Ranty McRantRant, or Why Ashe is NOT An "Emasculating Bitch"
*rant mode: ON*
There seems to be a disturbing consensus regarding Ashe among some FFXII fans I've talked to recently.
That consensus is, more or less, "What an emasculating bitch." I've also heard "the princess of PMS" and other equally flattering terms.
There's nothing wrong with disliking a character, obviously -- some characters just don't appeal to some people, and that's fine. But the language their dislike is couched in...well, it reeks of misogyny, honestly. And that ticks me off.
The language seems so specifically targeted towards her (admittedly) aggressive behavior and how that kind of behavior is unacceptable or wrong in female characters. She's a bitch, they say. A shrew. PMSing. All very gender-specific insults. All language designed to make aggressive impulses in women seem unnatural and wrong, because such behavior apparently deprives male characters of the strength they ought to possess, and that's just wrong. *eyeroll* Their objections to Ashe's character seem so specifically rooted in the fact that she's female -- not that they think her actions are misguided, which you can certainly make a case for if you want to, but that because she is a woman, her actions are unacceptable. Her flaws and missteps become not character flaws, but evidence of inappropriate female behavior.
Now, is Ashe wound a little tight? Yeah, probably. Can she get snippy? Yes. Yes she can. Are those all valid things to dislike about her character? Yes, they are. But phrasing those objections in that kind of language just isn't cool. Say that you dislike those traits; don't imply that you find those traits unacceptable in females in general. By calling Ashe a bitch and a shrew, that's essentially what these fans are implying. They condemn all women, not just Ashe.
I keep imagining what their reaction would be if Princess Ashe was Prince Asher. I can't help but think that these fan-nitwits would find her aggression appropriate and even commendable, and that they would dismiss any shortness of manner or reservation as "typical male behavior." And that's what gets me most -- not the dislike of Ashe, but how gender-specific that dislike seems to be.
I don't know. I might be getting ridiculously oversensitive. Any thoughts from you guys?
There seems to be a disturbing consensus regarding Ashe among some FFXII fans I've talked to recently.
That consensus is, more or less, "What an emasculating bitch." I've also heard "the princess of PMS" and other equally flattering terms.
There's nothing wrong with disliking a character, obviously -- some characters just don't appeal to some people, and that's fine. But the language their dislike is couched in...well, it reeks of misogyny, honestly. And that ticks me off.
The language seems so specifically targeted towards her (admittedly) aggressive behavior and how that kind of behavior is unacceptable or wrong in female characters. She's a bitch, they say. A shrew. PMSing. All very gender-specific insults. All language designed to make aggressive impulses in women seem unnatural and wrong, because such behavior apparently deprives male characters of the strength they ought to possess, and that's just wrong. *eyeroll* Their objections to Ashe's character seem so specifically rooted in the fact that she's female -- not that they think her actions are misguided, which you can certainly make a case for if you want to, but that because she is a woman, her actions are unacceptable. Her flaws and missteps become not character flaws, but evidence of inappropriate female behavior.
Now, is Ashe wound a little tight? Yeah, probably. Can she get snippy? Yes. Yes she can. Are those all valid things to dislike about her character? Yes, they are. But phrasing those objections in that kind of language just isn't cool. Say that you dislike those traits; don't imply that you find those traits unacceptable in females in general. By calling Ashe a bitch and a shrew, that's essentially what these fans are implying. They condemn all women, not just Ashe.
I keep imagining what their reaction would be if Princess Ashe was Prince Asher. I can't help but think that these fan-nitwits would find her aggression appropriate and even commendable, and that they would dismiss any shortness of manner or reservation as "typical male behavior." And that's what gets me most -- not the dislike of Ashe, but how gender-specific that dislike seems to be.
I don't know. I might be getting ridiculously oversensitive. Any thoughts from you guys?