izzie!!

I've seen already several posts about how unfairly Sonya is getting treated both in games' story modes and in fandoms by MK fans. I going to break down how misogyny and hypocrisy forcing MK fans to hate on the first lady of Mortal Kombat.

Let's start off where it all went south:

The unnecessary 25 year skip of time in MKX

A lot of people who skip pre-MKX comics where we meet Cassie, Takeda and Jacqui for the first time. As soon as we start the game, we know that Sonya and Johnny used to be married. Johnny was the one to file for it, reasoning his decision saying:

Johnny Cage: "[your work] is what split us apart in the first place. You never had time for me and Cassie.".

If you ask me, this is selfish behavior. Sonya had to give up her time with family to protect the Earthrealm. Even if the Earthrealms was at temporarily peace, Sonya's work was clearly a coping mechanism from her PTSD.

In contrast, Johnny chose his coping mechanism to be addictions, after fame screw him over. From Jacqui's and Johnny's pre-fight dialog, we learn that Johnny had to attend rehab and complete 12 step program (at least a three month).

Sonya was objectively a more responsible adult, than Johnny. She kept herself away from addictions, but had to stay busy with work. Her performance was vital to Cassie's, Johnny's, and the entire Earthrealm's protection. Meanwhile, Johnny, as a drinking father, introduced Cassie to unpredictability, emotional volatility, and fear into the home.

Of course, it isn't a battle who is worse: an absent mother or a drinking father, obv. both affect the child negatively. But reactions from fans is completely UNFAIR to Sonya.

2. Underlying misogyny and hypocrisy.

When we see a single mother, we tend to expect her to take full responsibility over the child. She has to work, pay the bills, cook, clean and keep her child educated at the time. But when we see a single father, our (already lowered) expectation to men tell us "wow, it must be so hard for him, being a single father is so rare!". But, both parents have to do the bare minimum in raising a child. In contrary, Johnny is biased because he's a man, so he gets praised for basic tasks.

And about hypocrisy, people tend to hate Sonya for doing the similar thing Kenshi did to Takeda. Well, a bit different scenario, but it's the same "absent parent" plotline. Yet, no one bats an eye at Kenshi, because it is expected for mothers to take the child under full responsibility.

Society in general tends to be far less strict with single fathers to "motivate" them to be better, which isn't a right. Single fathers should be treated the same as single mothers -- with an expectation for them to be fully responsible for their children. In sociology and gender studies it called parenting double standard: a father tends to be treated not as a caregiver to a child, but as a babysitter, because mothers are expected to be caregivers.

In my opinion, Johnny Cage does the bare minimum by taking his life together and being a present father. You can see the double standard right here, whereas Sonya, who was risking her life to make sure that Cassie lives in safer world (esp. after Sindel wiped almost every other Earthrealm champion) is called not a real parent. But, Johnny who was alcoholic and did basic tasks was "praised" is labeled to be a real parent.

When a man choses career and works 23\7 hours and spends 1 hour with family, he gets called a "workaholic" or a "breadwinner". But when a woman does the exact same thing, she becomes a "neglectful parent." If Johnny were that dedicated to his career (which has failed, so he had to give it up), everyone would call him a provider. But because Sonya does it, she gets viewed as a neglectful and cold mother. How dare she!

I actually covered the thought of the last Reddit comment before, you can check it out on my page. Sonya's screen time shared with Johnny's, so of course she's going to be sour towards him, esp. after the divorce.

Here we can see people adopt some youtuber's opinion as their own, not really thinking deeper about Sonya's struggles, because WOMEN ARE EXPECTED TO BE SELF-SACRIFICNG MOTHERS by society.

3. Sonya gets tossed aside as the "bad guy"

In MKX, Sonya plays the role of the killjoy: a strict General, who's really demanding of the soldiers under her command (Cassie included). Johnny plays the "good cop", persuading Sonya to softer with Cassie (which is probably turns Cassie into a nepo baby sort of, if she's treated with lower expectations from General just because Cassie is her daughter).

If Sonya weren't portrayed as harshly as Johnny claims she is (in MKX), he wouldn't be the "more responsible" adult by contrast.

Yet, Sonya never threw a word about his past addictions, only telling him:

Sonya Blade: sorry, you couldn't be the center of the attention.

I will die on this hill

Idk, but something about her just screams girl lover, lesbian, wlw-coded, "I like kissing girls". She looks like a stem lesbian in my humble opinion......do you guys see it?....

AND The undercut is such an iconic hairstyle because literally only few can pull it off, and Cassie does it effortlessly.

Also! I loved details to her characters design: the helix piercing and smudged black eyeshadow / eyeliner!!!!!!

And her catsuit IS GORGGGGGGG. It is such a throwback to her mother's fashion sense in some way

In MK11, they made her a generic millennial, giving her this stupid ass drone which I DESPISE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Only a millennial could do this almost horizontal line of side part. I wish they at least gave her side undercut?

I think the ponytail is the worst one to give her as a hairstyle, because many people mistake Cassie for Sonya (those who didn't play mk11).

And her uniform is atrocious.

Everyone always talks about how much Cassie looks like her mom, but they completely miss how much her personality matches Sonya's too. Sure, Johnny spent more time parenting her, but Cassie's stubbornness screams "Sonya Blade" way more than it does Cage flamboyance.

Cassie is a great soldier and I like to think that she doesn't really care about being famous or well-liked in contrast to her father. Special Forces provide Cassie with more space to (im)prove herself alone. I really feel that she would choose to be a Commander every time.

The only thing I felt Cassie's development lacked is her path to become more of a team player. Her mother, Sonya, was never a team player, always jumping into fights even if everyone else was against it. Don't really understand why Cassie was chosen to be a leader of the Kombat Kids in MKX, because they never needed one in the first place.

Her bickering with Jin quite resembles Sonya's headstrong personality. Johnny never was that silver-tongued especially towards "haters". I mean he is quick-witted, but not in the same way as Sonya.

Nevertheless, Sonya was always trying to prove herself and defend her pride. It was also seen in Sonya's and Cassie's pre-fight dialog in MKX:

Cassie Cage: Hi Mom. Sonya Blade: Break any regulations today? Cassie Cage: I am your daughter.

I do believe that Cassie looks up to her mom more than everyone thinks, joining SF, probably to spend more time with her. People love to talk about how much Cassie looks like Sonya, but they completely ignore how much she acts like her too.

THAT’S ACTUALLY GOOD