Helluva Boss is NOT Normal About Women

Recap

After two years away from the subject, video essayist Victor—also known as Rottika—returns to Helluva Boss with a central argument: the show’s writing is persistently misogynistic. They clarify that they’re criticizing the work, not accusing its creators or fans of being bad people, and that criticism isn’t a call for censorship.

Sexism in the show’s humor

The video opens with an intentionally long montage of women in the show being called sexist slurs and insulted for their bodies, sexuality, or behavior. Victor argues that these lines aren’t harmless just because the series is an edgy comedy: the insults are often delivered by characters the audience is meant to root for, especially Blitz, and aimed at female characters the show has positioned as antagonists.

They also call out sexist background-character jokes, sexual harassment played for laughs, and the show’s tendency to treat sexually confident women more harshly than sexually confident men.

Moxxie and contempt for femininity

Victor argues that the show’s ridicule of Moxxie’s sensitivity, musical interests, femininity, and being pegged by Millie reflects contempt for femininity and for men who don’t conform to masculine expectations.

The episode “Unhappy Campers” receives a particularly heated critique. Moxxie disguises himself as a teenage girl and is mocked as ugly and ridiculous, while Millie’s male disguise is celebrated. Victor compares the gag to trans-misogynistic caricatures, while noting they don’t believe that was necessarily the creators’ intent. They also suggest that Moxxie’s social awkwardness and intense interests can read as neurodivergent-coded, making the constant bullying feel ableist as well.

Female characters and familiar stereotypes

The character-by-character analysis argues that many minor women are reduced to familiar sexist types: shrill divas, sex objects, one-note antagonists, or accessories to male characters’ stories. Victor points to Verosika’s repeated slut-shaming, the sexualized marketing of women with very little screen time, and the lack of meaningful relationships between female characters.

Barbie and the mothers of Blitz and Moxxie are also discussed as characters whose main purpose is to cause male characters angst.

Among the major characters:

• Loona is inconsistently written and rarely gets substantial relationships with other women.
• Millie, despite being part of the main trio, is underdeveloped and mostly used to support Moxxie or other characters’ arcs. Victor jokes darkly that after years of criticism about Millie being underused, the show’s next big development for her is making her pregnant—and quips that perhaps she should “yeet” the baby.
• Octavia could have offered an opportunity to explore a child caught in a painful divorce. Victor argues that her feelings and relationship with her mother are pushed aside in favor of Stolas’s perspective, even when Octavia has good reason to feel neglected by him.
• Stella becomes the focus of the video’s biggest “crash out.” Victor agrees that she is abusive but argues that the show writes her as a misogynistic caricature and avoids the complicated circumstances of her arranged marriage. The sharpest joke is aimed at her brother’s claim that she is “lucky” to be attractive. Victor’s response is essentially, “Your Honor, that is gross.”

Online commentary and the creator

The final section turns to online commentary about Helluva Boss and its creator, Vivienne Medrano. Victor condemns sexist attacks, sexualized speculation, and obsessive personal hostility—especially when the show is criticized for misogyny while its female creator is singled out and demeaned. Their point is that criticism should address the work without turning into bigotry against real people.

Conclusion

The video closes by acknowledging that flawed writing in a cartoon isn’t the world’s biggest problem, but arguing that casual sexism in media and fandom spaces still matters because it can shape how people treat one another.

Personalities discussed or heard

• Victor / Rottika — the video essayist and narrator
• ** Helluva Boss characters featured or discussed:** Blitzø, Moxxie, Millie, Loona, Octavia, Stella, Stolas, Verosika, Vortex, Beelzebub, Fizzarolli, Asmodeus, Barbie Wire, Sally May, Crimson, Mrs. Mayberry, Martha, Glitz, Glam, Chaz, and Andrealphus
• Other creators mentioned: Vivienne Medrano, Brandon Rogers, and Adam Neylan