Jumping right into this
On one hand, I really dislike fanfiction about Eddie where he's not getting some sort of comeuppance, or where he's in some sort of (semi-loving, at the least) relationship, or basically where the fans do exactly what Alan Moore did and justify the things Eddie did by going 'oh well look at this!' I get that all in all this is an immature way of looking at the character and how we should deal with him, but still...I can't help that little cringe when I see Eddie being written as anything other than a dick.
On the other hand, I want nothing more than to write* fanfiction that explores who the hell Eddie is, beyond violence and The Joke (TM). This kind of mandates...well, not necessarily not showing him as a dick, but at least putting his dickishness in a neutral light that lets you explore his better nature and things like 'he was gentle, and you know what that means in a guy like that?' Every time I do this, I get a little uncomfortable, like, am I exploring him as a character or am I just doing this to justify why I like him? But people are not that simple, and ignoring the fact that Eddie is probably a sad little kid inside isn't going to change anything or offer any better insight to his character, especially because we all know that he never actually acts like a sad little kid so it's not like it makes a difference to poke the sad little kid and watch him cry a little while oh god that sounds awful I'm sorry to the wooorrrlllddd. ...on the other other hand, though, I have this tendency of seeing vile characters and wanting to flesh them out beyond 'EVIL BASTARD,' especially if canon doesn't do it (which, granted, Watchmen pretty much does with Eddie). I mean, they at one point could not see over the top of the cabinet and gaahhh.
Basically: I want to keep writing Eddie as a token rapist/jackass** because it kind of bothers me when people don't but I also really really hate dumbing his character down.
(And of course there is a very easy quick fix: Stop writing about Eddie! :O Shock awe)
* This may or may not be a product of the same ego that makes me avoid shota/pedo fic like...um. I am only thinking of offensive similes here, just, imagine someone avoiding something VERY INTENSELY AND ACTIVELY. The point is, I'll write it but I rarely ever read it.
** I mean I'm not doing that (/trying not to do that, anyway) in the Vietnam AU (which is why I'm writing this post at all) but pretty much everything outside of that turns him into that so, yeah.
On the other hand, I want nothing more than to write* fanfiction that explores who the hell Eddie is, beyond violence and The Joke (TM). This kind of mandates...well, not necessarily not showing him as a dick, but at least putting his dickishness in a neutral light that lets you explore his better nature and things like 'he was gentle, and you know what that means in a guy like that?' Every time I do this, I get a little uncomfortable, like, am I exploring him as a character or am I just doing this to justify why I like him? But people are not that simple, and ignoring the fact that Eddie is probably a sad little kid inside isn't going to change anything or offer any better insight to his character, especially because we all know that he never actually acts like a sad little kid so it's not like it makes a difference to poke the sad little kid and watch him cry a little while oh god that sounds awful I'm sorry to the wooorrrlllddd. ...on the other other hand, though, I have this tendency of seeing vile characters and wanting to flesh them out beyond 'EVIL BASTARD,' especially if canon doesn't do it (which, granted, Watchmen pretty much does with Eddie). I mean, they at one point could not see over the top of the cabinet and gaahhh.
Basically: I want to keep writing Eddie as a token rapist/jackass** because it kind of bothers me when people don't but I also really really hate dumbing his character down.
(And of course there is a very easy quick fix: Stop writing about Eddie! :O Shock awe)
* This may or may not be a product of the same ego that makes me avoid shota/pedo fic like...um. I am only thinking of offensive similes here, just, imagine someone avoiding something VERY INTENSELY AND ACTIVELY. The point is, I'll write it but I rarely ever read it.
** I mean I'm not doing that (/trying not to do that, anyway) in the Vietnam AU (which is why I'm writing this post at all) but pretty much everything outside of that turns him into that so, yeah.