1 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha and welcome to Stefan 2 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 1: I never told you a production of iHeartRadio. And welcome 3 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: to another sub sub sub sub segment of fictional women 4 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:25,759 Speaker 1: around the world. And disclaimer on this one. I have 5 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: seen this show, this show being Gargoyles, but it has 6 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 1: been a hot minute since I've seen it. 7 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 2: Is this the WB cartoon? 8 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, okay, okay, yeah, sure. Well, I just remember 9 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 1: my brother really liked it, and there's certain things I 10 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:48,560 Speaker 1: remember very clearly, but otherwise it's kind of a mess 11 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,200 Speaker 1: of all the Saturday morning cartoons I used to watch. 12 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: But today it's a bit of a shorter episode because 13 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 1: we're going on vacation, so we're trying to get a 14 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 1: lot of stuff done. Yes, well, we're talking about Elisa 15 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: Massa from the ninety show Gargoyles. She was voiced by 16 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 1: Sally Richardson and was this New York cop of Native 17 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:12,959 Speaker 1: American and African descent who became sort of their human liaison. 18 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:18,120 Speaker 1: She became like the person who helped the supernatural Gargoyles 19 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:20,760 Speaker 1: assimilate to the modern human world. 20 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 2: I'm just thinking about what it was out because I 21 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 2: guess I was a teenager with this out and I 22 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 2: don't I didn't watch many cartoons anyway, but it would 23 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 2: pop up on I want to say, on the WB 24 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 2: at that point and just thinking about it then didn't 25 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 2: think anything of it moving on cartoon as you describe it, 26 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:44,960 Speaker 2: like what the hell was the same? There's such a 27 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:48,200 Speaker 2: just the position of like remembering it and just thinking 28 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 2: it was normal to this moment of like what, oh wait, yeah, I've. 29 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 1: Never watched it. 30 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 2: I just remember bypassing and they're like, yeah, obviously come 31 00:01:59,880 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 2: to moving on obviously. 32 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, she was sort of there helping them assimilate. 33 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 1: I actually am excited to come back and do an 34 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: episode on April from the Teenage Mutan Ninja Turtles, who 35 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 1: I feel like played a similar role for the Turtles. 36 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 1: But anyway, according to some things I read, this character 37 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 1: was originally supposed to be a Hispanic woman named Chavez, 38 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 1: but they changed her heritage to match the actors. The 39 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 1: physical design of the character is also based on the actor. 40 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,079 Speaker 1: But yeah, let's really break your mind even more. Quick 41 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:39,919 Speaker 1: breakdown up the plot, Samantha, Here we Go. Gargoyles was 42 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 1: an animated show, but it stood out for the complexity 43 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: and darkness of its storylines, often with Shakespearean elements. It 44 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 1: was adapted to a Sega Genesis game in nineteen ninety five. 45 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: I had that game. They both follow supernatural nocturnal beings 46 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 1: called gargoyles that turned to stone during the The particular 47 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 1: clan of New York based Gargoyles the story follows is 48 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:09,359 Speaker 1: led by Goliath. He's their main guy. The Gargoyles used 49 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 1: to live in Scotland castles alongside humans until they were 50 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:17,920 Speaker 1: betrayed by the humans and so then in nineteen ninety four, 51 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 1: a rich tycoon named David Xanatos purchased Gargoyle Castle and 52 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: rebuilt it in New York on top of his skyscraper 53 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:31,720 Speaker 1: above the clouds, which met the requirements for reawakening of 54 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: the six of the remaining Gargoyles. NYPD Detective Elisa Massa, 55 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:41,120 Speaker 1: the Frenzy, is Gargoyles, though she's very skeptical. She's like, 56 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 1: what is this? 57 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 2: What is. 58 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: She's just skeptical. Together they confront supernatural threats to them 59 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: and the world at large and just a city life. 60 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: I feel like a lot of nineties things are about this, 61 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: Like you go to New York and yeah, and you're 62 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 1: like trying to save the world, but you're also trying 63 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,119 Speaker 1: to like eat some good pizza. It's a whole thing. 64 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: From the intro of season two, here is a quote 65 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: one thousand years ago, superstition in the Sword ruled. It 66 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 1: was a time of darkness. It was a world of fear. 67 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:20,480 Speaker 1: It was the age of Gargoyles, Stone by day, warriors 68 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 1: by night. We were betrayed by the humans we had 69 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 1: sworn to protect, frozen in stone by a magic spell 70 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: for a thousand years. Now here in Manhattan, the spell 71 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 1: is broken, and we live again. We are deafenders of 72 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:44,039 Speaker 1: the night. We are gargoyles. Good job, yes, thank you. 73 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 1: I feel like Christina could probably have just played that 74 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:50,240 Speaker 1: it would have been better, but I wanted to read 75 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 1: it because it's great. Maybe some creepy sound effects on 76 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 1: the steel can make. 77 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 2: That echo a little bit, please, yeah, yeah. 78 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: Give it some. So when Alisa first met the Gargoyles, 79 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:09,160 Speaker 1: she was, as I said, skeptical, but she soon befriended 80 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 1: Goliath over a shared drive to protect the innocent. She 81 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:15,560 Speaker 1: grows to care for the Gargoyles and does her best 82 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 1: to look out for them and protect them. She even 83 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:22,040 Speaker 1: spies on this rich tycoon guy x Antos. At one point, 84 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:26,600 Speaker 1: she is turned into a gargoyle temporarily herself, which allows 85 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 1: her to go against the big bad Demona, all with 86 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:32,919 Speaker 1: the added benefits of her human skills. So it's like 87 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:35,480 Speaker 1: she's at gargoyle, but also she's really good at all 88 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:40,359 Speaker 1: this other stuff that they're not good at. Of course, 89 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 1: eventually she falls in love with Goliath because yeah, awkward, 90 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:49,719 Speaker 1: I guess feelings. Goliath does return, but they don't pursue 91 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 1: them at first because they're afraid they can't have relationships 92 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 1: since they are different species. They eventually confess their love 93 00:05:55,680 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 1: for each other in the finale of season two. This 94 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: character really resonated and had a lasting impact. She regularly 95 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 1: comes up when I'm like feminist character, fictional feminist characters 96 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 1: I should talk about. A lot of people say she 97 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 1: was ahead of her time because this was the nineties 98 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: and she was kind of the lead. A detective Ellen 99 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 1: Yen from Batman is an homage to her. Here's a 100 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 1: quote from a tribe called Geek. While the show does 101 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:29,239 Speaker 1: show its age in some of the ways native cultures 102 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:31,920 Speaker 1: are portrayed, the idea that one must be modern or 103 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:35,880 Speaker 1: traditional that Alisa's implied hoping grandfather uses the Lakota word, 104 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:40,479 Speaker 1: using coyote and katina a little too interchangeably. It was 105 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 1: one of the early examples of a native character given 106 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:47,840 Speaker 1: some real depth in a popular show. And here's a 107 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 1: quote from What Culture. Alisa fears no evil and takes 108 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:54,400 Speaker 1: on all villains, no matter how big or small. Both 109 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 1: equal bravery and determination. If nothing else, her slapping the 110 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: taste out of influential bad guy is quite the spectacular sight. Yeah, 111 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:05,800 Speaker 1: I mean it sounds like everything I read it sounds 112 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 1: like she was just It's one of those things where 113 00:07:08,279 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 1: she was just a good character. Like it wasn't you're like, oh, yeah, 114 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 1: I like her. She seems strong. It didn't have all 115 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 1: these other like for a woman or something attached to it, 116 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 1: and people really the character resonated and it did really 117 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,000 Speaker 1: impact a lot of people, especially like when you're a 118 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 1: kid and you're watching these cartoons. Like I said, it 119 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 1: has been a minute since I have seen this. Reading 120 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 1: about it, I was kind of like, Oh, I want 121 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 1: to find this somewhere. It's got to be on YouTube, 122 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:45,280 Speaker 1: it's got to be somewhere. But yeah, I just I 123 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:49,080 Speaker 1: just wanted to bring it back, and I would love. Oh, 124 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: I would love to hear from listeners if you have 125 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:56,240 Speaker 1: more oh wow, if you have more recent experience, if 126 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 1: you if it really this character really made an impact 127 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 1: on you, any of your thought about goyles, Oh my 128 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 1: gosh wow. Okay, well this weekend, I know what I'm doing, 129 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: but yeah, we would love We would love to hear 130 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 1: from you about that. I do. I had so many 131 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:22,200 Speaker 1: cartoons when I was a kid that really stuck with 132 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:23,880 Speaker 1: me and impacted me, and I kind of want to 133 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 1: come back. I loved the X Men and I've been 134 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: meaning to talk about some more. Oh yeah, X people 135 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 1: on here the segment, but yeah, please let us know. 136 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:38,040 Speaker 1: You can write to us. Our email is stephaniea momstef 137 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 1: at iHeartMedia dot com. You can find us on Twitter 138 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 1: at MoMA Stuff podcast, or on Instagram and TikTok at 139 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:45,800 Speaker 1: stephan Never Told You. We have a tea public store 140 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:48,120 Speaker 1: and we'll have a book you can get wherever you 141 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: get your books. Thanks as always to our super producer 142 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:53,560 Speaker 1: Christina and executive producer Maya and your contributor Joey. Thank 143 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 1: you and thanks to you for listening. Stuff I Never 144 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 1: Told You is production of my heart Radio. For more 145 00:08:57,360 --> 00:08:58,959 Speaker 1: podcast on my heart Radio, you can check out the 146 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:01,280 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or reever you listen to 147 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:02,080 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.