#im not even going to bother with finding out whats the popular last name hc rn

[girlerasers]

Hunter & The Binary of Abuse Victims in Fandom

Warned you all I would be turning this into a full-length essay. I find the way that fandom culture treats fictionalized abuse victims endlessly fascinating, as it's such an interesting microcosm of societal views about abuse at large. The Owl House's fandom has been especially interesting in how its treated the topic, given the fact we have multiple characters that have histories of being abused, or in some way dealing with conflicting parental relationships, lending for definitely a wider array of nuance in discussion. Out of every fandom, this isn't the worst by far.

However, Hunter is definitely the more 'by the numbers' character in that realm of discussion, and one people seem more likely to latch onto and mischaracterize. So, I suppose this is just me trying to examine how exactly this is reflective of larger fandom patterns and so on.

As a quick heads up, this is going to be an essay obviously discussing abuse, but along with that specifically victimblaming, negative views towards abuse victims, etc. Just like, y'know, proceed with caution.

The dichotomy of the 'good' versus 'bad' victim

I'm sure there's a better way to succinctly describe it, but I do not have buzzwords on my side right now, so that's the short of it. A common pattern that seems to be present when discussing abuse is to rationalize why a victim was abused. If no "reason" can be found, then they are a "good victim" who's deserving of respect and sympathy. If something can be found to rationalize it, then the victim is branded as somehow deserving of their abuse. Obviously this isn't true, and the standards are oftentimes very arbitray. Whether a victim "fought back", or "left when they should've", or any number of things they "should've" done are thrown as reasons to blame a victim for their abuse.

But sometimes, miraculously, a victim manages to "win" the sympathy of onlookers (this being much more common for fictional characters than for real people, hooray for double standards and phony activism) and is branded a "good victim". You'd think that this would make things easier, that their trauma will actually be approached from a nuanced lens.... ha, no.

The role of the "good victim" is often one that characterizes them as hyperemotional, defenseless, helpless, essentially painting a caricature of someone who "couldn't defend themselves against their abuser" and is therefore pitiable. In fandom, this came in the form of the "smol bean that must be protected" (sorry to evoke 2016 onto you all), the "sad boi", or as TVtropes puts it: The Woobie. (And whaddya know, Hunter's actually on The Owl House subpage for the trope).

Hunter as a 'Good Victim'

To preface this section, I wouldn't say Hunter's place in this role has always been stable. In the same way that the way its given to real victims is conditional and subject to change, the same occurred in fandom response to Hunter. This was especially prevalent, IMO, around the time of Eclipse Lake's release and the hiatus that followed the end of Season 2A. I'll touch on that more later, but for now we'll be discussing the times in which he IS given fandom sympathy, and what that sympathy really means.

If there's one thing Owl House fans love discoursing about, its the way Hunter is treated in the fandom. I've seen this often played off as "hating neurodivergent* coded characters", but this is by far a bigger issue with the way we discuss abuse victims in fandom, as illustrated in the previous section.

( *People use the label interchangably with Autism & ADHD despite the fact Neurodivergency is a vast umbrella that includes PTSD/C-PTSD which Hunter would undoubtedly qualify for. People using the idea of ND-coding, from my experience, typically argue from the angle of Hunter being in some way autistic-coded, I'm not arguing he's not neurodivergent).

The core issue of this discussion is the way that Hunter is denied agency and autonomy from fans because of his abuse. The Huntlow discourse particularly comes to mind, whether or not a person can be ""too traumatized"' to engage in a romantic relationship. I'm not arguing for or against in either capacity, I think both sides did have good intentions and merit to arguments that got strawmanned in order to push ship discourse, but I digress. The point is that Hunter is a character that is reduced to his trauma, and whether intentionally or not, is seen as needing protection.

A healthy support network is good. Having people protect you from an abuser is good. But the way people take this borders on infantalization, often forgetting who they're talking about. Hunter is an extremely competent character, and within the show does as much "protecting" for his friends as he does in needing help. But because his identity is, to fans, intrinsically tied to the abuse he faces, he is in a way forever seen as a permavictim, feeding into this idea of needing to be protected.

When the idea of a 'Good Victim' falls apart

I'd like to take a quick detour here to also focus on that previously mentioned point in time where a lot of nasty victim-blaming sentiment came up, and how people really tend to hate victims of abuse... acting like victims of abuse.

Eclipse Lake was definitely one of Hunter's more noteworthy episodes, giving a better look as to his relationship with Belos, how it impacted his self esteem, and the fact that he really wasn't willing to let go of that. And whew, boy, did that make a LOT of people upset.

Because here was Amity, this character who'd gone through similar struggles, had similar negative thoughts, offering him help and a way to heal. And Hunter rejected that pretty blatantly in favor of pleasing his abuser. I won't explain why people were in the wrong for hating Hunter in that moment, its pretty obvious that of course the traumatized 16 year old wasn't just going to immediately abandoned everything he'd ever known in favor of people that have been, atleast from his POV, pretty fucking mean. (All love to our protagonists though!)

What I'm more interested in talking about is what exactly this means as a reflection of the way we talk about abuse. Because I think a lot of abuse "awareness" is contingent on playing up abusers as these cold, calculating monsters that plan each nice thing they do for their abuse victims as a way to ensnare them further under their control (And okay, in Belos' case that... actually isn't that far off, this is NOT going to be me going on about how "maybe belos wasn't that bad", jesus no). But that rhetoric harms both victims and outsiders.

For victims, it makes it harder to recognize they're being abused, because they don't think their abuser is this overtly manipulative person. Whether that is actually what's going on or not is case-by-case, but either way it makes it a lot harder to recognize when abuse is occurring because they see a human side to their abuser. They know their abuser has good moments that feel genuine to THEM. Meanwhile, to onlookers, and this is what's happening here in the fandom, if an abuser is an irredeemable monster that's lying about everything, then an abuse victim who apologizes for their abuser seems ridiculous.

We as the audience know Belos is a horrible person with no intention to do good. But Hunter DOESN'T know that. And every person who's telling him that's the case are people he has no reason to trust. That period of time where he was villified was based on our complete misunderstanding of what abuse can look like. Which plays into what the "bad victim" is.

Because while a "good victim" must be helpless and lacks any agency, for why else could they be abused, a "bad victim" CHOOSES to be abused. They're "bringing it onto themselves". Because if there is any reason you "could" prevent the abuse, and you don't, that's seen as a moral failing.

So what does this all mean?

I wish I had an actionable plan here, something to say "this is what you need to stop being weird about abuse" but... there really isn't that. This is a pattern that's prevalent in so many fandoms, and something that'll likely keep happening.

All I can say is that the best way to combat this is to be aware of what abuse actually looks like. Not the sensationalized stuff that's on television, I mean stories from real people. Accept that people who've dealt with abuse will have messy, complicated relationships with their abusers, and that they may have done or will do things that don't fit your view of what they "should've done". Trauma puts your brain into a completely different mindset, and it's hard to think rationally. Especially when the person you're dealing with isn't rational either.

Sorry this isn't the most pretty conclusion, or that I likely missed a few points I could've made. This is a tumblr post and I am just one fandomgoer that cares a lot about niche topics.

[macbookpro-hard-drive]

HI HOW DO YOU WRITE CHARACTERS

hewwo! i can answer this! im literally gonna do a quick list of both deh and bmc characters for u under this readmore! :D

im gonna start with deh because smaller cast!

evan: 

isn’t so much stuttery as he tends to repeat things and uh stammer a bit here and there. stutters over his words sometimes but it’s more l-like this and uh, like… like this

evan hansen has anxiety. he is not anxiety. evan hansen fucks up and makes mistakes and probably internalizes a lot of things. very polite when in public but he can be a bit snappy (as seen w evans comment abt how zoe’s parents have never been poor i believe? it was something he said to zoe)

soft spoken, most of the time. probably not the kind of guy to vocally ask for things until he’s at a comfortable enough point that he feels like he’s not bothering you (same buddy)

i see evan as someone who gets frustrated with himself easily. not as a sense of “god i wish i were normal” but more of a “i should be able to do this, why cant i do this, i want to do this but i cant” because sometimes it’s just a matter of i literally cant do this and i dont know why? and god its so frustrating sometimes

jared:

jared kleinman is a fucking asshole and he knows it. very sarcastic and uses it to cover up his own insecurities, probably the kind of dude who laughs in your face when you tell him off when internally he’s just OH FUCK OH SHIT FUCK FUCK FUCK

a lot of ppl write jared as being insecure abt his weight and tbh i don’t see that being a problem for him? i see jared as being insecure abt the fact he comes off very snarky and assholeish but he turns it around and tries to own it even though… that’s not something you want to be proud of? and he knows that

not the kind of dude who stops to assess his feelings. he powers through shit and insists he’s okay until he’s out of steam. i think it was psy who said he’s a “needs therapy boi” and tbh she’s right? 

can be very passive aggressive imo it’s something he really needs to work on.

arrogant, sarcastic, and just a big fucking dick who needs to learn how to watch his mouth.

zoe:

not an pure baby angel, by any means. we’re at a disadvantage because we only see zoe when she’s sort of grieving (because grief can and will come in different ways, and while i see her as not missing connor, i do think that her pushing away her feelings is a form of her grieving imo? it’s a weird thing to explain but there’s a part of zoe that does miss (the old) connor’s presence as w the fake emails evan “gave her her brother back” (albeit a very fake version of connor) and sort of standoffish when it comes to the subject of connor

a bit of an ambivert. extremely outgoing when she’s around her friends or when it comes to music and other things she loves.

very individualistic! her style tends to have doodles on her clothes, she dyes her hair a lot, she probably would be the kind of person to make her own jewelry!

very sweet. the castng call for zoe describes her as being the kind of person who learns the names of the kids who sit alone at lunch and thats she goes out of her way to be nice to people since. connor. yeah.

thats all ive got for zoe but u can always send questions in and i can say yes or no after i ask my pals too

alana:

smart gal! valedictorian! president! i love her! tends to overshare a bit. anxiety + depression gal.

probably into gardening tbh? i can see alana having succulents in her room and maybe a dog that just chills with her.

dont be afraid to make alana mouthy. alana is someone whos extremely headstrong in her actions imo and does what she believes is right, even if others dont believe that. like… think about the fact that she literally published what was believed to be connor’s suicide note because she thought it’d get them the last bit of help they needed for the orchard. it literally fucked the murphys over - but she never considered that?

very much an extrovert. just really wants to belong, man. very optimistic on the surface but i can see her being a little less so underneath. she looks on the bright side because if she doesnt, she doesnt know who will and idk i dont think alana’s the kind of person who just... lets that risk be there.

connor:

we dont kno much abt connor in canon but uhhh…. i can see connor as being a loner, sort of aggressive by accident (tbh this dude’s probably used to people being a dick to him so he’s just sorta standoffish in response) but like… whenever i write connor i usually write him as getting better? he’s gotten the help he needs and he’s doin better 

artsy depressed dude. poetry, painting, ect - whatever u want tbh. i just see connor, with help, finding himself in art or something creative (theatre and music included! u do u!)

very much a reader. this dude both has a lot of books on his bookshelf and a lot more books he hasnt fucking read because hes terrible at reading new books. (i personally hc he loves all of poe’s work)

to sorta sum connor up: bold, but not outgoing. caring, but not obvious with it (once he gets help btw). easily angered but sometimes he just doesn’t fucking know why and that frustrates him further. troubled.

honestly if u want to see one of my fave connors - check out @ask-sincerely-memes​! i rly love how they portray all three of the boys, but connor is by far my favorite! (mod con and/or mod ev if u read this i love u)

OK ONTO THE BMC FUCKERS if you want to kno abt the adults for either show then feel free to ask

jeremy:

anxiety boy, but not evan hansen level of anxiety. more just… self deprecating, not super confident in himself, probably underestimates himself a lot.

jeremys hard to explain sometimes because a lot of his actions and dialogue comes naturally since i can actually relate to jeremy a lot, personality-wise? a really good fact to throw out there is i don’t think jeremy’s the kind of guy who just goes for stuff sometimes. he has to sorta be hyped up by others imo. michael motivated him to sign up for the play, rich and michael both played parts in getting him squipped (michael in the aspect of “lets check this out and see if its legit” bc i doubt jeremy would have genuinely done that on his own).

which really means jeremy isnt the kind of guy to just… confess things, unless it’s built up enough (i.e. jeremys confrontation w reader in unlonely since it was a conversation he’d been thinking about for a bit). in canon, he didnt really… confess to christine without the help of alcohol (at the halloween party) or without other people building him up (voices in my head). 

im literally rereading jeremy fics rn because im trying to come up with a good way of describing him

extremely horny teenage boy. hormones suck. for anyone who writes nsfw: i dont see jeremy being incredibly kinky and sexual and dominant (god forbid) his first fucking time having sex. especially if its both him and the readers first time. sex can be clumsy. you can laugh during sex. but also sex smells. like… once you’ve smelled it, you fucking know it - its just a weird combo of sweat and bodily fluids. 

that last part was just a PSA for ppl.

lightweight boy. a lot bolder when drunk. thank you.

honestly if u have any questions abt jeremy, i can try to answer them more specifically but this is as general as i can get.

michael

not an uwu anxious depressed innocent baby boy uwu. remember that michael literally withheld the mtn dew red from jeremy because he wanted an apology. remember that michael wouldnt have been squipped because michael had been completely comfortable with who he is. michael likes his place. he doesn’t want to be cool and popular - he likes who he is. michael in the bathroom was a peak moment of michael finally letting go of emotions he’d been withholding - jeremy calling him a “loser” was the final straw that broke him. thank u this has been a psa.

a goofy boy. probably snorts when he laughs and im not projecting there what are you talking about-

okay, canonically: likes video games, likes retro shit (probably the kind of nerd who LIVES for arcades and record stores and vintage clothing stores even if he doesnt mix that into his personal style), very into music. there’s a lot you can do with this! 

imo he’s very caring? like. okay, yes he did withhold mtn dew red from jeremy - but michael still went through the trouble of finding and obtaining that in order to deactivate the squip. i think michael’s a fairly understanding dude, even if he has moments of anger.

just a very warm person. probably the kind of person who stops and makes sure people are okay when he notices they’re upset.

sometimes impulsive. sometimes very restless, imo. bouncy boy. 

like w jeremy - you can absolutely send me questions abt michael (or anyone tbh!) and i’ll answer them the best i can! im by no means an expert but ive got pals i can bother in order to help get a solid answer :3

christine

chriiistiiiiiiiiine, the love of my life. a gal w ADD! please don’t forget that! i personally hc that she got into a theatre as a way of like… sort of getting energy out since she’s fairly restless??? track girl christine….. also good

loves herself a lot tbh! like. in the show, its canon that she has stuff to figure out but i personally think christine loves herself and her body and is proud of who she is?

very friendly, very open, very passionate abt theatre! these are basic facts lmao

very sweet! very smart! she’s like... The Girl in all the movies that everyones like “oh no i love her” bc shes just a bubbly gal

writing christine is really hard to describe sometimes. like with all the characters, i write what feels right and sounds right to me and to others.

but like... to be honest, as long as you stay a bit happy and supportive and loving with christine - you’re on the right track.

jake

god - one of my favorite boys to write sometimes because there’s a lot to do with jake’s character

he’s the ultimate cool dude in high school. probably the kind of dude who would join a frat in college. handsome, popular, flirtatious - you fucking name it man.

sorta effortlessly popular and cool. there’s problems underneath - considering his family - but it’s hard to see that he has flaws when everything just comes so easily to him.

a very caring and sweet dude tbh. his friends mean a lot to him and he’s the kind of boy who carries your books and asks where you’re going and how you’re doing

he makes mistakes. he gets aggressive and protective and just angry physically - he did try to attack jeremy, albeit drunk, based purely on the idea that jeremy was having sex w chloe - so like... that’s a good thing to acknowledge

i said hes flirtatious and he is - without realizing it. someone probably has called him out on it and he’s like “sorry what?” bc he was caught up in talking to someone and not realizing that the dillinger charm never went off. because it never goes off. rip.

rich

GOD, my FAVORITE BOY, the LOVE OF MY LIFE, i love him.

squipped: aggressive. a bully. stinky. 0/10.

post-squipcident: getting better. sorta numb at first before happy, outgoing rich resurfaces because He’s Fine! Do Not Worry! but y’know like... he definitely has a lot of problems with what he did and who he was while he had the squip

a bit sensitive imo. easily upset on certain topics, easily angered on others. really misses his mom (i hc she died and his dad took up drinking as a coping mechanism and its mainly rich and his older brother relying on each other but thats just me tbh.)

rich is tricky to write when it comes to his home life. while i see rich’s dad as being a loud drunk, others see him as being physically abusive and so forth and - okay, that’s your decision, but please make sure you’re being respectful and you post trigger warnings because some people are in abusive homes and it’s not a fun thing to read. 

great sense of humor imo. flirtatious but in the more obvious “haha hey lets bone ;)” way. alternatively: flirtatious with squip, floundering a bit without it because all he knows is “haha hey wanna fuck” 

would probably fight a dick for his pals. rly just loves his friends even if he doesn’t show it.

chloe

chloe is a bit hard to write without saying “shes kind of a bitch” but like... she is and she knows it and she fucking owns it.

casting call: “ confident, crass, sexy, manipulative, and downright mean at times”

so like. she’s nowhere near bein a sweet angel baby uwu

has problems. explore them. she literally was down to fuck brooke’s boyfriend since jeremy was dating brooke yknow. part of it could be alcohol but like... dont ignore that fact. like. she probs needs to talk to both brooke and jeremy.

i think of chloe as someone who can see the potential in others tbh. gets slightly annoyed when people arent achieving what they could - but i like to imagine she gets it after a while since some ppl dont have confidence and such. 

yknow the kind of people that take charge when the situation calls for it? that’s chloe. she’s very much a leader. cunning, ambitious - she’s fucking ready.

brooke

more of an angel i guess? sweet, a bit insecure, and a little more caring. not very dominant in situations - tends to be more of a follower (as shown w her and chloe’s friendship)

very caring actually. she literally followed jeremy out and said “uhhh he was kind of a dick to women but i know u like eminem” upon his death in the show??? like??? she literally went to check on this boy.

imo she sorta needs to learn to be bolder. to not take shit. shes probably the kind of person who says yes to a lot of things even if they’re conflicting bc she doesn’t want to like... bother someone and make things worse

emotional, imo. fairly feminine.

its hard to keep describing sdfkjhds sorry

jenna

not popular. remember that she wanted people to be interested in her, which is why she gossips a lot

probably tends to overhear half of the gossip. other than that, i can see her easily finding shit out bc she has eyes Everywhere

bold, fairly extroverted, probably really fucking smart tbh. give her love. she deserves it.

thats both at me and everyone else. jenna rolan ily...

very much a big sister figure, post-squipcident. theres this kdrama i was watching where the main protag lives w a couple other girls and one of the oldest one of the bunch is very much a big sister figure that will call other people out on their bullshit because she knows protag isnt the kind of person to do that? thats jenna. and chloe, but mostly jenna.

probably the kind of person who wants to be helpful imo. she likes feeling useful.