Kids who grew up in the 80s will remember Captain Planet and the Planeteers. Each week, the titular group of diverse heroes would champion the environment and battle against villains who pollute the earth.
In the show, Gaia, the spirit of the Earth, sends five magic rings to five chosen youths from around the world, known as the Planeteers.
By combining the power of the magic rings, the Planeteers can summon Captain Planet when they need help the most.
Is it true that one of the Planeteers was inspired by a Malaysian?
Verdict:
TRUE
In a 2012 Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) post, one of the co-creators of the animated series, Barbara Pyle, confirmed that Gi, the Planeteer who has the power of water, was inspired by human rights advocate and environmental lawyer Chee Yoke Ling.
Chee was also the executive director of the Third World Network, an independent non-profit international network of organisations and individuals involved in issues relating to development, developing countries and North-South affairs.
While the show debuted in 1990, Che only found out that she was the inspiration for Gi, a decade later, during a chance encounter with Pyle on the streets of New York.
Chee said in an interview that Pyle used to call her Gi because she could not pronounce the ‘ch’ sound.
In addition to Chee, Pyle also said that another Planeteer, Linka, who has the power of wind, was loosely based on German Green Party co-founder Petra Kelly, while Planeteer Ma-Ti, who has the power of heart, was based on Paulinho Paiakan, chief of the Kayapó people and one of the best-known Indigenous defenders of the Amazon rainforest.
While Captain Planet is a fictional character, you can contribute to making the planet greener and cleaner. Consider reducing the use of plastic bags and using tote bags instead, join a gotong-royong activity in the neighbourhood and make your home more climate-friendly.
Remember, the power is yours!
References:
https://grist.org/culture/
https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/
https://www.bfm.my/content/
https://malaysia.news.yahoo.
