[ SECRET POST #2686 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2686 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

01.


__________________________________________________



02.


__________________________________________________



03.


__________________________________________________



04.


__________________________________________________



05.


__________________________________________________



06.


__________________________________________________



07.


__________________________________________________



08.


__________________________________________________



09.


__________________________________________________



10.


__________________________________________________



11.










Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 059 secrets from Secret Submission Post #384.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ], [ 1 - posted twice ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Hi, OP.

I definitely understand where you're coming from. Since I started becoming more aware of social issues - I'm not even doing gender studies or sociology or anything, just picking things up from everyday stuff - it's definitely affected my enjoyment with shows.

There is a certain bitterness that I developed, after viewing media, and seeing the same patterns and messages repeated over and over and over again. Women make up half the world's population, yet it's still considered "too much" if we actually do make up half the cast on a TV show.

What makes me sad is how so many people aren't even aware of where their opinions come from. They simply absorb the messages like a sponge, and don't stop to question or critique things.

However, it IS possible to watch shows and enjoy them, even if they have problematic elements. The major example for me is Hannibal.
You've probably heard of the shitstorm that went down after Episode 10 aired - people tried to start a #cancelhannibal campaign on twitter, because a canonical lesbian character slept with a guy.

But for me, at least, this particular aspect of the Episode was actually a LESS problematic than other things (like Freddie being attacked, and Alana's lack of character development). Because in the context of the show, the character didn't "turn straight" or fall in love with the guy. The sex was a tool for her to get what she wanted (as a way of freeing herself.)

But when I compare it against a show like Sherlock - where the lesbian character falls in love with the guy because he's so amazing, and has to be saved from Middle Eastern Stereotypes at the end - Hannibal comes out looking a lot better. It's painfully obvious that the scenes in Sherlock were just Moffat's fantasy, and I really don't want to know.

So there are some shows that you won't be able to watch. I had to stop watching Sherlock and Game of Thrones. But I can still watch Hannibal (and hopefully it doesn't turn to shit.) A show I would recommend, if you're looking for female main characters, is Orphan Black.

OP!

[(Anonymous)]

First of all - THANKS! I'll def look into Orphan Black - I really want a show to point at go THAT'S WHAT TV SHOULD BE LIKE, haha. Like, really, thanks, I was terribly angry when I wrote this secret and I think it would help me to watch something with a female lead that's not aimed towards young teenagers or about clothes in any way.

... I actually quit Hannibal, and didn't hear about the shitstorm, so I can't really comment on the situation, because it's so much about context - Sherlock is terrible though, and I will not watch the next season. (Honestly I managed to completely miss that Irene was lesbian to start with too jesus). But I agree that out of the examples, Hannibal is perhaps the most innocent one, it just happened to be the most recent in my collection about two white tortured males.

GoT is my guilty pleasure, I hate it, I rage against it, but I can't stop watching urrghh.

But yes, I agree, I sometimes I really do enjoy shows with a less-than-stellar feminist view, but it's never the same as when the joy I feel like a well-written female kicks ass - it just will never be like it used to, back before I joined the internet and got educated and started noticing these things. I enjoy them, but it's like, an empty sort of "this-plot-is-really-captivating-WOAH" rather than "YOU GO [person]!!", you know? Even male characters I get like slightly bitter about if there isn't a kickass girl anywhere in the show and it makes me like the males less. Same with all-white casts.

Re: OP!

[(Anonymous)]

Go forth and enjoy, OP! Orphan Black should be right up your alley.

Actually, another great example of something problematic, but also really interesting to watch/read, is Silence of The Lambs. Because on the one hand, you have Clarice Starling, who is an iconic female character. (There's also an emphasis on the tension that women face, having to exist in a world dominated by men, which really resonated with me.)

But on the other hand - holy hell, it does not do trans people any favours at all! And the psychology in it is an unfortunate product of its time.

So... I guess it's where you personally draw the line for what you can stomach, and what you can't. I can't stomach GoT, at all. Not even as a guilty pleasure. But I can watch Alien, whereas for other people, that might be too much for them.

Re: OP!

[(Anonymous)]

Who knows if anyone's still around here but I agree w/ this thread totally and I'd like to add a recommendation for Grey's Anatomy and Gilmore Girls, both great shows and on a recent rewatch I noticed being very feminist friendly I guess!!! Also both with female showrunners, EVEN better tbh. Also if scifi's your thing I want to talk about Farscape because holy shiiit is that show the most perfect show in the whole world or what gosh

[logicbutton]

I love everything about this comment. Hannibal inspires complicated feelings in me with regard to gender and sexuality, but I think working through those feelings (on my own and with my best friend, who got me into the show) makes me a better feminist, and because I still think it's mostly a positive force overall, I actually appreciate it more.

I second the recommendation for Orphan Black. I just finished watching the first season and am seriously impressed. It's like while every other show is tying itself in knots trying to explain how including complex female characters or any relevant characters of color or the word "bisexuality" is just way too hard and would make everything boring and terrible, Orphan Black is channeling that energy into making awesome TV.

[(Anonymous)]

Mmhmm! the reason I can keep watching Hannibal is that, compared to most other shows out there, it's doing a lot better on the diverse characters thing. S1 especially! (i have become frustrated with S2 though - i think it's less well-written overall in comparison to S1.) but still better than a lot of other stuff on TV at the moment.

NOW i'm just praying really really hard that they manage to get the rights to Clarice Starling. she is one of my favourite female characters of all time - and lbr, it simply won't be a Hannibal adaptation without Clarice.

ORPHAN BLACK IS SO GOOD. SERIOUSLY. I just love it so much and it makes me really happy! i recommend it to everyone :)

[logicbutton]

Yes, yes, Clarice, Clarice is awesome and indispensable and perfect in every way and I basically want to be her except maybe not have her life because it's so full of bullshit.

HOWEVER. Let's not forget the absolute best character in the entire series: ARDELIA MAPP.

Ardelia Mapp is already a WOC and therefore does not need a racelift or gender swap. Therefore, the obvious twist to put on her character is a nice, juicy storyline. Alternatively, her own spinoff show. Or both. Whatever, I don't care, as long as there's MORE ARDELIA.

Ardelia Mapp: because any character that makes me laugh that hard while reading a book deserves all the resources of television.

[(Anonymous)]

Ardelia, oh my goodness, yes! Their friendship was seriously the best part of the book & film for me. :D

[(Anonymous)]

I've heard about how they can't get Clarice on the show because of 'rights' issues? Why, I mean if all the Hannibal Lector books are by the same author, why can't they get her on the show?

[(Anonymous)]

"What makes me sad is how so many people aren't even aware of where their opinions come from. They simply absorb the messages like a sponge, and don't stop to question or critique things."

Thanks for pointing this out! That's exactly the problem with SJW type. They "discover" feminism or social justice on Tumblr or LJ and take in their message like a sponge. With no critical thinking or a moment's consideration facts.

This is how we get things like #cancelcolbert because the SJW movement teaches outrage over analysis. It teaches you to reblog mindlessly and adopt the opinions of your "betters" without questioning them because only some kind of uneducated "-ist" questions what the popular SJ bloggers say. It's how we get people who are incapable of comprehending literary devices and mistake critique for endorsement. It's how we get people who are incapable of separating a character's opinion from the author's opinion.

It's very sad when people stop thinking, it's even worse when a popular movement encourages this. The worst though? Is when a malicious group co-opts a good message from a popular movement to do this and thus does a lot more harm then good, turning people into hate-spewing sheep, discrediting a very important movement, corrupting a great message, and alienating the general public all in one fell swoop.