Thoughts on Mary Sues

[missapocalyptic]

I missed the big Mary Sue party that took place on Metafandom a while ago - I'll just say this is a response to the ongoing gender debate, so I don't look completely behind of everyone else - mostly because I didn't know how to express my thoughts on the subjects. It was like I had a point to make, but hadn't quite figured out what this point

Comments

[catwalksalone]

Oh, I like this. And I agree with you. Because what's the point of the theory that 'Mary Sues are women who get to have it all' when the only 'all' available is conformity to media mores? If the whole impetus between (especially younger) writers putting Mary Sues into their fic is as wish fulfillment, then that makes me sad, because they are wishing to be perfect in every way that they feel they are expected to be. OK, the violet eyes and silver hair are meant to make them stand out, but only in a supermodel kind of way.

I don't think it's lowering expectations of women and their abilities to have an ordinary woman in a fic doing extraordinary things. In fact, it's way more of an achievement if a slightly overweight, self-deprecating, messy, disliked by her boss and confused about her sexuality woman manages to save the cheerleader, save the world and get the guy/girl and get the thanks of a grateful nation and has some hot sex and gets promoted and gets a pony. Ten ponies. Fifteen. Because what message are Mary Sues giving - you could do all this if you were perfect? How about, you can do your damndest to get all of this no matter who you are?

Brain. Fuzzy. Lost. Thread.

[missapocalyptic]

If the whole impetus between (especially younger) writers putting Mary Sues into their fic is as wish fulfillment, then that makes me sad, because they are wishing to be perfect in every way that they feel they are expected to be.

I was searching my brain for this sentence while I was writing this the whole time. And you found it. Thanks. ;)

And yay for the OFC you just decided to write there... *g*