2019 Geek-A-Long: She-Ra

In 1985, She-Ra: Princess of Power debuted as a spin-off of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe in order to sell toys to little girls. Regardless, at it’s core, She-Ra’s story is about transformation. Adora, a simple space cadet, is able to become this golden, disco queen styled force of nature. Despite the fact that the original focused more on selling toys than delving deeper into the stories and characters, it still inspired a generation of girls, as well as those in the LGBTQ community, to transform into their own person and be their true self.

I know many people who dislike Netflix’s reboot, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, because they feel as if the original was perfect the way it was. I was one of those people too until I took a step back and realized that my feelings were completely intertwined with nostalgia. When I watch it now, especially after viewing the documentary The Power of Grayskull: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, it’s cringingly artificial and hollow.

In the reboot, Adora is still a princess who has been brainwashed to fight on the side of evil. She still finds a magic sword and uncovers her true destiny to fight in the rebellion for the side of good. But it takes a sharp turn when delve they into Adora’s emotions by asking thoughtful questions:

  • What would it be like to discover everything you know was a lie?
  • How would that affect your relationships with those closest to you?
  • Would you ever be able to trust again?

The She-Ra on our square is the one that was allowed to feel her feelings. The fantasy-adventure story that was once created for the purpose of moving merchandise for Mattel became a story with depth. Even the side characters are allowed to be more than action figures. They have empathy, kindness, and their own conflicting feelings about the world around them.

Also, and this is an aside that you will not be able to unsee once you learn it… I hadn’t noticed this until it was pointed out in the documentary, but She-Ra was rarely allowed to fight back in the 1980s.

The consultants really came after us hard with She-Ra. To the point where they said, a female character should not be fighting. […] Rather than punching someone, she would do a ballet style kick and almost by accident hit somebody. And she would never use the sword to hurt someone. It was all latent mysogony and sexism.

J. Michael Straczynski, Writer for He-Man and producer for She-Ra

You’ll be happy to know that the women in the reboot are actually allowed to actively fight back against the Horde.

Whether you’re knitting, crocheting, or cross stitching this square, you can download the She-Ra pattern here. Instructions and charts for both knit and crochet are listed in the pattern. When you’re finished making it, don’t forget to Instagram your squares at us @lattesandllamasyarn with the hashtag #geekalong! Want to hang out with other people making the blanket? You can find moral support in the Geek-A-Long group on Ravelry here.

~Jac

Normally, I’m not one for documentaries, but I really enjoyed The Power of Grayskull. It’s currently available for streaming on Netflix. I highly recommend you watch it after enjoying She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider making a donation to Child’s Play Charity. Here is a direct link to our official donation page benefiting the charity. Please help us raise $1,000 this year. No contribution is too small! Wanna make your donation go even further? Lattes & Llamas will donate $1 for every skein of Geek-A-Long Yarn purchased.

2 thoughts on “2019 Geek-A-Long: She-Ra

  1. mrssantellano says:

    As a girl of the 80’s I was IN LOVE with She-Ra. Thank you for this!!! She-Ra and Wonder Woman were my jam. I was also lucky to have an empowered mother and grandmother and maybe I’m wrong, but these strong women helped shape me into the resilient lady I am today. I can’t wait to make this!

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