GG Meta: On Jenny, Vanessa, Nate, and why everyone needs to chill out.
Y so srs mean, Jenny fans? It's Gossip Girl, not a war.
Pardon me; I am going to meta now, and I am going to attempt to do it in as calm and reasonable a fashion as I can. First, I shall confess my personal biases: Nate is my favorite character, with Chuck a close second (and in fact, C/N is my OTP). I am fond of Serena- usually- and adore Eric. I lack strong feelings either way for Lily and for Rufus. Blair I used to dislike intensely; lately I have settled into watching her unfold with much less judgment. I'm partial to Serena, and have never cared for Jenny or Dan.
And I like Vanessa.
I don't love Vanessa; I don't adore her. I'm not desperately invested in her as an individual character. My interest in her is similar to my interest in Serena: I like her, I care what happens to her, but I don't flail and fangirl and spazz like I have been known to regarding Nate. However, Vanessa is the only character I forever feel obligated to defend, and for that reason I probably come off as loving her more than I do... but Vanessa seems to need defending, in this fandom. Specifically, there is a sharp and rather ugly split between Team Vanessa and Team Jenny, and I don't entirely understand why the two sides can't just play nice and agree to disagree.
Let's start, first of all, by examining the two characters. Let's face it, pretty much everyone on Gossip Girl (with the exception of Eric- how he remains so levelheaded in that environment is beyond me) has done at least one fairly despicable thing.
Vanessa, yes, stole and read the letter from Nate meant for Jenny. She also did admit to it later, apologize, and give it to him to do what he wanted with. Nate had the chance to go running to Jenny right then and tell her the whole thing was a big misunderstanding, and the odds are pretty high she would have gladly had him back, no further questions asked. But Nate didn't do that- and it seems to me the one the N/J supporters really ought to be mad at is Nate, because Vanessa did eventually try to set things right. True, she's also the one who messed them up in the first place- but tell me something. Do you really think Jenny, had she been in Vanessa's place, wouldn't have done exactly the same?
If you don't, I'd like to invite you to examine Jenny's past behavior. We first meet Jenny as the underdog who desperately wants acceptance, and certainly that's a sympathetic position to the watcher. Most of us have wanted, at one time or another, to be accepted by the popular crowd, to be part of the clique. Jenny was set up to be perhaps the most relateable character on the show, but as season one progressed the way she tried to get on top and become the Queen Bee got steadily more horrible. She spread rumors, she lied, she cheated, she stole, she abandoned her family and disobeyed her father countless times; she compromised every bit of personal integrity she had. In season two, her new goal is to take the fashion world by storm, and her means aren't really much classier there. Would Jenny steal a letter if doing so would get her what she wanted? I think the answer is a resounding yes. She stole a dress worth thousands, didn't she? And it was fear of getting caught, not pangs of conscience, that made her try to give it back.
So let's look at how the girls treat each other on the issue of Nate, and let's accept, for the sake of argument, that they both do have genuine feelings for him (I personally am not totally sure I agree with that in Jenny's case, but I'll go with it here in the interests of leveling the playing field and giving Jenny a fair shot despite my personal dislike of her). I think we can all agree that they both do awful things to try and get him, so the question becomes how awful are they relative to each other?
Taking the letter harms Jenny's chances of getting Nate, but doesn't harm Jenny from any other standpoint- except, arguably, emotional well-being. But again, Vanessa gives the letter back and admits what she did, which creates the potential for Jenny to come out on top, leaving Vanessa alone and spending the rest of the season in angsty self-recrimination.
Jenny in turn lashes out by publicly humiliating Vanessa in front of everyone their age as well as trying to keep her from getting Nate. She does try to run and warn here at the last second (and fails, but that's a moot point), which is one of the only times Jenny has really shown much sign of a conscience. I was rather surprised. In essence, then, both of them do something awful to the other, and both try to undo it to their own potential detriment (though in Jenny's case warning Vanessa might actually have helped her get Nate)- but Jenny's actions have a bigger potential impact on Vanessa's general social life than Vanessa's actions do.
I've heard it argued that Vanessa is the bad one here because she went along with 'not letting a guy come between our friendship' while going after Nate anyway. I, frankly, think this argument is full of crap. Again, you really think Jenny wouldn't have done likewise, if she had reason to believe Nate was still interested? You really think most teenage girls, period, wouldn't have? That isn't how it works. Teenage girls talk a good game about friendship over romance, but when push comes to shove they rarely stick with it. If the situation were reversed, I'm sure Vanessa fans would be every bit as indignant and spiteful about Jenny- but they'd be every bit as wrong to be.
Really, both characters have acted badly here. The sensible thing would have been for Jenny and Vanessa to sit down and talk like reasonable human beings, then go to Nate together and put the choice of who he wants to be with where it belongs: on him. But this is Gossip Girl, and that doesn't lead to a tangled plot of lies, resentment and backbiting, and so that isn't how it happened. Neither character is an innocent; neither camp has any right to the moral high ground. There is none. There's only Moral Low Ground and Moral Below Sea Level on Gossip Girl.
The real problem in this situation is not Vanessa. Nor is it Jenny, much as it may pain me to say it. No, the real problem is one Nathaniel Archibald. Chuck may be the resident playboy, but Nate is the manwhore (literally, at times). The simple fact of the matter is that Nate obviously doesn't have any idea who he really wants. To me, he comes off attention starved (and like the rest of the NJBC, we only seem to see his family when they are making his life hell) and directionless, knowing only that he wants to find his own way but not having any idea how to do that or what that way actually is. As a result he bounces between anyone who will give him affection without considering the consequences; he's only thinking about what feels good to him right at that moment. Because of that, Nate will never make up his mind, not until he has figured out what he really needs first. I don't think his intentions are malicious; I think the problem is that he doesn't have intentions. He acts on instinct and impulse, and is always sort of mystified by the wreck he leaves in his wake. Mark me, he won't be able to stay with Vanessa either, even if he does genuinely care about her- which I think he does. I think Nate has cared about all his women. Blair, who couldn't quite leave even when he felt so desperately trapped; Serena, who has been one of his closest friends since childhood; Catherine, whose husband he was desperately jealous of before things turned sour; Jenny, who he has felt sympathetic towards since long before their s.2 kiss; Vanessa, who he took to the SAT before they were at all serious because he wanted no opportunities to be closed to her. Nate always means well, but he goes about things all wrong, and it forever winds up leaving the girls pitted against each other- Serena and Blair, Vanessa and Catherine, Jenny and Vanessa. I don't think they're at fault for that; I don't blame them for wanting someone who is, at heart, well-intentioned and kind and gorgeous.
But because of that, I think the ridiculously partisan nature of N/J versus N/V has gotten way out of hand. I personally prefer N/V because I prefer Vanessa, and because Vanessa seems to make him so genuinely happy, which is a rarity for Nate- and his smile is gorgeous, it just lights him up. And I like that the focus of Jenny's plotlines isn't usually romantic, so having her on her own is fine with me- and her friendship with Eric and Jonathon is darling and would be detracted from if she had a boyfriend. Also, I think Vanessa is beautiful. For all these reasons, I ship N/V- but I can see why you wouldn't, and I certainly don't expect everyone to agree with me. (In fact, I'm used to not being agreed with at all in my shipping choices, as rarepairs are the name of my game). But I wish, so much, that it would be a peaceful disagreement, because as it stands now stumbling into a group of N/J shippers is like stumbling into a hornets' nest. I feel unwelcome and irrationally hated, and I feel like everyone around me is being needlessly cruel to a character and a ship I genuinely enjoy. I don't care for Jenny, but I try not to rail at her, and to keep my dislike grounded in the very real flaws in her character that don't sit well with me. I wish fandom as a whole could do the same and be mature about their tastes; it would be a much more pleasant place.
Come on, guys. Shipping wars are so five minutes ago.
XOXO
Pardon me; I am going to meta now, and I am going to attempt to do it in as calm and reasonable a fashion as I can. First, I shall confess my personal biases: Nate is my favorite character, with Chuck a close second (and in fact, C/N is my OTP). I am fond of Serena- usually- and adore Eric. I lack strong feelings either way for Lily and for Rufus. Blair I used to dislike intensely; lately I have settled into watching her unfold with much less judgment. I'm partial to Serena, and have never cared for Jenny or Dan.
And I like Vanessa.
I don't love Vanessa; I don't adore her. I'm not desperately invested in her as an individual character. My interest in her is similar to my interest in Serena: I like her, I care what happens to her, but I don't flail and fangirl and spazz like I have been known to regarding Nate. However, Vanessa is the only character I forever feel obligated to defend, and for that reason I probably come off as loving her more than I do... but Vanessa seems to need defending, in this fandom. Specifically, there is a sharp and rather ugly split between Team Vanessa and Team Jenny, and I don't entirely understand why the two sides can't just play nice and agree to disagree.
Let's start, first of all, by examining the two characters. Let's face it, pretty much everyone on Gossip Girl (with the exception of Eric- how he remains so levelheaded in that environment is beyond me) has done at least one fairly despicable thing.
Vanessa, yes, stole and read the letter from Nate meant for Jenny. She also did admit to it later, apologize, and give it to him to do what he wanted with. Nate had the chance to go running to Jenny right then and tell her the whole thing was a big misunderstanding, and the odds are pretty high she would have gladly had him back, no further questions asked. But Nate didn't do that- and it seems to me the one the N/J supporters really ought to be mad at is Nate, because Vanessa did eventually try to set things right. True, she's also the one who messed them up in the first place- but tell me something. Do you really think Jenny, had she been in Vanessa's place, wouldn't have done exactly the same?
If you don't, I'd like to invite you to examine Jenny's past behavior. We first meet Jenny as the underdog who desperately wants acceptance, and certainly that's a sympathetic position to the watcher. Most of us have wanted, at one time or another, to be accepted by the popular crowd, to be part of the clique. Jenny was set up to be perhaps the most relateable character on the show, but as season one progressed the way she tried to get on top and become the Queen Bee got steadily more horrible. She spread rumors, she lied, she cheated, she stole, she abandoned her family and disobeyed her father countless times; she compromised every bit of personal integrity she had. In season two, her new goal is to take the fashion world by storm, and her means aren't really much classier there. Would Jenny steal a letter if doing so would get her what she wanted? I think the answer is a resounding yes. She stole a dress worth thousands, didn't she? And it was fear of getting caught, not pangs of conscience, that made her try to give it back.
So let's look at how the girls treat each other on the issue of Nate, and let's accept, for the sake of argument, that they both do have genuine feelings for him (I personally am not totally sure I agree with that in Jenny's case, but I'll go with it here in the interests of leveling the playing field and giving Jenny a fair shot despite my personal dislike of her). I think we can all agree that they both do awful things to try and get him, so the question becomes how awful are they relative to each other?
Taking the letter harms Jenny's chances of getting Nate, but doesn't harm Jenny from any other standpoint- except, arguably, emotional well-being. But again, Vanessa gives the letter back and admits what she did, which creates the potential for Jenny to come out on top, leaving Vanessa alone and spending the rest of the season in angsty self-recrimination.
Jenny in turn lashes out by publicly humiliating Vanessa in front of everyone their age as well as trying to keep her from getting Nate. She does try to run and warn here at the last second (and fails, but that's a moot point), which is one of the only times Jenny has really shown much sign of a conscience. I was rather surprised. In essence, then, both of them do something awful to the other, and both try to undo it to their own potential detriment (though in Jenny's case warning Vanessa might actually have helped her get Nate)- but Jenny's actions have a bigger potential impact on Vanessa's general social life than Vanessa's actions do.
I've heard it argued that Vanessa is the bad one here because she went along with 'not letting a guy come between our friendship' while going after Nate anyway. I, frankly, think this argument is full of crap. Again, you really think Jenny wouldn't have done likewise, if she had reason to believe Nate was still interested? You really think most teenage girls, period, wouldn't have? That isn't how it works. Teenage girls talk a good game about friendship over romance, but when push comes to shove they rarely stick with it. If the situation were reversed, I'm sure Vanessa fans would be every bit as indignant and spiteful about Jenny- but they'd be every bit as wrong to be.
Really, both characters have acted badly here. The sensible thing would have been for Jenny and Vanessa to sit down and talk like reasonable human beings, then go to Nate together and put the choice of who he wants to be with where it belongs: on him. But this is Gossip Girl, and that doesn't lead to a tangled plot of lies, resentment and backbiting, and so that isn't how it happened. Neither character is an innocent; neither camp has any right to the moral high ground. There is none. There's only Moral Low Ground and Moral Below Sea Level on Gossip Girl.
The real problem in this situation is not Vanessa. Nor is it Jenny, much as it may pain me to say it. No, the real problem is one Nathaniel Archibald. Chuck may be the resident playboy, but Nate is the manwhore (literally, at times). The simple fact of the matter is that Nate obviously doesn't have any idea who he really wants. To me, he comes off attention starved (and like the rest of the NJBC, we only seem to see his family when they are making his life hell) and directionless, knowing only that he wants to find his own way but not having any idea how to do that or what that way actually is. As a result he bounces between anyone who will give him affection without considering the consequences; he's only thinking about what feels good to him right at that moment. Because of that, Nate will never make up his mind, not until he has figured out what he really needs first. I don't think his intentions are malicious; I think the problem is that he doesn't have intentions. He acts on instinct and impulse, and is always sort of mystified by the wreck he leaves in his wake. Mark me, he won't be able to stay with Vanessa either, even if he does genuinely care about her- which I think he does. I think Nate has cared about all his women. Blair, who couldn't quite leave even when he felt so desperately trapped; Serena, who has been one of his closest friends since childhood; Catherine, whose husband he was desperately jealous of before things turned sour; Jenny, who he has felt sympathetic towards since long before their s.2 kiss; Vanessa, who he took to the SAT before they were at all serious because he wanted no opportunities to be closed to her. Nate always means well, but he goes about things all wrong, and it forever winds up leaving the girls pitted against each other- Serena and Blair, Vanessa and Catherine, Jenny and Vanessa. I don't think they're at fault for that; I don't blame them for wanting someone who is, at heart, well-intentioned and kind and gorgeous.
But because of that, I think the ridiculously partisan nature of N/J versus N/V has gotten way out of hand. I personally prefer N/V because I prefer Vanessa, and because Vanessa seems to make him so genuinely happy, which is a rarity for Nate- and his smile is gorgeous, it just lights him up. And I like that the focus of Jenny's plotlines isn't usually romantic, so having her on her own is fine with me- and her friendship with Eric and Jonathon is darling and would be detracted from if she had a boyfriend. Also, I think Vanessa is beautiful. For all these reasons, I ship N/V- but I can see why you wouldn't, and I certainly don't expect everyone to agree with me. (In fact, I'm used to not being agreed with at all in my shipping choices, as rarepairs are the name of my game). But I wish, so much, that it would be a peaceful disagreement, because as it stands now stumbling into a group of N/J shippers is like stumbling into a hornets' nest. I feel unwelcome and irrationally hated, and I feel like everyone around me is being needlessly cruel to a character and a ship I genuinely enjoy. I don't care for Jenny, but I try not to rail at her, and to keep my dislike grounded in the very real flaws in her character that don't sit well with me. I wish fandom as a whole could do the same and be mature about their tastes; it would be a much more pleasant place.
Come on, guys. Shipping wars are so five minutes ago.
XOXO