Gravity Falls

 


I was struggling to come up with a topic this week, but then I thought of shows that were huge for me growing up, and I remembered Gravity Falls. It was a cartoon show on Disney about a pair of twins moving to a supernatural town in Oregon. It was very fun to watch and very influential growing up. Showing different sides of gender and opening into sexuality. While mixing the coming of age theme with supernatural cartoonish elements, it struck into many. While one of the twins, Mabel, is a hyper-feminine romance-loving girl, she breaks from gender norms sometimes and isn't afraid to get dirty and go on adventures. Her brother, Dipper, struggles with his masculinity across the show and has an episode to go on a journey to become a man, but to show he is a true man, he doesn't need to be super tough and kill things. It shows sexuality as well, with a pair of side male police officers who are not afraid to be affectionate with each other and are most likely a couple. Unfortunately, Disney had many plans cancelled, but the show still got past many censors and was unique. It ran for two seasons, but came back after a while with a book. I really appreciate shows like this that help kids learn more about themselves and show sides of people that may be deemed strange. While everyone is Gravity Falls is weird, it isn't bad to be.

This may not be too recent of pop culture, but I still appreciate past media I learned from. What are your thoughts?

Comments

  1. BroganApril 19, 2026 at 2:38 PM

    I watched a lot of Phineas and Ferb as a kid (and to be honest, in college too), but I surprisingly never watched much of Gravity Falls. I really need to go and watch some of these things I never did.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Joey KelleyApril 19, 2026 at 6:32 PM

    I adore Gravity Falls and think it's a great show for people of all ages! Looking at it from a Women and Gender studies lens, I appreciate the way the show writers portray their female characters. Mabel is unshakably herself, never bending or changing even as she is bullied by some of the townspeople. She is a girl's-girl and is always uplifting her female friends. I also like how Wendy is shown with interests that aren't commonly perceived as feminine. She is strong and always speaks her mind.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Emily WebbApril 19, 2026 at 7:47 PM

    I really like your example of Gravity Falls. I agree the characters are not the typical stereotypes. The characters feel like Disney usually does not show, especially Mabel, who is fun and unique. It is nice to see a show that breaks those patterns and still feels meaningful and real.

    ReplyDelete

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