Yes, Finn/Rey is heteronormative, but not all straight romances are created equal.
In the case of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, we’re seeing a potential interracial relationship develop between a black man and a white woman–and although this idea has its own set of complex issues, the fact that it’s heteronormative isn’t my main concern.
Besides commentary about Finn’s supposed cowardliness (which is a different rant for another time), I’ve seen some about how Finn/Rey lack chemistry plus they’re het, therefore they’re boring. The arguments are curiously similar to complaints that arise when black female characters are potential love interests in any relationships. I’ve been trying to parse why these comments irritate me and I think the problem is that this discourse feels very limiting, because while het relationships are normalised, het relationships between a black person and a white person aren’t viewed the same as het relationships between two white people.
Black men in mainstream media are often portrayed as the following tropes: exaggerations of stereotypical male behaviour, fetishised/hypersexualised mandingos, or desexualised gentle magical negroes (and these are issues that I’ve seen ignored in mainstream feminist discourse and in lgbtq discourse). Black male characters aren’t always like Finn, who is well-rounded; fearful, yet brave, gentle, but strong, earnest and a total goofball at the same time. He’s the antithesis of a tertiary smooth-talking walking racial stereotype.
There could have been scenes that portrayed Finn as overtly dominant, aggressive, and angry. There could have been scenes that framed his emotions and his masculinity as threatening while framing white male masculinity and aggression as perfectly normal. But Star Wars: TFA manages to elude these frustrating depictions. I didn’t feel any overwhelming discomfort about Finn’s characterisation. I didn’t feel like there was a glaring white gaze killing my enjoyment of him, and it’s almost sad to say that relief washed over me as I walked out of the theatre because of this.
TFA also avoids framing Finn as either undesirable or lecherous.
Now, by virtue of Star Wars being a family franchise, it’s unlikely that there’ll ever be scenes that sexually objectify Finn, but I still appreciate that I won’t have to squirm at commentary about his penis size. I won’t have to roll my eyes at Rey dating him just to piss off her parents. I won’t have to listen to her wax poetic about his chocolate skin. I won’t have to sit through scenes where he’s got no speaking lines, but he’s walking around shirtless in a loincloth while everyone else is clothed. I won’t have to cringe at discussions amongst the guys about Rey’s appealing whiteness in comparison to dark-skinned women. I won’t have to rage at attempts to demonise black women by having them sneer in Finn/Rey’s direction with added commentary about white women stealing our men.
There are so many gross stereotypes and portrayals of interracial relationships between black men and white women, and I have so many negative associations due to that, but a potential relationship between Finn and Rey is so appealing to me despite the negative baggage.
It’s appealing because Finn isn’t objectified and dehumanised for the sake of the white audience. He simply exists in this world without his race affecting people’s perception of him–without his race affecting Rey’s perception of him. They have a relationship that so far is built on sharing similar painful experiences, and having a mutual respect and affection for each other. Rey isn’t a trophy for Finn and Finn isn’t some sort of exotic exploit for Rey. Their bond has this indescribable warmth and sweetness, and conjures the same sort of feeling hearing “I love you,” “I know” inspired in me as a kid.
I sincerely hope that fandom starts digging beyond the surface. I hope that we consider Finn’s unique position as a black male protagonist in a major scifi franchise when writing/discussing his relationships with his potential love interests instead of dismissing them as fulfilling the status quo.
-J
As I saw in another post around here, Finn seemed to be latching onto basically anyone who treated him like a human being. Poe gave him a name, and Finn immediately cared about him as a result. When Finn saw Poe again, he hugged him like a best friend even though they only met in the first place because Finn (then under a letter/number designation I can’t recall) just wanted a pilot to get him out of a place and situation he found immensely distressing and threatening. Poe became someone he cared about deeply simply because Poe treated him like more than another white helmet.
Rey he latched onto again out of necessity, but once again she was someone who treated him like a person. Han too he latched onto. He decided to help the Resistance to save Rey, but I personally saw no romantic undertones behind that. Neither person tries to kiss the other. They just hug. She’s his friend, he worries about her, cares about her. He knows what the First Order is like, he doesn’t want bad things to happen to her. I mean, what does he do when he sees Poe after hugging him? He asks him for help to save Rey. He helps the Resistance to save Rey. So what if it’s a selfish reason? Did we forget what kind of person Han used to be in the other films? He’s doing the right thing for the wrong reasons, but he’s learning to do the right thing.
Getting back to the point. I don’t see a romance here. Not yet anyway. Maybe in the future. Rey kisses his forehead while he’s unconscious. Obviously she cares. Maybe it’s the beginning of something. But she made the first move there, and he isn’t even aware she did it. They care about each other, and if there’s a romance I think it could be done in a very sweet and organic way. There are going to be other films. We will see more of them. Finn is shown as someone who cares very deeply, and he latches onto people who care about him damn fast. I can appreciate his innocence in that area, and it makes me feel very fond toward him, especially compared to the far more jaded Rey.
I frankly look forward to seeing more of him and Rey, of watching them develop as characters. If they remain friends, then I am perfectly okay with that. I think the movie franchise could use more platonic relationships between members of the opposite sex.
I’m not sure if you read what I wrote or skimmed it and missed the point. Responses like these are incredibly frustrating because it feels as though you’re talking down to me, whether that isn’t your intention. This overwhelming need to condescend to fans of colour like we lack the ability to properly interpret relationships simply because we want to see characters like us on screen who are loved is not okay.
I don’t need you to write meta about Finn explaining his interactions with Poe and Rey and why those interactions don’t read as romantic to you. I just need you to listen.
I wrote about how black male characters are fetishised in mainstream media, especially when paired with white women. I wrote about why I appreciate that Finn isn’t treated this way in TFA and why a potential romantic relationship with Rey would be groundbreaking and appealing to me and other fans of colour. I wrote about why fandom should stop behaving as though interracial relationships (where the poc in the relationship is treated with respect) are so common.
I wrote about why interracial relationships, especially between white characters and black characters aren’t the same as relationships between two white characters… and your response? “I think the movie franchise could use more platonic relationships between members of the opposite sex.”
You’re referring to a movie franchise that has featured white people in loving relationships and applying that context to a relationship between a black male character and a white female character. They’re not just two people of the opposite sex, one is white and the other is black. Finn’s race is an important difference because of the real world context in which this film exists.
Please read what I wrote carefully.
