The first Masters of the Universe trailer was released on Thursday, and while there’s plenty to either love or hate about it, one specific moment has risen to the top of the list. In the film, directed by Travis Knight, Prince Adam, better known as He-Man, finds himself hiding on Earth for his own protection. And, in a quick montage of Adam’s life here on Earth, we see that at work, he’s got pronouns on this nameplate.
Pronouns used be a word simply used to describe other words, used in place of proper nouns. But, as we’re surely aware, in recent years the phrase has been co-opted as a sure-fire sign of a “woke” agenda. People who wish to let other people know which pronouns they prefer are proponents of some crazy movement to allow people to be who they want to be! Madness!
Well, soon after the Masters of the Universe trailer was released, some people online began to get mad about Prince Adam having pronouns. You know. The guy they refer to as “He-Man.” As in an actual pronoun, “He,” followed by “Man.” He-Man himself literally has pronouns and has for almost 50 years. But now, of course, it’s a problem.
To be fair, though, we haven’t seen the film yet. We don’t know the specific context. On the surface, it feels pretty damn clear that the “He/Him” pronouns on Adam’s name plate are a wink at the fact that he is “He-Man” in the movie. A truth he feels deep within himself but can’t quite come to terms with. (Wait until people start to dig into that.) Maybe it’s not that, though. Maybe Adam is some kind of crazy liberal who put them on his nameplate as an act of woke defiance against his conservative colleagues. But we seriously doubt it.
What makes even a hint of anger about this moment so funny, though, is that it’s so obvious. The joke, yes, but also the grift. This clever, seemingly throwaway moment almost feels like pure online rage bait. Because, let’s face it, there are plenty of people in the world who watch media these days with the specific aim to get mad and react to it. It’s so dumb. So obvious. But, apparently, also so lucrative.
And so, yes, the pronounced hero has pronouns in his upcoming movie. We love it, and we love that it’s getting precisely the reaction it aimed for. Just wait until She-Ra shows up.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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