There’s nothing inherently wrong with shipping your favourite characters together, but the act of doing so is often a double-edged sword. In the world of modern animation, fandoms form around the majority of shows where viewers will passionately write fanfiction, draw fanart, and develop headcanons where their favourite characters fall in love and go against the conventional narrative.
In some cases - such as She-Ra and The Owl House - these relationships come true, but in others, fans are left to draw their own conclusions and live the dreams of fictional pairings that will always be exactly that: a possibility. Following its premiere earlier this month, Disney’s The Ghost and Molly McGee was met with critical acclaim, attracting a large number of followers from similar shows like Amphibia with its gorgeous aesthetic, fun characters, and infectious musical tone.
Once the first duo of episodes aired, showrunner Bob Roth and other members of the production team were flooded with well-meaning questions, some of which touched on the possibility of LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent representation, both of which are confirmed to be on the way, but will take a while to develop and manifest.
One particular tweet from Roth caught the ire of fans for all of the wrong reasons. You can check it out for yourself below, but it essentially features a screenshot of main character Molly with newfound friend Libby as they engage in a playful embrace. It’s an innocent moment of friendship, but a blush from one of the characters had fans curious if it could mean something more, perhaps even a romance to develop in the episodes and seasons to come. When asked if it meant anything, Roth replied “Maybe”.
The “maybe” is relatively ambiguous, and could hint towards all manner of different developments, but I can’t blame fans for assuming some form of romantic connection here. Molly and Libby become fast friends in the opening episodes, with the main character’s charismatic attitude to life juxtaposing beautifully with Libby’s anxious approach. It’s a lovingly crafted dynamic, and one that could lend itself well to a puppy love romance, but it really doesn’t have to, and it isn’t the responsibility of showrunners to make such things come true if it’s simply out of their control.
As you’d expect - this blew up. The tweet referenced across social media as fans readied themselves for another potential romance that would be more than just another pairing that was never made canon. However, this seemingly won’t be the case, and Roth came under fire when he tried to fix the situation and cool fan expectations for something that isn’t going to happen. This anticipation didn’t go unnoticed, so Roth tried to manage expectations by claiming that their relationship won’t be a canon aspect of the show, but other core characters will fly the queer flag later down the line.
I think this honesty is vital, especially in sprawling fandoms where words and comments can be taken out of context or prescribed a sense of weight that was never intended. You can’t force what you want to happen onto people who have no control over such things, especially if it borders on harassment or paints other followers of the show in a negative light. A ship not being canon or valid doesn’t always constitute homophobia or queerbaiting, and blaming the talented people working away on shows like this for lacking representation is a bad look, and if you’re contributing to that toxic atmosphere, it is perhaps time to check yourself.
I’m a queer trans woman and eat up representation like nobody’s business, but I also understand when characters and storylines aren’t catered exactly for me. If creators aren’t able to deliver the relationships and development they so desire because of immovable constraints. The Ghost and Molly McGee is still in its infancy, and we’ve hardly seen any of what its world and characters have to offer, so perhaps we should settle down a little bit before leaping on the shipping bandwagon and demanding the show aims to reach our internal expectations. Even if it doesn’t, it’s still special in so many ways.
Claiming that creators are bigoted for denying the existence of queer representation in a show like The Ghost and Molly McGee feels damaging to overall progress. I want more representation, I want more characters that think, feel and act like I do in the media, but it’s not a linear path forward. We need to accept that not every piece of art will cater to us and still support them whenever we can, especially when people like Bob Roth are still fighting for queer inclusion everywhere it matters.
Disney Channel animation is experiencing a renaissance of sorts in recent years with female-led shows like The Owl House, Amphibia, and now The Ghost and Molly McGee leading to charge for a slate of content that champions inclusivity at every turn. I could never imagine shows like this when I was kid, which is exactly why I champion them so much today, and we can’t let the denial of immature shipping ruin it all because it doesn’t abide by our own selfish needs. Besides, with two seasons on the way, Molly and company could still be set to deliver LGBTQ+ rep in ways we’ve never seen the medium broach upon before.