#everybody says they want more portrayals of 'difficult' abuse victims until theyre presented with one

[rigginsstreet]

If I have to see that fucking "#It’s about breaking the circle of abuse and being better than him' one more time.

Like, Jonathan- yeah, his trauma made him quiet and cautious and he's trying his best and he's good but take into account he had an amazing Mother.

Eddie - yeah he has his friends and takes in the outcasts and that but he didn't overcome any cycle? His dad was a criminal and he's a drug dealer? Not just weed, but like, about to sell Ket to a girl who has clearly never touched drugs before. Also, his Uncle seems good.

Steve - watered down with every episode post-Barbara death. He stuggled with that trauma, yeah, but not brought up enough. His parents seem absent and neglectful, but not quite abusive, which is shit. And he makes a point of protecting the kids (though people act like that's a huge feat and not a fairly common choice for the older to protect the younger, like Nancy and Jonathan don't also do that when the opportunity has arisen), but he still seems to not really want to hang around them outside of the danger moments, hate that "mom" characterisation being shoved down everyones throat by fans, like are you not seeing the moody teen who wants to hook up and move on? He's a wet rag of a man just now, no idea what he's doing except for the terrible Nancy plot being dragged. He didn't have to lose all of that King Steve goodness. Just a travesty.

And then of course the complete absence of Billy. The main character in the show representing being abused and abusing, the cycle, right there. God forbid we actually speak his name with any understanding or empathy, because he fucked up with A B and C so the TEEN BOY LIVING IN ABUSE AND BEING POSSESSED WITH NO SUPPORT AROUND HIM gets no opportunity to make better choices and learn from his mistakes and be better. Even if he didn't die, they'd still want him to just suffer forever. Like, what's the point in anything in life if you can't fuck up and then learn and be better? If you have to just stew in that forever. Who does this help? Who does it help to refuse to let people grow?

the act of billy standing up to the mindflayer was L I T ER A L L Y a metaphor for his abuse (i mean do i think the duffers intended that? no. but is it there nonetheless? yes)

NOBODY on this show has a scene like that

jonathans the only comparable character we can say has suffered abuse but even then its SO watered down compared to what we SAW FIRSTHAND billy go through. jonathans abuse remains pretty vague in comparison. and still. HIS LOVING MOTHER WAS STILL AROUND! HE HAD FAMILY OUTSIDE OF LONNIE!

real cute how this fandom latches on to 3 characters as the beacons of ~overcoming abuse~ when its 3 characters who um.... either have no abuse to speak of or we met them long after their abuser was out of the picture

but the character we meet who was ACTIVELY in the middle of his abuse and suffering clear symptoms because of it? THATS the character yall cant forgive or give him credit for his redeeming moment?

the activism is giving performative....

just say you only want to deal with “easy” victims and go. just say you dont have the emotional depth to deal with trauma victims who are difficult. 

its okay. its not for everybody not everybody has the bandwidth to deal with it

but just because YOU cant handle it, does not mean these people are lesser than or deserve to die/suffer for eternity. YOU need to do some reflecting on how YOU deal with people. 

but billy and people like him certainly dont need that rancid ass energy in their life