When Disney Jr. launches a new pint-sized superhero online, it’s probably expecting giggles and sparkles. Hey Ajay! ——But something unexpected happened. Episode 8 of the animated series unveiled “Captain Durag,” a caped crusader who was meant to celebrate black culture but is now accused by critics of leaning into stereotypes. What was intended to be a funny show instead sparked a heated online debate, especially when the episode was launched during Black History Month.According to the show’s premise, “‘Hey AJ!’ is a high-energy adventure comedy that tells the story of AJ, a curious and imaginative 7-year-old girl.”The superhero wears a durag covering his face as a mask, a purple superhero costume and a cape. In the show, the superhero has his own show and serves as an inspiration for AJ. According to International Business Times, Captain Dulag taught her how to clean a house and fold laundry.The creators believed this was representation, but critics objected to this depiction. In the show, Captain Dulag’s legend is that he is a superhero who takes care of Slime City by cleaning up trash and fighting off trash monsters.In anOn TikTok, content creator Eli (elijxhvega) criticized the show. He said, “Should Captain Durag be some kind of representation? Like, am I missing something? This is not what we mean when we say we want black superheroes without power! Fact! This man, Martellus Bennett, needs to be tried for the crimes he has committed against the black community!”Eli called the show “ridiculous” and said it was not a satire but a children’s show. “So not only is this ridiculous and outrageous, but to air this shit during Black History Month requires some form of justice against this villain,” he said.Amid the backlash, one of the writers of “Hey AJ!” Response Captain Dulag received backlash from the community.Camille Corbett said in the X post that she created the character to celebrate black culture and give children a superhero of their own. She wrote: “I created the character Duragman who is now called Captain Duragman on the Disney show and hey AJ I just find that people find it problematic? I just want our culture to have a superhero of our own!”She added, “He’s just a homage to blaxploitation films and a satire of respectability politics.” Corbett also said Captain Durag will have many adventures in the coming episodes, saying: “The garbage man got his way! I don’t think we should belittle the work that makes our society work.”Corbett also posted on TikTok, encouraging everyone to “take a deep breath together and free ourselves from the constraints of respectability politics,” adding that black culture finally has a superhero.“Where is the joy? Why is everything so serious? We have to celebrate our people,” she said.She asked, “What’s better than using a durag? Because me, I own a six-foot durag and when I put it on, it makes me feel like a superhero. Why can’t someone be like AJ?”“I really beg you to give this show another chance,” Corbett added.
