I’ve been feeling down lately and I started re-watching futurama for some good nostalgia, but it keeps making transphobic jokes which is kind of just making me feel worse. Anyone have any suggestions for comfort shows to watch?

  •  OurTragicUniverse   ( @OurTragicUniverse@kbin.social ) 
    6•11 months ago

    Dogs in Space

    Farscape

    She-ra and the Princesses of Power

    All are scifi, the top two are sillier and the bottom two are longer and get a bit serious and emotional at times.

    If you haven’t seen Farscape and you like scifi space opera wackiness and Jim Henson puppets, seriously give it a go. It’s very comforting and fun.

    •  NoStressyJessie   ( @NoStressyJessie@lemmy.blahaj.zone ) English
      6•11 months ago

      Farscape is a deep cut.

      Even Sillier than that is a British comedy called “Red Dwarf” and as far as I recall there is no transphobia. The closest I remember is an episode where the main character ends up in an alternate dimension with the female version of himself. They hit it off and the male main character of the series ends up pregnant, to his distress. At the time I remember it being a really interesting way to bring up gender dynamics without being too laboring, though it’s been a while, and I also haven’t seen the new seasons they apparently made after the show got cult status.

      Edit to add: a Reddit thread has this to say about Red Dwarf and being trans

      In series 8, Kryten is assigned to women’s prison wing, just because he doesn’t have a penis when he clearly resembles a male, sounds like a male and acts like a male. That’s regardless of the fact that he has no chromosomes because he’s an android (not even gynoid, so another good point). The show makes it out as ridiculous that the only reason why he’s treated as female only because of his lack of penis.

      Also, in the episode DNA, it’s shown that when he’s turned into human male, he’s still an android on the inside because he clearly feels discomfort from certain dysphoria, where he finds appliances sexually attractive and inability to adjust to human biology lacking robotic features.

      Edit to add to the edit, I forgot the ships on board computer actually does upgrade themselves to present female

    •  TheFriendlyArtificer   ( @TheFriendlyArtificer@beehaw.org ) 
      2•11 months ago

      Farscape is problematic as well.

      Humans! Are! Superior!

      I joke. But Farscape got me through more than one breakup. Very queer friendly. It didn’t shy away from being fetish friendly as well. Rigel in a dominatrix suit still delights me. Described by one critic as, “One American’s introduction to the Australian S&M scene.”

      Since most of the effects were practical, they aged far better than my other faves, DS9 and Babylon 5.

      The Expanse is the best television I have ever seen and is extremely queer friendly. It’s dark, but so was Farscape.

      •  OurTragicUniverse   ( @OurTragicUniverse@kbin.social ) 
        3•11 months ago

        Eh I’d quite confidently say Farscape is far less problematic than any other show of it’s era and a great many after it.

        And humans are not superior in that universe, they once believed they were and evolved into universally hated (but really hot) hyperfascists. Bringing them down was one of the biggest eventual arcs in the show and it wasn’t done by Chriton being superior, he just had wormhole weapon tech in his head that he didn’t want and believed nobody should have.

        Chriton is one of the most basic life forms in that part of the galaxy too, he’s barely more sentient than food and it’s mentioned almost once an episode. He gets by by the skin of his teeth and his only real skills are maths and making friends/pissing people off.
        (I do like that he also looks like a bit of a gormless idiot too, and testament to the writing and actor as he never comes across as an entitled white boy either.)

        Babylon 5 has held up better than DS9 in my opinion, like both are good but B5 is just very clearly much better. The Expanse is fantastic though I agree with you fully there.

        (Btw I’m not really arguing with you about anything here, I just wanted to rant about Farscape a little as I love it dearly.)

        •  TheFriendlyArtificer   ( @TheFriendlyArtificer@beehaw.org ) 
          2•11 months ago

          Totally meant as tongue in cheek. Farscape could be re-released today without any changes and still be considered to be fantastic and queer friendly.

          The context is Crichton covered in regurgitated white “stuff”, carrying a sword two sizes too big, nerdy goggles, and a shield made of hull plating. Aeryn’s expression ofz “we’re fucked” makes the scene for me.