Has anyone else googled "Velma"

[MrsMorton]

She will be an actual lesbian, not gay, not queer. Lesbian. It even includes the actual lesbian flag. Alongside the corrupted rainbow but, small wins all the same.

I think the idea that Velma is lesbian because she's got short hair, dresses frumpyly and is assertive is a bit naff myself.

I'm not sure anyone in scooby doo needs a sexuality but, if they do, making Daphne lesbian feels more interesting.

Julie Bindel has written a piece on Velma for The Guardian: www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2022/oct/05/scooby-doos-velma-has-finally-come-out-as-a-lesbian-my-dream-has-come-true

I find it offensive that Velma should be assumed to be lesbian because she's not as stereotypically feminine as Daphne. Offensive to both lesbian and hetero women, because it assumes that sexuality can be defined by gendered behaviour.

I really don’t know why any characters in cartoons made for kids have to have a ‘sexuality’. I can honestly say that when I watched Postman Pat I never wondered who he shagged on his time off.

But yes, it is good that Velma will be an actual lesbian, I was getting worried that it would turn into ‘the love that dare not speak its name’.

I can honestly say that when I watched Postman Pat I never wondered who he shagged on his time off.

Pretty obvious it's Jess. The sexual tension between them is palpable.

So the plain girl with the bowl cut is a lesbian.

Quelle surprise…..

It's refreshing that the word lesbian is used, though (and not referring to a man who thinks he's a woman who fancies women)

I mean thank god they didn't say that Fred is a lesbian.
No issues with lovely brainy shy Velma being a lesbian.
Just don't make Scooby Doo a furry.

There’s time for that yet MrsJamin, in a couple of episodes it may transpire that Velma is in fact a penis bearing “lesbian”.

I am with those who say I don’t want to know anything about the sexual orientation and tastes of children’s characters!

What if it turned out that Daphne was in fact trans? What a twist that would be!

In the current climate, seeing the US entertainment industry actually use the word 'lesbian' to describe a same-sex-attracted adult human female feels like progress, a welcome return to reality, after the last few years. Reading interviews, watching US TV shows, UK theatre, lesbian women or characters are more often called 'queer' (the word without definable boundaries). Is America finally waking up to what has been happening to young lesbians in recent years?

(Rushes out to buy orange socks)

I am with the, why would we want to know this about Scooby Doo cartoons?

It's not like they ever had any love interests, it wasn't that kind of show. Just like we didn't know that Fred was Jewish, or Shaggy had a hernia as a kid.

It seems very virtue signally to me.

If anyone remembers Arthur, the teacher Mr Ratburn came out as gay a couple years ago. A new episode of Peppa Pig now has a same-sex couple. And don't get me started on Dumbledore.

As much as I support LGBT rights it does feel as if some of this is a little forced. It's good for cartoons to have positive moral messages for children but I don't think they should get too political.

Having spent a lot of time hanging out with groups of lesbians (when I was in a same-sex r'ship), and also with groups of straight women, I think the stereotype is not a million miles from the truth. Of course there are lots of stereotypically attractive gay women, but on the whole, lesbians are less bothered about conforming to ideals of male attractiveness. Don't shoot me, this is my first-hand observation. Obviously NALALT.

First of all, as a Julie-Bindel aged lesbian
Children's cartoons should not be sexualized. Full stop.
additionally , today it's Velma, tomorrow she's going out with a transwoman. NO.

As an adult I adore geeky Velma. And yes Blood and Fire is correct, the majority of lesbians can happily ignore men's desires and current fashion culture...so indeed this stereotype is real: regular lesbians might look 'plain' and 'frumpy' to straight and bi women but to me and other lesbians they are very attractive.

Daphne is fine as a lesbian. I'm quite feminine but in the current pornified culture: Girls, All Girls, need MORE examples like cute, whip-smart, dorky , geeky Velma to emulate. All girls should aspire to be Velma.

As for Julie Bindel, what planet was she on? All you had to do was turn on old black and white movies to watch Marlene Dietrich in a tuxedo kissing girls or Greta Garbo doing the same in Queen Christina.

Laughed so hard I shocked the cat under the table.

Given the context, perhaps we should know why the cat was under the table and what you were doing to shock it ;o)

No wonder Pat feels he's a lucky man early in the morning, just as day is dawning.

Agree Velma was a stereotype lesbian but having Daphne as a lesbian seems too much hetero bloke "shall we have threesome?" idea of lesbian. I'm pleased the Guardian are commissioning feminist writers like Julie again. I loved Velma but wanted to be Daphne because I stupidly fancied Fred

Velma was already in a relationship with Marcie Fleach (hotdog water) in the 2010 series Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated. Though she had also been dating Shaggy before that, so she's probably most likely bisexual.

Also, Scooby Doo, Mystery Incorporated was genuinely excellent.

Maybe they will make Shaggy and Scooby a couple?

Having spent a lot of time hanging out with groups of lesbians (when I was in a same-sex r'ship), and also with groups of straight women, I think the stereotype is not a million miles from the truth.

Of course, virtually every Lesbian I know is GNC. It just felt a little on the nose- stereotypes are often self perpetuating.

Actually, having read Julie's piece I've changed my mind a bit. Velma being a Lesbian fits the character (gives Star Trek a hard stare for token queer washing). I'd still rather cartoons aimed at such a young age had no romance at all.

Though she had also been dating Shaggy before

That feels wildly out of character regardless of sexuality. She can do so much better.