Diverse Voices Make All The Difference
Animation and comedy are both two realms of entertainment that have historically been dominated by white men. That’s why it’s so important that Tuca and Bertie features diversity of all kinds behind the scenes.
First, there’s the main voice cast. The three main characters, Tuca, Bertie and Speckle are played by Tiffany Haddish, Ali Wong and Steven Yeun. This alone helps subvert the trend of white guys who get the lead roles in comedy and animation. All three of these voice actors breathe life into their characters, and it’s wonderful to have another platform for them to shine!
But that’s not all! Tuca and Bertie was created by Lisa Hanawalt, a major contributor to Bojack Horseman. And a cursory glance at the show’s IMDB page shows that there are numerous writers and directors who are women and racial diversity on staff.
In the case of Tuca and Bertie, it’s easy to see how a variety of voices from different backgrounds obviously contributed to the nuance, humor and overall quality of this show. Tuca and Bertie shows us that when more perspectives and voices are welcomed to the table, the art produced can be so much richer and even groundbreaking.
There’s no greater example of this, in my opinion, than the show’s ninth episode. A somewhat form-breaking “road trip” episode is used to mend the main characters’ friendship as they confront some of their major issues. Toward the end, there’s an empowering sequence involving cartoon bird women of different ages, backgrounds and sexual orientations that could feel hollow or unearned in another creator’s hands. However, I fully believe that the gender and racial parity behind the scenes contributed to showcasing different personalities and perspectives that made this moment so hilarious, frantic and impactful that I ended up crying with a big ol’ grin on my face.
Honestly, I could go on and on about how great and interesting Tuca and Bertie is. From the background jokes to the emotional honesty to the simply delightful gif-able moment of Bertie celebrating eating spicy chips, there’s so much to love and appreciate about this show. So do yourself a favor, and check out this wacky romp with two besties!