Something that I’ve realized about the Pitt fandom is that… a lot of people have very little sympathy for individuals who are struggling with their mental health. I genuinely think some of the fandom believe that individuals with mental health issues deserve to burn at the stake.
There’s the obvious example of Santos, right? Like she’s a strong-willed, asshole woman and everyone’s like “ugh she’s so fucking insufferable, she’s so mean.” But she’s that way after having survived grooming (and likely sexual assault) from an older adult in her teenage years. Her best friend killed herself. She has a strained relationship with her mother. The woman is a classic example of how trauma can make us jaded and mean, because it is safer to be mean than it is to trust someone won’t hurt you.
Then there’s Langdon, who a lot of people see as irredeemable due to his substance use. Yes, he was wrong. Yes, he lied. Yes, Robby has a right now to trust him (though he doesn’t have a right to be a dick, there’s a different conversation there though). But Langdon is trying—he did the work, he deserves a second chance.
But the thing that gets me the most is how… people have really turned on Robby this season. Like there are a lot of things to call him out on (I.e, his unconscious bias against women and his behavior towards Langdon), but we also have to understand that he is deeply, deeply traumatized. He lost a mentor in COVID, nearly lost a son in the Pittfest shooting, and there’s likely more that we’re not aware of. He is jaded and angry and reckless right now because he is traumatized. But there are moments throughout the season where we see his heart—the kindness, the care. The most obvious being the debrief with Louie.
Does having a mental health issue mean you get a free ride on being an asshole? No, of course not. But it contextualizes a person. It reminds us to hold them accountable, but with the kindness they deserve. Because you can do both.
I don’t know. I’m just… I actively have to step away from this fandom sometimes because of the way people talk about the characters. And I know it’s all part of the ongoing literacy crisis, the loss of empathy, etc. but Jesus fucking Christ.
And don’t even get me started on the infantilization of the Autistic/neurodivergent characters.
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