Futurama fans find hidden non-binary Pac-Man joke in old episode
Futurama finale (YouTube)
Eagle-eyed Futurama fans have spotted a joke about a fake non-binary version of Pac-Man in an old episode of the animated classic.
In a post on Reddit that has been viewed over 800,000 times, a user shared a screenshot of the hidden joke from an 18 year old episode.
The screengrab is from a scene set in an arcade, and a Pac-Man game can be seen in the background which reads: “Gender Neutral Pac-Person.”
Some Futurama fans said in the comments that the joke was referencing the creation of Ms. Pac-Man, which was released in 1982.
Ms Pac-Man did essentially the same thing as the male Pac-Man, and many were quick to point out that the male Pac-Man was not identifiable as male or female.
Despite this, game developers felt it necessary to create Ms Pac-Man. The character was different from Pac-Man because she had a bow on her head and wore high-heels.
“I often thought it was funny there was a Ms. Pac-Man anyway, since Pac-Man himself is just a yellow circle.”
– Reddit user
One fan responded to the post on Reddit, and said: “I noticed this watching the episode a few weeks back. God a good laugh out of it.
“I often thought it was funny there was a Ms. Pac-Man anyway, since Pac-Man himself is just a yellow circle.”
Another Futurama fan pointed out: “Isn’t Ms. Pac-Man kinda oxymoronic as a name? Wouldn’t Pac-Woman or Pac-Lady be a better name?”
Some Futurama fans say the joke is offensive
However, one fan called the joke – and Futurama – out for the joke, saying it was designed to mock non-binary and trans people.
The Reddit user pointed out that the same image was being shared in a transphobic thread and that people were “laughing their f**king asses off mocking us.”
“It’s not calling gender neutral a good thing, it’s calling them a joke and mocking them.”
– Reddit user
“It’s not calling gender neutral a good thing, it’s calling them a joke and mocking them with an absurd edit to a game tie.
“Do people just not understand that, or do people here just agree that gender neutral terms are jokes?”
Somebody else said: “Knowing what the writers of Futurama are like, they probably put that in there as a nod to trans people.”
Futurama finale (YouTube)
This is not the first time that the gender neutral Pac-Person from Futurama has been unearthed by mega-fans of the show.
A number of other threads, Facebook pages and Twitter posts over the years claim to have unearthed the joke.
Futurama: an LGBT+ fan favourite
Futurama – which ran from 1999-2013 – has long been a fan favourite in the LGBT+ community.
Created by Matt Groening – who also created The Simpsons – Futurama was nominated for various awards while it aired.
Despite finishing five years ago, Futurama continues to have a huge fanbase and remains a classic.
In one episode of Futurama, it is hinted that main character Philip J. Fry’s grandfather, Enos Fry, might be gay.
In the episode, Enos says: “Did you ever get the feeling you’re only going with girls ‘cause you’re supposed to?”
He also shows no interest in a pin-up calendar gifted to him by his grandfather, but he does have a picture of a shirtless man.
Sadly, the character was killed off in the episode.
