#anti-stepford swan

[ouatsnark]

What happened to Emma Swan? DEBUNKED

Ever so often the Swan Queen fandom gets it in their heads to try & tear down Emma Swan's look and character development simply because she married a man… a man who treated Emma far better than their Queen. Their arguments prove that they lack the will to understand the writing as they blatantly twist canon to fit their narrative.

"What happened to season one Emma Swan? She went from happy to miserable because of Killian Jones" - Regina Apologists

This is a prime example of how Regina Apologists are so dishonest. The two pictures on the left are promotional shots from the show. The two pictures on the right are moments from Season 6 when Emma is in distress. The first image she is watching her parents sacrifice themselves for the good of Storybrooke (while Regina, who is at fault, does nothing). The second one is when Emma was having visions of her own death. These instances have NOTHING to do with Killian Jones! However, I can find plenty of times when Emma was in distress due to Regina Mills!

I have found so many examples of them pulling this crap. I would be here all day screen capping their dishonesty.

The truth: Emma Swan wasn't happy in Season 1 & that Emma wasn't the real Emma

Yes, you heard me. Season 1 Emma wasn’t the real Emma. The real Emma was hiding behind an armor of red leather jackets, fake eye-lashes and a chip on her shoulder to keep everyone at arms length. She put on a tough bravado as an armor to protect herself from the world because she'd been hurt too many times.

But as a time passed, Emma needed less and less armor. She became more trusting and more open to love, family and happiness. When she shed that armor she let herself be more vulnerable. She became more caring toward others. Which is about the bravest thing you can do.

The more and more we saw Emma opening up to love the less armor she used. And the less armor she used, the more we hear from the Anti-CaptainSwan crowd that...

How do you go from THIS to this??? - Regina Apologist

GASP! A woman didn’t put on a bunch of make up & doll herself up for you SO SHE MUST BE MISERABLE & has no agency because she’s at the mercy of everyone!!!

Imagine degrading a woman for not wearing make up or curling their hair? You have got to be kidding me.

Also, if you really believe this, then you should be looking more favorably on Killian Jones. He obviously loved Emma for who she was and not how much make up she is wearing unlike like you fools.

Never mind that once again they grab a screen cap of when Emma is going through a tough time...and why is she going through a tough time? BECAUSE OF REGINA MILLS! Yeah, Regina's other half is trying to hurt her parents and possibly kill everyone all because Regina can't stop wanting to be evil!

The Truth: Killian Jones made Emma Swan happy

It's literally in her wedding vows. And you can see it on her face whenever she looks at him. Killian Jones helped her trust in love and not be afraid of the future.

The truth: Regina is the cause of 99% of Emma's problems

I've seen Regina stans try to say that Emma looked miserable during her vows but they fail to actually listen to what she is saying. She is not only fighting tears but when she looks away, apparently sad, she is remembering her life before Henry. She is thinking about when Henry came to get her which wasn't a happy time at all really. She was thinking about what Regina did to her and her family.

But she looks at Killian with all the happiness in her heart.

"Emma went from a badass in Season 1 to a Stepford Wife" - Regina Apologist

I love how they continue to use promo shots and bts pictures.

It’s like the Anti-CaptainSwan crowd believes that there is only one way to be a strong woman: having a chip on your shoulder, being sarcastic to everyone, never needing anyone (especially a male) and being single (unless its w|w). They just don’t like the fact that Emma not only chose her own path but fights for everyone and not just their precious queen.

I have actually heard Rumple stans call Emma a Stepford wife as well because she chose Hook over Rumple's cowardly son Neal. Which is just hysterical since Belle is literally a Stepford wife. She ignores all of his abuse, his bad deeds and his manipulation and stays with him.

The Truth: Emma Swan was still a badass after getting together with Killian Jones:

S4 taking down dragon Lily

S4 telling grumpy to back off before she turns him into stumpy (hey you thought sarcasm was badass? there you go!)

S4 taking on the darkness to save the town

S4 defeating Cruella to save Henry

S5 going up against Nimue

S5 confronting Rumple about him being the Dark One again

S5 doing what she had to do and knowing she had to destroy Dark Hook

S5 telling Regina to fix her own damn problems for once cause Emma was done doing it for her

S6 going up against Wish Hook.

S6 going up against the Serum Queen

S6 sacrificing herself for Gideon and destroying the dark fairy

Furthermore, if Emma was that dependent on Killian Jones then she would not have left the Underworld without him. But she did leave him for the sake of Henry and others who needed her.

DEBUNKING MYTHS

Emma is complex but SQers fail to accept Emma’s evolution because it didn’t involve her becoming Regina’s doormat in every aspect of her life.

I know it's hard for Regina Mills stans to spot character growth, since their queen didn't have one, but Emma Swan and Killian Jones are where the most character growth happened. They evolved into much better people as the series came to a close.

Here are some things I've seen when talking about Emma's evolution or about her being worse off with Killian Jones than she would have been with Regina or Neal. And lets be real here, Emma was worse off with Regina as a friend. That is just a fact.

THEY NEVER ACKNOWLEDGE REGINA'S TRUE ROLE

I will see them talk circles around Regina's role in Emma's life to avoid putting blame where it should be and that is directly on Regina Mills. They will say things like "The Charmings abandoned Emma" but The Charmings didn’t just abandon Emma. THEY SAVED HER LIFE with the hope that Emma would return to save the entire kingdom FROM REGINA. Regina was going to murder infant Emma.

They will also go on about how Killian and Emma were enemies at first. Killian Jones was never as much of an enemy to Emma like Regina Mills was. Regina emotionally and physically hurt Emma and destroyed her life.

MYTH: EMMA WAS ONLY AT HER BEST IN SEASON ONE OR WITH REGINA

As mentioned above, they prefer closed off and alone Emma. However, Emma was at her best when she let down her walls & allowed herself to love. A heart full of love is beautiful. But love to Regina apologists only looks like Emma bowing to Regina. Well. Emma was closed off, negative, sarcastic & willing to overlook all of Regina’s shit for the sake of Henry. Allowing someone to put you down the way Emma allows Regina is NOT someone at their best.

Emma at her best understands sacrifices for the greater good, forgiveness, mercy & the strength of love. That was Emma during all 7 seasons. Actually, Emma showed Regina way too much mercy (Rumple too, in fairness).

MYTH: EMMA WAS FORCED TO CHOOSE HOOK

Anyone who says that Emma was forced to be with Hook because Killian & her parents "pressured her" or "made her" is hating Emma Swan. This is a bunch of fanon nonsense & not canon. No one was forcing Emma. You can’t point to a single scene or dialog that suggests that. Quite the opposite in fact.

You don’t fight for something as hard as Emma fought for her happy ending if it’s not what you want. Remember that Snow & David were against saving Hook in Camelot. They were more concerned about Emma. Hell, Killian Jones was more concerned about Emma's future than living! He wanted her to choose her life over his! It was Emma’s idea to go get Hook in the Underworld & everyone was against it at first (cause who just walks into the Underworld??). If Emma's parents were pushing her towards anyone it was Neal. So, no, no one was forcing Emma to be with Hook. When Charming gives his blessing to Hook he says that the final decision is up to Emma.

If you truly believe that Emma was forced to be with Hook then you don't understand Emma Swan. Emma didn't do anything that Emma didn't want to do. Remember when Emma was dead set on running back to New York in season 3? No one was going to change her mind. She had to find out on her own that life with Henry and her parents in Storybook was indeed home. Emma was perfectly capable of making her own decisions.

MYTH: GETTING MARRIED AND HAVING CHILDREN WAS NOT SEASON ONE EMMA'S HAPPY ENDING

Says who!? When did Emma say this? Emma didn’t want a family? GTFOH with that BS. More fanon that isn’t backed up by canon. She THOUGHT she wanted that life with Neal (re-watch Tallahassee). But after his betrayal she packed that side of her away for fear of being hurt again. You’re mistaking her protective armor for who she really is.

And furthermore proving that you don't know what character growth looks like. People change so characters should as well. Well written characters evolve.

MYTH: EMMA DIDN'T PUT HERSELF FIRST ANYMORE BECAUSE OF HOOK & WAS A SHELL OF HER FORMER SELF

Putting those you love first is a sign of unconditional love. I know that’s hard to understand since your queen is a self-centered bitch who never put anyone first… but Emma is different. And just because she wanted to be with her family doesn’t mean she wasn’t putting what she wanted first.

Emma being a shell of herself is a personal opinion. Emma evolved. She had many more layers by the time S6 rolled around. As I said above, her personality in S1-2 was a part of her armor as much as that jacket was. And to say she still wasn’t kicking ass in S6 is a lie. She sacrificed her life so a child would get his life back. Being a hero & putting others first is a strength of character. It’s honorable. Again, I know that’s hard seeing that Regina was 100% focused on her own happy ending but Emma was different. She is a character worth emulating because of her goodness, love and willingness to fight for others.

MYTH: THE CHARMINGS' & HOOK'S LOVE WAS CONDITIONED ON HER BEING THE SAVIOR AND BEING WITH HOOK

You just don’t like that she wanted Hook & not Regina. It’s also complete fanon that Emma’s acceptance depended on her being the savior & loving a man. The Charmings were too cautious about her relationship with Hook to be forcing that on her. They wanted her to be happy & when they saw she was, they accepted him. Also Hook’s love wasn’t dependent on her being the savior. Remember the scissors? Hook kept those suckers because her life meant more to him than her title.

[roseunspindle]

Emma’s wardrobe change

Oh, so she’s in wove so her dress get’s paler and more 50′s esque? Not buying it.

[scribbles-by-kate]

Once Upon a Time characters presented as good people/heroes who left he canvas as heroes

Neal

Robin

Belle

Once Upon a Time characters presented as good people/heroes who did not leave the canvas as heroes

Emma

Funny, that. The person represented as the main hero from the beginning went out in the least heroic way possible.

[violetfaust]

Every time we get a spoiler for Mrs. Jones, I think it must be a parody.

And every time, it’s not.

First we had the ep last fall in which Emma laments that her upcoming death means she can’t have kids with Killy and give him the happy ending he deserves.

Then we had Killy literally asking her dad for HIS permission for Killy to marry Emma--before Emma even knew he was thinking about it.

Then Killy proposing to Emma while keeping the secret that he killed her grandpa, and then trying to erase the memory rather than come clean.

Then Emma only caring about getting “her pirate” back, not the abuse survivor she’s fighting, and not the entire realm of kidnapped, enslaved, and tortured children this guy is trying to save.

Then she leaves her parents in a COMA FOREVER in order to go to her Killykins, tells him that she didn’t make it easy for him to tell her the truth (!!!!), and gets re-engaged next to her parents’ COMATOSE BODIES.

Then there’s that gawdawful fifties nightmare of a wedding dress: a badly made rip-off that looks like a lace straitjacket with Granny’s tablecloth for the veil.

And now we’ve got fwagile pwegnant wittle pwincess who obeys her hubby when he wants her to rest, even delaying seeing her existing son after YEARS of separation. And who will no doubt blissfully abandon said older child to his fate because she needs to incubate. 

Like, I know it’s true that many women are miserable in their first trimester with nausea and exhaustion. (Never mind Emma having both magic and a magical best friend who could alleviate those symptoms.) But couldn’t they have presented that differently? Phrased it so resting was Emma’s choice and not her husband’s? “I’ve been under the weather but I couldn’t wait another moment to see you”?  Emma’s a grown-up; she doesn’t need her husband to decide when or if she needs to rest. She can manage her own health. They could easily show that Killy’s worried and protective in another way:  “Killian’s been worried about me but...”

But no. Let’s continue to make the former Emma Swan into the perfect nineteenth-century wifey for her big stwong man.

WHY do Kitsowitz keep doing this???

[queenofglassbeliever]

Emma's style in early seasons (left) vs. her style in season 6 (right).

She dresses like a totally different person.

[celticheartedfangirl]

My OUAT Rewatch -- S6E17 -- Awake

Link to Rewatch Review and Ranking archive

Ah yes, part 3 of Hook’s not that excellent Adventure.  Also

What the Fuck is Emma Wearing???

I mean, the rest were bad, but how in the actual fuck did Emma Swan start out like this:

And end up looking like a reject from an Amish community?  I do not get it.

Speaking of things I do not get . . . . this episode.  I mean . . . . it didn’t suck totally but it didn’t NOT suck and it was like it was TRYING to be good and ended up being a hot pile of shit and I don’t even know anymore, I swear, I’d have bailed if Bobby weren’t still on the show . . . . . grumbling under the cut . . . . 

First of all, since when do flowers with pixie dust grow in CURSED Storybrooke?  Wasn’t the whole point that there was NO MAGIC????

Second of all, I think this is literally the only scene that Belle has with the Black Fairy, and she’s only mildly annoyed.  You’d think after the past three seasons of her bitching and yelling at Rumple for everything, even if he didn’t do it, that she’d actually be allowed to bitch and yell at the bitch who TOOK HER SON and has been TORTURING him!  Because I know I’d be ready to cut a bitch with that woman if that were my kid, and I don’t even have kids or particularly LIKE kids.  But I’d have been all over her ass, magic or no magic.  But again, hey, it’s just Belle -- why give her character development?  Or airtime.  Or anything to do with HER OWN FUCKING STORYLINE!!!!!

Third . . . . . I’m sorry, but did I just hear Emma Swan APOLOGIZE TO HOOK for him killing her grandfather?  Why yes . . . . yes I did.  Who is this woman?  

Fourth . . . . did we really seriously need Hook to propose to Emma as her parents lay in a sleeping curse RIGHT BEHIND THEM, and then for her to not interrupt him and just let him go on and then make out with him?  Then be like oh yeah, here’s my mom and dad who are basically dead but YAY, we getting married!  

These two have no shame.  How are they appealing in ANY way?

Fifth . . . . why is Zelena there?

Sixth . . . . . wait, Rumple can provide a portal for Snowing to find Emma but he can’t provide one for himself to find Baelfire?  WHAT???  What the ACTUAL FUCK?????

And sadly, despite all of these complaints, I didn’t actually HATE the episode.  There’s been worse.  

How’s that for bullshit?  I just listed six reasons (I have more but I’m stopping at six or I’d be here all day) on why this episode was stupid and ridiculous, and yet it was still not the worst thing the show has ever offered.  

No wonder I spent most of S6 in a state of perpetual anger.  

BTW, have some of me in 2017 live blogging this one (have not looked at ANY of these until just now after I finished writing the above -- let’s see how much I agree with 2017 me):

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/159658322107/and-rumple-cant-use-that-door-because-why

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/159657580777/i-just-cant-with-emmas-little-puritan-dress

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/159657111617/wtf-is-emma-wearing

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/159657286157/so-zelena-is-now-officially-a-useless-lamp-as

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/159657042527/so-am-i-supposed-to-be-rooting-for-the-lost-boys

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/159657432737/of-course-run-to-rumple-to-magic-the-thing

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/159658436362/oh-jfc-this-is-such-crap

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/159658777732/oh-hook-you-murdered-my-dad-but-that-was-a-long

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/159658404552/so-wait-a-minute-are-they-implying-that

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/159658477647/yup-i-called-it

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/159658639672/oh-look-the-pilgrim-is-instantly-forgiving-the

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/159658691827/so-i-guess-that-one-rumbelle-scene-is-all-we-get

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/159674299382/show-of-hands-everyone

Deleted scene alert:

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/159659879507/i-thought-moe-was-supposed-to-be-in-the-episode

Not my OPs but yup:

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/159658094012/notice-those-pixie-flowers-never-grew-when-rumple

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/159659394792/fanaticfangirl001-my-reaction-when-the-whole

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/159679495752/ilivedeliciously-emma-swan-has-become-that

In case you wonder why the fandom hates me:

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/159659064917/imma-go-write-fanfic-right-now

Nope, not sorry.

Dear lord, this is when they started advertising the musical episode.  How many episodes away is that?  I never watched it, I’ll need alcohol.

Points tally:

40 points to start

5 points for Leah Fong -- at least she TRIED?

10 points deducted for Hook and Zelena

Sorry, gotta dump 25 points here.  Way too much nonsense and WAAAAAY too much Hook propping.  Although honestly I’d dump 25 for the pilgrim dress alone.

Total points: 10

Follow #celtichearted OUAT ranking tag for more to come!

[justanoutlawfic]

Yeah, I know they claim that the pixie petal only survived because it needed to but I don’t buy that.

Emma is a great evil. She’s about to let her parents die for some guy.

She is why the petal grew.

If anything, this episode showed me that Snow knows how to make great sacrifice, while Emma does not.

[violetfaust]

Best comment I’ve ever seen on this dress.

Today, in this travesty of a dress:

What is going on with the sleeve seams? Why are the seam allowances so wide? Why why why why why?

[anticraptainswan]

saxgoddess25 replied to your post “Okay, because there seems to be some kind of debate…. I’m making a...”

It's a gag for Emma. ;)

[cianmars]

Finally proof has been found to prove the popular theory myself and @just-an-outlaw subscribe to that Emma Swan

Was replaced by a clone!

^That’s not her. 

Case Closed. 

[atomicheavybike]

You know how there's a consensus I'm the Bering & Wells fandom that season 5 doesn't exist? And in the Xena fandom that A Friend In Need Pt 2 was just a fever dream? Wouldn't it be great if Swen could reach a consensus about when Emma stopped being Emma and became whatever doppelganger/fembot/alien parasite it was that married Hook?

I know some people say mid season 3, but end of season four gets my vote. Emma might start dating Hook before then but not with any conspicuous enthusiasm and she consistently puts Regina first - up to and including sacrificing her very soul for her. It's that Emma we need to bring back from whatever dimension she's been imprisoned in.

Thoughts?

[lonelyneuronaboard]

Everytime I see something OUAT related I cannot help but think that the last seasons have shown us the long death of Emma Swan. It started in the 5th season, and in the 6th there was no more Emma Swan. That's why I think 'was that really her happy ending?'. You can ship whatever you like, but you can't tell me that in the last season Emma was happy. That wasn't the face, or the behavior, of a truly happy person. So what did I see? The actress JMo being done with OUAT, or the character Emma Swan being done with everything and ignoring her happiness for that of everyone else? Shouldn't love make you happy? Shouldn't people who claim to love you accept you for what you are without wanting to change you? Last season Emma Swan wasn't the badass Emma anymore. And she wasn't even a 'woman that put down her walls for the man/people she loved'. Bullshit. She was a shadow of herself. A fake. The real Emma Swan died in favor of Stepford Wife!Emma for her precious pirate, and Princess!Emma for Snow. My Emma Swan died the moment she started changing herself to please the people who claimed to love her.

[silvers-and-reds]

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mQYuBxwu1o)

This reminds me so much of Emma. It makes me sad. 

[violetfaust]

Snicker.

I don’t want to make a snarky comment on a lovely gif set but...

There’s a really pretty gifset of Belle giving birth to Gideon going around (http://belle-gifs.tumblr.com/post/161861030908), and one thing I particularly liked was that it focused on Belle and didn’t show Stepford Swan, because I’m still not over the fact that she was there after trying to kill Belle two weeks earlier and making a deal with the god of death against her and her baby.

But then I realized that SS IS there...she’s just camouflaged because her ugly sweater exactly matches the rug.

Wider view found on Google images:

Suddenly SS’s wardrobe makes more sense!

[queenofglassbeliever]

Your Stepford Swan post is so accurate. At some point, I stopped recognizing Emma. And, her clothes were part of that change.

A friend of mine once said that Emma's style in S6 reminded her of Mary Margaret's style in S1. And honestly, that's the best comparison I've ever heard. Mary Margaret was from from the hero that Snow had been. She was timid and soft spoken. And her wardrobe reflected that.

As Emma's relationship with H00k progressed, she became more timid too. There were definitely times, I think, when the old Emma shone through. But overall she was different. She let H00k get away with any wrong thing he did. Or worse she blamed her self. She was willing to let her parents die and her brother grow up an orphan, just to save H00k. Her parents essentially died in the next room from where she got engaged. That's seriously fucked up.

Sorry, this answer got a little derailed. Lol. Anyway, yeah I think Emma Swan's style compared to Stepford Swan's style really shows the character's regression.

[celticheartedfangirl]

My OUAT Rewatch -- S6E2 -- A Bitter Draught

Link to Rewatch Review and Ranking archive

Before we dive into this episode, I want to start a new game that I believe we’ll be playing in almost every episode this season.  The title of this game?

What the Fuck is Emma Wearing??????

There’s really no commentary here -- just a screen cap following the title of the game.  What else is there to say?  Perhaps Emma as a Sister Wife is an Untold Story that is now being played out?  

I’m half tempted to take all of the screen caps I make of Emma’s unfortunate S6 wardrobe, and then make one big post of them at the end with Red Carpet-esque commentary on each item.  Would anyone be up for that?  

So funny story . . . . . . . . I really didn’t recall much about this episode, probably because I went into a full-on rage the minute that BELLE MOVED ONTO HOOK’S FUCKING SHIP!!!!  

Because yes, that’s where a pregnant woman needs to live . . . . . on the smelly 300-year old vessel of a sociopath who tried to murder her FOUR FUCKING TIMES!!!!!!

Some 2016 commentary on this bullshit:

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/151489420332/i-cant-believe-i-have-to-say-this-again

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/151264768227/bookwormsandbroomsticks-why-the-fuck-is-hook

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/151263947722/why-the-fuck-does-she-forgive-hook-so-easily

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/151286205217/this-is-the-sad-sad-realization-i-have-come-to

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/151358579772/but-seriously-does-belle-even-know-all-that-rumple

Also, Hook’s “apology” was really all about HIM and HIS pain but hey -- details, schmetails, right?

Ah, the beginnings of Golden Queen.  I will admit -- I laughed OUT LOUD when this shit happened.  Because how stupid is this?  How ridiculously out of character and dumb is this?  Because Eddy Kitsis someone sat in the writers room and was like “Hey lets make Rumple and the Evil Queen a thing even though we’re in season 6 and Rumple and Regina have had how many scenes together and that’s NEVER been implied before!” 

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/151265699907/never-in-one-hundred-years-did-i-think-golden

The Count of Monte Cristo stuff -- I wonder how hard Dumas spun in his grave over that one.  

I will say, Lana is fabulous in this episode.  Both versions of her.  But there’s just . . . . so much ridiculous.  

Also, isn’t it lovely that Killybunny supports Emma getting therapy from Archie?

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/151263294832/you-know-we-never-did-find-out-who-the-poor

https://celticheartedfangirl.tumblr.com/post/151251949962/mel35-its-sweet-that-h00k-supports-emmas

Points tally:

40 points to start

5 points for Swan Queen

10 points deducted for Hook and Zelena

10 points deducted for OOC Belle

10 points deducted for the Belle and Hook crap

I’ll give 12 points for Lana -- she’s really knocking it out of the park 

Sorry, gotta dump 25 points for the start of GQ and the Belle living on Hook’s ship bullshit.  There was literally NOWHERE ELSE for her to live?  Under the troll bridge would have made more sense than this shit, which is literally done to a) prop up Killy and b) create Rumbelle drama.  Because it sure as hell isn’t being done cause it MAKES SENSE!

Total points:  2

Follow #celtichearted OUAT ranking tag for more to come!