‘Rugrats’ reboot rewrites Phil and Lil’s mother as an openly gay single mom
It's been 17 years since the toddler-themed Nickelodeon show Rugrats graced our screens, and though the babies haven't grown up for the 2021 reboot, the times have changed a lot!
The 2021 reboot presented by streaming service Paramount Plus sees the familiar pack of toddlers in CG animation and still played by their original voice actors E.G. Daily (Tommy Pickles), Cheryl Chase (Angelica Pickles), Cree Summer (Susie Carmichael), and Kath Soucie (twins Phil and Lil DeVille). The premise remains the same, but there's one detail change that's since turned heads.
Betty DeVille, the mother of twins Phil & Lil, will now be showcased as an openly gay single mom, as opposed to her 1990s portrayal of being married to the meek Howard DeVille.
"It wasn’t really spoken of back then because we did do it a while ago. We just love her, period," Tommy Pickle's voice actor E.G. Daily said on whether or not the orientation change was planned.
Betty’s voice actor Natalie Morales also confirmed the news with review site A.V. Club.
"I think it's just so great because examples of living your life happily and healthily as an out queer person is just such a beacon for young queer people who may not have examples of that"
“...even cartoons were hugely influential for me as a kid and if I'd been watching Rugrats and seen Betty casually talking about her ex-girlfriend, I think at least a part of me would have felt like things might be okay in the future," she furthered. There are reportedly even some scenes of Betty candidly talking about an ex-girlfriend.
Meanwhile, the Rugrats reboot has already dropped via streaming service Paramount+, which has yet to reach Philippine shores.