#2 stranger 2 thingious

[anexperimentallife]

Why do we hate female characters for doing the same things as male characters? Some brief musings on the Stranger Things fandom and critics.

Look, I love all the characters involved here, but notice how Chief Hopper--a middle-aged man--sleeping with lots of ladies and blowing them off (established through character comments and reactions, as well as by showing him spend the night with a character we never see again) is treated as a joke?

While Nancy Wheeler--a teenage girl in the middle of ongoing emotional trauma--is vilified for having trouble sorting out her feelings between two boys, both of whom--although they are both genuinely good and have been supportive in different areas--have done and said things to legitimately cause concern?

Again, let me emphasize that I love all of these characters. I love Steve’s character growth and Jonathan’s innate self-awareness, I love that both of the boys have their own strengths and weaknesses, and that both care for Nancy in different ways. And I empathize with the hurt that both characters must feel. But Nancy’s character deserves our empathy, as well, in the midst of all this emotional turmoil and confusion.

Just because both boys genuinely care about Nancy and are both genuinely good--albeit flawed--guys does not mean she is obligated to be with either of them. Sure, there are pros and cons to each, and sure, I’d like to see Nancy’s character in a happy, secure relationship, but I also think it’d be awesome if she chose neither. (Honestly, if Barb were still alive, SHE’S who I’d ship Nancy with, if anyone.)

After all, Hopper hasn’t settled down with any of the women he slept with--and in fact doesn’t even bother to keep in touch with them--and critics and the fandom are fine with it. (Especially as long as it keeps the possibility of a Hopper/Joyce romantic arc alive.)

So why is Nancy held to a different standard? (That’s a trick question--we KNOW why.)

[anexperimentallife]

As someone who spent my young adulthood in the 1980s, I’ve got to say that Stranger Things fucking NAILS it.

I mean, there’s a lot of music I hoped to hear but haven’t, but they can only squeeze so many songs into each episode, and their varied choices perfectly represent what one would expect to hear as one went about one’s day in a small town like Hawkins.

I especially love the use of Every Breath You Take. See, at the time of its release, most people thought EBYT was a love song--it was only after Sting started talking publicly about how intentionally creepy the lyrics were and pointed out that it was supposed to be disturbing that the general public started to realize how fucked up it was. So it is perfect that it serves as both the romantic theme--which, again, is probably how the kids at the time would have taken it--and as a bit of foreshadowing for Bad Things to come.

The styles, also, are so perfectly spot-on, right down to the houses that had obviously been decorated to be the height of style in the 70s.

I just love this show. Their recreation of my personal glory years isn’t the only reason I love it, but it’s ONE reason. (Also, Joyce Byers is amazing and deserves All The Good Things Ever.)

[anexperimentallife]

Random thoughts on washboard abs and Perfectly Pretty People(TM) on American science fiction TV, using Heroes, Stranger Things, and a couple of other shows as examples

(I’m just kind of musing to myself now that my pain meds have kicked in--this isn’t intended to be an in-depth analysis or critique, just some random personal thoughts and opinions that are influence by Vicodin, and that may or may not be on the mark.)

“Heroes” definitely had some issues--mostly starting with the writers’ strike--but one thing I will always love about it is that it at gave us a couple of average looking superheroes mixed in with the Perfectly Pretty Plastic People(TM).

I mean, it was American TV in the early 2000s, and I think there was a broadcasting law here at the time that at least 75% of all cheekbones on American TV had to be capable of cutting glass (unless it was a comedy show), so when I say “average,” I mean these were still conventionally attractive people, just that they didn’t all have that plastic same-face look that makes it so hard for me to tell characters apart sometimes.

Take Matt, for example. Or Hiro. Yeah, they’re both handsome, good-looking guys, but they didn’t quite fit that “shredded” look we’re used to seeing from American TV shows. They looked a little soft around the middle, the way a lot of average people do in real life. Like, in real life, you’d consider them good-looking guys, but in TV reality, the scale is so skewed that practically everyone seems to look like a supermodel, you know?

And it was a surprising and refreshing choice ESPECIALLY for a superhero show. Because it’s usually not enough on American non-comedy TV to look like an average person, or even an everyday attractive person--there’s like, this specific LOOK that it seems like about 75% of American TV characters have, and it’s just... Too much, you know? (One of the things I like about the BBC is they cast more of a variety of face and body types.)

I think things are changing now a little bit. Although there’s still this thing with most shows where I’m like, wow, if catch it in the middle of a scene, how the fuck do you even tell the white actors apart enough to know if you’re watching Agents of Shield or Arrow? (I assume someone watches those shows.)

But now we have characters like Chief Hopper, and--all too briefly--Bob, on Stranger Things. Still good-looking guys, but not the “pretty plastic” mold I’m so sick of. Bob is overweight. Hopper isn’t necessarily fat, but he’s at least a little soft around the middle instead of having a perfectly V-shaped torso. I remember seeing Hopper’s first scene, where he’s shirtless, and just being like, “HE DOESN’T HAVE WASHBOARD ABS HALLE-FUCKING-LUJAH!”

Oh, and don’t even get me started on female characters on TV. Books could be written. Books HAVE been written. For most of my life, probably 75% the women I’ve seen on TV either looked like supermodels, or played someone’s mother or grandmother, or--if they didn’t fit the young supermodel mode--had their appearance played as some kind of cruel joke. I mean, gods forbid you actually show a fat woman on TV who is treated with respect!

And this isn’t even getting started on racial diversity or disabled characters or LGBTQA+ characters, because that could be an entire fucking series of books on its own.

I’m not saying all shows, but I think the majority. And most of the exceptions, as I said, were comedy shows.

I really hope it’s starting to change.

(Full disclosure here--Yes, I am an allegedly “conventionally attractive” cishet white-passing guy, who has had washboard abs for the majority of my adult life, and was--believe it or not--considered a “pretty boy” in my younger days. But oh my Sagan do I get tired of seeing ONLY people who look like I did when I was in my 20s or 30s on screen. Like, “Fucking great. Generic set of stubbly cheekbones #387. And I bet there’s gonna be a scene at least once every couple of episodes where we catch a glimpse of washboard abs.”)

[anexperimentallife]

Chief Jim Hopper is my patronus.

[anexperimentallife]

Every time Hopper does something either badass, caring, or sarcastic in Stranger Things, Maria turns to me and goes, “HE’S YOU,” and it makes me feel inordinately proud of myself.

[anexperimentallife]

2 stranger 2 thingious