#also i think people straight up forget these things ARE misogyny

[scholarhect]

saying this in its own post bc i’ve been thinking about it lately. it’s one thing to self identify with certain concepts. it’s one thing to joke around with your friends. you can reclaim harmful words/ideas to have fun with them. but these days it seems like people think words like slut whore thot bimbo etc are morally neutral… these insults are deeply misogynistic & have real power, they’re not little meme words that fell out of a coconut tree… you can’t just sling them around at people are you out of your mind 😭 these are misogynistic slurs. nothing wrong with saying you’re in your slut era, or telling your friend they look like a slut if you know they don’t mind, but when what you’re saying is nearly indistinguishable from a misogynistic comment meant to devalue a woman, you can’t just expect the rest of us to know that you didn’t mean it like that, you meant it in a silly little meme way

[mourn-and-watch]

fandoms are so damn weird about wlw ships. if you're into a wlw ship that involves less prominent female characters and/or if they hang out with local popular mlm ship the general assumption is that you are not really into it and just don't want one of the girls to get into yaoi's way especially if you headcanon her as a lesbian. if you think popular m/f ship is boring the general assumption is that you hate women because there's NO way you're genuinely interested in a wlw ship involving the same girl and aren't just a petty misogynistic yaoi enjoyer. if your wlw ship happens to be popular (a miracle really!) there will be people who call it boring ass forced obligatory yuri nobody can be interested in. if your wlw ship has good characterization and drama and is a big deal in canon everyone will move on from it immediately because 'everything that could be said about them was said in canon already' so it's not interesting to have fun with. maybe i'm reading between the lines a little too much but it really feels like some of you believe a relationship between two women can't not be boring and if anyone gets invested in that ship there's no way they're not faking it

[shouts-into-the-void]

Just read screenshots of the Aaron extra chapter and I have so many thoughts, so here they are:

It's always so funny to me to be reminded of the fact that the animosity between Aaron and Neil is mostly one-sided. Like, Neil finds Aaron frustrating, but all the antagonistic stuff he does to him is ultimately in service of helping him in some way and while he's angry when Aaron provokes him, he otherwise regards him with disinterest and even expresses the desire to see what he's like when he's relaxed and enjoying himself during the party with the Vixens. Meanwhile Aaron just really hates that man.

I really appreciated Nora using this chapter to clear up some of the gripes a lot of the fandom has had with Aaron's character in the past and confirm that Aaron's comments to Nicky have to do with his cousin making graphic and unwanted sexual advances on their teammates, and his accusations towards Neil were from a place of concern for his brother. I also liked that it was pointed out that of course he would have at least some internalized homophobia due to being raised by religious zealots in a conservative area, but is unlearning it due to Nicky.

On a similar note, I'm glad that we were provided the context that Nicky's inappropriate behavior is a defense mechanism to weed out people who might hurt him rather than legitimate advances, because I think the fandom tends to forget that he is also a character with extreme trauma written outside of the "perfect victim" stereotype. His actions aren't okay, but the entire point is that they are the result of what he's had to endure just like every other member of the team

The implication that Andrew specifically signed with the Foxes so Aaron could go to college

Aaron and Andrew have the same nervous habit of picking at loose thread

It causes me physical pain to see Andrew clearly trying to open up to Aaron about his self-harm, but because his way of communicating is less straightforward (he doesn't lie, but he because he stuggles to confront and be open with his emotions, he presents the truth in flowery, vague language) and because the two dont really know or understand each other, Aaron can't fully grasp the implications of what he's saying

On the subject of things that cause me physical pain: baby Aaron telling his mom that he wanted to be a neurosurgeon like the people on TV and her laughing and saying he'd never make anything of himself. Fuck Tilda Minyard, all my homies hate Tilda.

Andrew is so uncomfortable, someone Get Him Out of There.

Going off that and his nervous habits (that Aaron mentions he did often enough to be noticable as a habit premedication), I am highkey wondering if the reason Sober Andrew doesn't talk to anyone outside Neil is because he's just. Socially Awkward.

We get a little bit of insight into Andrew's "misogyny" (I personally think distrusting certain people as a result of extreme personal trauma is a little bit different than just being sexist, in the same way women distrusting men because they're used to being harassed and belittled isn't misandry, but that's up to your personal opinion) and that his distain for Katelyn comes from the fact that he thinks she's stringing Aaron along and will turn out to be awful like his previous girlfriends (there's also a notable implication that Aaron has the same self-destructive tendencies as Andrew, and may be why he went out of his way to get him into college and on the straight-and-narrow) also see that this extends to Bee as well despite their close relationship, with him being so afraid that she'd reject him for being gay that he can't even look at her while talking about Neil, probably made worse by the fact that she's a maternal figure for him, which is where this trauma response originates.

Aaron is the only person on the team who's aware that Andrew hasn't slept with Neil, and the only one to grasp the significance of the fact that they've gotten close to that point already despite Andrew's trauma, outside of Renee

It was overall really interesting to see inside Aaron's head (I actually wouldn't mind a book from his perspective, he has a similar way of thinking to Neil but much more grounded) and to see Andrew through the lense of someone who just views him as Just A Guy

[genderkoolaid]

I feel like very few pro-trans people are talking about how the current moral panic about teens transitioning is explicitly centred on transmasc teens.

I’ve seen a lot of TERFs very explicitly cite the reason that they got involved in anti-trans campaigning was because more “girls” started transitioning in the 2010s (when before it had been more “boys.”) The initial survey on “Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria” by Lisa Littman surveyed parents of teens over 80% of whom were “female sex at birth.” The Cass Report is explicitly about “the reasons for the increase in referrals [to the NHS for youth transition] and why this increase has disproportionately been seen in birth registered females presenting in adolescence.” Probably the single most popular anti-trans book about youth transition is Abigail Shrier’s Irreversible Damage, which is about transmasc teens.

Not to say that transfem teens aren’t targeted, especially when it comes to sports & bathroom bans, and being painted as predators from a very young age — although there’s definitely also been a lot of hysteria about transmasc teens “seducing” other teens into transitioning, as well as being aggressive, and it’s not like transmasc teens don’t also get beat up in bathrooms.

But just! I don’t see most pro-trans people acknowledging that this whole anti-trans-teen movement was fuelled in a huge way by transandrophobia (or whatever you want to call it), and that one of its primary goals is stopping transmascs from having any agency over our own bodies. At its core, it’s about transmascs not being properly submissive baby-makers who are attractive to straight men and the property of their parents.

It’s not just about transphobia, it’s about transandrophobia specifically and the fact that people can’t even name that makes me doubt what I’ve seen with my own eyes.

(Follow up to my last ask about the trans teen moral panic) I don't think it would bother me so much except that I've so often seen people try to silence transmasc voices on this topic, or say that transmascs are just collateral damage, as if we're not one of the primary reasons it exists and one of its primary targets. I feel like "nothing about us without us" should apply here, you know?

All of this, absolutely.

I've seen people claim that actually, ROGD and its associated panic attacks are actually secretly about transfems at their core, because transfems are the (only) one's blamed for young girls transitioning! Which is fucking wild!!! Like not only is it not true (parents tend to blame social media, specifically transmasc creators who talk about transitioning) but like why do you have this impulse where even things that are blatantly targeting transmascs can't actually be about transmascs. Why are we always the insignificant side characters in our own experiences.

This is how erasure functions: if you can't deny that anti-transmasc violence is happening, deny that its happening to transmascs. Obscure the victims and how the violence is motivated by their transmasculinity.

& then there's also the way that people act like infantilizing misogyny is 1) the only thing any transmasc ever experiences 2) is Oppression Lite and is more annoying than anything. Like sure let's just forget all of feminism and the well documented ways in which being infantilized kills and ruins lives. Because when it's a transmasc it doesn't really count.

Ik somewhere out there there's a video of ContraPoints where she actually corrects another person on their erasure of radfem anti-transmasc rhetoric. Let's see more of that please.

[genderqueerdykes]

As an AMAB Transmasc who’s also transfem it’s just infuriating that people can be so cruel about us and about AFAB Transfems

as an intersex transfem & transmasc person, i wanted to say from the bottom of my heart that i absolutely despise how people treat you, and AFAB transfems. the entire point of the trans community is that we DON'T CARE about what genitals strangers have or were born with. but instead, we've turned it around and become so obsessed with genitals that we force EACH AND EVERY TRANS PERSON to disclose what genitals they have in order to be "allowed" to identify as trans.

like think about it. i was assigned male at birth. then my biological sex marker was switched to female, and i was forced on estrogen. as someone who realized it was transmasculine first and had to struggle to be seen as masculine and a man, how does your situation offend me at all? you're going through the exact same thing. you don't relate to cis masculinity or manhood. why do i care about what genitals or gender marker you were born with? i was assigned male at birth and identify as transmasc. being intersex is not what gives me "permission" to identify this way.

you're not "stepping on the toes" of AFAB and intersex transmascs. you're showing people that gender is so complicated that even people assigned a gender at birth can be divorced from that gender due to societal or personal factors. people forget that assigned gender at birth doesn't define how that person experiences gender in practice. if you feel that you are transitioning into or have had to transition into masculinity, then i believe you. you are. i don't know what you're experiencing. i have no right to tell you what your experience is. and no one else does, either

people are especially harsh on AFAB transfems because of misogyny. like it all boils down to misogyny. people DESPERATELY want to treat AFAB people like shit for any reason. by any means necessary. and of course, with that person identifying as feminine and/or a woman, that compounds it and makes it worse. people just let their misogyny run free and attack and insult that person and tell them they're too stupid to understand what they're experiencing like. people who behave this way: you're not slick. we can tell that you're wildly misogynistic.

you being transfem shouldn't cancel out your transmasculinity, either. i know people must look at you and just straight up ignore your transmasculinity, but they don't have the right to. you are allowed to be both transmasc and transfem at once, not that you need my permission. i hate that people are forcing you into a position where you can't even express yourself in the queer community without people literally attacking you and forcing you to divulge your assigned gender at birth.

i really need to stress that, again, we are literally the "we don't care what genitals you have/were born with" community... and now people are literally FORCING strangers to divulge what genitals they have. people are NOT concerned about the gendered experience you've gone through growing up. they're concerned about your genitals. and its fucking disgusting. i'm sorry you have to go through this. as an intersex transfemasc person, you have all of my support, and then some. y'all aren't hurting anyone. people are hurting you, and it's fucked that they just don't care.

[pedgito]

𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐀 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 | Javier Pena x fem!reader

summary | your boyfriend delivers the worst news possible on what should be a day filled with love. luckily your coworker is there in wait, not allowing a perfectly good dinner reservation to go to waste. [2.5k]

content warning | this is probably the tamest thing i've ever written, who am i? mostly fluff, vague descriptions of your boyfriend (technically ex-boyfriend/some misogyny (not by javi), small age gap, co-workers, dinner dates and more, unrequited (innocent) crushes, minimal spanish (mostly just pet names), open-ended

author’s note | @pascalispretty happy valentines day!! this is my first time doing one of these and i was your secret valentine, but i hope you enjoy! i haven't written for javi in so long and i was really craving some soft!javi so this was a joy to write. i hope you enjoy!

You hated the stigma around holidays and what they meant, what they entailed, and why people upheld them so highly. But, here you were—tapping your fingers insistently against the desk across from the pool of DEA agents who would throw a file of paperwork on your desk and expect it to magically poof away and, by default, relinquish themself of any responsibility over it in the process.

You couldn’t fault them all—some of them actually managed to follow instructions. A signature here and there, all in order, leaving with little work to do other than file it away. Murphy followed it to a degree that made you think he probably has some time of background outside of here, back in the states. Always uniform, always proper—he’d been a good addition from the start and a perfect match to Javier Pena’s strong personality and unwillingness to give up control.

He also smiled at you every morning and offered a kind greeting, a small acknowledgment of your existence which couldn’t be spared by many others.

As for Javier—he did the work. There was never an issue, but halfway through an expository to a question he asks his attention is drawn elsewhere. Usually to one of the other few in-office secretaries or visitors that just couldn’t resist a bite at the overconfident and suave agent.

You could see the appeal, but that didn’t mean you had to like it—sometimes it impeded your ability to communicate with him and it really, really annoyed you.

Plus, your boyfriend was perfect. Too perfect that it felt unreal at times, but as all things in your life tended to implode on you—you were waiting for the ball to drop.

“Buenos días, señorita.” Javier greets with a smile that shines perfectly under his thick mustache, dressed in his usual pairing of tight jeans and form-fitting button up. This one was pink though, or a deep red. Jesus, how many different ones did he own?

You snort softly, “Morning, Javi.”

And you’re expecting that crisp folder to slide onto your desk but he’s traversing down the steps into the bay of other desks, straight for his. He’s still in eyeline, his and Steve’s shared workspace right in the center.

His eyes flit up briefly, scanning the room before they land on you again and of course you’re staring, but not for the reasons he’s assuming. And there’s a fierceness behind your eyes that he’s seen before, like he’s about to be lectured.

You grab at an empty file on your desk and hold it up lazily, eyebrows raising in expectation. 

“Oh shit,” He curses lowly, but not soft enough for you to miss before he’s reaching in his desk and holding up the paperwork, “Here—I’ve got it.”

You pluck the item from his grip as he approaches, this time lingering. He’s got his fingers spread out wide on your desk and he leans, practically towers as you sift through his work quietly before jotting something down on a separate sticky note and filing it away for the time being.

“Sorry, bonita,” He apologized, some sincerity in his voice, “I stayed late last night and finished it up but you were already gone—I don’t forget, you know that.”

“All good,” You offer a polite smile and he still doesn’t move, nodding kindly to a few women that pass by, seemingly more done-up than usual, “big plans tonight?”

A man like Javier, there was no way he spent Valentine's Day alone.

Javier offers a non-commital shrug and nods his head in your direction, “What about you? You got that boyfriend, right? Kid with the glasses?”

And okay, Javier was a good chunk older than you. Ten years, maybe. But, kid? Please.

“Yes, that kid.” You roll your eyes light-heartedly. “Um, I reserved a table for dinner at that restaurant Steve recommended a couple months ago. The one he took Connie to.”

“Yeah—yeah, I know that place.” Been a few times, it lingers on his tongue. It didn’t matter if he went alone, the food was decent enough. “You made the reservation?”

“Come on, Javi,” You slap at his forearm gently, “It's not that big of a deal—besides I just…need a break. I thought dinner would be nice.”

“You know I can’t judge you for living at this place,” Javier says around a soft chuckle, “I’m guilty of it too.”

Many nights spent stuck in the office with just you and Javier—the occasional appearance of Steve. It led you to learn a few things about the men, even if inadvertently.

When leads were dry, Javier will go through half a pack in a day and Steve would chew at his fingernails almost constantly, tapping and fidgeting nearly nonstop. They both had obvious tells—a more obvious one for Javier being the close-mouthed smile he gave to women he wasn’t interested in but still remained polite to while the other, the unabashed grin was reserved for the women who piqued his interest.

He's given you both, but that was beside the point. 

“Any recommendations?” You ask curiously, fidgeting with the plastic clip on your pen.

Javier considers it briefly, lips pursing together as he taps his pointer finger in thought, “Well, the Pescado Frito they have is pretty good—can’t really go wrong with that.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” You note, leaning back in your chair as you spot Steve making his way into the office.

“I thought you hated holidays like this?” Javier questions curiously, a sentiment he shared. They seemed pointless outside of the few that offered him a reprieve from work.

You shrug, looking away briefly to avoid his steadfast gaze.

“Well, I don’t think all of us are impervious to stuff—I wanted to do something…nice. I guess?”

Javier isn’t entirely convinced, seeing the uncertainty in your shy smile but he lets it go, slapping the desk lightly before waving a quick goodbye as Steve pulls him aside.

It had to be intel—and good intel at that by the way Javier’s face morphs into sudden interest, thumb and pointer finger brushing over his mustache.

And really, you shouldn’t keep staring at him. Not with that dinner on the forefront of your mind, the one you had so meticulously planned out for you and your boyfriend.

Things had to be perfect. There was no other option.

But, then Javier chances another glance in your direction and something swells in your throat—anxiety, sadness. You can't quite place it, but you swallow it down. Force it away.

Only a few more hours to go.

-

The call comes an hour before you’re due to head home, already packing up your belongings preemptively. And you smile at the sound of your boyfriend’s voice.

It’s been a few months. Good months. Too good.

He was younger, like you—some IT guy in his earlier twenties with a kind heart. Or, so you assumed.

“Hey,” You answer softly, lightly into the phone, “reservations are in a couple hours.”

“About that,” His voice sounds off, distant, “I don’t think I can make it.”

Your heart drops into your stomach and you find yourself chewing at your bottom lip in worry, watching wearily as Javier and Steve hold matching coffees in their grip, marching back to their desks in sync. Javier’s gaze lingers for a moment, a normal motion he did just to check on you.

Nothing more.

But, he spots the change in your emotion.

Still, he continues on.

“What—I—I’ve had these reservations for two weeks,” You reply in a hushed voice, trying to contain your frustration, “what happened—what changed?”

“I just—I don’t really know how to say this,” The dread is immediate, but your mind is filled with anger—rigid, bitter anger that wants to bite, “I think we should break up.”

“Are you fucking serious?” The small outburst catches the attention of you people but you avoid their gaze, even more pointedly Javier, who’s gone from inconspicuously spying to full on gawking now, alongside Steve who had a sudden interest. They’ve never seen you like…this. “Today? This felt like a good thing to tell me today?”

“I’ve been trying—“

“You’re an asshole.” You bite harshly, “You can pick your shit up from my apartment this weekend.”

You don’t let him have the final word, slamming the phone back down into the receiver and ignoring the gathering stares and sparse, hushed whispers.

You could sit and wallow, allow yourself to stew in regret and worry, wondering what you did wrong—but you knew it wasn’t you. It couldn’t have been. All the trying and trying and trying you do, the maximum amount of effort met with little enthusiasm. You were naive to think that things would work,

You’re thankful when the shift nears its end and people file out quietly, albeit with a few side-stares, you find yourself mulling over the idea of canceling the reservation completely. But, then there was perfectly good, hard-earned money going to waste. And you could eat by yourself, but the idea seemed even more miserable as you had specifically booked a table for two, decorations and accommodation to match. It felt ridiculous, in hindsight. 

You pass the stack of paperwork off to your boss as you step into his office, scurrying back to your desk with your head down—already prepared to go home and wallow in your self-pity.

“You alright?” Javier asks suddenly, jumping slightly at his voice as you turn on your heels, hip bumping into your desk in the process, wincing at the pain, “shit—sorry.”

He’s smiling to lighten the mood but it doesn’t help.

“You’re…fine,” You wave him off, leaning into the weight of the desk as he lingers, fingers shoved into the front pockets of his pants, “I’m heading home in a bit.”

“No dinner?” He asks curiously—if he was attempting to be coy he was doing a terrible joy.

It was only minimally amusing, cracking a smug smile at his obvious prying. 

“No dinner,” You confirm, “and he broke up with me, so…”

“Cabrón,” He says under his breath, but it isn’t lost on you, “I’m sorry—that’s…fucked up.”

You shrug, “Now I’m debating on canceling and wasting the money I put down to reserve it or looking pathetic if I show up by myself—“

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with that.” Javier defends, speaking entirely from personal experience. 

“Javi, it’s Valentine’s Day.” 

“And?”

Suddenly though, you’re struck with an idea. 

“Are you busy?” You ask curiously and Javier raises a curious eyebrow your way and smirks, “No ladies in waiting tonight?”

“Not yet.” Javier jokes lightly, knowing his usual routine of hitting the bar after work would end in one of two ways, and even if he didn’t mind spending his nights alone, it was nice to be in the company of others in whatever capacity.

“Go with me.” You suggest, poking at his bicep. “Since you love the place so much.”

“Come on, hermosa,” Javier chides playfully, “If you wanted to take me on a date, just ask.”

You grin wide, heart fluttering at the flirtatious tone he carried in his voice—it wasn’t something you weren’t used to, but it was never so pointedly directed at you.

“I am,” You tell him, “I just—I’ll need to go home and change first.”

His brow furrows and he looks you over, seeing nothing wrong, “Why? You look fine. You always do.”

It’s something he tells you daily—and maybe he has his own selfish reasons, though you know he does it to most of the women in the office, but the way he’s saying it to you now feels different.

He means it, no humor in his voice.

“My—” You can’t even address him in the moment, rolling your eyes with full force as you rub your fingers over your forehead to will away the lines of stress that form there, “I just—he used to say work clothes never complimented me very well. I already had a dress picked out, I can be quick.”

“Save it. I think you look perfect.” Javier affirms softly, keys jingling in his back pocket as he fishes them out, “I’ll drive us.

“But, my car—”

And hand breaches your shoulder, hot to the touch as his fingers curl around your form.

“Hey,” He’s searching for your eyes, waiting until they lock with his own and he nods, expecting the same motion to make sure you’re with him, “I’ll drive you there and back, you don’t have to change—we can enjoy some good food and forget about your shitty boyfriend, alright?”

You nod quietly, earning a gentle squeeze in response.

–

It wasn’t a date, not in the slightest. But, Javier did his damndest to make you feel like it was.

And maybe it was the guilt over him knowing you just got dumped—that whatever you had spent so much time planning had fell out underneath you, but it didn’t quell the nervous anxiety that you felt as you both sipped on a shared bottle of wine and your separate dinners, watching Javier grimace around the lip of his wine glass.

“Horrible, right?” You laugh softly, watching as he forces the liquid down and nods jerkily.

“Food is great, though—the wine,” Javier makes a face of uneasiness that has you covering a laugh with your palm, “—that’s why I stick with tequila or whiskey.”

“Can’t say I have much of a preference,” You admit, “as long as it does the job.”

Javier nods knowingly, stabbing his fork into a piece of food and chewing thoughtfully, the fingers of his unoccupied hand rubbing together as an idea forms in his head, “You know, if you’re not busy I was going to meet up with Steve and Connie for a drink. Later tonight—if you’re interested?”

You can’t believe how instantly you want to agree, blaming it on your impulsivity. 

“Javi, I don’t know,” You respond quietly, “I don’t—I don’t really go out like that.”

“Well—that dress you were talking about. It wouldn’t go completely to waste if you wanted to wear it out tonight. Plus, you treated me to a nice dinner—let me treat you to a couple drinks.”

It sounds like the perfect idea. Too perfect. Too good to be true.

“Javi,” You tease shyly, “if you’re trying to ask me out on a date just say it.”

Javier chuckles softly and you know it’s only an attempt to make a shitty day not so shitty, but the underlying chase you two have allowed to happen for so long now was unobscured by outside forces and you hated how easy it was for him to distract you from everything that had transpired today.

“Is that a yes?” Javier teases.

You sigh reluctantly, though a subtle grin pulls at your face, eyes soften at the expectant look on Javier’s face, all puppy-eyed and nothing like the man you’re used to seeing in the office. This was a side of him that felt new and you were curious to discover more. You nod.

“Well, hermosa—I guess it’s a date then.”

[olderthannetfic]

I feel like such a hypocrite reblogging all these posts about how people like male characters more than female ones even if they have similar personalities/roles/wtv, but I read about this stuff precisely because I relate to it. "People think everything men do is cool and everything women do is either weak or Mary Sue" -- yes, it's me, I'm people. It's not like I do it deliberately or I'm proud of it, but I can observe and acknowledge the empirical fact that female characters just produce a very different emotional reaction in me than male ones.

I guess I like the safe distance of projecting onto characters who 1. are more obviously not me and 2. are judged less harshly than me (bc everything men do is cool) and that's not my fault, it's the patriarchy's, but then I can't challenge it. I can't say "women can be just as cool and we shouldn't be judged more harshly", I can only say "yea women suck let me forget I am one" like I'm still in my 9gag nlog tween phase -- or well, I can *say* the former, but I keep *acting and feeling* like the latter. And btw I'm not just talking about consuming media, where all you can choose from is what's on offer; I'm also talking about creating my own fanfics, which are all about men.

--

The reason a lot of those posts are so obnoxious is that they're just people wallowing in guilt and projecting.

The fact is, lots of people do like female characters. There's plenty of fiction about women. There's plenty of fic about women. There is not, in fact, some grand, existential problem where nobody cares about the ladies. If you aren't seeing this fic or original media, that's different from it not existing.

Two, your own fanfics? FFS. If you consume media that is a sausagefest, then of fucking course, your fic will be about dudes.

Just the other day, I spotted a story I hadn't read by a fantastic fantasy novelist. I hadn't looked her up much beyond buying her trilogy, and what do you know: she actually says who she is in fandom openly!

I was entertained to find out that her big thing is kylux. You really wouldn't guess based on her pro work, which is about a harried female doctor taking care of supernatural patients. I remember those books being a refreshing change from my usual diet of nothing but slash fic. It's not just that there's a female lead but that they take a nuanced look at female characters.

Personally, as a writer, I wasn't ready to write much about women until I was better at writing overall, and my more self inserty characters aren't usually going to be women anyway unless they're like Julia from the Hilary Tamar series.

--

If you're uncomfortable with yourself, you can try to change, sure.

But fandom is full of this obnoxious plague where people think that it's the job of each person to make there be more female characters. This isn't necessary. Even if we want media or fic to be more balanced overall, it doesn't follow that each person needs to produce a balanced body of work.

Why should you in particular care about female characters?

--

But beyond all that, oh my fucking lord, I am so tired of that species of post that's like "Gosh, why is slash fandom, where people go to be horny over dudes and/or have self inserty feelings about them, not more full of stuff about ladies? It's so tragic how we all want to get rid of our boobs and wear men's clothing and be addressed as sir, just like all the other girls. What's up with that? It must be misogyny."

With a totally straight face.

Every god damn time.

[vintage-bentley]

so the fandom's defense of gaiman is that the claims can't be trusted since the site publishing them is "owned by a terf" and is therefore a conspiracy to destroy trans people? the fact they're not immediately disowning the guy who, in the best case scenario, initiated a sexual relationship with a 19 y/o employee, hours after meeting her, while being in his 60s and famous/wealthy says everything.

It’s actually insane. I’ve seen people go as far as claiming that the allegations are some sort of conspiracy to end trans rights because Neil defended David Tennant’s little misogyny fit.

Here’s some examples:

—

—

—

—

In my humble opinion, there’s a few things wrong with this line of logic.

I’m putting a cut here since this is a long post.

Regarding DT—that first screenshot seems to be implying that either the allegations were made up about Neil to slander David, or that because there was no “dirt” on David, real allegations were brought up about Neil.

In the first case, if the allegations are made up…wouldn’t they have just been made up about DT? What would be the point in going and making them about NG?

And in the second case, what the hell does DT have to do with that.

People seem to be forgetting that the general public does not associate DT with NG or vice versa. They did one show together, that doesn’t mean that their reputations are forever tied together. Nobody is going to slander NG to get at DT because there’s barely a connection between them.

And regarding the idea that this is some huge conspiracy to end trans rights or whatever…people are forgetting that it’s not like Neil is actually a huge trans rights advocate. It’s not like he’s constantly speaking to politicians and getting involved with trans organisations. It’s not like he’s on the front lines and is the first person the public thinks of when trying to think of a trans advocate.

He literally just said some stuff on social media. He went along with people’s trans headcanons for clout. He said the obligatory “oh yes JKR is a very bad woman”. That’s really it. Other than that, he’s just another straight male.

If the press really wanted to come out with a story that’s going to Destroy Trans Rights!!!!, they’d target a trans identifying person who’s a large face in the movement. They’d go after trans organisations. They wouldn’t find some author who sometimes says nice things about trans identifying people online and slander him in hopes of changing public opinion.

The entire conspiracy is just nonsensical, and to me it’s clearly an attempt to grab onto anything they can to prove that their special tumblr guy is innocent.

It’s also interesting that the one post I added mentions

“What I do believe is that it's awfully convenient that radfems and JK Rowling supporters (seriously, look at the tags of the people spreading the story) are stirring it up

Because yeah…radfems are kind of known for believing women who accuse men of rape and/or abuse. I’ll point to the Heard vs Depp thing again: when that was in full gear, I saw dozens of radfems posting in support of Heard, while everyone else was supporting Depp.

This isn’t an anti-trans thing—this is a feminists believe women thing.

But as we’ve seen repeatedly…the TQ+ crowd is incredibly self-centred. Everything must be about them at all times. I’m unfortunately not surprised that they’re trying to spin this into a “oh my god terfs are attacking trans people!!!!” Thing….even though radical feminists just do not have the social power to run a smear campaign against a powerful male celebrity in order to hurt the trans movement (just typing that out feels insane lol. How is this even a theory people are running with).

That said, when they say “terf” they don’t just mean radfems/radfem-aligned women. They mean literally anyone who disagrees with them.

Apparently the producer of the podcast that came out is Boris Johnson’s sister, who is also conservative. So, most likely not a radfem.

I agree that the source is kind of odd, because it’s such a niche site, and having a podcast about rape accusations reeks of true crime sensationalism. I’d like to see some more solid evidence coming out. Still, I’m believing the alleged victims and I hate watching people scramble to defend Gaiman.

[epickiya722]

I think people took the "hey, you should be aware of issues about the way some stories treat it's female characters" and instead of actually going forward and treating these characters as, well, characters that deserve to be fairly analized

they went backwards and put up impossibly high standards for these female characters and made anything remotely sexual about them regardless of context as "it is evil and bad writing" when they wouldn't ever do the same for the male characters.

They don't even bat an eye for the fact that whole fandoms will absolutely ADORE a guy who is either the most vile asshole in the story or straight up a bland nothing as long as he is generically attractive enough.

Like that's just misogyny but "girlbossed" now.

(I kind of went on a ramble here, I won't lie and I apologize for that. I just.. had a lot to say.)

And I definitely agree with you, Anon.

I made that same point that you stated in this point right here in a post I wrote a while back.

The same people who will say "it's bad writing" are the same people who don't take the time out to analyze a female character.

It's not "bad writing". You just don't want to understand her.

A male character can have the exact same traits as her and can be analyzed and "He's just misunderstood" and adored, but the most that female character can get is the bare minimum from the fandom.

I have my male faves, too, that I like to analyze. But don't the female cast also deserves the attention, too?

Everyone who follows me know I am a big Miruko fan. And I love her more now because over the past... 2 years or so I have written posts about her of why she probably acts the way she does or does the things she do. And it came easy to me.

Mind you, she is a minor character. She doesn't have a lot of screen time and we don't much about her backstory unless you have read Vigilantes where she gets a flashback arc. And even with all the little information she has from canon, analyzing her was fun for me.

Analyzing her actually why it's fun for me when I do so for Yuji.

It's just there.

Let's say a female character is comfortable with her own sexuality and femininity. "Slut, whore, oversexualized". But the same people who apply those terms to male characters in a more positive way.

"Such a slutty waist, look at him so sexy, he's such a whore and I'm here for it".

So let me get straight. A woman can be a sexy character, but a man can even those that aren't even all that sexy.

Again, I'm using Miruko as an example.

People will have grievances over her costume but were so quick to be horny over the male characters wearing that same costume. Which, and I know some of you ain't gonna like, some of them did not look good in.

Also, then what about the male hero costumes or the fact that Shigaraki and Dabi are obvious fanservice now? You're telling me you're okay with the fact that Endeavor and All Might's costumes are super tight but Miruko shows some skin and it's a problem?

Oh, I'll give another example of some fandom misogyny.

Maki Zenin. The JJK fandom be pulling some tomfuckery when it comes to her. "She's such a girlboss". Okay, but you feel sympathize or empathize with her? "Oh my gosh, Sukuna is gonna kill her!" So, let me get this straight. Even though others who have been hit with Black Flash has survived, Maki the one female victim of it is going to die from that one blow? Whose body is pretty much a cheat code against cursed energy? That Maki? That one?

Let's not forget, you can bring her up without someone bringing up Yuta! I wrote a post about her and Nobara and someone goes "At least, Maki loves Yuta, right?" THIS IS NOT ABOUT YUTA!! GOOD GRIEF, CAN THIS BE ABOUT THE FEMALE CHARACTERS FOR ONCE? LIKE, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE WITH THAT!!

And Yuki! Sooo... y'all are upset that Gege killed her off, right? Okay, understanding. I like Yuki, too. With that said... um... then why in the fuck did I have to type a Yuki Lives tag for her despite her being dead in the manga since December 2022? Almost 2 years? There are currently 3 fics with that tag and two of them are mine!

Kaori, oh, the fandom doesn't love you enough! I had to type in a tag for her! There was no Itadori Kaori & Itadori Yuji tag! THAT IS STILL HIS MOM?! "But Kenjaku---" Correct me if I'm wrong, but that is still Kaori's body, right? If Choso states he has three parents, then Yuji can, too. Guess what, Kaori is his mother. People love to make sure others know Kenjaku and Suguru are separate people but what about Kaori? You don't think she was her own person?

From Wasuke's words and behavior, I figure she was different than how Kenjaku acted.

Anyways!!

Also, with Delicious in Dungeon! I haven't even watched or read it and I have seen so many posts about how that one helmet guy had a lot of panty shots and loving it, yet I hear about people having problems with Falin and Marcille being sexualized? Makes no sense to me, it just doesn't.

It's like people in fandoms want something involving female characters just to bash those female characters.

Complex female characters - insult them

Female characters is written to have a variety of personalities and backstory - boring, shifts focus to more bland male characters

Female character exist with many characteristics - fandom focuses on one trait and make that her whole personality

Female character just exists - labeled just one single word, not worthy of any attention, post about her and someone will make it about a male character

Just... honestly, I feel like before you call a creator a "misogynist", how about taking a step back and observe how you treat female characters and understand the story in which those female characters come from?

[j-vin]

Unpopular opinion: You are not an actual feminist if you support the 🌽 industry

Feminism is devided in multiple categories, which have different beliefs, yet the same idea. Some feminists fight for equality between men and women, while other fight for the liberation of women from men. Regardless of what they believe, they're both combating the same issue: misogyny.

P*rnography has done ireversable damage to people's brains, especially to men, since they make the majority of its consumers. Unfortunately, since the existence of the internet, p*rn has become dangerously uncomplicated to access, making it very easy for kids to watch. No child should be exposed to such disturbing, yet unrealistic material. This type of content is probably the worst way for a child to find out about the existence of s*x, plus they are way more predisposed to become p*rn addicts or content creators later in life.

Both boys and girls are affected by the p*rn industry, but why are girls and women more negatively impacted? Well, since most of its watchers are straight men, the content is centered around the women, or, to be more specific, the female body. The fact that companies are profiting of n*ked women and using their bodies as a form of entertainment clearly proves how objectified women are.

It's true that in most cases, the p*rnstars know and consent to do the things they do, but what many people don't realise is that the representation of s*xual n*dity to the public doesn't only affect the people participaiting in the creation, but also the perseption of humans in general. You have to be really naive to believe that most of the p*rnstars' bodies are natural. A lot of the times they have to go through insane and dangerous surgeries to fit in the ridiculous standards the industry has. Sometimes they also edit the bodies digitally to make them look "perfect". So, since men are the ones buying into it the most, they are becoming more detached from reality, having high standards and sometimes adopting unacceptable behaviours. Also, since women are the main focus in p*rnographic content, they are also the ones mostly suffering from it. Feeling insecure about their physical appearence and having to accept disturbing acts by men are only some of the things women have to go through because of this wildely accepted industry.

As I said in the last paragraph, sometimes the viewer takes harmful behaviours and ideas from the content they consume. I believe that a lot of the content that is posted on those type platforms is straight-up sexist. Let's be serious, you can not convince me that stuff like BDSM or "Gang-bang" isn't made to satisfy r*pists. Or that the famously searched "18 year old" or "teen" aren't made to satisfy p*dos. It's honestly so disturbing, I actually can't believe how it is allowed.

Now I want to talk a little bit about the p*rnstars. I've seen a lot of people blame them for the existence of p*rnography, which is understandable, but I don't think they're the first to blame. Being exposed to such content, especially from a young age, surely influences the person's decisions. All at more because a lot of these models and actresses are paid even millions for a fairly easy job. But, not to forget, that this is at the cost of their dignity and safety. Do they know that? Most of them probably do. Unfortunately, that doesn't overtake the desperate need of money, which can, in some situations, be cause by misogyny, either in workplace or education. In some rare cases, it can result from traumatic experiences, which make the person feel the need to s*xualise themselves a lot more than the average person. Either way, being a p*rnstars is not something ideal, and I feel bad for every person who has to be put in the situation of selling their own bodies to strangers to gain their existence.

Another important reason why some women work in the industry is because of how, not only normalised, but also encouraged p*rnography is by a specific category of feminists. They believe that a woman has the right to decide what to do with her body and that everyone that is against the industry is automatically sexist because they're against women making their own choices and "gaining their own money". Personally, I understand the perspective, but I still strongly disagree. I refuse to believe that someone that considers women objectifing their bodies and "selling it" to mentally unstable men is somehow "empowering" has any idea what feminism actually is.

In conclusion, feminist or not, everyone can agree that the p*rn industry is bad. It affect the people's perception of the human body and s*x itself. It has impacted women negatively since its existence, therefore it's a very misogynistic way of entertainment. A person with real feminist values should be against it and support the p*rnstars that have fallen victim of it.

[aceofroses-queenofstars]

This post will contain discussion of rape and sexual assault

i'm writing a whole essay on this but. I don't know how many people know the opera Don Giovanni who aren't musicians or musical scholars. But I have Many Thoughts and need to share them.

Number one: HOW in the HELL do people think Donna Anna is in love with Don Giovanni? She explicitly states how terrified she was when he broke into her room and assaulted her. Her driving force through the opera is rage and a need for revenge for both her attempted rape and the murder of her father. She is actively invested in ensuring that no one else is a victim of his crimes, and is pleased at his death. Donna Anna is a victim, and an incredibly strong character.

Number two: How in the WORLD have we gotten to a point where Don Giovanni is idolized as a heroic character? People forget or aren't told that the full title of the opera is (roughly translated) "The Dissolute Man Punished, or Don Giovanni". The Point of the Opera is that he is a terrible man who has commited Literally thousands of sexual crimes, as well as murder, and he gets what he deserves. He gets dragged down into hell for it, and he refuses to repent.

I am starting to understand how it came to be that the public perception of this opera is so far from the text (i am reading some INCREDIBLY interesting papers about this) but the main thing I am seeing is that scholars, when writing papers and textbooks, are either jumping to wild conclusions from the text or being incredibly picky when it comes to the evidence for their claims and straight up ignoring contradicting scenes. Also, many of them view Donna Anna, Donna Elvira and Zerlina as crude stereotypes. Some go as far as claiming that (I genuinely hate this) Donna Anna was better off for being assaulted. Talk about rape culture and victim-blaming!

And that's the real problem with the perception of opera. So much of the literature surrounding it has been written by scholars (predominantly male) who have been influenced by a culture of misogyny and rape that they refuse to see the complexity of any of the three female characters, and turn a blind eye to anything that paints Don Giovanni for what he truly is: a rapist. Every interpretation of anything is influenced by the culture from which it comes, and that is So Incredibly Clear in the literature surrounding Don Giovanni. It pisses me off.

Anyways, if this post manages to reach the dashes of people who have heard of or studied Don Giovanni, I want to know - how was it taught to you? Was Don Giovanni portrayed as a dashing, rascally hero? Did you study the female characters, and if so, in what light? What stood out to you about the opera? I'd love to know!

Also, if anyone would like to read the papers I've been studying, lmk and I'd be happy to post them!

[alwaysunabasheddelusion]

@ospreyenjoyer no worries on the tags. I get it. You're definitely not the only person to notice! It's been a conversation for at least the two decades I've spent in online fandom, and I've seen meta about it from before then, too... although I will say when I first joined fandom m/m was a niche thing and m/f was more common (and outside of a few fandoms f/f was non-existent**) and both m/f and m/m spaces were annoying. m/f spaces because they would act like having gay characters was a huge crime and m/m spaces because they'd straight up talk about wanting violence to happen to the female characters (whom I LIKED) and....also sometimes included commentary like "don't forget that homosexuality is wrong irl"

Sometimes I think the hatred of OCs is related to misogyny, since people tend to assume that OCs are going to be self-insert "Mary Sues" for OCxcanon ships. And that's not true. I LOVE OCs, because I love fic that explores other time periods or locations within a canon setting, which is such a different thing.

of course, I also don't see why it matters if some women want to write OCxcanon wish fulfillment. IDK how fanfic culture can claim that fanfic is for "women and other marginalized people to write themselves into the narrative" and then be so hostile to women who do exactly that...

Of course, it's not a surprise that fandom imitates larger culture but it still makes me sad. I like plenty of male characters, but that doesn't have to come at the expense of the cool women. ;-; Sometimes women who are perfectly interesting, complex characters still get dismissed as "there just aren't any interesting female characters, authors/tv shows only write cool men" (even better when they turn a male character with no lines into a fully realized character. I'm all about turning background characters into fully realized characters, but it's not subtle! We can tell who gets this treatment and who doesn't.)

LOL sorry this is my favorite topic to rant on :') I will never change fandom culture but they will also never stop me from ranting about it. And it's doubly important to me since I have daughters in the preteen/teen age range who are into fandoms now (although fortunately they gravitate toward fandoms that have large casts of female characters and seem to have found friends who value this, too. I don't want them to learn self-hatred from the world at all, but especially not from communities that are dominated by other women.)

**I was into Sailor Moon, which for obvious reasons was one of the few f/f friendly fandoms

[utilitycaster]

wrt using 2016 fandom as a cudgel: in your experience, to what degree is that manifesting these days as "things were better back in the good old days" as opposed to "the fandom sucked back then so that justifies me refusing to hear criticism of my faves now"? or is it roughly equal and the degree of fervor behind that sentiment just depends more on the demographics of whichever social media site you're using?

So please take this with a mountain of salt in that I know a decent amount about the Reddit through having dealt with the guy who founded it and through people I know who check it out, but I rarely actually go there, and similarly I don't care much for Twitter. Please also note that I started watching in 2018, and then lurked around the Tumblr fandom (as someone already on Tumblr) for about 5 months [was simultaneously binging C1 and watching C2 week to week, caught up around July 2018] before actually making this sideblog, so I was not myself there in 2015-2017.

With that said, my understanding is that it's the social media site you're using. Reddit is bemoaning the good old days when you could order the cast pizza and Matt posted dropboxes of his stuff regularly and forgetting that like, early episodes were filmed in an Ikea set from the mid-90s with sound that sounded like it was coming out of a cassette player from the mid-90s and more importantly that there was a strong group of rampant misogynists. Tumblr, meanwhile, has people who unironically think that there is some magic threshold of toxic misogyny after which you are indefinitely excused from even a whiff of anything that isn't adoring praise. I suspect, honestly, the Reddit is fueling much of the Tumblr discourse, because it feels like this attitude on Tumblr had been on a strong downswing during Campaign 2 and the few stragglers who were around (and who tipped me off to this phenomenon in the first place) rage quit at the end, but it's now being dragged around, Weekend At Bernie's-style, by people I legit do not remember seeing before like, a year ago.

I think there are valid discussions to be had because, frankly, every member of the cast has in some way been done dirty by the fandom, and on Tumblr at least I think that's been getting better every year as the cast continues to show off their range and grow more confident. But I also think, as the fandom picks up new people - which is good - you get this very ahistoric idea of What It Was Like (and again: I admit openly that I was there in 2018; I was not there in 2016). Like, people will claim that a woman character wouldn't get the same hate if she were played by Liam and that's just...never been true. It's fine to be frustrated by the way people talk about your favorite character, but there is a way to talk about that that isn't just straight up lies and presumptions. And I think again that's people not realizing the Reddit is not a remotely reliable source of what the fandom was like, despite the Reddit attempting to be a recreation of what it was once like, because nostalgia is a hell of a drug.

Hence the "kill the Reddit within". Setting aside what you think was going on during the early years of the fandom, what's the fandom like now? What issues do we see now? Are they a continuation of that attitude, or have they arisen since then as the fandom changes? How can you thoughtfully address them now in a way that isn't passive-aggressive (or worse, outright harassment) or relies on flat-out incorrect claims?

[thecw-unicorn]

*SPOILERS FOR ACOTAR SERIES*

This is a bit of a rant post because I see WAY too much Elain hate in the fandom. I understand that some feel we don’t know Elain enough to form an opinion—and that’s totally reasonable. But many times I see people who swear their hate up and down for her and I can help but feel a good portion of it is internalized misogyny, especially with how she’s treated in comparison to other characters, specifically male characters. I’m going to do my best to break down many of the anti arguments that are used for Elain and why they simply don’t make sense.

“Elain is useless”

This is quite simply straight up not true. Sure, she wasn’t helpful in the first book, but she’s changed so much. She convinced Nesta to help Feyre and the IC in Mist & Fury, and welcomed Rhysand, Cassian, and Azriel in, despite her obvious fear towards them. And let’s not forget in Wings & Ruin. She told the IC about the betrayal of the queens to Vassa, Koschei and his lake (and his mysterious box?), warned about the ravens, and most of all, she killed Hybern. Elain killed him. Not Nesta.

“Elain abandoned Nesta”

This is also obviously not true. Nesta was lashing out and acting toxic towards her, so in my eyes, Elain had every right to take a step back and focus on herself. It’s also mentioned in Frost and Starlight that Elain had attempted to visit Nesta in her new apartment, but was rebuffed, and also in Silver Flames Nesta had seen Elain walking about in Velaris and ignored it. It’s also important to note that we haven’t gotten Elain’s POV so we don’t know what other visions she may have gotten, and with that assessment it’s possible she knew it was the best decision for the time to take a step back from Nesta’s toxic behavior.

“Elain should’ve planted vegetables instead of flowers”

It’s first important to acknowledge that the flower seeds were gifted to her by Feyre. Feyre, who had gotten them for Elain because she knew growing things and the act of gardening brought her job so she gifted her the seeds. She didn’t have to do that. And Elain certainly didn’t have to gift Feyre the paints either, but they were in poverty and doing whatever they could to find some form of joy. Speaking of, it wasn’t just the Archerons who were poor, just about their whole village was impoverished and starving. Nobody would be casually selling vegetable seeds in that condition, and certainly not at a price that Feyre could’ve afforded. Growing flowers is NOT the same as growing vegetables as well, and later on when Feyre was visiting her sisters, Elain mentioned wanting to start a vegetable garden once she learned more.

“Elain doesn’t belong in the Night Court”

This argument has never made sense to me, mostly due to the fact that it stemmed from a dress that didn’t look good to her. By the point of Silver Flames, Elain has established herself filming in Velaris. She has a job, tending to and helping others around the city with their gardens, and has made friends with Nuala and Cerridwen. She isn’t going to just up and leave the Night Court simply because she doesn’t look good in a dress. Also worth mentioning that scene happened at the Court of Nightmares, a place NONE of the IC like, so I don’t understand why Elain’s discomfort is singled out here. Even before, she said herself that her home was at the Night Court and she would do whatever was within her power to protect it.

“Elain treats Lucien terribly. She needs to reject the bond already”

I feel like people need to understand Elain’s POV in this situation. She was to be married to a guy she genuinely seemed to love, only to have it ripped away from her in an instant, have her body drastically altered without her consent, and to have a male she’s never seen or met before tell her that she is his mate. Of course she isn’t going to want to be with him right away. Once again, we don’t have Elain’s POV so we can’t know her complete thoughts, but it’s not impossible or crazy to think that Lucien most likely reminds her of the worst trauma and experience of her life. Regarding the bond, the talk of rejecting one was only ever discussed between Feyre and Rhysand. It’s not a stretch to think that Elain most likely isn’t even aware of the act of rejecting a mating bond, much less how to go about (this is really the only time it’s mentioned so it’s not like WE the readers are aware of how it happens). It’s important I feel, that we remember what Elain said—and that Lucien is not entitled to her time or her happiness simply because of a bond.

This was a bit longer than I had intended, but I hope it gets the point across. Elain has so much potential for her story arc, and I honestly can’t wait for her book to come out!!

[darkcrowprincess]

https://www.tumblr.com/darklinaforever/743924324268982272/mina-murray?source=share

My little post on Mina. Because I'm tired of everyone saying that the 1992 film version doesn't fit into the strong female character box just because it's not a carbon copy of the original version of the novel and that she doesn't have the purest morals in the world, in addition to being in love with Dracula. Honestly, that seems misogynistic. Thinking that to be strong, a strong female character must conform to a very specific model, be morally irreproachable and above all not be in love with a bad guy. Otherwise she is not strong and has no nuance, and is an apparently misogynistic character, that goes without saying...

Honestly, this is really starting to annoy me on a very high level.

Not to mention another crappy argument that Mina is just horny for a guy she's known for 2 days, which would make her look ridiculous. A guy who, I remind you, is none other than her husband from a past life, who resurfaces as she spends time with him. Dracula is no stranger to her in this version of the story.

You will tell me if you agree with my position. Regardless, I don't think 1992's Mina is a female character who isn't strong and is apparently misogynistic. This is bullshit.

Afterwards, people are free to prefer the book version and find the Mina in the film less successful than her original counterpart. No problem there. I would even say that there is a great deal of truth in that.

But to say that Mina from the 1992 film has no aspect of a strong female character is simply bad faith in my eyes.

I have never read the book, so the only knowledge I have of Mina is from the 1992 movie. Personally I love the movie and think Mina is a interesting character. She is the whole reason Dracula gave up in the end isn't it(its been a while since I've seen the movie)? I think people forget that characters are not ment to be role models. Characters are just ment to be characters. Flawed interesting characters. Strong in their own ways. But not role models. Mina is flawed and thats what I like about her. She does horrible things too but in the end she listens to her conscience. As much as she loves Dracula (and loves how he helped her explore her sexuality) and wishes they could be together, they can't because of all the bad things. Doesn't take away the tragedy of losing each other again. And thats the point. Dracula the movie is a gothic horror/gothic romance movie based on the original gothic horror.

What annoys me more is when people try to bring morality and logic into something that is clearly fiction. Also when people try to dunk on the female falls for a monster trope. It always leads us back to abuse and women being horny(wow come up with that yourself 😑🙄, never try to look deeper) . Honestly do you think straight men would have the balls to fall for a monster type females(that looked, acted and stayed a monster)? And we all know why! *cough misogyny cough* *cough men only seeing women as objects and not people with flaws cough* if a women can see the flaws/darkness in man by using the moster symbolism but still love them anyway why can't men(straight men)?

(Don't like don't read. Post hate and I'll block you)

[silver-wield]

So what was exactly the point making Aerith and Tifa look like they're best friends if in another moment she's trying to get it with Cloud KNOWING FULLY WELL what he feels for Tifa and what Tifa feels for him? Is this some kind of watery try to paint OG Aerith in a better light? Not really working for me. I don't care even if she's grieving...she's still a grown woman.

Making her to be a red herring and the whole ltd with it's vagueness is the most exhausting thing in the entire series by this point. The girls need NO equality with Cloud. Cloud is not "Aerith's too". I hope SE makes it up to the fans this whole mess BIG TIME by the end of the trilogy..since it pisses me off and doesn't look good at all in what light Tifa and Zack are painted too. Especially Tifa. Like she's some kind of punching bag and a doormat who just takes whatever is thrown in her way and forgives like she doesn't have any other options because "she was written to be with Cloud". Otherwise this whole mess looks worse than the worst soap opera with it's misogyny, sexism and bitchy "friends". If Cloud and Tifa aren't marked as lovers by the end...I most probably wash my hands off of the whole compilation.

Give Tifa some freaking dignity...jesus fucking christ.

It's on brand for Aerith though. She's always been a two faced selfish bitch. She literally throws a tantrum because her birthday party gets cancelled when a friend of Elmyra's has a heart attack. She bitches when a picnic is cancelled because a kid goes missing, and when she finds the kid, she doesn't take him home straight away because she wants to be out exploring the sector for longer. She bitches at Zack because she wants more than one flower cart and even he says she's being too picky.

Aerith is a spoiled, selfish, privileged two faced bitch who thinks she can have whatever she wants and never listens to or respects anybody else unless it benefits her. She's all about her own self interests, which is why she's a match for Sephiroth, who is also arrogant and self interested.

I think people forget that a foil isn't just someone who acts as the opposite for another character. They also compliment them. They are a comparative to each other. They can have traits or experiences in common. People just ignore and excuse her because "uwu so cuuuuuuuute!!!!" Or "awwww she so saaaad about Zack we have to understand why she's trying to sit on Cloud's dick and forgive her for it because she just misses her real boyfriend!!!!"

If some bitch tried to get on my bf and said she did it because she misses her ex I'd fucking slap her. People need to take off those stupid rose tinted specs and accept Aerith has some fucking rancid character traits.