Disney XD cartoon Star vs. The Forces of Evil hopes to impart what it apparently believes to be an important lesson for children: boys can be princesses too, if they want to be.
A recent episode of the television series features lead character Marco Diaz (voiced by Adam McArthur) disguising himself as Princess Turdina in an effort to save a group of students at a reform school for princesses from the villainous principal Ms. Heinous. But all does not go according to plan.
Entertainment Weekly describes the scene:
On a recent episode of Star vs. The Forces of Evil, the character of Marco Diaz (voiced by Adam McArthur) disguised himself as Princess Turdina to help save the students at St. Olga’s Reform School for Wayward Princesses from Ms. Heinous, the wicked headmistress.
Marco is about to reveal his truth to the students when Ms. Heinous storms in and outs him herself, pulling down his shirt to reveal a strand of chest hair. But the other princesses stand by Marco’s side.
After Marco reveals himself to be a boy, he gets support from female students at the princess school.
“That doesn’t prove anything! Princesses can be hairy!” one student exclaims.
“Turdina is a state of mind!” shouts another.
“He can be a princess if he wants to!” says yet another.
After the students lead a rebellion against Ms. Heinous, forcing her to disappear back through the portal in the sky from which she came, a robot DJ kicks off a dance party and one of the students goes to snap a selfie with the “boy princess.”
Star vs. The Forces of Evil — headed by showrunner Daron Nefcy — broke ground in progressive television in March of this year when the cartoon featured same-sex couples kissing, marking the first gay kisses on television for a Disney cartoon.
Watch the clip from the episode “Princess Turdina” above.
Follow Daniel Nussbaum on Twitter: @dznussbaum