"She-Ra" Fans Defend Plus-Sized Spinnerella Following Fat-Shaming Backlash
Netflix's new She-Ra: Princesses of Power reboot has brought the beloved '80s cartoon series back to life, with a few changes — including the appearance of character Spinnerella, who is now drawn as plus-size. While the change is a win for body positivity, fatphobic trolls have stepped in to ruin everyone's fun.
Netflix released imagery for the new (and, as far as we're concerned, improved) character on November 5th, and the Twitterverse lit up with commentary about the changes to her body type. The original drawing of the character from the '80s is tall and thin, while the 2018 version is shown as shorter and curvier.
The show shared a description of her powers on its official Twitter account, writing, "Spinnerella is not tied to a specific kingdom, but she’s always been a staunch ally for the rebellion. By spinning, she can create cyclones of wind to blow the enemy away. She usually has a kind, loving nature, but she can go from gentle breeze to mighty storm in a heartbeat."
Trolls began sharing their feelings on Twitter about the character's new look, alleging that the character isn't "healthy" (eye roll x 1000) and that "there was nothing wrong with her former design" from the old cartoon.
After a Twitter account posted a fatphobic recap of the new series, people began jumping to Spinnerella's defense, noting that they love seeing a superhero with a more realistic body type than what we're used to seeing on-screen or in comic books.
"Women come in different body types. She's not really promoting the idea of obesity is she?" tweeted one user. "So, seeing all the old school 'fans' express their opinions on the new #Spinnerella design in the new #SheRa reaaaally underscore how badly those fans needed this version when they were kids," wrote another.
Another fan added a caption, "Female Character’s Design On A Show For Little Girls Is Not Horny Enough For Me, An Adult Male."
This isn't the first time the She-Ra reboot has stirred up controversy online. When the initial images of the show were released in September, some male fans were upset that She-Ra herself wasn't as scantily clad as she was in the original.
But as the show's executive producer, Noelle Stevenson, told Teen Vogue, "I really hope that everybody tunes in to watch the show and sees what we're doing with her, because as much as we love the original She-Ra, this version of her... I hope that she can also make that place in people's hearts and that they'll grow to love her just as much."
And while they're at it, let's hope they can do the same with Spinnerella.
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