The Disney Channel show Wizards of Waverly Place is a program that was a part of most of my generation's childhood. However, my parents were strict and thought that watching the show at such a young age would be a "bad influence," so I didn't get to watch it until high school. This put me in an odd position, experiencing everyone's childhood entertainment as I was growing into adulthood. However, it comes in handy for this assignment, because an episode about the characters going to a comic book convention is still fresh in my mind.
The character that raises the subject of the comic book convention is Harper -- she's your typical overly-eccentric girl who can always be found in a funky outfit. She brings it up to Alex, her much "cooler" friend (and the protagonist of the series), who is not thrilled that Harper wants her to come along. Alex thinks she is too cool for comic books. Harper says to Alex, "Give me a real reason why you won't go to Pop Con?" Alex has no response. This representation perpetuates the stereotype that comic book fans are childish and nerdy, which are Harper's most poignant characteristics in the show. Through Alex's displeasure, Wizards of Waverly Place also insinuates that comic books cannot be entertaining to people who do not consider themselves fans. Alex's close-minded attitude sustains the societal image that you need to be a certain type of person to enjoy comics -- someone who lives and breathes "nerd."
As Harper gets ready to go to the convention, she is joined by Alex's parents and brothers, all in costume. The father wears fake padded muscles, and the mom wears a leotard and a cape. All of their costumes resemble superheros. There seems to be a conventionalized belief in our society that all comics are superhero comics, which is simply not correct. I once had a professor who laid out a seemingly endless pile of comic books for the class, and, just in that sample, there were romance comics, horror comics, western comics, and more. These are clearly not the comics that the characters in Wizards of Waverly Place chose to represent through their costumes. It's almost as if the producers felt a comic book episode would not be complete without the over-representation of superheros. Overall, the writing of the episode lacks originality. Alex's brother puts on a vague superhero costume and is called "The Destroyinator." (They really could have done a better job with that one.) The show fails to acknowledge that there is more to comics than superpowers and destruction, so it isn't necessarily progressive or challenging to comic book stereotypes in any way.
When the characters, again, try to convince Alex to come to Pop Con, she unapologetically blurts, "Ugh. I do not want to go to Pop Con. That place is filled with geeks and weirdos." No respect for comic book fans! The stereotypes are ingrained in Alex's mind. Alex finally surrenders to go when she is told that attending Pop Con is part of her required wizard training. She has to get ready last minute and decides on the costume "Super Sleepy Annoyed Girl," in which she does not change at all and goes in her pajamas. She is very clearly out of place at the convention, and, as soon as she walks in, she says "Ugh. I'm in the belly of a nerd beast." She has made it very clear throughout the entire episode thus far that comic books are not her thing. She seems unwilling to give the convention a chance because she has already made up her mind about what comic culture is, like much of our society. If Alex had put aside the preexisting judgments that she had about comic book fan culture, I think she could have really enjoyed the convention. This episode is also problematic because of Alex's stake in the show. Even as I watched in high school, I wanted to be exactly like Alex, and I know that a lot of my friends looked up to her as well. The show makes it seem like hating on comic book fan culture is acceptable and the right thing to do, which is evidently problematic, as it encourages bullying and a lack of acceptance.
The established stereotypes at the comic book convention are so strong that there doesn't seem to be anything that can brighten Alex's spirits and get her to be open-minded. In fact, at the convention, someone compliments Alex on her "Pajama Girl"costume. Alex looks around and notices many people dressed similarly, honoring this character, and she is disappointed that she actually fits in. She says, "Aw, man. There's a Pajama Girl? What is with you people?!" With this statement she groups all comic book fans together as one, as if there is no distinction between any of them. Alex feels like she has to prove that she is "above" comic book fans. She would rather be clearly there in protest than accept the accidental costume that has fallen into her lap. Just as you think the episode can't get any worse, Alex's brother Justin (dressed as the Destroyinator) sprays Harper with fake cheese and walks off with pride, boasting about how The Destroyinator won the battle. (May I reiterate, this was a battle against a defenseless woman with fake cheese.) The episode minimizes comic book culture to this.
The negative representation in Wizards of Waverly Place degrades comic book fan culture, making it seem like it is nothing more than a bunch of people who enjoy wearing superhero costumes and engaging in silly battles with each other. The pessimistic attitude that Alex displays encourages viewers to adopt her point of view because she is the star of the show. Television shows should represent more realistic portrayals of comic book fan culture, rather than perpetuating oversimplified stereotypes like Wizards of Waverly Place.
