(Untitled)

[android_raptor]

This is inspired by something I saw in the Disney/Lion King fandom, but it applies to pretty much anything.

As I've previously said, just because someone likes and/or sympathizes with villains (even ones you might find despicable) and thinks a hero might be a little less than pure and good does NOT automatically make them a 'Pantser. And it

Comments

[kyouketsusha]

What is a 'Pantser'?

Does it have to do with Draco In Leather Pants?

[kankurette]

I'm guessing it's someone who puts the 'leather pants' on a villain, ie they make the villain into this massive woobie and make excuses for all their actions and make out like the heroes are the real baddies. There is a bit of distinction between Pantsers and people who just like villains, though.

[android_raptor]

Hell, even sympathizing with a villain and thinking a hero isn't as good as they might appear isn't necessarily Pantsing IMHO. Draco in Leather Pants is an extreme reaction, and if someone is just putting a situation as more gray area instead of very black and white it's not pulling the trope.

Draco in Leather Pants seems to be going the same way as the term Mary-Sue. While it is a real phenomenon, it's definitely overused to describe things that don't actually apply and insult and belittle people for having different tastes.

[beata_malfoy]

I see this a LOT with Snape on TV Tropes. Quite a few entries imply (when they're not outright saying) that anyone who thinks he's a sympathetic character is giving him the DiLP treatment. I would love to learn the usernames of these tropers so I could redirect them to the "Jerkass Woobie" page and make them read it over carefully. There's a REASON the Jerkass Woobie trope exists: Because it's possible to find a character's actions despicable but still sympathize with them for their troubles regardless.

[android_raptor]

Hell even straight-up villains that might not be intended to be sympathetic still can be, and there's nothing wrong with that as long as someone can back up why they feel that way and don't whitewash them. Everyone's experiences as different, and just because someone related to Scar instead of Cinderella doesn't make their tastes any less valid IMHO.

That sucks about Snape, since I think pretty much anyone who's been bullied will relate to him on some level. Sounds like that's a backlash against his rabid fangirls, even though going in the opposite extreme doesn't make you any better than they are :/

And sometimes, it seems like the "backlash" is 10X worse than the original. What really sucks is that I feel like I'll just be accused of being a butthurt pantser if I try and call it out.

[android_raptor]

Yes. I'm using "Pantser" as an abbreviation for people who are guilty of the Draco in Leather Pants trope.