For those parents that are choosing to raise their children with “open minds” and away from all things gender-normative, Nickelodeon’s got your back.
Photo: Nickelodeon
Nella The Princess Knight, premiered on Nick Jr’s Monday preschool block and she’s everything and then some. For one, Nella is biracial with a black father and a white mother, a decision made by executives due to research indicating that most children will be ‘nonwhite’ by 2020. Secondly, Nella mashes traditional boy and girl gender norms. She rides a unicorn with a pink mane but she’s wearing knight gear and slaying dragons with her sword. For all my Game of Throne fans, she’s basically Brienne of Tarth for the babies.
Nina Hahn, Senior Vice President of International Production and Development at Nickelodeon told the Huffington Post, “There are a lot of princesses out there and we had to think about what would make a Nickelodeon princess unique.” She went on to say, “What became crystal clear to us in the development process is that Nella didn’t have to be a princess or a knight–she could be both.”
The network hopes that the cartoon will appeal to all children because as Hahn explains, “the big ideas for the show ― to be courageous, have empathy for others and trust your inner voice ― are universal.”
Photo: Nickelodeon
Nella is voiced by 12-year-old actress Akira Golz, who recently made her Broadway debut as Alice in Matilda The Musical!
Did we also mention that in the trailer Princess Nella is singing Rachel Platten’s ‘Fight Song,’ a song that gained a lot of notoriety during Hillary Clinton’s Presidential campaign. I can't wait to see all the little girls dressed up as Nella this Halloween. All the feels.
Photo: Giphy