I liked Stranger Things, but something felt a little... off and uncomfortable with how Will is being portrayed. Like, in a way that seems gross in a bad way.
I just finished the second season, and Will being a victim again was, well, whatever. Fine. But all those scenes with him tied up and only wearing a flimsy short hospital gown, and what felt like several shots creeping up his bare legs were pretty unnecessary. Why exactly couldn't they have put pants on that kid, at least when they got back from the hospital (especially when they were allegedly trying to "burn out the demon" - they didn't think to put some damn clothes on him, and instead turn up radiators to make him super sweaty and hardly dressed?
This alone probably wouldn't have put off any warning bells for me. But earlier in the season, Will is describing what happened when he got possessed, and he says something like, "I felt it, everywhere", stress on the last word, in a way that felt deliberately to me like a metaphor for sex abuse. Especially since we basically saw a scene of the demon "entering" him, while only his face, made this line uncomfortable. I mean, demon possessions as sexual abuse metaphors are a dime a dozen so whatever. But in the first season, Will is evidently used by the monster to incubate a baby, so he was essentially impregnated and held captive.
There's been an ongoing theme of Will, a prepubescent boy, getting weirdly sexualized through his constant victimization. While I can deal with subtle hints and even appreciate the dark and subtle metaphors approached from a narrative standpoint, those sweaty pantsless bondage scenes really grossed me out.
Stranger Things spoilers
I just finished the second season, and Will being a victim again was, well, whatever. Fine. But all those scenes with him tied up and only wearing a flimsy short hospital gown, and what felt like several shots creeping up his bare legs were pretty unnecessary. Why exactly couldn't they have put pants on that kid, at least when they got back from the hospital (especially when they were allegedly trying to "burn out the demon" - they didn't think to put some damn clothes on him, and instead turn up radiators to make him super sweaty and hardly dressed?
This alone probably wouldn't have put off any warning bells for me. But earlier in the season, Will is describing what happened when he got possessed, and he says something like, "I felt it, everywhere", stress on the last word, in a way that felt deliberately to me like a metaphor for sex abuse. Especially since we basically saw a scene of the demon "entering" him, while only his face, made this line uncomfortable. I mean, demon possessions as sexual abuse metaphors are a dime a dozen so whatever. But in the first season, Will is evidently used by the monster to incubate a baby, so he was essentially impregnated and held captive.
There's been an ongoing theme of Will, a prepubescent boy, getting weirdly sexualized through his constant victimization. While I can deal with subtle hints and even appreciate the dark and subtle metaphors approached from a narrative standpoint, those sweaty pantsless bondage scenes really grossed me out.