#and i can overlook some sexism

[torchwood-99]

There's a lot of discussion about Tolkien's work and feminism, is it sexist, is it feminist, how does the fact that Tolkien's work held feminist themes make sense with the sexist views he expressed in real life, is this plot point regarding a woman sexist or feminist?

And I think the key thing here is remembering that feminism isn't a state of being or a personality trait, it's an action and a thought. A person can both be feminist and sexist. They can hold sexist attitudes and do sexist things and they can also hold feminist attitudes and do feminist things. After all, feminism is complex and the rights of women is a fight on multiple fronts, a war made up of multiple battles.

Tolkien was an upper class white man raised in a time of great sexism, and lived and worked in a sexist environment. He also had a very strong bond with his wife and lived in a time when women's rights and the role of women were undergoing massive changes. His works have far less women in them, and his women often get side-lined and their characterisation/plot relevance are often influenced by sexist tropes (passivity, existing to be a trophy, role defined by make relationships).

At the same time, his female characters can show great heroism, competency and power, and perform feats of heroism in ways that have traditionally been seen as "masculine", showing that a woman being a woman doesn't inherently make her incapable or suited only for certain jobs. And not only that, his characters, like Eowyn, outright call out sexism (all you words say, you are but a woman....you have leave to be burned in the house because the men will need it no more). He also has an in-universe female character speculate on how history has overlooked women, the history he wrote.

Tolkien's attitudes and beliefs would have been influenced by the attitudes and beliefs of his time. He would have grown up in a sexist environment and internalised rigid views about women and femininity and their proper role. He would have also; perhaps subconsciously or despite himself, taken in the feminist arguments women were making at the time, or even noticed himself some of the injustices that women suffered. The man himself didn't need to identify as a feminist to have expressed feminist views. After all, "I'm not a feminist but...." followed by a statement that is definitely feminist, is something we've all seen at some point.

There's also the badass, wonderful Haleth, who was originally conceived as a man, only to be changed into a woman by Tolkien later on. Perhaps he himself noted, as his own characters did, that women had been overlooked in his work. Just as the world around him changed and attitudes towards women adjusted, it is possible that Tolkien's did too. There would have been a difference in what was conservative in the year he was born and what was conservative in the year he died.

So, are Tolkien's work sexist? Yes. Are his works feminist? Yes. Are his female characters sexist? Yes. Are his female characters feminist? Yes.

We can read Tolkien's work and find feminist messages and be uplifted by them. We can also read Tolkien's work and criticise the sexism that is at play.

[crooked-wasteland]

I’m weirdly torn about Lite’s character arc.

On one hand, feminine rage (yes please), she’s the only one who understands Hell can BE A THREAT (sure, Charlie and Pentious are nice and all, but there are other people in Hell who are probably not well intentioned), she’s rightfully pissed that her role as second in command was overlooked for some (admittedly sweet) guy who doesn’t even wanna be here, and she’s rightfully upset that her sisters and best friend/man she loved were murdered in a job that she was authorized to do by the supposed good guys. She shouldn’t be seen as the bad guy for being convinced by others that what she was doing was right, and is upset when she’s told all her work, her allies, and Adam being killed meant nothing.

On the other hand, she’s being depicted as the bad guy. I’m not saying she needs to be sympathetic, 100% likable, uwu babey. But her pain and issues are being brushed aside to make her appear like the stereotypical “crazy bitch” who will probably be the villain of the season, or at least A villain. Not the antagonist, the VILLAIN. Her grief and valid opposition is more than likely going to be villainized, when in reality, she may be cold and sadistic, but I don’t this Lute is ultimately a bad person. She spent her existence fighting for what she was told is right by a holy figure. Not some cultist or priest who says God talks to them, but THE ACTUAL HIGH SERAPH. She was convinced angels don’t make mistakes, to the point she never questioned that in all her cruelty, if she was right or wrong. She believed she was right. If this were on Earth, on could compare this to crusaders or people who force conversions or kill anyone who doesn’t agree with their beliefs. But I don’t think that can really apply, because Lite isn’t human, she lives in HEAVAN. Religious asshole humans aren’t comparable to ANGELS who are familiar with THE SPEAKER FOR GOD HIMSELF. So her genuine belief she is doing good is understandable, but will probably be what makes her villainized. Or maybe it will be the fact she’s in mourning? Who knows! Viv will never skimp on presenting a woman as a villain for the flimsiest of reasons.

And on the other other hand. Yes, it suck a huge part of her motivation is her connection to a MAN (the first man, no less) who is a douchebag. But idk if that’s that big of an issue. For all her being sad her boss/love interest/a dude died, there’s also her being angry that her position as leader was passed over for some guy as well. I’m not saying it evens out, but maybe it does? Not to mention that even though Adam was a dick, he was more than just a man/asshole/boss/probably misogynist, he was also her friend, someone she looked up to as a leader, and still was comfortable enough to hang out with when not on the job. He called he names, but that might’ve been out of familiarity rather than genuine malice or sexism. Then again, Viv never really let us learn Jack shit about Adam as a person, other than CHARLIE GOOD, ADAM BAD. So while it is kind of iffy from one perspective for Lute’s arc to be connected to Adam, I don’t think it’s an issue of gender, and more of the fact that she meant something to him.

Sorry for the long ask, but what’re your thoughts?

I agree with pretty much all of this. I think she is an extremely compelling character and I think her deeper character reasons for being a real villain are solid. I even think the song itself is genuinely good at showing that Lite isn't only raging about some guy. The actual meat of her character is really well balanced on paper, and the song does a decent job of depicting that ...

Until it gets to Adam.

The issue is the poor pacing of the writers and how we never got to see Lute and Adam as much. Lute is extremely formal in most of the scenes in the early part of Hazbin. Calling Adam "sir" doesn't give the impression of "best friends", so she does come off as oddly obsessed, especially with the rushed "crazy bitch" routine as you pointed out. We don't actually have a strong foundation for their relationship. Additionally, the revival of Adam as a figment of Lute's imagination as she falls into some form of psychosis is just rather silly. I understand it's to give Lute someone to talk to, but it makes Adam as a love interest is the most important characterization.

I do completely agree with your points on Lute's character. She has excellent motivation, and a clear arc that I also think is worth the effort. It just suffers from weak world building and lazy shortcuts.

[singto-prachaya]

Barcode made a twitter post addressing heavy issues and what's wrong in the industry

Google trans translation under the cut

This is not a small matter that should be overlooked… Since I was first portrayed in the industry as a weak, fragile child who had to be bright and innocent all the time… Changing myself according to what others expected was not easy.

Many people may not know that this affects both our mental health and our growth. Many artists and actors face too much pressure, not only to maintain a familiar image, but also to affect our mental health in a way that many do not see and do not understand. Stress, loneliness, it is not just about the outside, but we have to experience changes within ourselves that everyone may not see.

What I want to say is that I am not just a character in the image that people expect me to be. I am a normal person who needs growth and recognition from everyone for being who they really are.

And it's not just me, it's a problem that happens to many people who have the same problem in the entertainment industry that expects too much from us.

This is something that I have been sharing and observing for quite some time now, and I think I need to communicate these things to myself and many others who are facing this problem.

2 things that I and many of my colleagues in the industry have to face, whether intentional or unintentional.

Many people who enter the industry at a young age are constantly portrayed as “children”, as if they are imprisoned in an image of innocence and weakness, which causes both mental and professional problems. People develop their thoughts and grow, but some groups stick to the image they used to have when they first started. As a result, my thoughts and decisions, and many others, are always questioned, told that I am “not mature enough” or “need to rely on others”, as if no matter how much time passes, I am still the same child who will never grow up.

In psychology, this is called “gaslighting,” which is when a person is made to feel self-doubt or manipulated in a way that undermines their self-worth, making them feel incompetent and inadequate in making decisions. No matter what they choose, they are constantly criticized as “not thinking things through” or “not good enough.” This practice not only causes short-term pain, but also instills insecurity about their identity and abilities in the long run, causing them to rely more on the opinions of others than their own, which can gradually erode their self-confidence.

Furthermore, when we look at the dimension of Benevolent Sexism, especially in the BL industry, some male stars who are portrayed as weaker or more innocent are expected to play such roles and behave like that all the time. This pressure prevents them from expressing themselves or growing up freely. They are pushed to believe that weakness and dependence on others are necessary and “appropriate.” Some may see this as protection or support, but in reality, it is silently diminishing their abilities.

Everyone should understand that this is a serious matter. If we continue to set expectations for others without caring about what they are going through, it will eventually have a negative impact on them. There is nothing wrong with growth and change. I urge everyone to support themselves in whatever path they choose. I also support everyone, whether in or out of the industry, to express themselves and be their true selves.

Thank you for all your support. 🙏

Original full tweet

[perfinn]

the heat that drives the light

aemond targaryen x tyrell!oc

wc: 1.3k

summary: when aemond is betrothed to the elusive heir to highgarden, he finds that no one will tell him anything about her. he sets out to change that

cw: this is sort of a prologue. NOT x reader so dont bother me about it, blind oc, hints of period typical ableism, period typical sexism, aemond is an ass but we'll work at it

masterlist, read on ao3, divider by saradika

It doesn't surprise Aemond that he would be the one in his family saddled with a political marriage. In his own family, there are no women left for him. With Helaena married to Aegon, and Daemon’s daughters betrothed to his nephews, there is little other option. It only makes sense. However, that does not mean he has to like it. Hatred is born of the illogical.

When he was told he would wed the daughter of the Lord of Highgarden, he tried to say no. His mother would not hear it.

“You have denied three suitors already,” Alicent had said to her second son. “Your options are running out. You will marry the Tyrell girl, and that is the end of it.”

“I will not,” Aemond had grumbled. But his mother had not budged, and the engagement was sealed between himself and the only child of the Lord of Highgarden.

No one had told Aemond much about her, except that she was comely and that he would like her. He refused to go into a marriage with a girl he did not know, and the little he had been told was making him suspicious. Why hide her from him? The amount of times he’s heard comely makes him think she is some sort of beast to look upon.

He knows that in marrying her, he’ll be marrying the future Lady of Highgarden. It would be a position most powerful, as he assumes that a Lady’s husband would bear the brunt of the lordship. It makes perfect sense. Part of him is satisfied with the possibility of an ugly wife for the promise of power, but most of him is still just a man. How can anyone expect him to produce an heir with a twisted and ugly wife? He’d need to be blind in the other eye as well.

Cecily Tyrell arrives on a warm day, when the wind turns right so that the Red Keep smells of the flowers in the gardens rather than the stink of the city. He knows that their families mean for them to be kept apart until the ceremony, but he also knows this castle and its secrets better than most. Being forced out of the Keep and into stinking brothels by Aegon was not completely without merit.

He hears from a passing servant which room Lady Cecily will be staying in until the wedding, and pauses a moment to hear them whisper.

“Overlooking the Godswood,” says the young maidservant. Aemond has half a mind to admonish them for gossiping, before he remembers that it may be their job to know where she’s staying. “I hear it is so she can smell it all.”

Smell it all?

Aemond fails to decipher the meaning before he stops listening and leaves to find the girl. Once in the right hallway, he leans close to the doors as he passes them by. He suspects she will not be alone, undoubtedly accompanied by her ladies or a septa, if she's so young– he has not been told of her age either. Is he to be wed to a child? Or, Gods forbid, a wretched old spinster good only for her family's fortune?

He stops when he hears conversation behind one of the doors, hushed by the wood and carried by soft tones. Women, young ones.

The prince does not waste time in knocking. If there is unseemly behaviour, he will catch it, and if not, he does not care to look polite. He opens the heavy door as fluidly as he can manage, some part of him annoyed that his future wife is without the watch of a kingsguard.

The first woman he sees is facing away from him, sitting on an armchair. He can't see much of her but the long chestnut hair that flows down her back, strands pulled back and braided with budding flowers, and her hand which feels along the intricately carved arm of the chair. The second woman he sees is facing him, and she’s standing up in her shock.

It's clear from the look on her face she recognises Aemond, or at least has connected the dots from the way he may have been described to her. The woman facing away from him stiffens, and slowly reaches out to take the other woman’s hand as she too stands from her seat.

Why does she not face me? He wonders. Does she care not for the intruder in her chamber?

“Who is it?” asks the first woman who he assumes is Cecily, voice soft and melodic.

Aemond steps a few paces closer, a frown pulling down his lips.

“You smell of flame and ash, stranger,” says the first woman. Holding the other’s hand tight, she turns. Aemond catches sight of her other hand, now tracing over the embroidered patterns on her dress.

It is a fair reading of his smell, perhaps he ought to have bathed between the dragonpit and here.

“Cecily,” murmurs the second woman, confirming Aemond’s suspicions. “It is him.”

Cecily has turned, and for a moment Aemond cannot understand why she has been kept from him. As he was so heavily promised, she is comely and delicate as they come, a rose made woman. The moment of ignorance passes, and Aemond sees. He sees that she does not.

Though she faces him, Cecily’s eyes look past him– they do not look at all. His betrothed is blind.

Aemond suddenly feels the victim of a cruel folly.

“Him,” Cecily echoes, hand stilling against her dress. A small smile spreads on her lips, and Aemond thinks that no amount of good looks or pretty smiles can make up for the humiliation he has been afforded in their betrothal. “A stranger smelling of smoke and fire, who makes my companion’s voice quiver. I can draw no conclusion but my betrothed.”

Aemond’s eye flickers to the other lady, who looks petrified by his presence whereas Cecily does not seem particularly moved by it. “You’ll forgive my intrusion,” he says after a moment too long. It is rare he finds himself lost for words.

“I may,” she said, pulling the other woman closer. “Flora, help me.”

The other girl, Flora, carefully takes hold of Cecily’s arm, leading her forward with as much confidence as Aemond supposes she can muster.

“I cannot say I expected to meet you like this, my prince,” Cecily says. As she draws nearer, Aemond can see the greyish film over her irises. If he had not known it the moment she faced him, he would see it in her eyes now. “Without an appropriate chaperone. My dear cousin is responsible and will ensure there is no impropriety between us, though.”

Aemond looks to Flora, another Tyrell if Cecily’s words and the roses on her dress are to be believed. Could it not have been her? She is pretty enough, he cares not that she is a mere cousin to the heir. It would be less of a humiliation than being paired with an invalid simply because his own vision is halved.

Cecily and Flora curtsey to him, and he does not hide his displeasure.

“I had no improper intentions, Lady Cecily,” he says, voice clipped. “I only meant to look upon my betrothed before she approaches me at the altar. Our families mean to keep us apart, and I wished to see why.”

Cecily’s smile is still playing at her lips. It would look smug on anyone else, but she manages only to look coy and gentle. “I can imagine you’ve reached a conclusion?”

“Mmm,” hums Aemond, thankful she cannot see his scowl. If Flora tells her of it later, so be it. “Several.”

“‘Tis not a birth defect,” she says after a moment. “If that is your worry.”

Aemond feels his jaw tense, his eye turning to the ground so he is not forced to look at her eyes any longer. He doesn’t know how to articulate what his worry is. He only knows he hates it, and he is trying his hardest not to hate her. It is not working.

Without another word, Aemond turns and leaves the room, not caring that Flora can see the upset rush in his hurried footsteps.

As he goes, he hears Cecily say to her companion, “He has gone? Did he look upset?”

He does not care to hear Flora’s answer.

part ii

[thenonbinarydetective]

No matter how many robins are there, dick grayson is always no.1. Only him and cassandra actually feel like a mirror of Bruce...other robins feel mishandled or having unresolved issues

Well he is the first so sure. But he has some problems right now. Especially concerning age. But if we’re extending to batgirls a little bit which I’m assuming we are with the Cass mention it’s more of a problem with Babs. However, it’s not helping him either. And also displays of his competence and independence which isn’t supported by slotting him back into Gotham whenever some writer feels like it. I’ve said to before that sometimes it makes sense and sometimes they just wanna write dick

Honestly this may be weird but sometimes everyone else feels like half resolved. Damian I don’t mind because he’s literally 14 he doesn’t need his shit resolved right now. He’s basically just realized he has identity issues because his dad is Batman and the multiverse as fixated by tom king decides he can’t have any other purpose. But he wants other purpose (unrelated but ultimately I don’t think he’s ever going to be Batman outside of possible futures/elseworlds)

But they can move past Jason’s whateverness by just doing the shit I’ve said before. Which is simply making the decision they wanna make and put in the effort

With Tim we gotta force the writers to move him from Robin. Yea yea repeated discourse. I know but you brought it up lol. The thing is a lot of the writers we have now were Tim Drake fanboys in the 90s and want the chance to write him as Robin themselves because now they can. Part of me would respect that but another part of me knows that they could write one-shots/elseworlds/whatever’s that have that and remember that he needs to grow the fuck up (with young Justice). Yes this all ties back to Bruce.

Duke is kinda the same ig. He’s supposed to be the daytime hero but they kinda overlooked that and started putting him on the night shift. Without ever saying he stopped day work so…we just need to know if he’s getting bat overtime benefits. Also his mom is totally good again. Totally fine and recovering and flirting with Black Lightning (who could blame her?) and that’s not been talked about. The Thomas family seems to be disappearing into the batfamily which I really do not think should happen. I don’t mind Bruce keeping a room available for Duke if and when he needs it but his family should be prioritized more if we wanna keep them alive. If DC doesn’t, at least give them the honor of a send off. I still don’t think they should though

Steph is probably the only one that will not be fully and truly resolved because of misogyny. I know it might sound like me using it as a buzz word with her at this point but it’s true. A lot of men don’t wanna cover the problems with her because the problems WERE MEN. They know about the sexism leaked into comics and that Bruce and Alfred in particular were so sexist during her time as Robin. And they’ve tried addressing how much he regrets doubting her or mistreating her or whatever but that doesn’t fully address the problem. Like there’s still more and it’s a problem some male writers aren’t comfortable with fixing cause they would cause it in their own way.

[seaweedstarshine]

Late to the game as I’ve kinda been kinda non-here for a minute but I scrolled through the Dot and Bubble tag, and thought I wanted to write this post into existence.

There's this part in Doctor Who Unleashed where RTD says this:

“What we can’t tell is how many people will have worked that out before the ending. Because they’ve seen white person after white person after white person, and television these days is very diverse. I wonder, will you be ten minutes into it, will you be fifteen, will you be twenty, before you start to think, everyone in this community is white. And if you don’t think that — why didn’t you? So, that’s gonna be interesting. I hope it’s one of those pieces of television you see, and always remember.”

And I'm like. Yeah. But the reason this works even as well as it does is largely thanks to the work of the previous showrunner with the previous creative team, which was notably the first era to have any writers of color (amongst other firsts in terms of inclusivity in directors, composer, actors). While Chibnall fumbled whenever he tried to write about race himself, he did have the self-awareness to have Black and South Asian writers writing the episodes where race is the focus (and a female writer for the episode where sexism is a focus; my point is, he seemed to know his shortcomings).

I wonder what the current creative team looks like? (not really, but I wasn't 100% sure for all of them)

To quote RTD:

“...before you start to think, everyone in this community is white.”

This is pretty non-self-aware, right? It's pretty “It is said, and I understand this, there was a history of racism with the original Toymaker, the Celestial Toymaker, who had ‘celestial,’ and I did not know this, but ‘celestial’ can mean of Chinese origin, but in a derogatory way,” right? (from The Giggle Unleashed) It's pretty “and I had problems with that, and a lot of us on the production team had problems with that: associating disability with evil,” right? (from Destination Skaro Unleashed)

—none of which are issues that should be overlooked, but think how much exponentially better they might’ve been addressed if he’d consulted with Chinese writers and wheelchair-using writers before going straight to giving the Toymaker weird fake accents and making Davros walk?

How many Black or non-white people do we think saw the Dot and Bubble script before it landed in Ncuti’s hands?

And this just keeps happening.

And like, from some of the shocked responses I've seen from white viewers to the ending of Dot and Bubble, maybe the episode's unsubtlety was needed? From the way RTD talks about it in Unleashed, the episode was written with a white audience in mind, Baby's First Microaggressions (where of course the microaggressions come from people who are pretty self-admittedly white supremacists). Ricky September, a more seemingly normal depiction of someone in the racist bubble of Finetime, seemed like an interesting element, up until the way he died.

The ending worked for me, because I do think the Doctor's reaction is true to how the Doctor would react. I just keep thinking of how much better the core themes could've been handled by someone with actual lived experience on the subject matter.

[wc-confessions]

Getting a bit icky on the recent “sexism is ok actually” so it's time to talk about warrior cat sexism. here we go again.

The sexism in Warrior Cats runs deeper than mere surface-level discomfort. It's not simply a matter of disliking some portrayals of female characters, but rather a systemic issue that manifests in different ways in the writing. This embedded sexism affects the series in ways that go beyond individual instances and extend into the narrative itself, influencing character development, plot dynamics, and the overall portrayal of gender roles within the clans.

The series has an unequal distribution of males and females in leadership roles in the clans, proportionately there are more males that have been leaders, deputies and medcats while females on the other hand are in roles associated with caregiving, Motherhood is often portrayed as a defining aspect of a shecat character. With little exploration of their desires or goals beyond raising kits, This restricts their identity to one role. while male character romance often will be a side note in their stories, a lot of female characters plots will revolve around a tom or kits.

They frequently face restrictions in their choices and ambitions, they are often given less dialogue and are portrayed as having less impact on the plot. sometimes female characters will be killed simply for character development for their male counterparts.

While the Warrior Cats series creates a fictional universe with its own set of rules and norms, lets remember that this world is crafted by authors who have agency in shaping the narrative. Even within a fictional context, choices about gender dynamics, character development, and relationships are decisions made by the writers. Using the in-universe setting as an excuse for sexist writing overlooks the fact that these narratives are constructed and can be critiqued in terms of their portrayal of gender.

I do not think the authors rubs there hands and laugh manically when they write these books to turn kids sexist. I doubt that it’s intentional and simply just subconscious influence that manifest in the text, but sometimes I wonder.

.

[olderthannetfic]

I feel that sometimes claims about how only fetishizing fujoshis enjoy gay porn or romance with heavy top/bottom dynamics, or any claim that only "straight" people of the opposite sex like X flavour of gay porn, oddly gender essentialist as well. While socialization does mean there are certain trends at play and you can usually tell which gender it's catering too I think it's inaccurate to say there's no appeal for the unintended audience or that it could be an authentic expression of an individual queer man or woman's desire for the same sex that simply aligns with what the opposite gender tends to gravitate towards.

When it comes to porn I think the desires of men and women are far more similar than people like to act, and there's a far greater division between people with different kinks than different genders. I also think there's this tendency to overlook the influences of the larger context that might be mistaken for preference regarding the contents of the porn itself. Like how women tend to be more anxious about live action actors potentially being abused IRL, or find it harder to suspend their disbelief when "scary IRL but fun in fiction" happens to a female character because it hits too close to home. Guys seem to do a lot of performing sexuality as well, including porn consumption, in a way that's less about their actual desires than Performing Manliness even to themselves (which girls do too, just to a lesser extent since truly explicit female sexuality is so invisible or demonized in mainstream culture). And then there's a significant segment of the population that due to poor sex ed doesn't have a firm, conscious grasp on the way porn differs from reality and so will feel like extreme intentionally kink is reflective of someone's IRL beliefs while also getting influenced by more subtle manifestations of sexism in porn that are mainstream enough there's no instinctive flinch, which then makes some women wary of porn in general. I could go on but it's not nearly as simple as "girls like this and boys like this" because even in that context there are so many external factors that have little to do with the sex acts themselves.

--

[r7-b7]

Questions to ask ourselves TW: SA

Didn't see that Neil Gaiman thing coming?

Right now is an opportunity to learn from this experience. We all have got to have each other. We as individuals need to change ourselves to change the collective. We cannot continue like this, where power dynamics run rampant. Where young fans/people continuously get taken advantage of in various fandoms from a variety of powerful men (usually white men- that IS important as we live in under white supremacy) like Henry Cavill, Leonardo DiCaprio, Harrison Ford and many many more.

We've gotta ask ourselves a lot of questions, and keep questioning.

How do we learn from this? What questions do we ask?

How are we supporting those most affected? How do we think critically and compassionately? What thoughts and feelings are coming up? What am I going to do with those?

Why are some people saying they aren't surprised?

Why are some people downright rejecting the notion of the reality?

Have you ever overlooked a warning in the past? Did a friend ever mention someone you like made them uncomfortable or said something weird? How did you respond?

Do you call out your rapey bros? The ones who don't take no for an answer the first time?

What does consent mean to you?

Have you ever discussed your boundaries clearly with your partner or loved ones?

Have you ever crossed someone's boundaries? Has someone ever crossed yours? What happened next? How do you feel about it now?

When someone tells you that you hurt them, how do you respond?

When someone hurts you, how do you respond?

How have I upheld systems that perpetuate harm? How has my own internalized supremacy (racism, sexism, ableism, ageism, etc) poisoned my relationships?

Can I own up to the times I said emotionally manipulative, sexist, misogynistic, or racist things? Even if I didn't understand exactly what I was saying? Can I own it?

Who is a safe person? What qualities make up a trustworthy person?

How can I keep working to be that safe and trustworthy person?

[thestobingirlie]

This isn't just a st fandom problem, it stretches across fandom as a whole.

But I think people focus on and constantly bring up Steve's 'sins'/ asshole behaviour while ignoring everyone else's because fandom seems to consider homophobia the 'worst' kind of bigotry. They can ignore racism, sexism, ableism, but they can't excuse homophobia. They only care about any other type of bigotry if they can use it to prove a point.

They bring up Steve being homophobic for using 'queer' against Jonathan in season 1 but they ignore

The kid's, particularly Dustin and Lucas, casual ableism in s1, when they kept referring to El as 'the psycho' and talking about her escaping from Pennhurst, calling it a 'nuthouse', constantly referring to her as the weirdo or the freak

Jonathan's ableism in s2 when he refers to the kids as Will's 'spazzy friends'

Billy's misogyny, referring to the girls of Hawkins High as cows.

Billy's racism. Everything about the way he treated Lucas. Just because the actor refused to say the N word, doesn't make the character not racist. There is more to racism than just using slurs.

Jonathan's casual misogyny, the way he talks to and treats Nancy at times, especially in s1 when they're talking about the photos. And the way he talks to and treats Joyce at times.

These are just some of the examples I can think of just from the top of my head. But they all get ignored or swept under the carpet, because 'not that big of a deal.'

All bigotry is bad. But Steve is the only character that has shown a hint of bigotry and then been shown to move past it. To make amends and show that he is now accepting of it. No matter how much people try to claim that Steve accepting Robin as a lesbian isn't proof of him no longer being homophobic. As if lesbians are somehow less gay than gay men.

i think because the majority of the fandom is gay, they just… don’t really give a fuck about other forms of bigotry.

they really think that homophobia is the worst that it gets. and that homophobia really only seems to apply to gay men, because the way they treat bisexuals and lesbians is…. jarring. to say the least.

obviously the show is set in the 80s, so it’s not like the bigotry is… totally unexpected or out of place. but i don’t think it’s treated or written right within the show, and i think that’s one of the factors that makes people so comfortable with ignoring it.

steve’s homophobia is unambiguously portrayed as the wrong thing. as steve’s lowest point. the actions he has to claw his way back from. but the bigotry within other aspects of the show is just… ignored. it’s just a joke. or not that serious. the characters aren’t punished or proved wrong. (i do kinda think that’s because a lot of bigotry was inadvertent, and more reflective of the duffers as people rather than because they were trying to accurately portray an 80s society. but whatever).

steve’s homophobia being treated as the biggest bad is also kinda weird to me because it doesn’t really have… a ‘real’ target, so to speak. like, the parties ableism is directed towards el, who, while she doesn’t have a canonical disability, is developmentally behind and raised in a lab. jonathan’s misogyny is directed at nancy and joyce, his ableism is directed towards the party, and therefore dustin. billy’s racism is directed towards lucas and his misogyny is spoken to max.

whereas steve (I AM NOT CONDONING HIS ACTIONS THEY ARE WRONG!!!) calls jonathan a queer. who is not a gay man. while it’s still obviously wrong and homophobic, the target of his homophobia is not a member of the community. and yet, people treat his comment as if it’s the worst form of bigotry on the show.

they’re willing to overlook everything else. they’re willing to perpetuate lesbophobia and biphobia, racism and misogyny. they’re willing to write thousands of outing fics where the outing isn’t portrayed as wrong. but steve saying the word queer? unforgivable.

(honestly, though steve’s homophobia is the only form of bigotry that we see treated as wrong and we see a demonstration of steve’s growth later in the seasons. i don’t know if we can even give the duffers that, because robin wasn’t originally going to be a lesbian. which means the duffers were never planning on dealing with any of the bigotry in the show in a meaningful matter. but that’s a different conversation)

[witchofhimring]

Maris Baratheon Profile

This is both a character study and my personal headcanons for the character. This is part two of the "Daughters of Borros Baratheon" series. This template will be used in all my upcoming fics unless otherwise specified. I find it hard to write characters who do not have a cemented personality so I decided to make some up.

Space divider provided by:@firefly-graphics

Background and theories:

We do not have as much information regarding Marris as we do Cassandra. The first time we heard of Maris is when Aemond arrives at Storms End. Her introduction is quick but dramatic. She is said to be clever (although it is treated as shrewishness on the book). I suspect that Maris had been unfairly maligned in Fire and Blood. Her sharp tongue was obviously too terrifying for the maesters. Maris is clearly very bold and a touch confrontational. Unfortunately we know little else about a character who could be very interesting. What is interesting is that she alone shows jealousy. Did she feel the rejection more keenly than the rest? Maria’s introduction is made though her father, who tells Aemond if he wants a clever wife she should take Maris. From the way Maris is depicted you get the feeling she is not well liked by the writer. Given this is Fire and Blood, in which sexism is a large theme, I believe this to be another example of women being put down for not being conventional. Maris is essentially blamed for starting the dance. Of course Aemond could not have withstood the taunts of a pre-teen girl 🙄.

Now, if Fire and Blood Maris is younger than in my headcanons. This is partly so that I can enter them into stories and because they are older in the show. A detail that is often overlooked is how Maris is treated as if she were a grown up, despite not even having hit puberty yet. This is implied when Borros says his eldest will be the first to flower. Meaning Cassandra is anywhere from 10-13 is years old. Maris would in that case be even younger. Fire and Blood talks about Maris as if she were a woman grown, and yet it is not acknowledged that she was so young.

Maris ends up being sent to the Silent Sisters. We do not know why this happened. It is speculated that her mother forced this on Maris, however there is no way of truly knowing. Borros was aware of his daughters intelligence and publicly acknowledges it, so perhaps there is pride.

Relationships: (headcanons)

Borros

As a little girl Maris was close to her father. He enjoyed her tenacity and outspoken personality. This changed as Maris grew older and Borros felt that as an older girl she should conform. Bitter, Maris's wit turned to biting insults at the expense of others. Father and daughter drifted away over time so that when he died the two were hardly on speaking terms. Borros was proud of his daughters intelligence, but it is mixed with his belief that girls have a certain role to play.

Elenda

Mother and daughter never got along. Although Elenda's other daughters simply have no true relationship with her, the one between herself and Maris is bad. Maris was always resentful that her mother focused on having sons. The reason Elenda is hard on Maris is because the two are very similar and that bothers her. Eventually Elenda sends her daughter off to the Silent Sisters as punishment. Later on in life Elenda does try to contact her daughter, however the letters were never read.

Cassandra

They are not close but there is little bad blood. Maris was jealous when they were children as Cassandra was the favourite but that changed when Floris was born. Seeing Cassandra feeling rejected by their father she felt a sort of kinship. Despite this the two never became close and when Maris was sent to the Silent Sisters they never saw each other again.

Ellyn

Ellyn is Maris's punching bag. Because her mother is away, father is the lord, Cassandra is off doing her own thing and Floris is the favourite and protected by their father, Ellyn is the target. She often taunts her younger sister and puts her down when the opportunity arises. When Ellyn is betrothed to Prince Aemond Maris becomes very jealous, but by then there is nothing she can do.

Floris

She despises her younger sister the most. Floris is the favourite and is more in line with what a "lady" should be. Borros is protective of his youngest in ways he is not to the others so she is unable to torment Floris. Instead Maris puts distance between the two and hates her from a distance.

Personality: (headcanons)

-When she was little Maris was not unkind, but actually quite friendly. She had the whole world before her and did not mind her mothers neglect. As a second born daughter she had more freedom than Cassandra and used that to pursue her own interests. She would visit the castle maester and read through his books.

-Her cleverness is encouraged when she is little. Life is good and at first she does not hate Ellyn or any of her sisters. But as time goes by things change. Because she is older and not considered pretty, Maris is given a hard time and becomes bitter as the years go by.

-Soon the happy intelligent girl is replaced by a sour young woman who feels neglected and lashes out. Her wit is now not just shown in lessons and debates, but when she desires to put others down.

-Likes bookbinding

-Fondness for the taste of boar

-Like Cassandra she has the Baratheon temper.

[himluv]

DA Review Series - The Stolen Throne by David Gaider

Since I finished my original fiction novel at the end of February, I've started replaying the Dragon Age games and the long process of re-reading all the Media Tie-Ins. I thought, since I'm doing all of this, I might as well share my thoughts along the way.

I'm following this list that I made last year, if you'd like to follow along :). Now, onto the review!

Title: The Stolen Throne Author: David Gaider Publication Year: 2009 In-World Year: ~8:96 Blessed to ~9:00 Dragon (there are discrepancies) Verdict: Skip. There isn't any real lore value here, and it's mostly just teen angst wrapped in sexism.

The Stolen Throne is a prequel to Dragon Age: Origins, which introduces us to teenaged Maric Theirin just after his mother has been assassinated. The book follows Maric and his friends over the course of about four years as they lead a rebellion to free Ferelden from Orlesian occupation. We also meet young Loghain MacTir and Rowan Guerrin – both important figures to the Ferelden we experience in DA:O.

Unfortunately, I don't have much good to say about this book. I first read it in 2011, and remember really liking it then. I was 21, and while a voracious reader, I was not a reader of much Fantasy at the time. I've grown a lot since then, and this book does not age well.

I tried to re-read it in 2020 and couldn't finish it. I tried again in 2023 and, again, abandoned it. But this year, while playing DA:O I was able to slog through it and FINALLY finish it.

So, why was it such a slog?

The writing is, uh, bad. Just, on a basic prose level, this feels like a rough draft. Adjectives and adverbs run rampant over this book. Descriptions are winding and don't always make sense. The amount of times I rolled my eyes while reading this book, y'all. It was a lot.

But, if the story had been good enough, I could have overlooked the bumbling execution. The problem is, the story isn't all that compelling. Yes, I expected the overthrowing of Thedas's most influential political force to be an exciting read. Instead, this book isn't so much about the politics of Thedas and the tolls of war, but about... love triangles? Quadrangles?

Without getting lost in the details, basically Maric is betrothed to Rowan, but Loghain loves Rowan. And Maric is in love with Katriel (which is a whole 'nother problematic can of worms) and cheats on Rowan. And Rowan... is upset about this, but I don't really know why because she doesn't love Maric. And she sleeps with Loghain, but also.... I don't think she loves him either? IDK, man. None of it made sense.

And that is the crux of this book. So little of the characters' motivations made sense. And so much of the book hinged on those supposed motivations and feelings. But they didn't make sense – at least, not to me.

Sadly, there wasn't much lore to be gained from this book, either. we learn a little about Maric and his mother Moira. A little about Loghain, but even what I did learn didn't make me more sympathetic to him. He's still a dick. In fact, the only characters I did like were Rowan and Katriel, both of whom are dead by the end of the book. Neither of whom had any real power over their own lives. In fact! When Katriel attempted to flex what little power she did have, Maric KILLED her. And he supposedly loved her??? No. Uh-huh. And Loghain basically goaded him into it, so they both suck.

The one good thing from this is I think it does make the Orelsian hate in DA:O more believable. When the Warden comes on the scene, it's only been ~30 years since Maric and Loghain ousted Orlais. People are still living and working who fought in these battles, who lived under occupation. So, that's some good context. Don't think we needed over 400 pages of misogyny to get it, though.

David Gaider wrote two more Dragon Age novels, so wish me luck. I think I'm going to need it...

[malevolentaroweek]

Frequently Asked Questions

✦ How can I participate?

Create any kind of fanwork, post about it here and @ us using the appropriate tags! As long as it’s Malevolent and related to aromanticism/arospec identities, you’re good to go. Fics, art, cosplay, music, crafts, headcanons, etc; any and all types are welcome! We just ask that if you include an image in your post, please include an image description in the alt text or in the body of the post.

✦ Why aromanticism and not just queer?

While Malevolent is not an explicitly queer podcast, the show lends itself to queer readings, and as such has built an audience of predominantly LGBTQ+ folks. Due to the nature of the characters, the ways they relate to one another and their environment, we believe that particular respect should be given to arospec identities within the show, as in fandom such identities are typically overlooked in favor of romantic dynamics. The creators of this week are both aromantic and wanted to create an event that further explored those aspects of their favorite podcast :)

✦ Does it have to be strictly aromantic?

If you mean, does the content created have to be strictly and exclusively non-spectrum aromantic, then no. This event includes all kinds of aromanticism from all across the spectrum. You want to write a fic about John being grayro and falling in love with Oscar? Go for it! Wanna draw a comic about Arthur being a loveless aromantic? Be our guest!

However, we only ask that the main focus of the week be aromanticism and not other related orientations. Exclusively arospec content is rare in online spaces, and we'd like to change that.

✦ What if I don’t like a specific day’s prompt?

You’re welcome to go off-script and create anything you like as long as it relates to some aspect of arospec identity within the podcast. Posts off-script or without a prompt will be reblogged on the final day (Dec 10th.)

✦ What content is allowed/not allowed?

We encourage any and all varieties of fanwork and the content within it, as long as it remains on-topic and related to aromanticism. As the source material also deals with a variety of heavy and challenging content, we believe that listeners are well aware of their own limits and can curate their online experiences accordingly. That said, NSFW content and colloquial “triggering” content will be allowed and may be shared on this blog, as long as it remains in line with Tumblr’s policies, though we will do our best to tag accordingly; feel free to refer to our tag guide for examples. Any content that is discriminatory or categorised as hate speech (homophobia/transphobia, racism, sexism, ableism, etc) will not be shared.

✦ How does the pairings aspect work? 

Alongside each day's prompt, we've added two suggested pairings of characters through which to explore the prompts. This is not mandatory, but if you’re unsure of what direction to take a specific prompt, those characters/pairings may serve as a guide to help you build a framework for that day. While the characters are suggested through “slash” pairings colloquially viewed as romantic, their involvement in a work can be through shipping character studies, or simply having the characters interact in some way.

✦ Will there be spoilers?

While we cannot determine what participants will create over the week, it is safe to assume that spoilers for episodes of Malevolent will occur. We will tag #malevolent spoilers for content related to the most recent episode(s), as Part 38 will most likely be out by the time of the event. Beyond this, it would be unrealistic to tag any content relating to spoilers for any point in the show as such, as due to the storyline, almost everything would be tagged as such. If you are concerned about spoilers, we recommend catching up to the show before engaging with content created for the event.

✦ Who’s running this event?

The creators of this event are Red @arthurtaylorlester and Finch @parkeryangs

✦ Have further questions?

Send us an ask! Anonymous asks are welcome, though if requested we can also answer user asks privately. (Asks being discriminatory/hateful/etc or that are harassment/spam will be deleted; we are trying to curate a positive, welcoming fandom space here, so please be considerate of that when sending inquiries.)

[almightytuba]

I’ve been putting this post off for a while now but it’s becoming increasingly more important as the situation progresses.

I have been a part of the NanoWriMo YWP for four years now. I joined at a generally bad time and found some wonderful companions via the site. In my years there I have made connections, found community, improved and renewed my love for writing. That is not to say that the experience was entirely good, however. I will be forever grateful for the friends I’ve made and the outlet it gave me in rough times but I have been left disgusted overall by the site.

This site is promoted for anyone under 18, the forums available to anyone 13-18. The program is not only readily available with no moderation as to verifying users (allowing for many spam accounts and ‘backups’, as I will address in a moment) but is promoted in schools nation-wide. Without any protection and moderation on a global site, the YWP creates a breeding ground for predatory behavior in a place advertised towards children and teens. It’s my firm belief that yes, the YWP is a fantastic concept- most teens are not able to find supportive communities or allowed to express themselves and the site acts as such, This is a horrifying notion but it’s realistic when children are continuously and purposely overlooked for the purpose of ‘saving face.’ The YWP has done exactly that. It has failed not only me, but my friends, teachers, and schools.

I have been present for a mere fraction of the garbage the site allows to fester within it. I cannot speak from experience in all events but what I can speak for with certainty, I will.

1- Predators and predatory behavior. One of the greatest flaws of the site is that what could have been avoided genuinely avoided if its users taken seriously or given an ounce of respect. Predators being allowed to run rampant is not in the least new to the site and it’s almost entirely up to its users to keep themselves safe. Mods have continued to err on the side of perpetrators. Perhaps if this happened once, it could be excusable by some great reach- but this is repeated behavior from the people entrusted to the site. Time after time I have engaged in “flagging battles”- the only thing users have virtually with no in-site blocking system- against users telling teens to kill themselves, to doxx themselves, to engage in sexual activities. Let me remind you that YWP is a writing site for children- and if accounts can that simply lie about their age, I can assure you there are users younger than the 13 minimum roaming around the site.

2- Harassment and bullying. As I said above, anyone can make an account. This includes troll/spam accounts, and sheer amount of repeat offenders on the site is repulsive. In the rare case mods do anything about what occurs in-site (rather than ban users that are self-moderating and genuinely trying to help), users are just able to make a new account. The sheer amount of times I have seen backup accounts log made for the sake of spamming “KYS” is almost astonishing. I could talk for ages on this; how the same user has come back and perpetuated racism, sexism, homophobia- anything just to ‘piss people off’. The YWP is allegedly a ‘safe space’ for its large queer community and a neurodivergent populous. With this rampant behavior the site only works to perpetuate hate.

3- Moderation. I am aware that this is a subject of controversy, many vocal points screaming out at the YWP- “why don’t you just ignore it if you don’t like it?” And to that I ask you if ignoring a prevalent problem truly makes it dissipate. Although the answer clear, we are still told our anger unjustified or methods fear-mongering. This disgusts me. We are justified. We are allowed to be as vocally angry as we wish because we have been wronged and have virtually no other power to do anything about it.

There are endless ways that the mods have failed us. By refusing to listen to the community they only work to make the space less safe, banning those who speak out and ‘hurt their feelings’ or by kicking dirt over incidents of their own failure. This is non-conducive work and I have no idea how it passed for it for so long.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.

[citadelofmythoughts]

I frankly wonder if Yang's disdain for anyone trying to alter her hair stems from how she might view it as the one thing that she is in total control over.

Yang's pretty clearly leaning towards being a masculine presenting young woman at the very least, but for much of her life she's always presented as feminine in order to be "just right" for other people (or at least what she perceives as being "just right").

I can honestly see her being someone who gets subjected to a lot of casual sexism (in addition to the overt ones from perverts ogling her breasts) about what she wears and how it affected the way she goes about presenting herself to other people. Always wearing as close to "feminine" outfits as possible while slipping in the more masculine elements in a way that can be overlooked easily.

But her hair is distinctly her own, because even as its incredible length leans towards feminine presentation, it's still something that she is the only person who gets to dictate on how she wears it, and she doesn't take kindly to other people trying to alter it.

It's also why I think there's not going to be any kind of major haircut kinda scene or anything like that unless it's something she wants for herself.

About the only thing I could see Yang doing is going back to our beloved ponytail.

And yeah, I get it. It might not seem important to some but hair can be an incredibly personal thing and has a LOT to do with our self-images.

[illegiblewords]

I want to take a second to talk about Mary Sues as I understand them. And by Mary Sues, I mean all variants unbound by gender or style.

People used to discuss Mary Sues a lot back in the early 2000's. There were litmus tests all over defined by superficial qualities like hair/eye color, number of love interests, whether a tragic backstory existed, etc. Readers would run up to strangers with hate reviews if an OC didn't meet their standards. It was common to accuse disliked canon characters of being Mary Sues too. There were lists of works that were considered guilty of Mary Sue creation assembled for mockery. The whole thing became a form of public bullying and I think it scared a lot of creators into not trying anymore. I suspect it's a huge part of why we keep getting y/n and other open self-insert fics these days.

At some point, the public shifted. People attempted to defend Mary Sues by equating them with all power or romance fantasies then claiming the only reason such characters would be vilified is sexism toward a female default archetype. By doing this, most people stopped examining the phenomenon altogether--not only in understanding what the actual common factor in Mary Sues is, but why Mary Sues are alienating to readers.

That answer was a cop out. I promise that Mary Sues are just as off-putting with characters of any gender, demographic, orientation, whatever. And frankly it doesn't matter if your character is the most generically designed, unassuming, non-tragic shlub of all time--they are still capable of being a Mary Sue if the structural issues remain.

Mary Sues are normal among developing writers. I've certainly made Mary Sues before. They were cringe af and occasionally I discuss them behind closed doors if I want to make someone laugh. Created them in dead earnest as a teen and holy fuck it was parody level. Everything I talk about is as someone who is 0% free from sin lmao.

Before I give my definition of what a Mary Sue is, I need to explain something about characterization that is often overlooked.

There is micro, individual characterization and there is macro, population characterization. Worldbuilding requires characterization too. You need to look at a group's motives, influences, psychology, resources, etc. the same way you would for individual characters while allowing room for varied experiences. You need to know the cause/effect of societal development. It isn't something you can just wave away as 'because I said so' because that dehumanizes the entire population, which makes the world less believable/immersive. A less believable world in-turn strips individual characters of experiences and perspectives that shape who they are. This has a flattening effect and makes characters less believable and relatable too. Tradition, style, and genre def shape how much detail is needed but some degree of macro-characterization is necessary.

With that said, I'd argue that Mary Sues are characters who (rather than having behavior believably shaped by experiences or operating within the parameters of the world they inhabit) define themselves for how they are exempt. It doesn't matter if the exception to cause/effect is positive or negative. Mary Sues are also prone to being the most at what they do. Most ordinary/boring counts. Mary Sues will warp the experiences, perspectives, and desires of other cast members around themselves like black holes without it being acknowledged as abnormal by the other cast members or the narrative. Cause and effect in relationship building through behavior/choices does not apply, a Mary Sue does not start from zero like a regular person. Lore and stories revolve around Mary Sues exclusively even when it doesn't make any sense for that to be the case. Every significant thought or experience of other cast members ties back to Mary Sues too. Positive or negative, Mary Sues are likely the only and most meaningful relationship characters will have. Design elements (when present) tie to exceptionalism and lack of cause/effect.

Being a chosen one or someone with unrivaled power/influence in a particular arena isn't enough to make a character a Mary Sue if it is cohesive within the world. These things also tie heavily to characterization in response to situations as well as the dynamics with others/characterization of others. The existence of Mary Sue tends to preclude any alternate meaningful relationships or experiences for other cast members, and again--Mary Sue is specifically not shaped by experiences in credible ways. They don't experience meaningful internal change. They're pretty much always right or always wrong. And having an exceptional or rare experience (ex. someone did an experiment with odd results on a character) isn't enough to cause a Mary Sue either if that experience or exception remains consistent within the overall worldbuilding/macro-characterization. So ex. if there were similar experiments being conducted on or by others, that would go a long way to addressing exceptionalism. Isekai characters who come from one world to another are not inherent Mary Sues, because the isekai character still carries and is shaped by both their previous life experiences and the life experiences of their new environment. The source world is still part of the overall setting that shapes them. In-universe reality warpers also don't count as Mary Sues because reactions to reality warping tend to be organic and not normalized by the narrative.

There are degrees in how much a character is or isn't a Mary Sue, but lack of cause/effect, absolutism, and exceptionalism are big. The reason Mary Sues are bad storytelling is because they are not credibly human (figurative), diminish the humanity of other cast members, and diminish the humanity/construction of the entire world simultaneously. They lack believable consequences for any choices made--be they positive or negative. Stakes/tension are skewed as a result. Mary Sues tend to be static and they not only break immersion, they alienate readers because it's a form of destroying a world and cast the audience is invested in. There is no reason for random strangers to love Mary Sues. Mary Sues don't come across as authentically alive in any capacity, but more as poorly done caricatures of life.

And the thing is, they often don't work for wish-fulfillment fiction either. Wish-fulfillment (when the reader imagines experiencing the story in the role of protagonist) gets passes on certain technical elements necessary in empathy-based storytelling (when the reader forms opinions of cast members as distinct people) or intellect-based storytelling (the reader is exploring a philosophical or medium-based concept).

In wish-fulfillment, it is very important that the writer creates a main character who many audience members can project themselves onto. Usually such characters are left somewhat underdeveloped to facilitate this. Whether it's a power fantasy (reader imagines having luxury/influence), a romance fantasy (reader obtains an ideal partner), or even revenge fantasy (reader has an outlet for anger without consequences)--in wish-fulfillment it's important that not only the author but a wide range of readers can share in the fantasy. While it's possible to get limited success with some Mary Sues here, I think the extreme, specific, hyper exceptional nature of Mary Sues often distracts. Again, wish-fulfillment finds strength in how well it shares fantasies with audiences. If the audience is so caught up that they can't effectively project themselves onto the Mary Sue (being hyper aware of the Mary Sue's artificiality), that isn't going to work. If the fantasy doesn't resonate with audiences, it won't go as far either.

Imagine taking James Bond and giving him natural purple eyes and hair in a world where no one else has that. He'd never lose a single fight or struggle to escape peril, never wreck one of the fancy cars he's given, never have a single advance rejected. Bond is a power and romance fantasy character no doubt, but his limits are significant in keeping him from being a Mary Sue. There are plots and relationships that have nothing to do with him beyond details in the mission he was assigned and those keep things immersive.

All this said. If you're telling a story for yourself, and only yourself--doesn't matter if your character is a Mary Sue. Once you bring other people in, you have to think about what you're trying to achieve as a storyteller in terms of interpersonal communication. That includes whether the experiences you're crafting for readers are effectively realized.

Mary Sues are a normal part of learning. They aren't immoral or unforgivable. Mostly they invoke a self-centered mindset supposing the entire world/everyone in it revolves around you in some way. Again, I've made 'em lol--think immaturity is a big part of the practice. But in a story where everything revolves around you, that doesn't necessarily share well with readers who aren't you who are still the heroes of their own stories.

Making Mary Sues is a craftsmanship issue. It's like trying to build a chair only for one leg to come out wobbly. It can be your favorite chair sure, but that doesn't make it well-crafted. Certainly no one owes you money or praise for it. Hell, they wouldn't owe those things if it was a perfectly crafted chair but not the chair they were after.

Part of what motivated me to write this is because I've seen certain creators with wobbly chairs. They've slapped on carvings, stains, and all kinds of features--but the chair still wobbles like a motherfucker. These creators don't understand why more people aren't buying their chair. They think people must hate them personally or the material their chair is made from then fly into rages accusing audiences of moral deficiency. It's hit a level of bullying in its own right.

To people like that I say:

Your chair wobbles. It'll do way better if it doesn't wobble. The wobble is fixable. Strangers are not obligated to fawn over your wobbly chair. There isn't something wrong with them for not wanting a wobbly chair. Wobbly chairs haven't done well historically either. You're not an exception, just one in a very long line of wobbly chair makers. Some of those chairs were made of the same material you're using. Some were different. It isn't about the material or your staining, your carvings, any of that. It isn't about you either. Your chair can't support itself--let alone someone trying to sit in it. Even if your prospective customers couldn't make a better chair themselves, they can tell when shit's unsteady and they don't want that. Of course you're making wobbly chairs before you make sturdy ones because you're still figuring chair construction out. This is just a part of the process you haven't mastered yet. It takes attention and practice. If you spent half the energy you use yelling at other people honing your craft instead, you'd probably have better sales.