Characters in media that lead to personal Viewer Gender Confusion [Archive]

squidbreath

2012-10-28, 12:55 AM

Starwulf

2012-10-28, 01:56 AM

Up until a few months ago, I thought Elmo was a girl (lol for more than a decade). His voice was just so cutsy and high pitched...he kissed and hugged everything, which I assumed was a girls being affectionate thing...and the third person thing I attributed to stereotypical Japanese school girl moeness.

So guys, you ever get a character's gender wrong?

Hmm, can't think of any off hand. I have to say though, I'm a bit surprised. I thought everyone was aware that Elmo was a guy. He's voiced by this huge dude that lives in Baltimore IIRC.(or at least, he was from Baltimore)

Dr.Epic

2012-10-28, 01:59 AM

Up until a few months ago, I thought Elmo was a girl (lol for more than a decade). His voice was just so cutsy and high pitched...he kissed and hugged everything, which I assumed was a girls being affectionate thing...and the third person thing I attributed to stereotypical Japanese school girl moeness.

So guys, you ever get a character's gender wrong?

Squidbreath, are your Krillin from Dragon Ball Z? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlYZx9016pg):smallwink:

Kjata

2012-10-28, 03:21 AM

@Dr.Epic: I sure as hell am, I thought frieza was a girl until halfway throught the cell saga.

Yora

2012-10-28, 07:08 AM

Princess Mononoke has that giant talking wolf. Which as a giant wolf has a very deep and growling voice, but is actually female. It's established quite early on, but you keep forgetting it throughout the movie. But I'd say that's intentional.

The blond guy with the glasses in Elfen Lied had me fooled until the reveal scene.
The one who shot Kouta with the MP5.
Image (http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100620052256/elfen-lied/images/8/87/DSC01084.JPG)

Also, the Salarian Queen in Mass Effect 3. Not helped by the fact that they look identical and their voices are very raspy and distorted, and that she's the only female Salarian that is ever seen. Probably...
And during the whole scene, everyone only says "the Dalatrass" or adresses her directly. You would have to know that the Dalatrass is the leader and that all Salarian leaders are female, which is easy to miss.
Here's the scene. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WpM1E6u0MM)

But I think most of the time I fall for it is when it's set up deliberately.

AtlanteanTroll

2012-10-28, 08:48 AM

Blue from Blue's Cluesis a girl? What.

Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll

2012-10-28, 09:10 AM

Liz from the Magic School Bus is also a girl.
...
Somehow that really confused me. When I was a kid, I don't think I knew that "Liz" was a girl's name...

squidbreath

2012-10-28, 09:14 AM

I didn't know tweety was a guy either.

AtlanteanTroll

2012-10-28, 09:22 AM

Liz from the Magic School Bus is also a girl.
...
Somehow that really confused me. When I was a kid, I don't think I knew that "Liz" was a girl's name...

Didn't Liz wear make up? Or am I completely and utterly mistake?

Asta Kask

2012-10-28, 09:25 AM

Coidzor

2012-10-28, 09:33 AM

So does Gene Simmons. And Marilyn Manson. And Alice Cooper.

As far as I know, of those individuals, the only one who has used stage makeup in a feminine way was Marilyn Manson when he was crossdressing as part of a show and the other two have not used makeup in a way that could ever be confused for the culturally established feminine use.

Though, I have to admit, I'd somehow forgotten the lizard using makeup. :smallconfused:

Asta Kask

2012-10-28, 09:38 AM

I think Alice Cooper has used genderbending make-up and clothes as part of his show. But he's had such a long career he's probably done everything.

Morph Bark

2012-10-28, 10:45 AM

@Dr.Epic: I sure as hell am, I thought frieza was a girl until halfway throught the cell saga.

Funny how Freeza and Zarbon make you think they're girls while being guys, while Dodoria is the one who's the female of the bunch.

Coidzor

2012-10-28, 11:45 AM

Now, Zarbon, he I could tell was a pretty boy.

I couldn't tell what the heck Frieza was except that the voice actress was using an old woman/wicked witch voice for the character and when introduced he was riding around in a little clown-car that was reminiscent of Baba Yaga's flying mortar and pestle.

Maybe it's just evidence of the cultural differences, but an old woman voice with all signs pointing towards witch and/or witch-ogre...

Mystic Muse

2012-10-28, 11:53 AM

Blue from Blue's Clues and Frieza always both confused me.

Dr.Epic

2012-10-28, 03:18 PM

Funny how Freeza and Zarbon make you think they're girls while being guys, while Dodoria is the one who's the female of the bunch.

"...and that's why I was considered the most beautiful and fertile woman on my home planet. Until Feeza blew it up."

"He tends to do that. Also, eww!":smalleek:

:smallwink:
:smallbiggrin:

thubby

2012-10-28, 05:38 PM

freeza.
other than that it's limited to character that are supposed to have ambiguous gender.

INoKnowNames

2012-10-28, 07:09 PM

@Dr.Epic: I sure as hell am, I thought frieza was a girl until halfway throught the cell saga.

*scrolls down*

Phew, I'm glad I'm not the only one!

Blue from Blue's Cluesis a girl? What.

.... what.

Dr.Epic

2012-10-28, 07:59 PM

Has anyone mentioned Samus? Though, I supposed that only counts if you played the first game before any others.

AtlanteanTroll

2012-10-28, 08:14 PM

freeza
I'm sorry, who?

.... what.
I know, right?

thubby

2012-10-28, 08:56 PM

I'm sorry, who?

I know, right?

you know, the guy who killed krillin? (http://dragonball.wikia.com/wiki/Frieza)
didn't everyone?
shut up

he's a guy, but keeps getting female VAs

AtlanteanTroll

2012-10-28, 09:28 PM

you know, the guy who killed krillin? (http://dragonball.wikia.com/wiki/Frieza)
didn't everyone?
shut up
No clue what that color text is suppose to mean, but I was just poking fun at the spelling considering that, well, his name's been posted in this thread a few times already. :smalltongue:

he's a guy, but keeps getting female VAs
Blue? No, she's a girl (http://www.nickjr.com/blues-clues/about-blues-clues/blues-clues-characters.html).

Mutant Sheep

2012-10-28, 09:29 PM

No clue what that color text is suppose to mean, but I was just poking fun at the spelling considering that, well, his name's been posted in this thread a few times already. :smalltongue:

Blue? No, she's a girl (http://www.nickjr.com/blues-clues/about-blues-clues/blues-clues-characters.html).

I KNEW Blue was a girl! I didnt remembeR how I knew, but i knewed it!:smallbiggrin:

Mystic Muse

2012-10-28, 09:44 PM

Blue? No, she's a girl (http://www.nickjr.com/blues-clues/about-blues-clues/blues-clues-characters.html).

I think he meant Frieza is a guy who keeps getting girl VAs.

SDF

2012-10-28, 09:52 PM

Wild Zero totally got me, but I was already more than halfway into the DVD drinking game with my best friend.

That movie is magnificent.

thubby

2012-10-28, 10:12 PM

No clue what that color text is suppose to mean, but I was just poking fun at the spelling considering that, well, his name's been posted in this thread a few times already. :smalltongue:

Blue? No, she's a girl (http://www.nickjr.com/blues-clues/about-blues-clues/blues-clues-characters.html).

the color is me trying to create the illusion of a verbal exchange.

and the spelling changes depending on what source you're going by. toys, the show, the manga, videogames, they all pick whichever one they like.

Togath

2012-10-28, 11:09 PM

Another one(from an anime in this case): it took until Aladin was actually referred to as a he in the anime "magi" for me to realize he was male, due to his feminine voice and his clothes(he looks like he's wearing one of those anime female delinquent tops made from strips of cloth), though I suppose the "Aladin" part should have given away his gender.

juicycaboose

2012-10-29, 04:29 AM

Funny how Freeza and Zarbon make you think they're girls while being guys, while Dodoria is the one who's the female of the bunch.

i'm pretty sure dodoria is also male!

The Succubus

2012-10-29, 05:22 AM

Flea from Chrono Trigger is delightfully androgynous.

INoKnowNames

2012-10-29, 09:20 AM

i'm pretty sure dodoria is also male!

In DBZ Abridged they actually joke about all the gender ambiguity. Pink aliens with big lips a different color are pretty easy targets, actually.

Dr.Epic

2012-10-29, 11:21 AM

you know, the guy who killed krillin? (http://dragonball.wikia.com/wiki/Frieza)
didn't everyone?

Well not Yamcha 'cause he can't do anything right.:smallwink:

Brother Oni

2012-10-31, 04:50 AM

For those not aware, in anime, it's fairly traditional to have young male roles to be voiced by female VAs, and this habit occasionally follows through to the English redubs.

Shinji Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion is a well known example.

Himura Kenshin from Rurouni Kenshin is another one, although that's more to do with his source, the samurai Kawakami Gensai, being reputated to be slight of frame and almost effeminate in appearance (ironically he was also regarded to be the most vicious of the four notable assassins of the time).

Ravens_cry

2012-10-31, 12:04 PM

For those not aware, in anime, it's fairly traditional to have young male roles to be voiced by female VAs, and this habit occasionally follows through to the English redubs.

Pretty common in western animation as well, especially for really young boys, to the point that exceptions (like a young Plucky Duck) feel exceptional.

As for viewer gender confusion, the closest in live action was that I thought "Daisy" made a fairly cute drag in Sorority Boys and Tootisie was pretty darn convincing, but other than that, not much.
One funny almost example was Transamerica. After the lead character gets her cosmetics stolen, I found that the effect was lost because she didn't look like she wasn't wearing makeup but rather had switched to more earthy, neutral tones. Which was exactly what the (otherwise excellent) makeup artists had done since the actor playing her was a biological woman.

Dr.Epic

2012-11-03, 04:49 PM

Natsu from Fairy Tail. First time I saw an image of him, it was just his head. He had pinky-ish hair, and I couldn't see his torso. What was I supposed to think?

Scarlet Knight

2012-11-09, 03:42 PM

There is a comedian named Ralphie May. First time I heard him was on the radio, and I could not determine if he was a low voiced woman or a high voiced male, or whether he was white or black. It was only after hearing him a few times did I figure out that he is a white male. A very large white male. If he grew his hair a bit I'd probably get confused again.

Inglenook

2012-11-12, 02:30 AM

I thought Toaster from The Brave Little Toaster was a girl until like … last year.

oblivion6

2012-11-12, 03:52 AM

I thought Toaster from The Brave Little Toaster was a girl until like … last year.

What! She's actually a he???:smalleek:

Inglenook

2012-11-12, 04:28 PM

Apparently. Although the sex of a toaster is sort of a moot point, really.

Ravens_cry

2012-11-12, 11:54 PM

Remember the Hanson Brothers back in the day? It wasn't just the hair either.

Unbeknownst

2012-11-13, 01:28 AM

I didn't know tweety was a guy either.

My life is a lie. I never knew this...

Ravens_cry

2012-11-13, 01:29 AM

My life is a lie. I never knew this...
Yeah, he's a dude. Pretty fey little bird, no?

Amron

2012-11-13, 01:56 AM

Interesting thread.

Malak'ai

2012-11-13, 08:40 AM

Remember the Hanson Brothers back in the day? It wasn't just the hair either.

i know joke about Hanson, but it's not forum appropriate :smalltongue:.

Marnath

2012-11-13, 06:09 PM

I thought Rabbit was a woman. Kind of an androgynous voice, but when I was little I just figured he was an old woman. The nagging really sold that idea for me. :smallamused:

Coidzor

2012-11-13, 07:20 PM

I thought Rabbit was a woman. Kind of an androgynous voice, but when I was little I just figured he was an old woman. The nagging really sold that idea for me. :smallamused:

From the 100 Acre Wood?

Marnath

2012-11-13, 07:32 PM

From the 100 Acre Wood?

Yes. :3
If I worried that hard I'd get an ulcer.

Dr.Epic

2012-11-19, 10:09 AM

Yoko from Gurren Lagann. It took me forever to realize she was a man.

Gamerlord

2012-11-19, 11:35 AM

I thought Littlefoot from Land Before Time was a girl for quite some time.

Coidzor

2012-11-19, 04:04 PM

Yoko from Gurren Lagann. It took me forever to realize she was a man.

Hmm? :smallconfused:

Anarion

2012-11-19, 04:16 PM

I thought Littlefoot from Land Before Time was a girl for quite some time.

I never had trouble with Littlefoot, but I had no idea whether Ducky was a boy or girl ever. I had to google her to find out for this thread.

Oh, and Fate Stay/Night spoiler
I totally thought King Arthur was a guy until we meet Saber. :smallwink: