#if I say something once coherently I will milk it for all it’s worth damnit

[biceratops7]

Why Calico Jack is even worse than we thought:

I am in no way saying Jack is a badly written character. As a matter of fact, this man is a fucking diabolical master class of story telling.

I think one of the writers’ greatest strengths is laying exactly the correct amount of cards on the table. The only information we’re ever verbally given about Ed and Jack’s past is that they had a sexual relationship. Everything else we must glean from historical context (yes ofmd actually does stick to some), what we know about Ed, and how we see Jack treat people.

Let’s kick off with how Jack treats people cause that’s the key idea, mainly the fact that he sees them as objects. He treats the crew as mere accessories to his games, whether they’re on board or not has absolutely no effect on whether or not he’ll involve them. Ed is not an exception to this mindset. He’s a pretty hyper person so he’s mostly down for Jack’s antics, but as soon as Ed very visibly expresses discomfort at breakfast when Jack will not shut tf up about his past, it’s clear he couldn’t give two shits.

There’s also, of course, the way he uses Stede as a punching bag to both drive Ed away from him and just for his own amusement. This is made even worse by the fact that Stede has trouble expressing his needs and Ed has pretty significant trouble reading “between the lines” in social situations. What really breaks my heart and puts up massive red flags for me is that Ed cannot seem to tell the difference between Stede’s genuine love and care for him vs Jack being ✨passive aggressive✨ and manipulative. When Jack is uncomfortablely homophobic to Stede and uncaring of the crew’s feelings or safety, unless it is extremely obvious the vibe has been killed beyond repair, Ed seems to think it’s all in good fun.

(And in case anyone’s gonna say this is insulting Ed’s intelligence or infantilizing him, no. Droves of incredibly smart and capable people have issues with social cues that cause tangible problems. I am one of these people. So don’t insult my intelligence.)

Right now let’s take a detour out of universe, bare with me here. If you’re gonna be trying to gain an understanding of homophobia throughout history, there are two very important things to know.

1. It often wasn’t an all or nothing thing

2. Homophobia is deeply rooted in, if not a direct descendant of sexism.

Society’s relationship with sex in general was pretty shit until recent history (and honestly we’re still not quite there yet). If you were really lucky then yes, it was a fun activity you did with someone you love. But just as marriage for Stede had to mean a transaction, sex for a lot of people meant achievement in conquest, winning the commodity of women. Remember when I said homophobia was deeply rooted in sexism? Well basically gay sex was not exempt from these constructs. Mixed with the generations old irrational fear that society will fall if men and women “forget their places”, there were worse social consequences for those who, well, did “the woman’s” part. In some times and places there were even legal consequences specifically for them but not the other person.

(This is part of the reason why I get so frustrated when people say “ofmd doesn’t have homophobia, it just has people hating effeminacy” because y’all it’s the same damn thing. You wanna know where the hell discrimination against gay men even comes from?? It’s most likely the damn belief that the “natural order” will be upset by men taking on an effeminate role! Ofmd doesn’t just showcase homophobia, it does so in its purest form.)

Alright then, back to Jack (fuck this is long-)

Jack clearly isn't ashamed of his homosexuality, in fact he's boasting about it. Because to him and clearly most people at the time (gay or straight), sex isn't about love, it's about conquest. And if that handy dandy sword fight allegory tells us anything, then the way Jack sees it he's more than earned bragging rights. Yet another way Jack and Stede obviously contrast. Stede sees Ed as a person he loves and respects, Jack sees him as not only Blackbeard but a spoil he's won.

So he isn’t just trying to make Stede jealous by revealing he’s Ed’s ex. He’s made an educated guess and inferred that Stede probably… well to put it bluntly “buggered” Ed. (As in topped with Ed’s consent, I realized my prudishness accidentally makes it look like I’m talking about non-con. I’m not talking about non-con during any of this.) Jack’s assuming Stede may be using this fact to boost his ego and wants to knock him down a peg.

But of course Stede is not a piece of shit and therefore Jack’s attempt to drag him into this bullshit falls on its face, so he does the next best thing and pees on his boots. You know, as you do /s. If Stede refuses to participate in a literal pissing contest that objectifies and degrades his friend, then Jack will adjust in no time flat and throw his wait around some other way.

I’m willing to bet real money that Jack blabs of his “exploits” with the king of Pirates the exact same way he’d brag about any other feat of manhood to everyone and their mother. The only reason he’s not doing it in front of the crew is because be know’s Ed would hate it and feel cheated/ violated. And I don’t think getting his ass handed to him by Blackbeard was on his itinerary for the day.