Uma análise da série animada “Ridley Jones”: contracondutas de gênero e sexualidade, afetos, cooperação e ancestralidade

Abstract

Cartoons have a strong influence on the formation of subjectivities, especially because they are associated with the early stages of child development. They act as cultural pedagogies, conveying representations that suggest behaviors, affections, and social identities. This research, anchored in Cultural Studies and post-structuralist theory, aims to analyze how gender and sexuality counter-conducts are produced by the animated series “Ridley Jones: The Museum Guardian,” from Netflix. The methodology consisted of analyzing episodes from the series' five seasons, organized into three main themes: gender and sexuality subjectivities, interpersonal relationships, and the power of cooperation and affective performances. Based on discursive analysis, we observe how the series challenges gender and sexuality norms by presenting diverse characters and plural affective experiences. The results indicate that the animation proposes alternative forms of existence and coexistence, based on care, listening, and collectivity. The main character and her companions experience adventures that challenge the logic of individualism and value practices that protect memory, history, and affective bonds. The series suggests counter-conduct by building resistance to social norms and neoliberal rationality. Despite its innovative proposal, the series was canceled after criticism from conservative sectors that accused it of promoting “gender ideology.” This fact highlights the urgency of studies that discuss the ways in which children's media educate, question, and resist standardization. The series invites us to imagine other childhoods, where affection, diversity, and collaboration are central elements. More than just preserving artifacts, we need to protect what pulsates within us: our stories, our affections, and our plural ways of existing.