The Dark Side of Power Rangers

It's morphin timeon py AO Triceratop SAU tiger go power back in 1993 western tv got a dose of something totally new and it took the World by storm enter the Power Rangers a show that has been sparking emotions and Imagination since its debut from its Real Life Martial Arts choreography to its CGI and lifelike special effects the Power Rangers Saga has held viewers in its great for literal decades from the very moment the theme music starts to play and the Rangers assemble you know you're in for an epic 30-minute adventure of battles jam-packed with Mighty Morphin action but underneath that Mighty Morphin action the costumes and the clever plot lines the show has had its fair share of dark secrets too soon you'll know everything I know about the Power Rangers that was kept silent for years to understand the drama off screen let's first take a look at its history previously on Power Rangers Rita's plan to place Tommy under an evil spell puts Jason before the Power Rangers graced us with their heroism an unassuming Japanese TV show quietly laid the foundation for the global entertainment sensation have you ever heard of Super Sentai it's a genre defining series originating in Japan and it was this show that provided the inspiration for the Power Rangers in the early 1970s Super Sentai flashed its way to nearly every TV screen in Japan it was also called dinosaur Squad sadron and it featured an ensemble of colorful Heroes who fought against evil with passion and a certain flare the series followed a simple formula Brave Heroes Mighty villains and colossal robots called meccas the show's charm lay in its masterful blend of action drama and the simple and pure joy of watching heroes unite to save the day what sets super centai apart is its ability to evolve without losing its Core Essence just like the Power Rangers each new season brought a fresh fresh team of Heroes complete with unique costumes weapons and personal struggles whether battling Space Invaders ancient evils or even time traveling adversaries Super Sentai amazed its audience through the power of unity and courage and it was only a matter of time before it was on the radar of rich media Executives wanting to bring it to the Western markets as we look back to the roots of the magic of the Power Rangers it's impossible to ignore the Striking similarities to Super Sentai it gave rise to a genre with strong themes of heroism friendship and the foundational core belief that good can actually triumph over evil that and their suits are also a little bit similar the idea to adapt the show for American audiences laid the groundwork for what would eventually become the Power Rangers the result the iconic Masterpiece that is the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers the tale began in 1993 when the first season of the Power Rangers battled their way onto screens with a literal lightning bolt created by ham Saban this unique show was literally a Melting Pot of East Meets West fusing footage from the Japanese superhero series super centai with original American scenes the weaving of the original Japanese footage with newly shot American scenes not only created a dynamic visual experience but it also showcased the fact that storytelling can be Universal viewers were instantly drawn to the charismatic team of teenagers Jason Kimberly Billy Trinny Zach and later Tommy who transformed into the Power Rangers to protect the world from the force of Darkness this mly crew of Heroes not only battled menacing villains but also navigated the normal challenges of adolescence that resonated with viewers on a deeply relatable level as the series evolved new and unique Ranger teams emerged from the mysterious Zoo Crystal to The Intergalactic Lost Galaxy the Power Rangers consistently reinvented themselves keeping the attention of new generations while staying true to their core values of unity courage and teamwork did you know that the third season of Power Rangers even introduced the teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to the mix if you're a fan of the classic Ninja Turtles like me this was an epic crossover event where the Power Rangers joined forces with the pizza loving reptilian Heroes to thwart evil together it was a collision of two massively iconic worlds that left fans of both franchises nearly peeing their pants in excitement imagine being a kid and your two biggest favorite superhero groups from two entirely separate worlds join together in hard pumping and ground stopping action to stop the villains dead in their tracks speaking of villains the Power Rangers truly knew how to illustrate the forces of evil the Power Rangers Rogues Gallery boasts some legendary villains but none are as iconic as Rita [Music] repulsa her Wicked cackles and devious schemes were brought to life by actress mishiko SOA what's truly astonishing is that mishiko SOA previously played a hero in the Japanese superai series before she took on the role as the villainous Rita repulsa the franchise has expanded far beyond television to Conquering the comic book World video games toys and even the big screen with featur link films despite the occasional controversies and changes the Power Rangers remain a cultural Touchstone today in a testament to the enduring power of camaraderie and the universal appeal of Heroes standing up against adversity from its modest Beginnings to its status as the mighty more phenomenal icon the Power Rangers have grown and transformed but their ability to ignite imagination Inspire action and bring generation together remains as strong as the morphan grid that powers them however despite how fondly the show is thought of by its Army of fans there are a number of controversies that have emerged around the show since it began in the 90s blue ranger back David yast who played Billy Cranston the brainy and resourceful Blue Ranger he was an instant favorite among fans of the show yast has been very vocal about his experiences during his time on the show and shed light on challenges he faced and the struggles endured behind the scenes as a young gay man he revealed that he experienced a toxic work environment of rampant homophobia he was subject to derogatory comments homophobic slurs and ridicule from members of the production team and even fellow cast members at one point his castmates were pulled aside by management and were questioned about his sexuality all of these things took a toll on his mental health and his emotional well-being he felt isolated and eventually fell into a dark depression as time went on the discrimination became increasingly unbearable to him ultimately driving him to consider taking his own life after years of enduring insults he finally made the decision to leave the show to protect his sanity initially his exit from the show was chocked up to pay issues but in 2010 he revealed the real reasons why he left the show after walking away from his role as Billy he tried to change his sexuality through corrective therapy which led him to a mental breakdown this is what he had to say about why he left the show he heard this insult from creators producers writers and even the directors he felt he was continually being told he wasn't worthy of being on the show and was definitely not a superhero however in recent news David yast has returned to the show as Billy and also a permanent Mentor in the newest season the 30th called Cosmic Fury this came after a cameo appearance in the 30th Anniversary Special it's actually pretty amazing to see David putting the difficult history behind him and going back to the Rangers this means that fans will get to see the iconic and original Blue Ranger however in a dark twist of fate there is someone who won't be reunited with their on-screen character Skyler [Music] delion Skyler delon's involvement with the Power Rangers took a dark turn when he plastered himself all over the news in a high-profile controversy delon's actions cast an eerie Shadow over the show's reputation and raised some questions about the entertainment industry's ability to deal with legal and ethical issues involving its own actors John Julius Jacobson Jr that's his real name but he took to the name Skyler delion as a stage name he appeared in the show in the late 1990s and was a big part of the legacy of Saban's Rangers delon's character development was impeccable he was confident bold and daring and created a relatable persona for viewers to relate to however delon's performance was later eclipsed by his involvement in a horrendous crime after he left the show he got married and began living a normal life but after running into financial hardship around the year 2002 he and his wife began committing crimes to get ahead including robbing small businesses however that would pale in comparison to what happened next in 2004 delion and his wife Jennifer Henderson had massive debts and devised a plan to lure a married couple onto their yacht under the pretense of wanting to purchase it for $435,000 tragically Thomas and Jackie Hawks were murdered tied to the Anchor of their yacht and thrown overboard in a fought to steal their assets their bodies were never found during the trial that followed Delon and his ex-wife were convicted of first-degree murder he was sentenced to death by lethal injection however due to the moratorium in California he will live out his days on death row his wife received a life sentence without the possibility of parole Skyler later changed his gender to female while in prison and now considers himself a woman Skyler preciosa delion he had apparently been researching gender reassignment surgery prior to his crime delon's conviction not only devastated the lives of the victim's families but also had repercussions for the Power Rangers franchise the association of a former cast member with a crime of this nature cast a cloud over the show and raised some eyebrows at the industry and its ability to ensure the moral character of its actors oddly enough another red ranger actor Jason Lawrence gyger also fell into a life of crime he was charged with wire fraud conspiracy and stole $3.5 million from the cares act that was designed to provide Financial relief during covid-19 he was just one of about 18 people involved in the scheme he faces up to 20 years in prison but the show has also damaged its own reputation over the years too destroy the Power [Music] Rangers what he do the Power Rangers franchise faced scrutiny for its handling of race issues and racial profiling particularly in its early Seasons many of its astute viewers were Keen to note many instances where the casting choices character developments and the representation of the colorful team have perpetuated harmful racial stereotypes their actions raised a lot of questions about diversity inclusivity and the need for responsible storytelling and Children's Entertainment one of the most curious controversies involved the casting choices for the Power Rangers in the debut season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers the black Ranger was portrayed by Walter Jones an African-American the yellow ranger was played by Tai Trang a Vietnamese American and the Pink Ranger by Amy Joe Johnson a very bubbly girly person personality and also a Caucasian these color-coded roles coincide with racial stereotypes that have long been associated with black Asian and white individuals the unfortunate correlation Drew accusations of insensitivity in racial profiling beyond the casting early seasons of the show sometimes portrayed characters in a manner that reinforced racial stereotypes for examples characters from Asian backgrounds were often portrayed as very techsavvy or even having impressive martial arts skills the criticism over racial issues prompted Saban to re-evaluate the approach as the show continued efforts were made to present characters from various ethnic backgrounds with diverse personalities abilities and storylines that moved Beyond stereotypes in other words they made sure that the colors of their suits had nothing to do with the color of their skin instead they decided to cast actors who represented their characters authentically you obviously don't know who you're dealing with Mr raisen head really yeah we're the Power Rangers the Power Rangers have been around for decades for one reason they are successful with success in this industry comes money you'd think that the actors were adequately paid for all the work they did after all many of them performed their own stunts and risked injuring themselves they also worked between 70 and 90 hours per week for the show that was a non-un production the Pink Ranger Amy Joe Johnson came forward in 2010 and revealed to the world that they were paid about $600 on weeks when they recorded two full episodes requiring them to work 15 hours a day 6 days a week keep in mind that these very same people who dawned the Power Ranger suits and shed Blood Sweat and literal tear for the job also had their very own action toys meanwhile the franchise generated about $1 billion every year the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of television and radio artists or sag Afra is an American labor union representing approximately 160,000 media professionals worldwide today back in 1998 sag for B Union actors to work for any Sabin production on account of claims that they exploited Child Actors and their parents refusing to pay union rates do you remember Zordon the weird blue thing The all- Knowing Galactic wizard that the Rangers turned to for wisdom that actor was given $150 for an entire day of filming that they used for about 150 episodes they paid him for some Voice work later as well and they just dubbed over his previous footage all in all he ended up making about $1,200 in total for his contributions to the show because there were no proper contracts in place his face was used in merchandising as well but he received no residuals and no royalties the problem with the pay being peanuts for the cast stretched beyond their personal checkbooks it also permeated into the show's production itself pink ranger Amy Joe Johnson came forward in a variety interview stating that the stunts they performed were so low budget in makeshift she admitted she nearly died on several occasions she said that some stage equipment had had once caught fire and nearly burned her alive that it should have never happened and it wouldn't have if it was a union production are the Power Rangers finished find out on the conclusion of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers miniseries next lastly Jason David Frank my personal favorite Power Ranger none other than Tommy as the Green Ranger he was an instant hit and a favorite to most fans especially when he returned as the infamous white ranger he was extensively involved in the show and even returned to fill in as the Red Turbo Ranger in 2002 the black Dino Ranger in 2004 a 2017 Cameo as a citizen of Angel Grove and in 2018 with a return to his roots as Tommy Oliver Jason was also involved in several other spin-offs of the show but was also well known for his fighting and martial arts skills with training in shoken wadu rayu Taekwondo Judo Brazilian jiu-jitsu Muay Thai Wing Chun jundo and Aikido he created his own blend of American Karate too kundo The Way of the Fist fighter or the way of the fighting fist on June 28th 2003 he was inducted into the world karate Union Hall of Fame Jason was even a Guinness World Record holder when he successfully broke the existing record for the most 1-in Pine boards broken during freef fall in 2017 he was targeted by a man named Matthew Sterling while attending ComicCon in Phoenix Arizona luckily the police were able to arrest Sterling before he got near Jason after being tipped off from social media threats made by sterling sterling brought an arsenal of weapons to the Phoenix Comic Con he was found guilty except insane and later committed to 252 years at the Arizona State Hospital Jason began attending a Christian church after the death of his brother Eric he married his first wife Shauna in 1994 and they had three children together before divorcing in 2001 in 2003 he married his second wife tamy and they had one daughter in 2022 Tammy filed for divorce on November 19th 2022 Frank was found dead in a hotel in Houston Texas having committed committed suicide Tammy who was also staying in the hotel explained that Frank had been struggling with depression and mental health issues such a tragic end to a legendary icon and an inspiration to many children over the years yet he maintains his legendary status to this day and his reputation won't be tarnished in my eyes instead he lives on as a symbol of confidence because when you watch him on screen you can't help but mimic him and feel like a true badass guess who's back I don't believe it so there you have it despite the dark clouds cast Over The Power Rangers at times in its 30 years of existence the massive Global fan base and continued Adoration of the show speaks volumes it has endured the test of time and presses on to its 30th season under its new owner Hasbro but now at least the cast are protected by sag after contracts that's all for today what did I miss let me know in the comments and thanks for watching morphin time Tiger Zord ah

Channel: Hear Me Out

Views: 13,507

Keywords: Mighty Morphin, Power Rangers Stunts, Power Rangers Exposed, Power Rangers Saga, Power Rangers Fandom, Power Rangers Villains, Power Rangers Controversy, Power Rangers Characters, Super Sentai, Dark Secrets, Power Rangers Production, Power Rangers Series, Power Rangers History, Jason David Frank, Power Rangers Documentary, Power Rangers, Power Rangers Secrets, Power Rangers Cast, Power Rangers Untold, Power Rangers Scandals, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

Id: RQ7zNsHdd20

Length: 17min 0sec (1020 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 25 2024