One thing that I really like to explore is the intersection of Shane's various types of fame and industry, at least as they're presented in the show. Especially when we look at Shane's childhood and adolescence.
Because of course, we have the "athletes don't own their own bodies" element that comes with playing a professional sport anyway.
We have the element of brands and display. Shane has a contract with Reebok, with Rolex, with Speedo, and others. He has to publicly be seen wearing that brand. He's got a contract. Even if the Reebok shoes pinch, even if the weight of the Rolex makes his skin crawl, he's got to wear it. He's being paid a lot of money to be a walking exhibit of someone else's product.
And it really wouldn't register on me at all if it were not for the focus on the filming of those ads and how uncomfortable and miserable he looks filming them. And yeah, the money is good, but we don't even see a moment of someone patting him on the shoulder in consolation. His own mother just fixes his shirt for display.
And it makes me think about how this is a ripe opportunity for abuse, especially early on.
I'm sure the ads weren't initially sexual. And I'm sure Yuna watched like a hawk. But I think about Jacob Tierney's words about the way child actors get sexualized. And I think about how abusers in the entertainment industry seem to be very good at maneuvering around even the most attentive or aggressive stage parents.
I think about how vulnerable an adolescent can be to manipulation: "you don't really NEED your mom here right now, do you? You're not a BABY, right?" It doesn't necessarily take a lot to turn an attentive protector into an embarrassing obstacle in the eyes of a kid who is eager to prove himself. "You don't want your mom to think you can't handle this, right? She'd never let you do anything for yourself..."
And I think about the vulnerability of a child who is already on TWO career paths that are focused on physical appearance, physical performance, and the idea that someone else calls the shots when it comes to their body. Two career paths where it's expected to push through discomfort or even injury.
Especially a child who is already used to appearing weird, who has needs that have likely never been expressly labeled or addressed.
Especially a child that's in the process of discovering sexuality, has already been exposed to locker room talk, and may or may not have started some adolescent fumblings with girls - experiences that would already be characterized as obligatory and uncomfortable.
And putting that together, well, when you've got someone whose baseline experience involves basically a constant level of discomfort, which he is expected to push through as part of his job, that the adults around him seem to either not notice or actively ignore - how likely is Shane to even recognize when there are boundaries being crossed or things are going a little too far?
How much has been normalized?
And how much of this would have influenced the way that Shane perceives himself and his sexuality long before Ilya ever enters the picture?
(I admit, I kind of like the idea of a scenario where someone, like one of the rookies on the team, is interested in pursuing a Shane-like career in branding and spokesman-work, and Shane is very encouraging but also has a list of directors or producers to avoid because they get "a little inappropriate" or "handsy".)
kianamaiart
turnnoffyourmind
origamiaround
