(no subject)
I'd love to start this with, "I thought I was done being bitter about White Collar fandom," but let's be real, I knew I was still bitter about White Collar fandom. I'll go to my sad, pathetic grave still bitter about White Collar fandom. Closer to the truth is that I was hoping to project an image of being done being bitter about White Collar fandom. But, come on, it's me. Being bitter is what I do, and you folks know it.
If you're in White Collar fandom, I know you've heard something like, "White Collar fandom is so woman friendly! Instead of bashing El, they OT3 her with Peter and Neal!"
Bull. Shit.
It's telling enough that Peter/Elizabeth/Neal is always the example given. No one ever says, "White Collar fandom loves women! Look at the way they treat Sara and Kate!" Any fandom that can be as toxicly misogynist as WC fandom is about Sara is not woman friendly.
But WC fandom is not even positive about Elizabeth, not really. Yes, she gets shipped with Peter and Neal. No, she's not made out to be a horrible harpy. (With exceptions. We'll get to that.) But her worth was reduced to her ability to facilitate the Neal/Peter relationship. In fic, she's the one who first figures out that Neal and Peter are attracted to each other. She's the one who encourages Peter to make a move. She's the one who plays translator to sooth conflicts. If she ever gets jealous or insecure, it's only in passing. She doesn't get turned into an evil harpy. Instead, she's flattened, turned into a smiling paper doll, with the inconvenient bits smoothed away.
If you doubt me (you really shouldn't, but whatever), if you doubt that all fandom considers worthwhile in Elizabeth is what she can do for Peter and Neal (but especially Neal), recall how completely they turned on her after "Brass Tacks." "They ruined El!" fandom cried. The words "character assassination" were used. But Elizabeth wasn't doing anything in "Brass Tacks that she hadn't done before. It's just that what she was doing in that episode couldn't be viewed as her supporting Neal's feelings or the Neal/Peter relationship.
The writing for Elizabeth in seasons four and five was on another level. She was given more freedom to express a wide range of emotions. She had her own angles and agendas. What Elizabeth wanted drove the narrative, never to an enormous degree, but much more so than before. And fandom declared her ruined. It was was that point we did get fic in which Elizabeth wickedly split up Peter and Neal. Sometimes she had to tearfully come to her senses, sometimes not. Again, this flew directly in the face of canon (Elizabeth was inviting Neal to dog sit two episodes after "Brass Tacks", for fuck's sake), but that was beside the point. Elizabeth prioritizing anything above Neal/Peter and Neal's feelings ruined her. And the only way that could ruin her was if fandom never cared about her in the first place.
So, can we please find a better metric for "woman positive" than, "woman gets to play angel in the house to two guys touching dicks"?
This entry was originally posted at http://veleda-k.dreamwidth.org/460006.html. Please consider commenting there.
If you're in White Collar fandom, I know you've heard something like, "White Collar fandom is so woman friendly! Instead of bashing El, they OT3 her with Peter and Neal!"
Bull. Shit.
It's telling enough that Peter/Elizabeth/Neal is always the example given. No one ever says, "White Collar fandom loves women! Look at the way they treat Sara and Kate!" Any fandom that can be as toxicly misogynist as WC fandom is about Sara is not woman friendly.
But WC fandom is not even positive about Elizabeth, not really. Yes, she gets shipped with Peter and Neal. No, she's not made out to be a horrible harpy. (With exceptions. We'll get to that.) But her worth was reduced to her ability to facilitate the Neal/Peter relationship. In fic, she's the one who first figures out that Neal and Peter are attracted to each other. She's the one who encourages Peter to make a move. She's the one who plays translator to sooth conflicts. If she ever gets jealous or insecure, it's only in passing. She doesn't get turned into an evil harpy. Instead, she's flattened, turned into a smiling paper doll, with the inconvenient bits smoothed away.
If you doubt me (you really shouldn't, but whatever), if you doubt that all fandom considers worthwhile in Elizabeth is what she can do for Peter and Neal (but especially Neal), recall how completely they turned on her after "Brass Tacks." "They ruined El!" fandom cried. The words "character assassination" were used. But Elizabeth wasn't doing anything in "Brass Tacks that she hadn't done before. It's just that what she was doing in that episode couldn't be viewed as her supporting Neal's feelings or the Neal/Peter relationship.
The writing for Elizabeth in seasons four and five was on another level. She was given more freedom to express a wide range of emotions. She had her own angles and agendas. What Elizabeth wanted drove the narrative, never to an enormous degree, but much more so than before. And fandom declared her ruined. It was was that point we did get fic in which Elizabeth wickedly split up Peter and Neal. Sometimes she had to tearfully come to her senses, sometimes not. Again, this flew directly in the face of canon (Elizabeth was inviting Neal to dog sit two episodes after "Brass Tacks", for fuck's sake), but that was beside the point. Elizabeth prioritizing anything above Neal/Peter and Neal's feelings ruined her. And the only way that could ruin her was if fandom never cared about her in the first place.
So, can we please find a better metric for "woman positive" than, "woman gets to play angel in the house to two guys touching dicks"?
This entry was originally posted at http://veleda-k.dreamwidth.org/460006.html. Please consider commenting there.