On Jane Foster bashing
Jan. 5th, 2019 10:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
impalaforthreeI hate it.
And I’m the first one who loves all the variants of the jealousy trope out there. But I can appreciate a complicated web of feelings between characters, and enjoy the interesting conflict it creates, without having the need to ignore every canon fact about her and reduce her to a meddling kid who should know when to take her leave.
I’ve seen this done in many fandoms, always to female characters. Often portrayed as the competition for one half of an OTP, and whose only crime is usually to be interested in one of them, or, god forbid it, be reciprocated in those feelings. The term ‘bitch’ is used quite freely in reference of a woman who is simply feeling romantically and/or sexually attracted to a male character that we overall tend to consider romantically and sexually interesting ourselves. Her crime is being a free lady willing to pursue someone she likes instead of sitting still and waiting to be chased herself. It’s such a stupidly obvious case of misogyny and i hate it because usually women are the ones doing it! And they don’t even realise what it is.
I’m not even going to adress the way the fandom dismissess every single one of her accomplishments as a character in order to make her just Thor’s girlfriend, Thor’s ex or, alternatively, that whore that doesn’t deserve him. That’s a different conversation.
I have more thoughts on this so maybe I’ll edit it once I manage to articulate them better.
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It’s something that I saw more often when I still read fanfiction in smaller independent blogs, and the pattern was usually like this: there was a vaguely antagonistic tone aimed towards “the other girl” that the most active members preached and all the younger girls parroted. I did this too, and eventually common sense made me realise why it was wrong, but it sucks that I had to unlearn it because fandom thought me in the first place. It didn’t matter if the ship was het or slash.
A lot of lurkers in fandom are statistically younger, and they absorbe this stuff when they see it repeated over and over. I wish they were exposed to a ‘Girls supporting girls’ atmosphere instead, things would be different.
And I’m the first one who loves all the variants of the jealousy trope out there. But I can appreciate a complicated web of feelings between characters, and enjoy the interesting conflict it creates, without having the need to ignore every canon fact about her and reduce her to a meddling kid who should know when to take her leave.
I’ve seen this done in many fandoms, always to female characters. Often portrayed as the competition for one half of an OTP, and whose only crime is usually to be interested in one of them, or, god forbid it, be reciprocated in those feelings. The term ‘bitch’ is used quite freely in reference of a woman who is simply feeling romantically and/or sexually attracted to a male character that we overall tend to consider romantically and sexually interesting ourselves. Her crime is being a free lady willing to pursue someone she likes instead of sitting still and waiting to be chased herself. It’s such a stupidly obvious case of misogyny and i hate it because usually women are the ones doing it! And they don’t even realise what it is.
I’m not even going to adress the way the fandom dismissess every single one of her accomplishments as a character in order to make her just Thor’s girlfriend, Thor’s ex or, alternatively, that whore that doesn’t deserve him. That’s a different conversation.
I have more thoughts on this so maybe I’ll edit it once I manage to articulate them better.
-
It’s something that I saw more often when I still read fanfiction in smaller independent blogs, and the pattern was usually like this: there was a vaguely antagonistic tone aimed towards “the other girl” that the most active members preached and all the younger girls parroted. I did this too, and eventually common sense made me realise why it was wrong, but it sucks that I had to unlearn it because fandom thought me in the first place. It didn’t matter if the ship was het or slash.
A lot of lurkers in fandom are statistically younger, and they absorbe this stuff when they see it repeated over and over. I wish they were exposed to a ‘Girls supporting girls’ atmosphere instead, things would be different.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-08 01:03 pm (UTC)And I'll go further: I don't see any chemistry whatsoever between her and Thor in Thor 1, and I am forever bitter about the heteronormativity that will force any man-woman pair together while refusing to acknowledge relationships that THEY write and hold much more depth, significance and backstory.
But I don't hate HER. And I don't mind people who do, as long as they can justify it with reasons that I might understand, even if I don't share them. "Jane was a dick to that cute guy she was trying to date in TDW, she stood him up twice, what an asshole!" i mean, that's one thing to focus on i guess, and if you want to dislike her because of it, go ahead? My problem is with people that call her names but their only feud with her is her relationship with Thor, like its HER fault that Thor fell in love with her and not, like, the stupid writers that thought it was romantic.
I agree re: a movie about Jane (but they'd have to give her an interesting enough plot) and the fic breakups - I like her having her own agency and making the decisions that will protect herself in the long run and will help her get where she wants to be in life.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-14 12:24 pm (UTC)I think it's indeed the forced and badly written romance aspect that annoys me about it all, but as mentioned, it's not Jane's fault.
I recall the anime days when many (young) girls drooled over anime boys and hated female love interests on principle. Maybe it's part of growing up, or going through a certain age when you experience sexual/romantic awakening by crushing on fictional characters (granted, though, not everyone has that of course). But that stage should be left behind with age, in my opinion.