If you ask any ‘90s kid who their favorite Power Ranger was, you’ve opened up a can of worms for a heated debate on which color was obviously the best. When I was a little kid, my favorite was the Yellow Ranger, Trini Kwan, because when I was five my favorite color was yellow, and by five-year-old logic, that’s a totally acceptable way to pick your favorite anything. However, with the newest installation to the franchise, “Power Rangers” is stirring up emotions from ‘90s kids around the globe as a live-action reboot of the series is set to hit theatres this spring; the Yellow Ranger in particular is making waves for many good reasons.
Portrayed in the 2017 iteration by singer Becky G (whose full name is Rebecca Marie Gomez and known for her bright, poppy and catchy singles like “Shower”), the character Trini’s contribution to the plot is very character-driven. Casting Becky G as the Yellow Ranger breaks Becky out of her pop-star mold and into an acting persona, while simultaneously bringing an important element to the table in Hollywood: diversity. In a field so dominated by straight, white actors, the Latina pop-star is representing the Latinx community in more than one way – her character is also questioning her sexuality, “dealing with girlfriend problems” throughout the film, according to the director, Dean Israelite.
Perhaps a double whammy of diversity, this inclusion is vital to multiple communities that often don’t get to see themselves represented in popular media. While the “Power Rangers” more often than not wear helmets that conceal their identities, the fact remains that there’s a person inside those superhero suits; a person with a significant life. Diversity and representation are being included more in recent films and shows, but Hollywood still has a long way to go by way of inclusion of under-represented minorities in the media. As Becky G told the Hollywood Star, “It makes me sad that it’s such a big deal, because it could have been done a long time ago.”
This reveal comes shortly after Disney unveiled that Gaston’s bumbling sidekick, LeFou, is questioning his own sexuality in the live-action remake of “The Beauty and the Beast”; demonstrating Disney’s first “openly gay moment” in a film. It’s a seemingly small element that ultimately got the film banned in countries like Kuwait and Malaysia and flagged as inappropriate for children under the age of 16 in Russia. Because of this, it’s evident that society and Hollywood is due for some more representation of diverse characters so that things like this aren’t seen as being “out of the norm.”
Becky G and the rest of the Rangers morph into theatres March 24, 2017.