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Yeah you cannot tell me Mike Wheeler wasn’t going through mental health shit before the Upside Down happened

“Mike is a terrible person if hes not gay and has internalized homophobia”

“People only liked Mike when he was more focused on Will”

“Everyone in the show hates Mike and he’s so dumb and useless”

“Mike’s only purpose is to be a love interest to Will and El”

“Mike never cared about El and doesn’t love her whatsoever”

“Mike treated Will and El like shit and the w*nder twins deserve better than him and abandon Mike while they’re the perfect wholesome sibling duo”

“Mike ends up depressed, alone, and stuck in a loveless marriage like his parents”

“Mike didn’t come out in s5 so that means he’s gonna be closeted forever and he fumbled both Will and El”

“Mike is a total bigot who’s homophobic, racist, and misogynistic”

Like it’s literally a dinosaur and a sword, you don’t get anymore Mike Wheeler than that lol

Me:

I’m sorry to some of my fellow bylers, but the show starting with Will’s disappearance does not mean he’s the main character. The Duffers saying in a interview that the show’s about Will does not mean everything in the show is about him. Yes, the show started with his disappearance, but he was a plot device, not the main character. Yes, the Duffers said in an interview the show’s about Will, but it was in response to a question about Barb. And even then, they definitely did not mean that he was the main character of the show. Also, I thought we agreed that interviews from the Duffers don’t meant shit anymore, so idk why some people are still passing around that quote that’s been blatantly misinterpreted by the fandom, especially by a lot of Will/Willel fans, and treating it like it’s gospel.

Besides that, El absolutely is the main focus of the show. She’s the character with the most screen time, the main adversary of the Mind Flayer whom she’s gone against three times (four if you count the finale, but I don’t consider that vagina monster the MF), the character who opened a gate to the Upside Down twice, who closed the original Mothergate, the lab kid most like Henry in character, prowess, and even appearance, and mostly importantly, the character who ties the two overarching plots of the show, that being the lab plot and the supernatural plot. She is the main target of both antagonists of the show, aka the Mind Flayer and the US government.

While I do wish that willelmike was the main trio of the show with El center stage kind of similar to Luke, Leia, and Han (with El being Luke, Mike being Leia, and Will being Han. Yes I do believe Luke and Leia fits elmike more cause a lot of people seem to forget that Luke and Leia started off as love interests), but canon wise? Will is nowhere near the same level of importance as El. It makes absolutely zero sense why after 3 to 4 seasons of Vecna being obsessed with El he’d just suddenly forget about her and prioritize Will more in s5. Like sorry, but I cannot see Vecna/The Mind Flayer caring for Will as anything other than a pawn and a vessel.

Obviously I am not saying that the show is just about El, of course not. At the end of the day, Stranger Things was an ensemble cast with varying character focuses. But it doesn’t hurt to say that if anyone out of the main cast deserves to be called the main focus and number one main character of the show, it’s absolutely El, which is what made her ultimate shafting, death, and sidelining in favor of Will by the Duffers in s5 all the more infuriating.

Not Mike, not Will, not Hopper or Steve, and certainly not the fanon W*nder Twins.

But Jane Ives/Jane ‘El’ Hopper.

Literally who tf else would it be💜

Also sorry to some people, but I am a sucker for confident Mike and pathetic Will, we gotta change things up every now and again. Pls I need people to stop acting like Will Byers is this suave, all knowing, super cool frat boy. That boy is just as much of a down bad loser nerd as Mike is. And Mike being confident and sure of himself after years of insecurities is soooo juicy. You just know that once he grows more comfortable and realizes that yes, he is very desirable and attractive, Will is absolutely screwed.

Because what do you mean Mike the Brave’s backstory is a really good queer analogy, especially considering fairies and elves are tied to queerness and femininity?

What do you mean Mike felt more comfortable being amongst said elves and fairies?

What do you mean even in DnD, Mike Wheeler wants his father to be proud of him and will choose to conform to said father’s expectations, even if it goes against what Mike truly wants?

Now, here’s the thing: I am not addressing the people who just do their own thing and don’t bother anyone. I am addressing the people who see Will in a certain way and harass anyone who dares to see him in another light.

Because why oh why do some of you insist that Will Byers is canonically feminine? Is it because he’s quiet? Sensitive? Likes art? Was at one point in time the shortest in the party? Was the one being saved for the first two seasons? Is that what equates to being canonically feminine. If so, then some of you really need to reevaluate yourself because chief… that’s lowkey misogynistic.

Why do some of you get so damn pissed when someone doesn’t see Will as this uwu wilting flower who’s hyperfeminine and a sub bottom who can’t tie his own damn shoelaces? Why do some of you get so mad when someone says that Will has muscles (he does, I really don’t care what the costume department said about padding or whatever) and that actually, he’s just as masculine as the rest of the boys in the party? Why do NEED the only gay boy in the show to be a feminine wuss? Why do you NEED him to forever stay a damsel in distress for the rest of his life? Why do you think quiet, sensitive, and artistic are all automatically feminine traits? Why do you insist that Will is a sub bottom and that he would never top? Why do you insist on calling Will a “final girl” and a “gothic heroine”? (Which are tropes reserved for women, not your favorite white boy) Why do you get mad when someone headcanons Mike as a bottom or gnc or androgynous? Why do you get mad when people envision Mike also exploring his sexuality and gender identity?

Is it because you automatically assume that being gay means being feminine and that there’s only one way a character can be gay? Is it because you refuse to see the only canon gay character as anything other than a walking stereotype? Is it because you refuse to engage with a gay ship without adding stereotypical straight roles where one boy is “the man” and the other is “the woman”? Is it because adding homophobic, misogynistic, and heteronormative tropes onto a gay ship makes it easier to absorb for you?

Idk man, sounds like homophobia, heteronormativity, and misogyny rolled all into one

And for anyone who’s gonna start shit: yes, I am aware that bottom!Mike truthers also sometimes rely on gay stereotypes. No, we are not exempt from this. But you know what Bottom!Mike truthers (and Mike fans in general) don’t do?

Like…they make Will out to be this perfect angel who can do no wrong, is this uwu wilting bunny flower who’s constantly babied, cries at the smallest of things, is always Mike’s victim, everyone worships the ground he walks on, he has an ultra harem of boys, everything is about him, he’s the main character, and no one else matters. Basically, a Mary Sue lol. Meanwhile, Will canonically hated being coddled, hates being seen as fragile, has hurt Mike (despite the narrative never addressing it, which i hate) and has the capacity to be an asshole, can defend himself just fine, and doesn’t want to be seen as different for this sexuality. He lowkey just wants to be an average joe who’s one of the guys.

And then with Mike, it is so much worse. Toxic fans see Mike as this bitchless loser who can’t pull, is always in the wrong, is the devil incarnate, can’t do anything right, no one loves him, he ends up alone, is ugly, and is treated as useless outside of his two most popular ships. His only purpose to these dumbasses is to kiss, support, and fuck Will. Not like Mike didn’t have an entire fucking speech about how he hates being the love interest waiting in the wings while the superhero does all the cool stuff. Not like he canonically has self-esteem issues and was bullied for being unconventionally attractive (doesn’t make him ugly btw, he’s also canonically cute). Not like he showed signs of mental health issues even before the whole Upside Down shit happened. Not like the Party and the other characters don’t love and respect the shit out of him.

Don’t even get me started on the whole spicy byler shit where they’re made out to be the most basic yaoi couple out there (particularly on Twitter). Will always is the shrinking violet hyperfemme sub bottom, while Mike is always the ultra daddy dom hypermasc top.

God forbid you insinuate that Will could be a top and Mike could be a bottom. God forbid you think they switch. God forbid you don’t see Will as femme and see Mike as femme or androgynous or have him explore his identity in any way.

Cause haven’t you heard? Only one of them can do that. Only Will can have depression, have powers and a supernatural connection, be loved by everyone, have internalized homophobia, explore his sexuality and gender, etc. All of that belongs to Will, cause apparently multiple characters can’t go through the same thing. And if you apply any of this stuff to Mike and want to analyze him outside of being a love interest, then you’re just stealing from Will.

Apparently the worst thing you can do in this fandom is go against the popular headcanons. Cause god forbid we have our own opinions and views on certain characters and ships

Fuck me🫩🚬

Bsfr, they’re both pathetic down bad loser nerds who have their occasional cool moments and they are both their own characters outside of the ship

Like you cannot tell me this wouldn’t be Will’s reaction upon finding out that he fumbled Mike hard and basically self sabotaged himself for the millionth time