With Jem hitting theaters this past weekend, we wanted to take a look back at one of the most forward thinking, feminist cartoons of the 1980s. Jem utilized MTV and music videos in their narrative and in growing their brand. Jerrica was a successful businesswoman, a music superstar and a philanthropist setting a high bar for young male and female audiences to live up to.
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Like My Little Pony, Jem has made a recent transition to comic books (currently over at IDW Publishing), before it heads to big screens all across the world. With Jem permeating all aspects of popular media we thought we’d take a look back at one of the coolest series that shaped our youth and are, after all, truly outrageous.
10. THE WORLD HUNGER SHINDIG
10. THE WORLD HUNGER SHINDIG
One of the greatest things about Jerrica Benton, aside from being the titular Jem and a successful businesswoman, is that she engages in lots of philanthropy! Putting the Starlight Girls aside, how great a lesson is this to teach the show’s young viewers? Look out for those less fortunate! That is what The World Hunger Shindig is all about – a charity event that goes horribly awry.
The Misfits commit an actual crime while attempting to tarnish The Holograms’ image and ultimately succeed in presenting themselves in stark contrast as the baddest bad guys. The World Hunger Shindig does an excellent job at cementing Eric Raymond as the baddest of the baddest bad guys and already heralds that when The Misfits begin their turn for good that Mr. Raymond will remain on the path of evil. As an adult viewer it’s really wonderful to watch Eric be horrible to everybody around him.
Jem and co. handle the adversity with great aplomb, raise a ton of money for charity and challenge everybody watching to look at the world beyond themselves and try to use their talents for good.
9. ROXY RUMBLE
9. ROXY RUMBLE
This is the after school special version of a Jem episode. Stormer (of The Misfits), can’t read and given the fact that a teleprompter figures prominently in the crux of the episodes. In addition to the proliteracy message that runs through Roxy Rumble there are also gang members and gang lifestyle to be tackled … who are also illiterate.
The life lesson in this episode isn’t handled very subtly, with characters resolving to learn how to read in order to better themselves and a weird plot device thrown in of Roxy making fun of Stormer for being illiterate, quitting The Misfits, winning the lottery and then going broke in karmic reparation for bringing evil down upon not only Jem, but her own friend.
Where the episode succeeds is in the bad karma repays bad actions and in impressing the importance of literacy on the viewers as it will wind up infiltrating multiple aspects of their lives (present and future), and in having Jerrica/Jem champion the power of education.
8. COLLIDING STARS
8. COLLIDING STARS
The lesson of growing your brand and promoting yourself are strong throughout the episode Colliding Stars as Jerrica, Kimber, Aja and Shana shoot a movie! Perhaps there is a lesson about trying news things, but it’s really just branding and that’s a lesson that the children of the intended audience probably won’t glom onto, but is still worth taking away as an adult. Write that one down.
The lesson in Colliding Stars is probably something closer to: stick to what you do best. Kimber is doing a complicated – and likely very dangerous – motorcycle stunt that she only leaves the very last part of to the stuntwoman … just in time for The Misfits to step in a take over some advanced technology and put everyone in danger!
The moral of the story is driven home through a massive explosion that nobody really gets injured during, the classic Holograms/Misfits rival is in place and the leading ladies of Jem go forward through the rest of the episodes knowing to keep an extra special eye over their shoulder, at least for a little while.
7. HOT TIME IN HAWAII
7. HOT TIME IN HAWAII
There’s a Battle of the Bands in Hawaii that, of course, both Jem and the Holograms and The Misfits are competing. It’s not a normal competition, though, it’s a lot more intensive with everything from music to sports going into determining the winner. Jem is already teaching the viewing audiences that they can and should be well-rounded!
Of course, The Misfits decide to cheat and, of course, there is a shark in the water to ramp the drama up. The only time the cartoon violence really gets out of hand is when Kimber finds herself bound and gagged and left for dead in an active volcano, certainly dramatic, but perhaps a step too far in the wrong direction.
Hot Time in Hawaii exemplifies the delicate balance of 1980s cartoons between the absurd and teaching acceptance and a diversity of skills.
6. THE STINGERS HIT TOWN: PART ONE
6. THE STINGERS HIT TOWN: PART ONE
The beginning of Jem season three and the introduction of a new rival band: The Stingers! By this point in the narrative Eric Raymond has moved on from The Misfits as they threaten through the course of this season to turn more and more toward the forces of good rather than his patented brand of felony evil.
The Stingers introduce a male character (Riot), which complicates the inherently complicated relationship between Jerrica/Jem/Rio and adding a gender conflict between the front people of the respective bands.
The status quo really changes in The Stingers Hit Town: Part One with Jem and the Holograms learning that perhaps they can convert these new rivals to see the world through their rose-coloured glasses the way that the old ones seem to be. There are new bad guys in this season premiere, but there is also a lot of hope and very positive tone being set for the final season of this legendary tv show.
5. THE BEGINNING
5. THE BEGINNING
This is the pilot episode of Jem. It’s a bit rusty – as all television pilots tend to be – which is what lands it right in the middle of the list. The reason it does deserve to be as high up as number five is that it sets every precedent by which viewers grade other episodes going forward.
The audience is immediately introduced to Jerrica, Shana, Kimber and Aja and the various aspects that make up Jerrica’s complicated life as the CEO of Starlight Music and the legendary performer Jem. There is a strong focus on the strength of family in The Beginning (a two-parter), with Kimber, Shana and Aja coming together to support Jerrica in her moments of self-doubt.
The Beginning introduces Synergy for the first time (naturally …), instilling the importance of legacy and honouring the elders in one’s family as well as those we are immediately surrounded by.
Throw in the 80s fashion, incredible music and bright colours and here we have the template by which everything else Jem shall be judged.
4. KIMBER’S REBELLION
4. KIMBER’S REBELLION
Let’s admit it – everyone’s favourite Hologram was Kimber. She was spunky, talented and had the best hair. She leads Jem and the Holograms adventure in Paris, France while shooting a new music video. It was always a treat to have one of the supporting girls take a focus during an episode of Jem. It’s not that Jerrica didn’t deserve all the screen time she got, but after one episodes viewers knew how amazing she was and it was nice to give the other characters their due – especially when those characters are Kimber.
Another hallmark of a great Jem episode is a frankly appalling crime being committed by Eric Raymond and Kimber’s Rebellion has that in spades and it’s very nearly murder at the talons of a falling gargoyle.
Best of all, Jem and the Holograms elect to turn the other cheek and finish filming their music video rather than bringing down charges on their would-be assassins. The girls don’t want to get anyone in trouble, really, they’d rather focus on their interpersonal relationships and developing their music. There’s a nice nod here to focusing on the things one holds most important … even if it’s wrapped up in cartoon violence.
3. OLD MEETS NEW
3. OLD MEETS NEW
“Respect your elders!” cries out Old Meets New when Jem and the Holograms meet aging rocker Bobby Bailey and must come to his rescue, saving his studio/apartment from destruction. While the charity is, perhaps, a little more blue collar than The World Hunger Shindig it’s a nice passing of the torch idea from the old guard to the new guard and an exercise in mutual respect between the generations that sets a good precedent for the target viewing audience.
The Misfits are the parties responsible for the destruction of Bobby Bailey’s home to the point where they very nearly cause the death of a handful of people. This is definitely ones of those that escalated quickly scenarios, but it illustrates the character of the people who do not respect their elders.
Sadly, Bobby does make another appearance outside of Old Meets New, but he’s an easily relatable character that fits pretty easily into the Jem world, teaches a lesson and stands up as one of the better adult role models they encounter throughout the three season … Eric.
2. THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED
2. THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED
This episode gets a little dark and a little bit meta (in a similar style to The Fan), with the death of Jem – which, of course, includes her alter ego Jerrica – and viewers are informed of the death in the family by Kimber speaking directly to them. To my recollection, this is the only time any of the Jem characters break the fourth wall and I have to commend the show’s writers for giving the moment the appropriate gravitas … even if it is a bit intense of a kids’ show.
In Jerrica/Jem’s absence Starlight Music is bought out by Pizzazz’s father and they evilly build a hybrid rock group with former members of The Holograms, The Misfits and The Stingers in the amalgamation fans of the series were all secretly hoping for even if it came together under nefarious circumstances.
The Day the Music Died is not only a nice titular callback to American Pie and an actual event in music history, hinting at Jem’s cultural importance in a manner that, again, feels very meta given the show’s cultural impact. Fear not, Jerrica is not dead, merely shipwrecked in and soon to swoop back into stardom.
This episode of Jem knows how cool it is and celebrates that in an overblown, but fun, way.
1. THE FAN
1. THE FAN
Jem is all about the unnecessary dueling identities of Jerrica Benton and Jem the front woman. Although, strictly speaking, there’s no real reason for it, the device is a ton of fun, it’s a great vehicle for drama. The Fan turns on a scheme by The Misfits to uncover Jem’s true identity.
If you thought the plot of Hot Time in Hawai’i was crazy, strap in for this once: The Misfits construct a fake mansion, fill it with actors and actresses and try to get Jem to reveal her identity to them until she is inevitably confronted with her own doppelganger.
The reason this episode makes the top of the list is because of its sophistication. This is a plot device that’s been used in several stories before and after. It feels like a microcosm of Jerrica/Jem being trapped inside her secret identity until she strikes a balance.
It’s absurd, once again, in the cartoon style of the time, but it exists in that special unreality and speaks to the balance inherent in the Jerrica/Jem persona while addressing potential concerns brought up by celebrities and the fan culture that can spring up around them.
The Fan embodies every aspect of Jem and the Holograms along with the lesson to not take anything for granted.
