyone could be. Morph is low-hanging fruit lol. Edit: And I think more people will be angry if they change the theme song truly haha.
RIGHT! They could have at least picked a more exciting character.
I mean they finally canonoised the fact Mystique is Nightcrawler's father after years of not letting them do that plot. That's pretty cool
@@shadenox8164Yeah if anyone was already nonbinary it's high odds for Mystique. :3
@@Morgan-ug2rt Yes! To continue with the family, Rogue could've been exciting given that her ability hands her other people's memories (to a small degree, right?) and powers which could've been a genuinely controversial pick instead of the nothing burger that is discussing Morph. Nonbinary Jean Grey would've been kind of bland but safer than Rogue while making her more interesting IMHO. Same for Angel or... IDK it's been years since I watched any of the movies, any of the cartoons, and any of the comics so I'm not even sure. There's soooo many X-Men with multiple takes. Making Morph NB is the same as making LeFou gay; there's nothing wrong with that and it could be done very well but I doubt most people were dying to see this happen.
@@DoveJS I see what you are saying and mostly agree that Morph can be a bit boring, but because marvel is doing Multiverse stuff they could very easily make the character join the Exiles like in the comics and have them start out as the annoying character they are in the comics and the show but as it goes on have them become a more well rounded person as they lose teammates and see some of the darker timelines. I'm not saying make them misogynistic like in the Exiles but take the good parts and ideas and adapt them to fit the wider universe. It wouldn't be a perfect solution but I think it would give one of my favorite characters a chance to shine. Plus the Exiles visited some awesome dimensions I would love to see adapted.
The glasses metaphor is so good I’m stealing it now
Willie that ad read is wild
Nooo, i may be driving when this happens..... willie take the wheel im gonna watch it!
I made it on time though I'm not sure if it was just because of my location and the weather but I couldn't watch the premiere RUclips kept bugging out opening and closing the chat the video going black but still hearing audio and not being able to close the app 😢
Another banger Willie! Way to go!
Morph's look is based on his appearance in the comic "Exiles," which was a subversive, sex-positive superhero comic written by the amazing Judd Winick. So fortunately, it's not a "random gray monster," it's oddly more faithful to the comics.
The irony of this video is: X-Men '97 was probably the most political thing on Disney Plus, and not in a forced way at all. Cause BOY, they put supremacist talking-points in the mouths of the badguys, Morph's gender was naturally integrated into the show, and it was a LOT more overt than the original show. Which I'm cool with, I think the original was so "subtle" because it had to be. Not because it wanted to be.
Morph has been a weird gray monster for a while in the Exiles comics and if you ask me it makes perfect sense for them to be nonbinary and the only reason they weren't originally is because that wasn't really something a lot of people even considered at all at the time.
Good video Willie!
🎉🎉 yayyyyyy new willie video sooooonnnnn
Reporting for nice duty! Hey, Willie, how's it goin'? Hope you are well. Your dog is adorbable. Watching your knitting grow from literally nothing to a patch of material the size of a book while the video ran was like watching some kind of magic trick. I enjoyed it. Anyway, have a good 'un! 😊 (hope that helped)
idk if ill make it to the premiere this time but im excited to watch this video!
you have such a wonderful way of creating anacdotes and metaphors to help translate and teach
Some great insight here Willie ❤
This video was amazing, I love when you make these really powerful points that really resonate with me, hearing that with the x-men being different didn't just make you cool but was a superpower was amazing. I loved your sponsor bit too, well done Willie, I wish there was more video because I really enjoyed this one.
Honestly, I really hope we do see a lot more media made by LGBT+ creators in 2024, it just feels like to be that we are at this tipping point in terms of the community's representation in media this year.
@Rotom0479 ND Stevenson, Dana Terrace, Abigail Thorn, Alice Oseman, and Jessie Earl say hello.
@Rotom0479 Have you consumed any of their work? What exactly makes each of these creators "terrible" to you?
@479 I said EACH. Your rant is just a cookie-cutter hodgepodge of generic criticisms that lgbt+ animation always gets from the same edge-lords over & over like a broken record. It's funny that your paint-by-number rant is focused on cartoons when only 2 out the 5 creators from my list have ever made cartoons! That already indicates that you have no idea who most of these people are.
If you AREN'T bullshitting, then it's even more funny how you keep consuming all of this lgbt+ material, despite detesting all of it. That's A LOT of stuff to go through. It would be better to just watch stuff you enjoy instead of hate-watching ALL these shows, movies, & graphic novels. I imagine these lovely artists appreciate your intense dedication to their work, though!
One of these creators hasn't even released her first big story yet. She's a video essayist who's in the middle of filming her first big movie, which has a well respected team of actors & producers attached. Judging by her productions on RUclips & Nebula, I think it'll be a homerun! You see, I wasn't JUST listing creators who've already made fantastic work in the mainstream.
I was ALSO listing creators who have promising futures. AND creators who have plenty of more opportunities to keep hitting it out of the park! One of these artists is even currently nominated for an Academy Award, baby! Matthewsetlak5589 has nothing to worry about. The future is bright with amazing lgbt+ stories & artists!
@Rotom0479 You just keep confirming you aren't arguing in good faith, yet again.
"so many LGBT characters it's both laughable and ridiculous" This one is a particularly silly criticism. Guess what? We tend to hang out with each other. Queer people tend to have majority queer friend groups. Your ignorance of something strikes yet again I see.
I'm also willing to bet you don't know anything about animation either with how your track record is going.
@Rotom0479im gonna be real man, the fact you said abagail thorne and jessie earl put too much focus on shipping shows you havent interacted with their work? as neither of them have made cartoons. oh wait its you again, man ur all over the comments! take a chill pill dude
10/10 intro.
Edit: omg that was an ad. Best ad I've ever seen.
Only tangentially related to the subject at hand, but I have a theory to why Morph is gray now.
Okay, so the 90s X-Men cartoon is in the same universe as the 90s Spider-Man cartoon, and the Spider-Man cartoon has a shapeshifter-themed villain named Chameleon. When Chameleon isn’t in disguise, he has a gray appearance that is startlingly-similar to Morph (X-Men 97).
The Doylist Explanation: Morph’s new design is a reference to Chameleon.
The Watsonian Explanation: Morph, being the chaotic little gremlin that they are, saw Chameleon on the news and was like, “You know what would be really funny?”
Willy don't tell me what to do my high school guidance counselor says I have oppositional defiance disorder >:(
I feel that I must bring my years of X-Men knowledge to bear to offer context. Morph was not in fact created whole cloth for X-Men: The Animated Series, but was based off of a Silver Age character called Changeling, who ironically, was also killed off in the comics.
They were later renamed Morph after a DC character also named Changeling (better known as Beast Boy) was introduced. The grayish-white bald look for Morph came about from the Age of Apocalypse universe in the mid-90s and was popularized by the version of Morph in the Exiles comics.
I too have wondered whether some people are reacting more to the obviously crass, superficial, mercenary nature of ostensibly "woke" stuff in movies and TV, but then getting mad at the woke part instead of the underlying crapitalist bullcap. I find some of these attempts offputting myself, but for reasons that are almost exactly the *opposite* of what the loudest voices in the room are screaming and pissing themselves over.
Right, like most LGBT+ people loath rainbow capitalism because we see it for what it is, but then you have the people who somehow think its genuine support and not a cash grab trying to use it as an excuse to go after LGBT+ people.
Well done with that sponsorship read, Willie! You had me cackling! 😂
Oh yay! Puppy cameo! He's so cute!!!
I'm not a Willie Watcher, but I absolutely loved this video. My two favorite bits were, "It's ours." And the part with Dipper.
I was really struggling to figure out where the heist thing was going, somehow didn't mind when it ended up being an ad!
It was very sweet to see your face light up when your dog came in.
It was nice to see you happy. You generally appear calm and thoughtful, but it was so nice to see the joy on your face. I wish you much joy. Your videos provide joy to others.
Great video, Willie. Please do more premieres!
I was so excited for you seeing you got a sponsor! I love seeing your channel grow. I can be cool and say I subbed years ago 😆
Live premiere, yaaay!!!
People getting mad over Morph being nonbinary is stupid. It also shows they've never understood X-Men comics, or Stan Lee and Jack Kirby as artists and people
I’ve always enjoyed Willie as a Drawfee guest but this is my first Willie video proper. I had no idea where that story at the beginning was going. Is it always like this here? Because I’m already delighted.
The ending moments were even more wonderful. Great posing. Adorable puppy. I think I like it here.
All the stuff in the middle was perfect. Your thoughts are on point and your delivery is succinct and clear. As a tired trans man I agree that the quality of the representation we’re getting is what’s so frustrating about it.
I just found the channel; it's really interesting. You're also great.
You are right; when I was younger, I had an issue with non-binary people. Until I got diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, and I realized they nonbinary people don't really care if I mess up, it happens; it is just my anxiety freaking me out.
Watching this while working on my first knitting project. One of the needles got stuck in my belt loop so you can say it’s going pretty well
Great video Willie, thanks!
10:58 I feel the same way about that scene as I do about every 30-second LGBTQ+ scene in Marvel movies that are deliberately set up to be easy to cut for international release. It's not a sincere statement of support but a soulless corporate grab for liberal and leftist dollars.
I'm glad little girls can enjoy it and feel empowered, but only one of those female characters actually got her own movie before Endgame, and it was so poorly written that everybody hated it.
Probably your best video so far I loved it
Hi Willie I love your sweater today!
Shit, you changed! This sweater is good too, but I love the web!
Great vid Willie!! Adore you!!!
Congratulations on getting sponsored!
congrats Willie, you have managed to entertain me with an AD.
I don't think I've ever been excited to see an ad before a video, but I was today!
I've often explained my gender as a grey blob... Still I don't agree with it as a visual representation for it. Since it doesn't remove gender, it only removes identity.
The featureless look isn't because of the nonbinary status. Morph has looked like that since the late 90s.
incredible ad integration there dude👌