Is There a Double Standard in Torchwood Fandom?
I've got a killer headache, so I apologize if this is crabbier than usual, but it seems to me that certain members of fandom are holding Gwen/Rhys to a different standard than Jack/Ianto.
I refer to the infamous "pizza" line from Something Borrowed, where Gwen asks Jack what he will do while she is on her honeymoon and he replies jokingly, "You know, the usual. Pizza, Ianto, save the world a few times." and they giggle. I thought it was one of the funniest lines in the episode, and I've made the same sort of joke about my own dear husband of 20 years, but some people found it offensive. Strange, some of the funniest S1 icons showed Ianto looking at his PDA and finding Jack at the top of his "to-do" list. But maybe I'm wrong and they're right. Let's apply a little logic, shall we?
First, there's the question of ordering. The accusation is made that by putting Ianto on the list after pizza, Ianto is less important to Jack than pizza. But it's a three object list, not a two object list: pizza, Ianto, save the world. So:
If
Jack considers pizza more important than Ianto,
Then
Jack also considers pizza more important than saving the world.
Have we seen any sign that Jack considers pizza more important than saving the world?
Have we seen any sign that Jack considers anything more important than saving the world?
No?
Therefore
Either Jack thinks a Meat Feast is more important than saving the world or it's a list in ascending order of importance, not descending order of importance. Good grief.
But that's not the most astonishing accusation. The one that really knocked me for a loop, that has me more flabbergasted the longer I think about it, was made earlier today on DWF before it crashed that Jack dissed Ianto "Because you don't put someone you love on a to-do list."
What the Hell?
Seriously. WTH?
People, there is no quicker and more certain route to breakup and/or divorce than not putting spending time with someone you love on your to-do list. Every marriage counselor around will tell you the same thing: if you want to keep your relationship alive, you damn well better make your sweetheart a priority no matter how busy you are.
In other words, you put the person you love on your to-do list.
From all we've seen, the Torchwood Team live insanely busy lives. That Jack is willing to put Ianto on his to-do list right next to saving the world in order of importance says to me that he values their relationship a great deal.
But why am I moaning about double standards? Because Gwen is criticized for not doing the same thing that Jack is criticized for doing. Gwen is constantly slammed for not showing enough consideration for Rhys and their relationship.
In other words, Gwen is constantly slammed for not putting the one she loves on her to-do list.
You can't have it both ways. In this case, something can't be wrong for Jack/Ianto and right for Gwen/Rhys. Or, to put it logically, one of the following statements must be true and one of them must be false.
Either
Jack is wrong for putting Ianto on his to-do list and Gwen is right for not putting Rhys on her to-do list,
Or
Jack is right for putting Ianto on his to-do list and Gwen is wrong for not putting Rhys on her to-do list.
Which is it?
I refer to the infamous "pizza" line from Something Borrowed, where Gwen asks Jack what he will do while she is on her honeymoon and he replies jokingly, "You know, the usual. Pizza, Ianto, save the world a few times." and they giggle. I thought it was one of the funniest lines in the episode, and I've made the same sort of joke about my own dear husband of 20 years, but some people found it offensive. Strange, some of the funniest S1 icons showed Ianto looking at his PDA and finding Jack at the top of his "to-do" list. But maybe I'm wrong and they're right. Let's apply a little logic, shall we?
First, there's the question of ordering. The accusation is made that by putting Ianto on the list after pizza, Ianto is less important to Jack than pizza. But it's a three object list, not a two object list: pizza, Ianto, save the world. So:
If
Jack considers pizza more important than Ianto,
Then
Jack also considers pizza more important than saving the world.
Have we seen any sign that Jack considers pizza more important than saving the world?
Have we seen any sign that Jack considers anything more important than saving the world?
No?
Therefore
Either Jack thinks a Meat Feast is more important than saving the world or it's a list in ascending order of importance, not descending order of importance. Good grief.
But that's not the most astonishing accusation. The one that really knocked me for a loop, that has me more flabbergasted the longer I think about it, was made earlier today on DWF before it crashed that Jack dissed Ianto "Because you don't put someone you love on a to-do list."
What the Hell?
Seriously. WTH?
People, there is no quicker and more certain route to breakup and/or divorce than not putting spending time with someone you love on your to-do list. Every marriage counselor around will tell you the same thing: if you want to keep your relationship alive, you damn well better make your sweetheart a priority no matter how busy you are.
In other words, you put the person you love on your to-do list.
From all we've seen, the Torchwood Team live insanely busy lives. That Jack is willing to put Ianto on his to-do list right next to saving the world in order of importance says to me that he values their relationship a great deal.
But why am I moaning about double standards? Because Gwen is criticized for not doing the same thing that Jack is criticized for doing. Gwen is constantly slammed for not showing enough consideration for Rhys and their relationship.
In other words, Gwen is constantly slammed for not putting the one she loves on her to-do list.
You can't have it both ways. In this case, something can't be wrong for Jack/Ianto and right for Gwen/Rhys. Or, to put it logically, one of the following statements must be true and one of them must be false.
Either
Jack is wrong for putting Ianto on his to-do list and Gwen is right for not putting Rhys on her to-do list,
Or
Jack is right for putting Ianto on his to-do list and Gwen is wrong for not putting Rhys on her to-do list.
Which is it?