Digital Joe #14

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It´s no secret that we all have our own likes and dislikes when it comes to, well, just about everything. That´s why there are at least three sizes you can order a fast food meal in. Walk into any electronics store and how many TV´s are sitting on the shelf? How many different variations on the term SUV can the car companies come up with? Count the number of unique magazines on the rack catering to all segments of the population.

One of the great things is that we, as people, are given all these choices and can pick the one that best fits our personality/budget/home décor/appetite/whatever. Some times the thing we choose has more to do with memories than an actual rational reason to liking it. If it reminds us of a vacation, of a special person or just fill us with positive thoughts, then we´re more likely to go for it over the rational choice.

Take, for instance, the wide array of discs released on any given Tuesday. Is it remotely possible that everything released is going to appeal to every single consumer out there? Heck no. And even if it does, no one has enough money to buy it all or time to watch it all. Therefore, we pick and choose anytime we go into the store to grab the one or two (granted, or more) things that catch our fancy. Everyone knows what my "want" list looks like. Some of the things on there defy explanation, as some people have pointed out.

Really, though, do we need to justify what we want or why we like it to anybody? I thought about this shortly after reading a question on one of my frequently visited message boards today. The topic was the following: "Why do guys want to buy She-Ra?" The kicker for me was this question was being asked at a He-Man message board…in a forum devoted to She-Ra.

I´ll answer that entire question in general, but also specifically about "She-Ra". Are we that rigid in defining stereotypical male and female roles that everyone has to fit into what roles society wants to put them in? I would like to think we´re not. Cooking has been, historically, a female endeavor. Turn on The Food Network and tell me how many male chefs there. The winners of the last two "The Next Food Network Star" competitions have been men.

Likewise, males have been historically thought of as CEO´s and corporate officers. How many women now hold these positions?

Saying that something should only be the domain of one sex is ridiculous. Yes, there are some things that have to be strictly female or strictly male. Some bodily functions require that. So do the differences in male and female body types. (I´m definitely not advocating sharing clothes with your wives, guys, to prove my point.)

"She-Ra" was a spin-off of the wildly successful male program "He-Man". We all know that. "He-Man" catered, primarily, to males with the rough and tumble male-dominated world of Eternia. I can count on one hand how many female characters were present in the show on a recurring basis. The natural outgrowth for Mattel was to create a female equivalent. Nothing wrong so far, right?

Which leads me to the point: they existed in the same universe. He-Man, after he was cancelled, made appearances on She-Ra´s show. They employed the same terminology, the same ideas and formats. It was only natural for some of the male demographic that watched "He-Man" to transfer their attention to "She-Ra".

Yes, I did say some because there was undoubtedly peer pressure not to watch a "girl" show as well as familial pressure to keep the boys separated from strong female characters.

So why does it really matter why we like or buy the things we do? In the end, it doesn´t. I have fond memories of "He-Man", but not so much on "She-Ra". I fell into that category of young boys that didn´t want to be known as the guy who watched "girl" shows. I caught the odd episode once in a while, but it was far from regular viewing.

I understand what I like isn´t everyone´s cup of tea and would never try to force my preference on anyone else. There are people I know, whom I respect, love and would do anything for, that will not watch some of the movies in my collection because of their themes. I accept that. Does it make them less secure in themselves or wrong to not have my exact same likes? As Balki would say, "Don´t Be Ree-dic-u-lous."

It simply means we have different tastes.

I´ve seen a number of interesting responses to this question in the aforementioned discussion thread. They range from wanting to collect everything within the "Masters of the Universe"…universe to liking "She-Ra" because of the strong female characters (direct opposition to the over-abundance of male characters in "MotU").

Again, why in the world should any of us have to justify what or who we like to anyone else? If it doesn´t hurt another person, then what´s the difference?

I could be making a mountain out of a molehill here (I´ve been known to do that). The fact still remains that implying a guy cannot enjoy something targeted at a girl-or vice versa-is wrong.

And when it comes to quality entertainment like "He-Man" and "She-Ra", no one should be denied. (I wish you guys could see the big grin on my face right now.)

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