Day 22 took a day off, and then tried again with mixed results
Day Twenty-Two: Favorite female character you love but everyone else hates
I couldn't figure out what to write and then I got distracted by RSC's Hamlet because David Tennant. Watch this space.
*ahemhm* *tries again*
I realised only this morning (*headdesk*) that I've already explicitly answered this, only under "character growth arc" day since that was what I wanted to actually talk about, rather than her relative measure of fandom belovedness. I did have an idea or two for today, but it's all seriously fizzling out on me.
Day Twenty-Two: Favorite female character you love but everyone else hates this whole question makes me tired
So. Apart from Lori Grimes, I really don't have enough handle on any fandom to know who "everyone hates", which is a frustrating phrase for anyone as literal as me anyhow, especially given fandom's propensity to swing like a contrary, judgemental pendulum. And part of this is why I started doing this meme in the first place: I don't understand fandom's take on women, be it positive or negative. There's some kind of narrative filter of what's okay and what's not and if there's a decoder ring I obviously bought the wrong cereal, so all that shows up is HDU![thing] == ???[???! ]
For example, as mentioned, Bela was once a relatively safe answer for that in Supernatural circles; these days I'd take a stab at Becky or Amelia, but there's a reason I shuffled backwards out of wider fandom a while back. Fandom's little mindscrew games when it comes to women anything on this damn Show is the kind of manipulative, abusive relationship I try to avoid in my personal life. I'm sure SPN fandom isn't the only place that gets that toxic; I've heard about a few others, and that the nature of fandom is evolving, tumblr, SJW culture, etc etc. And that's a case of pass the popcorn; what I've seen of fandom only confirms my "people are people" cynicism, and I can easily keep my distance to watch and point and laugh at the trainwreck if I want. But with Show, Show'o'MyHeart, the soul-deep story it's telling, the characters that live right there inside my ribcage, right in between each surge of blood and swell of breath ... yeah. There's no distance from Show that doesn't cost too much and the popcorn is salted with bitter, bitter, really fucking annoyed tears.
I've gone back and forth on saying this for a very long time, but whatever, stupid questions make me reckless. So let me say this, then: I love Show, I love what Show does, I love the way Show handles its characters, male or female. I refuse to pile on excuses, all the half-embarrassed, ass-covering "I love the show, in spite of ALL THE FAIL!ISSUES." No. I think it's an incredible, brilliant, heartbreaking, gorgeous show. I think it's as close to a perfect show as I'm ever going to see. I'm unbelievably glad it's still going. No ifs buts or maybes. I've tried reading the screeds on why they're writing [whatever] wrong, or they just don't get it! or WTF-ever the complaint is. I've read stuff that's come from a place of entitlement, stuff that's from a place of real pain and distress, stuff that's from a place of ignorance or confusion, stuff that's from a place of easy targeting or internet trendiness, stuff that's from a place of issues projected so hard they can barely see what they're projecting onto. The one thing they all have in common? The attitude, conscious or not, of what the show's doing for them, rather than on what the show's doing.
The Women of SPN? FUCKING AMAZING. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. And hey! I don't separate them from the writing on the show, or what is done with them, because guess what? That IS them. The writers aren't just routinely lucking into these incredible characters that only we ~truly understand~ and care about ~the way they deserve~. They come into view through the lens of SamnDean's story, because we're watching SamnDean's story (ffs), but that's never Show's judgement on the value of these women. (Or men.) They are never just props to service the story, and the narrative never treats them that way. Some are strong, some are weak, some make good choices, some make bad choices, some are crushed, some are spared, some live, some die. All of them are as independently storied, nuanced, human as they can be made within the constraints of screentime, and that is the highest mark of respect I've seen in storytelling, genre or not. Show completely understands and loves its characters. Every. single. one. And this is how it shows it.
Show is a tragedy that's always, always, always fighting toward hope. Tragedy is about destruction, fighting is about cost, and hope is about getting up again just one more time, every time. If it's the pretty pretty angst you want that's tragedy with its fingers crossed behind its back, that pulls its punches, that doesn't take a horrific toll on everything it grinds over, then there are plenty of other shows out there for that, and best of luck with them. That is not Show. That is why Show is o'MyHeart, and you'll not pry it out of there until it stops beating.
master list
I couldn't figure out what to write and then I got distracted by RSC's Hamlet because David Tennant. Watch this space.
*ahemhm* *tries again*
I realised only this morning (*headdesk*) that I've already explicitly answered this, only under "character growth arc" day since that was what I wanted to actually talk about, rather than her relative measure of fandom belovedness. I did have an idea or two for today, but it's all seriously fizzling out on me.
Day Twenty-Two: Favorite female character you love but everyone else hates this whole question makes me tired
So. Apart from Lori Grimes, I really don't have enough handle on any fandom to know who "everyone hates", which is a frustrating phrase for anyone as literal as me anyhow, especially given fandom's propensity to swing like a contrary, judgemental pendulum. And part of this is why I started doing this meme in the first place: I don't understand fandom's take on women, be it positive or negative. There's some kind of narrative filter of what's okay and what's not and if there's a decoder ring I obviously bought the wrong cereal, so all that shows up is HDU![thing] == ???[???! ]
For example, as mentioned, Bela was once a relatively safe answer for that in Supernatural circles; these days I'd take a stab at Becky or Amelia, but there's a reason I shuffled backwards out of wider fandom a while back. Fandom's little mindscrew games when it comes to women anything on this damn Show is the kind of manipulative, abusive relationship I try to avoid in my personal life. I'm sure SPN fandom isn't the only place that gets that toxic; I've heard about a few others, and that the nature of fandom is evolving, tumblr, SJW culture, etc etc. And that's a case of pass the popcorn; what I've seen of fandom only confirms my "people are people" cynicism, and I can easily keep my distance to watch and point and laugh at the trainwreck if I want. But with Show, Show'o'MyHeart, the soul-deep story it's telling, the characters that live right there inside my ribcage, right in between each surge of blood and swell of breath ... yeah. There's no distance from Show that doesn't cost too much and the popcorn is salted with bitter, bitter, really fucking annoyed tears.
I've gone back and forth on saying this for a very long time, but whatever, stupid questions make me reckless. So let me say this, then: I love Show, I love what Show does, I love the way Show handles its characters, male or female. I refuse to pile on excuses, all the half-embarrassed, ass-covering "I love the show, in spite of ALL THE FAIL!ISSUES." No. I think it's an incredible, brilliant, heartbreaking, gorgeous show. I think it's as close to a perfect show as I'm ever going to see. I'm unbelievably glad it's still going. No ifs buts or maybes. I've tried reading the screeds on why they're writing [whatever] wrong, or they just don't get it! or WTF-ever the complaint is. I've read stuff that's come from a place of entitlement, stuff that's from a place of real pain and distress, stuff that's from a place of ignorance or confusion, stuff that's from a place of easy targeting or internet trendiness, stuff that's from a place of issues projected so hard they can barely see what they're projecting onto. The one thing they all have in common? The attitude, conscious or not, of what the show's doing for them, rather than on what the show's doing.
The Women of SPN? FUCKING AMAZING. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. And hey! I don't separate them from the writing on the show, or what is done with them, because guess what? That IS them. The writers aren't just routinely lucking into these incredible characters that only we ~truly understand~ and care about ~the way they deserve~. They come into view through the lens of SamnDean's story, because we're watching SamnDean's story (ffs), but that's never Show's judgement on the value of these women. (Or men.) They are never just props to service the story, and the narrative never treats them that way. Some are strong, some are weak, some make good choices, some make bad choices, some are crushed, some are spared, some live, some die. All of them are as independently storied, nuanced, human as they can be made within the constraints of screentime, and that is the highest mark of respect I've seen in storytelling, genre or not. Show completely understands and loves its characters. Every. single. one. And this is how it shows it.
Show is a tragedy that's always, always, always fighting toward hope. Tragedy is about destruction, fighting is about cost, and hope is about getting up again just one more time, every time. If it's the pretty pretty angst you want that's tragedy with its fingers crossed behind its back, that pulls its punches, that doesn't take a horrific toll on everything it grinds over, then there are plenty of other shows out there for that, and best of luck with them. That is not Show. That is why Show is o'MyHeart, and you'll not pry it out of there until it stops beating.
master list