Jynx, known in Japan as Rougela, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon
franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Jynx first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and
Blue and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spinoff titles, or
animated and printed adaptations of the franchise. The character is voiced in Japanese by Mayumi
Tanaka and by Rachael Lillis in English. Jynx's design and humanoid appearance has
been heavily criticized by the Western media, most notably by cultural critic Carole Boston
Weatherford, who described Jynx as representing blackface after seeing the character's depiction
in the anime. Due to complaints, Game Freak modified its appearance by changing the original
color of its face from black to the current color, purple. Criticisms from 1UP.com and
similar sources have persisted.
Design and characteristics Jynx was one of several different designs
conceived by Game Freak's character development team and finalized by Ken Sugimori for the
first generation of Pocket Monsters games Red and Green, which were localized outside
of Japan as Pokémon Red and Blue. Originally called "Rougela" in Japanese, Nintendo decided
to give the various Pokémon species "clever and descriptive names" related to their appearance
or features, when translating the game for western audiences, as a means to make the
characters more relatable to American children. As a result, they were renamed "Jynx", a play
on the word "jinx". Also known as the "Human Shape" Pokémon,
Jynx is a female-only species that resemble short, large women. Originally portrayed with
a black face and hands, Jynx's design was changed to purple coloration after racial
criticism. In addition Jynx have large pink lips, saucer-like eyes, white arms, and long,
blond hair. The "clothes" they appear to wear are actually part of their body, resembling
a circular red bra and skirt. Jynx have no visible feet, and in the games leave no footprints.
Jynx has a pre-evolution, Smoochum, which evolves into Jynx when it receives enough
experience from battles. Jynx Pokémon walk in a dance-like fashion,
wiggling their hips in a manner described by Nintendo as "seductive". It uses dancing
to communicate, with the exact rhythm relying on its emotion at the time. The dance affects
people, causing them to themselves dance with no regard to their actions. Jynx speak in
a language that only other Jynx can understand, though the sound is described as similar to
human speech. This trait is carried on to games where Pokémon speak English such as
the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, with the text appearing as combinations of "X" '​s,
"O" '​s, punctuation marks, and/or musical notes, instead of legible words. Jynx are
psychic, and can attack either by kissing an opponent or launching "strange orbs" at
them, and can protect themselves with a psychically-generated barrier.
Appearances In video games
In Pokémon Red and Blue and their remakes, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, Jynx is available
by trade with an in-game NPC. It also appears in Pokémon Gold and Silver, Pokémon Diamond,
Pearl and Platinum, and Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. Because of the controversy
of Jynx's skin, it was changed from black to purple in Pokémon Stadium 2 and all later
games. Jynx is the evolved form of Smoochum. Outside of the main series, Jynx appeared
in Pokémon Snap, Pokémon Pinball, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers
of Darkness, and the Pokémon Ranger games. In anime
Jynx first appeared in the Pokémon anime in Holiday Hi-Jynx when one of Santa Claus's
Jynx was separated from him and Ash and friends helped to return the Jynx to her owner. The
episode was not re-aired in USA because of the controversy over her appearance. However,
it was placed on On-Demand on 2011, so people who live in the states couldv'e easily viewed
it then. Jynx appeared again in the episode The Ice Cave, which was not aired in English-speaking
countries for the same reason. Jynx also made a cameo as a doll that Misty wins. Jynx later
appears in Pokémon Orange Islands series, in episodes still present in American rotations.
Jynx made an appearance in a contest in All Things Bright and Beautifly. However, because
Jynx had been animated with black skin instead of purple, her 13-second appearance was cut
from the English dub. Jynx later appears in episodes 116 and 117 of Pokémon: Advanced
Generation, with the inoffensive purple skin color. Because the main order of these episodes
would have been during February which is also Black History Month, KidsWB chose to air these
episodes out of order and air them in April after the Hoenn Championship League episodes
as it would help build the ratings with the Grand Festival and Hoenn League episodes and
it would have avoided offending people during February due to the Jynx controversy. However
one exception was in the episode Hi Ho Silver Wind! where a purple Jynx had a minor cameo
which aired in February. These episodes were aired in the normal rotational order in the
UK. A trio of Jynx sisters were later depicted in the episode Three Jynx and a Baby. These
three Jynx were overly-protective towards their sister, a Smoochum. The Smoochum evolved
into a Jynx at the end of the episode. In printed material
Jynx's most notable role in the Pokémon manga is being under the ownership of Lorelei in
Pokémon Adventures. Lorelei's Jynx is noted for having the ability to generate voodoo
dolls out of ice using its Ice Beam. When Lorelei draws crosses on any part of the dolls
using her lipstick, ice shackles form on the specified body parts of her targets, eventually
freezing the victim over completely. Even after the victims are broken free, the freeze
induces lasting numbness in the areas where it was applied. Both Red and Sabrina suffered
this condition and had to seek a cure atop Mt. Silver by bathing in the hotsprings there.
Another ability of Lorelei's Jynx is revealed in the Sevii Islands saga: she can create
a wispy band of ice around targets, with which Lorelei can use to track down using her powder
case. Jynx has made a number of appearances in the
Pokémon Trading Card Game, with the black-skinned design before the Weatherford controversy,
and with the purple-skinned design after Nintendo regained control of the Pokémon TCG. Jynx
first appeared in the Base Set with her black-skinned design, but later reprints of this card have
the purple-skinned design. Controversy and reception
Jynx's appearance and design have received criticisms in various publications. Children's
book author and cultural critic Carole Boston Weatherford published an article in the Greensboro
News Record alleging that Jynx's design bore a striking resemblance to blackface actors,
an image considered racist against black people, and further described the Pokémon as "a dead
ringer for an obese drag queen." She further attacked the Pokémon in the magazine Advertising
Age, comparing it to Little Black Sambo and suggesting its name as also a possible derogatory
remark towards blacks relating to voodoo. Since then, the Jim Crow Museum at Ferris
State University has listed Jynx as an example of racism in modern material. In response,
Game Freak modified Jynx's design in localized versions of the games, a change which would
several years later be reflected in the Japanese versions of the games and the anime series.
In addition, episodes featuring the older Jynx design were censored, or completely removed
from televised syndication by Warner Bros. Criticisms still persist, such as 1UP.com
which, in an article discussing the "lamest Pokémon" of the series, referred to it as
the "infamous blackface Pokémon". Washington Post writer Mary C. Morton described Jynx
as having "explicitly, albeit grossly caricatured, womanly features", and challenged the assertion
that the games crossed gender barriers with such. In their podcast, Retronauts, they emphasized
it further, noting the design as "creepy" and that it maintained the issue of racism
still. IGN also criticized the design, characterizing Jynx as a "transvestite midget in racially
offensive makeup". GameDaily ranked it first on their list of the "Top 10 Weirdest Looking
Pokémon", noting its design suggested the presence of breasts, and echoing qualms regarding
its resemblance to blackface performers. Games.net ranked it fourth on their "Top 10 Disturbingly
Sexual Game Characters" list, questioning why the character was clothed in what resembled
a "slinky dress and push-up bra". On the other hand, the book Gaming Cultures and Place in
Asia-Pacific defended Jynx's design, suggesting Sugimori developed it to draw upon the humor
of heta-uma, and described the design as oscillating between the poles of good and bad, as a result
offering diversity within the game and inviting scrutiny from players. GamesRadar described
Magmar and Jynx as the Romeo and Juliet of Pokémon. GamesRadar's Carolyn Gudmundson
compared Jynx to the Gothita line due to both's designs being based on an "overtly feminine
form", though describing Gothita's line as "way less creepy". Author Loredana Lipperini
described Jynx as an "opera singer". GamesRadar editor Carolyn Gudmundson listed "Humanoid"
as one of the most overused Pokémon designs, listing Jynx and Mr. Mime as one of "the most
infamous" examples. See also
Pokémon episodes removed from rotation, a list of episodes of the anime removed due
to various controversies, including an episode removed due to featuring Jynx.
References
External links Jynx on Bulbapedia