>>124677405>He-Man was initially marketed as a toy for boys who felt powerless in their own lives, and for the first time the boys division of Mattel sold more than the girls division leading to the girls division to create She-Ra as a response.It wasn't as vindictive as you make it sound.
According to designer Roger Sweet's book "Mastering the Universe", Mattel sent out customer surveys and found that 20-38% of the action figures were being bought for girls. He-Man and competitor Hasbro's big toylines were being supported by syndicated animated series, and TV syndicators paid the maximum amount for shows with 100 or more episodes. After two seasons, He-Man already had 130 episodes, so Filmation would have gained absolutely zero beyond what Mattel paid to make more. Hence a spinoff cartoon was needed, and they went with the girl thing because of their research.
