In the new episode "Gonzo-rella," Gonzo gets to be his most authentic self.
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Mey RudeThe CGI Muppet Babies reboot just sent a powerful message of love and acceptance to gender-variant kids everywhere!
In the latest episode of Disney Junior’s Muppet Babies, titled "Gonzo-rella," the fun-loving and always unique alien Gonzo got to celebrate being exactly who he wants to be.
In the episode, Miss Piggy and her friend Summer are planning a royal ball and asking everyone to dress up for it. While looking in the Royal Handbook, Gonzo sees a picture of some princesses and exclaims, "Wow! Get a load of that dress! I’d love to wear a dress like that to your royal ball!"
"But Gonzo, Piggy and I are the princesses, we wear the dresses," Summer says. "That’s right! According to the royal handbook, the girls come as princesses, and the boys come as knights," Piggy adds. Baby Gonzo is heartbroken, despite the excitement of the other boys.
But don’t worry, Rizzo the Fairy RatFather sees his friend suffering and gives him a magical gown and mask so that he can attend the ball the way he wants to and feels most comfortable.
After the ball, Gonzo’s friends find him, telling him he missed the ball and the beautiful princess who came and danced with them.
"Everyone, there’s something I need to tell you," Gonzo says while putting on the glass slipper. "The princess who came to your ball tonight was me. I’m Gonzorella!"
When Miss Piggy asks Gonzo why he wore a disguise and didn’t just tell them, he confesses. "You all expected me to look a certain way. I don’t want you to be upset with me," he says. "But I don’t want to do things because that’s the way they’ve always been done either. I want to be me."
His friends apologize, even saying it wasn’t nice telling him what to wear and that they’ll love him any way he is. It’s beautiful, and an absolutely perfect message for kids.
Muppet Babiesexecutive producer Tom Warburton told D23 that there was always a plan to celebrate Gonzo for who he is.
"Very early on, we wanted to do an episode where Gonzo just showed up to the Playroom wearing a skirt. And it was no big deal," he said. "No one cared or questioned it because Gonzo is always 200 percent Gonzo 347 percent of the time." But another producer had a better idea.
"Then story editor/co-producer Robyn Brown and her team wanted to take it a step further and do a Cinderella story based on the idea," Warburton continued. "And it was just SO wonderfully Gonzo. We hope he inspires kids watching to be 347 percent of themselves in their own way, too."
We couldn’t think of a better message to send to kids!
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