[fandom] Supernatural and Bones
Supernatural, "Time is on My Side"
Why a black man? Why? Two white guys torturing a black man - what is your problem, Supernatural?
"Obviously I want to hunt some zombies." Oh, Dean, me too.
The new ex-hunter, kind of awesome. "Folks like us, there ain't no happy ending. We all got it coming." How very, very true. If he ends up evil or dead, I am going to be so pissed. Goddamn, Supernatural, why is it so hard for you to write women and characters of color, especially men of color? WHY?
Like Bella. She can't just be a cold-blooded woman without some sort of implied sexual abuse?
And Sam is an idiot. He left the window open behind him? When he's likely being hunted by a madman? I just don't -- goddamn, he used to be smart. I mean, seriously. What the hell?
I do totally buy that Dean wouldn't become what he sees as a monster in the doctor. However, I don't buy that he would just bury the guy alive. That leaves too much open, too many possibilities. Cut and burn, including the book with his formula.
Of course, another woman presented as mostly evil who turned out to be a victim in the end and then (apparently) dies. Fab.
The season finale isn't up yet, of course, and I'm not sure I'm even looking forward to it. Supernatural continues to frustrate me to no end.
And there are lots of reasons why, which other people are saying so much better than I can right now!
trollprincess has analyzed gendered insults used in the series.
Season One | Season Two | Season Three
Here's the summary.
But basically here's what it looks like:
Season one -- Dean or Sam refer to a woman by a pejorative three times in twenty-two episodes.
Season two -- Dean or Sam refer to a woman by a pejorative three times in twenty-two episodes.
Season three -- Dean or Sam refer to a woman by a pejorative eighteen times in sixteen episodes.
People, there is some serious women-hating going on in Supernatural, and it has gotten so much worse this season. The first two look practically wonderful in comparison. I've always disliked the treatment of women in Supernatural, but it's so bad now it makes me sick.
Yes, I realize often the gendered insults are aimed at demons (and when fans say this, it seems to carry the implication that they deserve it), but that doesn't make a difference to me. What it does, over all, between the language and the way women are so often only allowed to be either victims or villains (and often virgin victims or whore villains), is make me feel like Supernatural doesn't want me. Like I am not welcome as a fan because I am a woman, and I am a woman who dislikes to hear gendered insults.
I don't think fans need to love all the women on the show (though it would be nice if certain vocal subsets of fandom [and not just Supernatural fandom] would deal with their issues with women), but I do think there is a serious problem.
medie has a response post to the numbers I found interesting.
cereta has a response to the responses to the numbers.
marinarusalka looks at the one-shot female characters in Supernatural.
---
As for Bones, "The Wannabe in the Weeds" was also frustrating, and lostakasha has a good post on why Fat Pam bothered me so much.
Why a black man? Why? Two white guys torturing a black man - what is your problem, Supernatural?
"Obviously I want to hunt some zombies." Oh, Dean, me too.
The new ex-hunter, kind of awesome. "Folks like us, there ain't no happy ending. We all got it coming." How very, very true. If he ends up evil or dead, I am going to be so pissed. Goddamn, Supernatural, why is it so hard for you to write women and characters of color, especially men of color? WHY?
Like Bella. She can't just be a cold-blooded woman without some sort of implied sexual abuse?
And Sam is an idiot. He left the window open behind him? When he's likely being hunted by a madman? I just don't -- goddamn, he used to be smart. I mean, seriously. What the hell?
I do totally buy that Dean wouldn't become what he sees as a monster in the doctor. However, I don't buy that he would just bury the guy alive. That leaves too much open, too many possibilities. Cut and burn, including the book with his formula.
Of course, another woman presented as mostly evil who turned out to be a victim in the end and then (apparently) dies. Fab.
The season finale isn't up yet, of course, and I'm not sure I'm even looking forward to it. Supernatural continues to frustrate me to no end.
And there are lots of reasons why, which other people are saying so much better than I can right now!
trollprincess has analyzed gendered insults used in the series.
Season One | Season Two | Season Three
Here's the summary.
But basically here's what it looks like:
Season one -- Dean or Sam refer to a woman by a pejorative three times in twenty-two episodes.
Season two -- Dean or Sam refer to a woman by a pejorative three times in twenty-two episodes.
Season three -- Dean or Sam refer to a woman by a pejorative eighteen times in sixteen episodes.
People, there is some serious women-hating going on in Supernatural, and it has gotten so much worse this season. The first two look practically wonderful in comparison. I've always disliked the treatment of women in Supernatural, but it's so bad now it makes me sick.
Yes, I realize often the gendered insults are aimed at demons (and when fans say this, it seems to carry the implication that they deserve it), but that doesn't make a difference to me. What it does, over all, between the language and the way women are so often only allowed to be either victims or villains (and often virgin victims or whore villains), is make me feel like Supernatural doesn't want me. Like I am not welcome as a fan because I am a woman, and I am a woman who dislikes to hear gendered insults.
I don't think fans need to love all the women on the show (though it would be nice if certain vocal subsets of fandom [and not just Supernatural fandom] would deal with their issues with women), but I do think there is a serious problem.
medie has a response post to the numbers I found interesting.
cereta has a response to the responses to the numbers.
marinarusalka looks at the one-shot female characters in Supernatural.
---
As for Bones, "The Wannabe in the Weeds" was also frustrating, and lostakasha has a good post on why Fat Pam bothered me so much.