Ed, Edd, & Eddy

I think it is fairly obvious by its very title that Ed, Edd, & Eddy is a Smurfette Principle offender. The show revolves around the three Ed(d)s' "hilarious" attempts to get money or food by dishonest means, and only a couple of female characters rotate in and out. The first is Sarah, Ed's younger sister, who is a stereotypical witch/monster female, as I explain further below. The second is Nazz, whom I did not give her own box in the character list because, according to various fansites, she appears only once in every three or four episodes (you can read more about her here if you like). I did think it was worth noting, however, that she is described on the most comprehensive of those fansites as the "neighborhood siren," leaving us with two female characters on opposite ends of the feminine spectrum. One is an underdeveloped, blonde piece of eye candy, and the other is a highly visible, redheaded monster. Lovely.

Ed

 I compare Ed to a sort of Baby Huey type… Big, slow, motivated by food. His only natural enemy is his sister Sarah.
Edd

 Edd is the brains behind the trio, in formulaic terms. He’s also the polite, sensitive one of the three and the only one I could bear to watch for more than a few seconds.
Eddy

Eddy, who is obsessed with money, is the reason the three Ed(d)s are always getting into their allegedly funny adventures.

Sarah

(Couldn't find a swipable picture. Check here instead.)

Sarah is the closest thing to a regular female character on the show. She’s also Ed’s little sister, and most of her appearances revolve around her manipulation of Ed. She’s a tattletale, she’s short-tempered, and she’s interested in traditionally feminine things: planting flowers, her hairstyle, ballet lessons. She is certainly the solitary female, stereotypically defined, but in this case the stereotype is not that of the dainty, submissive virgin (Smurfette), but of the manipulative, overbearing monster. She reinforces the long-held feminist theory that any assertiveness in a female character is often devalued through other aspects of her character, particularly tendencies toward manipulation, evil, or insanity.

 

Cartoons: 1950s -1990s Cartoons: present Discussion/Conclusions Home Works Cited