If you’re unfamiliar with the animated Disney show, Kim Possible, then one, you’re missing out, and two, here’s a summary. Kim Possible was a show about a redheaded teen and her friends Ron Stoppable, his pet naked mole rat, and a intelligent hacker who is secretly behind everything, but stays at home. The high schoolers embark on secret missions to defeat bad guys.
There are many notable things about the program. Besides being Disney’s best animated show, Kim Possible’s story line actually mirrors that of the Odyssey. Here’s why:
Wade
Wade is the Athena of Kim Possible. He appears to have unmentioned social anxiety, and never actually leaves his house, using electronic communication to give Kim and Ron tips and instructions to beat the bad guys. He parallels Athena’s story line, seeing that he tends to give our “heroes” vital information to save the day.
Kim Possible
Though Kim was my favorite character, she most closely parallels Odysseus, due to her impeccable ability to transform. Instead of Odysseus type supernatural transforming, Kim goes from kick ass super hero to average teenage cheerleader. Though it pains me to say it, Odysseus is the main hero of the Odyssey, and Kim is most definitely the main hero of Kim Possible.
Ron Stoppable
Besides his ridiculously ironic name, Ron and his tiny naked mole rat are actually quite similar to Telemachus. He is initially a very passive character, taking a lot of rude behavior from many of his peers. Similar to Telemachus, he begins to grow into his heroism, with a little help from Wade.
This is definitely not one of the stories that came to mind to compare to "The Odyssey," but I definitely see it! A lot of movies and shows nowadays, such as Lost, Shrek 2, and the Spongebob Squarepants Movie, have a "higher power" (Wade) orchestrating everyone's moves. There is also always this "budding hero" (Ron) who proves themselves in the end.
ReplyDeleteI always dubbed Kim Possible the hero and never really thought about the other characters very much. I think it's interesting that I've been talking about how I think Telemachus is definitely a hero, but I never thought of Ron Stoppable as a hero because I assumed Kim was the only hero. Interesting post, I'm definitely going to look for more Odyssey-inspired stories!
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