#so i don't like him as much

[thebreakfastgenie]

Look, I have had a really bad week at work (narrator: it was Wednesday) and I have a splitting headache so possibly I am coming across as more inflammatory than I intended. However, it does not feel like you are reading my messages in good faith.

Obviously Trapper’s name was given to him by the writers; every aspect of his character was. That’s how fiction works, and I am well aware of that. The reason I find his name objectionable is that it’s emblematic of an era of the show that has aged the most poorly, with the lighthearted and/or misogynistic depiction and discussion of sexual assault (or, as you pointed out, other misogynistic themes) that other characters like Hawkeye aged out of to an extent but Trapper never got the opportunity to. These feelings are then compounded by the fact that I don’t find the character as written particularly compelling; perhaps if I did, I would more easily be able to overlook those things. This is not an insult to the character or to anyone who likes the character. It was intended purely as an explanation of why I do not, in answer to your comment about how you don’t understand why people don’t love Trapper. Nor was I trying to “lecture” you about the false rape allegations as a misogynistic trope. I was trying to establish that I agreed with you and show evidence in the text of how this is a valid reading but still one that I do not ascribe to.

Regarding your post about Colonel Potter; I believe that you posted that while I was typing my previous message so I did not see it until after I submitted the ask. I thought about sending a follow up to address that but thought it was unnecessary.

When you have time I would like to see your thoughts on the remainder of the ask I sent because this was never intended to be some kind of Trapper shitflinging fest: that was intended just as an offhand closer to my actual point which is how the show approaches the subject of cheating in different ways with different characters and how this makes those characters more or less sympathetic to audiences and some reasons I thought that might be. Specifically I’m interested in your views on what I raised in my second ask, the ones about cheating with only a physical component (casual sex), married characters falling for characters other than their spouse, and long-standing affairs with a stated intent to continue to carry on the affair in a romantic and sexual way (even if the character does not intend to actually follow through on maintaining the relationship).

Since you mentioned how Potter is the least sympathetic because his adultery took place outside of the context of war, I’m also interested in your views on Frank as a character who is implied to be a serial adulterer (having a lasting affair with another woman prior to the war also).

I'm sorry that you had a bad week but you don't need to take it out on me. You can make your own post, you know? I'm also a bit tense with anons these days since I've been called a c*nt and told to kill myself. Full disclosure I'm also drunk now.

I don't see how Trapper's name can possibly be "emblematic" of that era of the show, when that very era of the show chose not to use the origin story for it. There are parts of the show that have aged poorly, although not many. I simply don't agree that Hawkeye "aged out of it." The show did stop doing storylines like that, but the history of how the show handled women is complicated. We saw less of the nurses later on. Episodes like Inga and Hey Look Me Over were both about Hawkeye treating women poorly, though those were intentional so he learned his lesson. So is Who Knew to an extent. Margaret's fear of being raped if she's captured is treated seriously maybe once. And men get this treatment too; Hawkeye's joke about a stewardess forcing herself on him in Adam's Rib boils down to "men cannot be sexually assaulted."

I understand that you don't care for Trapper, but treating him as emblematic of what you don't like about the early seasons is not rational or objective. You forgive Hawkeye because you like him. That's okay, but I don't sympathize or take that seriously. I also don't think there's a question that the early seasons are better, both artistically and politically. So you won't get far with me saying you dislike them. There are a couple moments that make me cringe, but while I'm normally pretty sensitive to misogyny, I don't feel bothered by the early seasons much.

I do think your point about romantic vs purely physical affairs is interesting. I think which one is "worse" depends on what the partner who was cheated on thinks. But I do lean toward finding purely sexual affairs easier to forgive, especially in the context of MASH. I'm not going to tell someone who's been drafted and is seeing everything those guys are seeing that it's wrong to turn to sex for comfort, whether he's married or not. That's me. A romantic affair, where another relationship is being actively pursued, is a different thing. I think just having feelings is beyond your control (so BJ is in the clear with Aggie) but acting on them is something else.

Like I said, I appreciate the reasoning, but my comment about not loving Trapper was an aside because someone said they couldn't understand not loving Charles, but casually placed Trapper at the bottom. I get Trapper not being someone's fave, but I find the hate he gets just doesn't make sense to me! You can explain it, but I'm still not going to feel it. I don't think cheating is that important to his character.

Yes, we crossed; I wrote that post about Potter before I saw your ask. I wasn't thinking about Frank when I said Potter is the least sympathetic. But Potter cheated on the woman he loved. Frank doesn't love Louise, and if he had a spine he'd just get divorced. I find Frank and Margaret's affair fairly sympathetic, because I think they're in love, and for a while they're happier with each other than anyone else. Frank is never going to marry Margaret and deep down she knows it, but he'd be happier if he did. Their affair is hardly the worst thing either of them do, being Army supporters and Republicans. Their hypocrisy is worse than their adultery, judging Hawkeye and Trapper for sexual activity while doing the same thing. Frank having affairs before is scummy, but it's also consistent with his character and again, not the worst thing he did. He's just not a good person. He's a great character, which is why I rank him so highly. But I do find his pre-war affairs unsympathetic. Man up and get a divorce if you're so unhappy.

The war makes me very sympathetic, because sex is a comfort, a distraction, a way of feeling human under insane circumstances, when home doesn't even feel real and there is a very real chance you might die. If I were married to one of them, I'd have simply said the relationship was open until they got home, but even so I'd forgive them for whatever happened. I think the bigger issue is the double standard, like we see with Henry and Lorraine, but even then, being home alone for two years is hard but it's not the same as being in a war.

Edited to add it felt like you were lecturing me because from your phrasing I felt like you were telling me it was misogynistic like I didn't know and literally say so.

[unsung-idiot]

don't show him modern technology; it won't end well

bonus under the cut:

[prlssprfctn]

I actually need some fanfic, where Bruce and Jason are in the middle of some argument, and a casual (and a well-practiced with Dick before) sentence leaves his mouth, something along the lines "How old do you think you are?!", meaning that he is acting childishly. And because Jason is irritated, and his tongue runs loose in his anger, he screams back that he is nineteen, and Bruce just freezes, because... Oh. Jason is nineteen. He is a fucking kid - his kid - that lost years of his teenhood, and was forced back without anyone giving him a space to catch up, with everyone else already treating him like an adult... When he isn't.

[hinamie]

morning glory

[egophiliac]

GET LOVED, IDIOT

GET LOVED SO HARD YOUR KIDS HOLD HANDS AND POWER-OF-LOVE YOU BACK TO LIFE

sorry guys, this is just my brain now. this is going to be the only thing I think about for the next week at least.

oh and also this

FIVE YEARS IN AND IT'S FINALLY CANON 🎉🎉🎉

WE DID IT

[milkamel]

I don't think this guy is good at handling any kind of affection let's be real 🙏

[o0kawaii0o]

no mercy 😭

[casscainmainly]

Duke insulting Jason Todd for no reason oh Duke nation we are so back

[1alchemistart]

dont got much to offer for The Holiday but have these sillies!

happy valentines day :D

[catsharky]

And on that day, Garrus learned two things: to shut up and let Shepard fight the losing battle against gravity, and a whole lotta new human swear words

Comic Masterpost

Also, while I didn't end up being able to match the vibe of the rough for this panel, I like it so much that I must share it with the world

[golyadkin]

it's because i wouldn't let you kill the bounty hunter isn't it

[welcometogrouchland]

(ID in alt) you guys even fuck w/ the flash on here???

[knightofleo]

Angela Orosco Silent Hill 2

[hinamie]

I'll give them shelter like you've done for me

[egophiliac]

don't think I'm not still obsessing over 7-12

[captain-flint]

Tommy, what a bitch 💖 - Lou Ferrigno Jr.