“Gunter's a Woman?!”— Doing and Undoing Gender in Cartoon Network's Adventure Time

Abstract

Gender representation in children's film and television entertainment has long been a source of concern for feminist scholars and media commentators. A common complaint is that many programs continue to depict oppressively narrow versions of normative femininity and masculinity which may contribute to the reproduction of real-life gender-related inequalities. There is, however, far more critique than there is focus on alternative models. This article responds by offering a textual analysis of the American cartoon series Adventure Time as an (unlikely) exemplar of a commercially successful children's television program which depicts gender in a radically subversive and arguably liberatory manner. By identifying and unpacking the way Adventure Time moves beyond the simplistic inversion of existing gender stereotypes, my aim is to provide a concrete example of some of the ways gender can be portrayed more progressively and equitably in children's film and television entertainment.