An homage to the female lead cartoons that shaped who we are

The late 90s to early 2000s were pretty good times for girls in the world of cartoons. They gave the real world something to look forward to after a long day of surviving school and all of its drama.

The cartoon landscape has changed, having almost become a sausage fest caused by the significant drop in cartoons aimed at the female audience in the last decade or so. The once famous animated female stars that graced our childhood television sets now seem to only live on the Tumblr blogs of nostalgic 90s kids.

To be fair, networks haven’t been totally failing their female viewers. Today’s television contains many seemingly gender neutral cartoons that feature female counterparts, female protagonists (or deuteragonists), and even some gender fluid characters often found in fictional universe cartoons like the famous Adventure Time.

Some networks have further taken tiny steps by talking about reboots, yet rarely have the reboots happened.  The Powerpuff Girls for example has found reboot success and continues to air. Just this year, rumors of Nickelodeon announcing a possible As Told By Ginger reboot got many hopes up. Unfortunately, the rumors came out to be false and the lack of female aimed cartoons remain an issue.

No, this is not a feminist bash on male characters because many of them are great and relatable.  Rather, this is to point out that there is something to be missed about cartoons that were actually created for female audiences. These cartoons were memorable because they featured characters and situations that young girls could specifically look up to and relate to.

To pay homage to the girls that helped us navigate through girlhood, let’s take a look back to some of the female lead cartoons and how they helped make us the badass females we are today.

The Powerpuff Girls (1998 – 2005, Rebooted 2016)

Sure Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup were in kindergarten, but that didn’t stop them from fighting crime and the forces of evil.  The Powerpuff Girls taught us that you can be powerful and strong, no matter what age or size you are.

The Wild Thornberrys (1998 – 2004)

Whether it was playing matchmaker for tortoises, babysitting a baby kangaroo, or simply making friends with local villagers, Eliza Thornberry was always finding herself in new adventures and making new friends.  Her adventurous spirit taught us that we shouldn’t be afraid to get out, get dirty, be curious, and learn new things all while making interesting friends along the way.

Rocket Power (1999 – 2004)

From shredding the gnar to working on her own lifestyle zine, Regina Rocket defied gender norms and constantly proved that girls too can be just as extreme as guys. Reggie inspired us girls to pursue and succeed in things often dominated by boys.

As Told by Ginger (2000 – 2003)

Ginger Foutley’s life was very much relatable for a lot of us girls because in many ways, she was us – a regular junior high girl trying to navigate the social structures of junior high and just trying to understand the world around her before writing her observations and thoughts in her diary. Coping with high school, friends, drama, and budding relationships was tough, but Ginger showed us that it all works out in the end. She also taught us the importance of loyalty and standing up for what one believes in. Let’s be honest. The show got deep.

Daria (1997 – 2002)

Whether it was blatantly professing her love for pizza and coffee or refusing to be enthusiastic, Daria was unapologetic and wasn’t afraid to say what was on her mind (and our minds). Daria taught us the art of being true to self and not having to be like everyone else to be interesting. Her friendship with Jane also reminded us that having a friend that just gets you is better than having plenty that don’t.

The Proud Family (2001 – 2005)

Penny Proud had a lot of things going on for her and as was rightfully proud of them. She was a straight A student, a talented singer, as well as great football player among many other things. Penny Proud made it a habit of going after her goals and showed us that its okay to be proud of our accomplishments.

Kim Possible (2002 – 2007)

Kim Possible’s main extracurricular activities were fighting super-villains and being captain of Middleton High School’s cheerleading squad, both of which she was outstanding in. Kim taught us that being strong doesn’t mean you can’t be feminine and that we’re more than capable of.