Adventure Time: Princess Cookie - A Metaphor for Transgenders

Hi again. It’s me. Call me Serge.

I know this might sound out of context but while I was lifting weights in the gym at home, I turned on the television and turned to Cartoon Network. (Yes, I still watch Cartoon Network at age 19. No need to make a big deal about that.) I jumped gladly because it was time for my favorite cartoon show, Adventure Time! It was a shock though that the channel was airing a new episode. (I guess I’ve spent too much time watching episodes of Adventure Time. I need a life. -_-) The title of the new episode is, Princess Cookie.

The episode starts with Princess Bubblegum with trying to stop a hostage scene in a grocery store. Finn and Jake offered their help by disguising as a shadow and a mailman respectively. Princess Bubblegum didn’t, however, like the idea of Jake being a mailman because she saw him more of a “milkman”. So the two heroes entered the store.

Jake told the cookie named Baby-Snaps who lead the hostage that he brought milk for the hostages. While Baby-Snaps was on the radio with his Chocolate Chip allies, Finn told Jake to distract the cookie while he takes out the Chocolate Chips.

Jake asked Baby-Snaps why he was so crossed with Princess Bubblegum. When he was a young cookie in a depressing Candy Orphanage, he would try to make his fellow orphans happy but they wouldn’t. Then came Princess Bubblegum who made the orphans happy and this inspired Baby-Snaps. When she told him that he can be anything his heart desires, he said “I wanna be a princess just like you.” Princess Bubblegum giggled, and ever since that day it became a trauma to him.

Jake thought that the reason why Princess Bubblegum giggled was because she didn’t take his reason seriously, but Baby-Snaps angrily burst into tears. Jake felt the same way when he wanted to be a mailman but Princess Bubblegum refused and made him a milkman instead. Jake decides to help Baby-Snaps escape by shifting into a horse and proposing him to start a new kingdom., where everyone can be whatever they want to be. He calls him Princess Cookie.

As the Banana Guards were after them, Baby-Snaps asks Jake to stop before they jump over a cliff. Baby-Snaps realizes that he will never be seen as a real princess but thanks Jake for making him feel one for once. He commits suicide as he jumps off the cliff. 

At the end of the episode, Baby-Snaps is admitted in a Mental Hospital and Jake visits him as a mailman. He brought a gift from the Grass Kingdom - a grass-themed tiara. Jake fell down to his knees to welcome the new princess and the others follow. Baby-Snaps finally got his dream of being a princess.

“I wanna be a princess just like you.” - Baby-Snaps, Adventure Time: Princess Cookie

I got to admit, the episode brought tears to my eyes. Being different and weird in the eyes of society is frustrating enough, but being ridiculed for your dreams is worse. There are many interpretations for the episode Princess Cookie. Some say it’s a regular cartoon episode. Others say it demonstrates challenging gender roles. Others say it advocates LGBTQ issues especially for the Transgender.

Personally, I saw Princess Cookie as a metaphor for being Transgender since he wanted to be a princess himself. He wanted to be someone people didn’t think he can be because it doesn’t fit right. I took the time to analyze the episode and these are the factors that may consider it to be meant for the Transgender.

1. Baby-Snaps wanting to be a princess despite being a male. We hear him voiced as a guy. Even the other characters addressed him with the pronouns “he” and “him”. But why a princess? He can be a prince but why did he want to be a princess? He wanted to be a princess, not because he wanted to be a girl, but because he wanted to bring other people to joy. I guess the writers saw that there is more to being transgender than just being one. There is a deeper and more philosophical purpose involved.

1. Princess Bubblegum laughing at his dream. In the Philippine society (and even in other societies), boys who move effeminately are regarded as weak and insignificant. In fact, they are targets for most bullies and offensive jokes. They are objects of ridicule. Now, I am not generalizing effeminate boys to dream as being a woman. I am saying that most of these boys prefer being a woman, however, the society sees the dream as weird and comedic. Let us put it in a way where everyone is equal with their own dreams (no straights, no LGBTs, just imagine that everyone’s equal). A dream being laughed AT is something really depressing because it seems that no one supports you. No one understands you.

1. Baby-Snaps committing suicide after realizing people will never see him as a real princess. A lot of transgenders commit suicide or live in a depressing lifestyle because of the fear of rejection. They fear that the society cannot understand their dreams and the only way to live out of it is to literally live out of it. 

1. Jake calling Baby-Snaps as Princess Cookie and presenting him a crown. Being accepted is the happiest moment of any member of the LGBT community. Jake presenting Princess Cookie a crown represents his nonjudgmental acceptance of Baby-Snaps’ dreams. He even helped him reach that dream.

Watch an Adventure Time clip of the Princess Cookie episode at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KHQQrR_cJc.
Watch an Adventure Time clip of the Princess Cookie episode at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KHQQrR_cJc.

This is my summary of the Adventure Time episode. I will share insights about Transgenders in the Philippines in the following blogs so as not to make this post very long. For now, let us appreciate the creators and writers of Adventure Time for airing this special episode! Kudos!

What’s my story? I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.

Hi. Call me by the name, “Centurion” or “Serge”. I know Centurion sounds really classy and weird at the same time but I got caught up by the bible story when a Centurion asked Jesus’ help to heal his servant in Matthew 19:10-12. There are assumptions  that the Centurion and his servant is a gay couple based from historical research (though many say it’s true but the Catholic Church is keeping it secret). Now, I’m not going to cite the bible verses just to make a point. That’s not what I’m here. About the name “Serge”, well, I’ll just tell you about it next time. ;)

Then again, call me by the name, “Centurion”, or “Centy”, or “Serge” whatever you would like to call me as long as it’s not “Hotdog Balogna Pants” ‘cause that’s just playin’ mean. I’m a 19 year-old Atenean from Naga City, Philippines. I’ve been having homosexual tendencies since I was a young boy. I’ve ignored it as I grew up until I had my messed up first love with a fellow guy. After that, I’ve been trying to figure out whether I am gay or not (though I know what you’re gonna say — YOU’RE GAY!). But I’m not like that. I’m trying to figure out why I’m having this feelings that’s why I’m not yet concluding. So instead of “experimenting things” with different people, I’d rather understand who I am through a lot of thinking and philosophy. (Sounds boring, eh? I’m telling you, though it sounds depressing, it’s also fun ‘cause it makes you think better. ;) )

I am doing this blog because I haven’t been able to open up my feelings to a lot of people. My mom says I shouldn’t share much about myself ‘cause that would make me vulnerable (which is really true). I’ve tried hard to keep every thing to myself, but it kind of messed me up ‘cause I couldn’t sleep properly and I keep daydreaming of deep thoughts. And this all started when I had my heart broken.

Yep, pretty corny, huh? Don’t worry, I wouldn’t focus on the sad sobbing stories of my tragic first love though I would be sharing stories that would almost be based from it. So there, I made my first point, I am making this blog to make this as my outlet.

Also, I know there are a lot of Filipinos who haven’t been able to believe in the concept of love. One of the things why I’m making this blog is to make you believe that there is such a thing as love whether romantic or platonic. (Corny? Yeah. I know.) Well, I guess there are many factors why I can’t blame you that love is indeed true.

1) There are few role models in the Philippines that shows monogamous relationships between same-sex couples. We have Boy Abunda and his long-time boyfriend, Bong Quintana, as role models but that’s just about it.

2) Most of the time, Filipino TV series and movies present same-sex relationships as short-term dating and object of ridicule. There were very few times when same-sex relationships were presented as an object of love on television. It’s always associated with comedy. Although the independent film industry did put gay relationships into the Philippine context, but the sex scenes were always a highlight instead of showing what love is about. I’ve been a fan of indie films since I was in high school but Filipino gay films are starting to irritate me because it seems they’ve become an excuse to build a porn industry in the Philippines.

3) You can’t understand the labels. Bakla, bading, pamhinta, silahis, beki, and all those weird stuff. I don’t agree with labels especially when it sounds really degrading. But when it comes to knowing who you are, I believe that you should know where you belong. Even men and women are labeled based on their gender. Why not sexual orientation? Plus, how do you know if someone is really serious in making a relationship with you when in fact he doesn’t even know where he belongs? Filipinos are interchanging the terms gays, bisexuals and transgenders just so they could feel superior than the other. Well, I got news for you. That isn’t the case.

4) Filipino gays are said to give up every thing just so they get who they want. That’s why there have been a lot of rent boys in parks using their bodies as services for profit. But contrary to that myth, the reason why Filipino gays need to keep giving is that they need to feel secure and the only way they could think of getting that is by giving material things in return for acceptance, intimacy and love. As you may have noticed, we don’t actually have civil rights for same-sex couples so the law is not in favor (yet) with these people.

I know these are all opinionated and I admit they are. But these are only the things I’ve summed up from all the things I’ve read (whether they’re positive or negative). Now, in my later blogs, please help me answer these questions.. and question more, ‘cause that’s why we’re here - to ask and to look for the answers. We can’t keep concluding every thing that has happened to us. We have to process them - give them other interpretations. 

If you have something to share, or ask, just keep posting.

So again, call me Centurion, Centy or Serge. And this is my first blog post. :)