A super creepy theory regarding The Powerpuff Girls series has been circulating the web, and you'll be glad to hear it's almost definitely garbage. For those that need catching up, the show has sparked controversy with a storyline in which Blossom, who is the young red-headed superpowered kid, has a crush on a nerdy boy who resembles and is also voiced by a writer on the show. The theory is that the writer in question, Jake Goldman, personally injected himself into the series to carry out some sort of fantasy romance with an underage girl. We're relieved to report that many are coming forward to address why those claims are hogwash.
While the fact remains true that the character on The Powerpuff Girls, Jared Shapiro, is based on writer Jake Goldman, he had nothing to do with the character's appearance, according to Cartoon Network. Reports from io9 state that Jared Shapiro was the creation of two other people on the show, Haley Mancini and co-executive producer Bob Boyle, and that artists modeled Shapiro off of Jake Goldman because he fit the description of the character. Considering that the character was modeled after him, the staff thought it would be cool to have Goldman do the voice as well, which is pretty common in the world of animation.
The claims of Cartoon Network were further backed up by former storyboard artist for The Powerpuff Girls, Grace Kraft, who defended Jake Goldman and asserted that he has no sinister intentions:
While the rumors involving some weirdness on the part of Jake Goldman seem to have been put to rest, some critics of The Powerpuff Girls still think it's weird to have a member of their staff shaping a love interest storyline with a character who resembles them. Having Goldman's character appear shirtless and older in fantasies by Blossom, with her young age, are still viewed by some to be inappropriate in a show aimed at children. It's important to remember those two things are separate issues, and now that the facts have been laid out, perhaps folks will stop pursuing Goldman and potentially putting his career in jeopardy.
If you haven't had a chance to see The Powerpuff Girls reboot, Season 2 is currently airing on Cartoon Network with a new episode set for June 4th at 5:30 p.m. ET. If you're looking for more great television to watch this summer, make sure you're checking out our guide of all shows returning and premiering. If you're curious about shows that you watched this year and don't know if they'll be around in 2018, our renewal guide should be able to answer all of your questions.
