TVD Podcast: Bad Moon Rising

[angryzen]

“How did Elena not jump in the front seat and kill Damon with her fist?”

Highlights: The Stefan/Bonnie/Caroline scene.

Rants: Every single Damon/Elena scene (no really. I found myself talking at length every scene they had) and Ian’s tweet yesterday in regards to season 3 (spoiler alert).

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Comments

[shiegra]

I will readily confess, I am deeply confused by your choice to come onto a women-centric community and present a product that criticizes a victim of trauma and sexual assault because she doesn't respond in a way that you deem appropriate. Besides being disgustingly misogynistic and victim-blaming, you fail to take into account that every person reacts differently, and environment often affects the reaction. When a woman is denied the ability to distance herself from her attacker, it's common to develop potentially unhealthy coping mechanism, and in this episode alone her attacker makes it clear that he will, when denied access and familiarity, deny her potentially crucial information.

You might try to remember that when one is trapped in an untenable situation, the smaller gestures can form a tentative security and manufactured stability that provide comfort, such as asserting in front of your attempted rapist that your body is your own and you do, in fact, get to decide who you share it with.

[angryzen]

Except Elena's behavior isn't presented as a coping mechanism. As a matter of fact, going by the show, she didn't go through any type of trauma. Nothing is acknowledged. Nothing is ever acknowledged with her, so I don't understand why you're coming on to me when I criticized the show for not even acknowledging that Elena was a victim of assault. And yes I'm criticizing Elena's response to her brother being murdered. That's not victim-blaming. Not when this is always Elena's response when something happens to the people she loves: she pouts, it's all about her, and then SHE gets the apology, and everything's gravy. Women-centric to me does not mean a pass from valid criticism.

What do you think of the fact that Elena forgives Damon every single time? Do you read it all as some kind of coping mechanism? What do you think of the fact that she's never allowed to stay angry at him?