Superheroes and Feminism and Anything Between

trans people: great. can you do one thing for us? can you not play the shitty wizard video game? the one where the main enemies are the antisemitic Jewish coded goblins teaming up with the wizard nazis? the game based off of a series with antisemitism, racism, slavery apologists, homophobia, and a nazi getting a redemption? the game that gives money directly to the figurehead of a hate movement that gets children in the UK killed? you know that game? don't play it.

the issue with continuing to consume the harry potter universe isn't that fictional characters weren't written the way you think they should have been to more directly impart the moral lesson you think people should learn.

the issue is that JKR, a real person, is using the real money that she gets from this franchise, and her own popularity on social media, to tell other people that trans people should not exist anymore.

people still have a real fondness for fictional characters, because the brain doesn't have a separate emotional category for 'pretend person'. we love characters the same way we love our friends. and this is why people still cling to franchises even after their creators are revealed to be real assholes who are using their money to do asshole things.

I was really mad at my imaginary Mercedes Lackey at about 4:30 AM last night. How dare she do this, in my dream, that I had. Unacceptable.

My subconscious generated a lot of genuinely realistic Lackeyan prose for this awful wizard-kidfic AU, even. I started writing up a post about why it was so bad in the dream, part of which I put in the tags up there. Because that’s what tags are. They’re sleep-talk.

WHY STOP AT THIS SPECIFIC POINT LACKEY

WE ALREADY KNOW WHAT YOU ARE

Every single one of her coworkers knows how they feel! EVERYONE CAN SEE THIS AWFUL IMPASSE THEY’RE STUCK IN and they are all VERY WIGGED OUT ABOUT IT. I’ve never ever seen that dynamic (we haven’t, but want to, but everyone knows, and we can’t, for real can’t, it would be for real bad) anywhere else, probably because actual scenarios where “having any sort of sexual congress at all ever would dismay and alarm hundreds of people” are few and far between, and this one was poorly-rendered if not wholly accidental.

The interest is of course predicated on the Companion system NOT being elastic enough to just handwave them as an edge case and let them get on with it. They’re so meddlesome and wrought to specific purpose I can’t imagine them tolerating it gracefully, let alone the spectre of “these horses will love and accept and also like LOVE love you” getting out as a rumor, which has the potential to ALSO nastily precipitate “Actually, Companions can lie mind-to-mind” becoming fatally public if an attempted cover-up went south.

Because it's a massive East Coast city but the property values are probably like $200 a month for a three bedroom apartment, and most Gothamites are like, "Hey, Bane never swore to break my back."

And here's the thing: you're not just moving out of Gotham City. You're moving into the rest of the DC universe. And it has hero-based power scaling.

Oh, Metropolis looks fucking great. But it gets invaded by aliens and robots and demigods, because Superman is there.

Wonder Woman's tangling with gods.

You go to Central City, and some Reverse-Flash motherfucker runs backwards from an alternate future and kicks your balls off at the speed of light.

You could move to the West Coast, and oh, an entire city just gets exploded by Cyborg Superman or some shit.

How about you move to Indianapolis, or Cleveland? Haha, no. They have no protector during the alien invasions, and you're in Cleveland

So stay in Gotham. Sure, you have lunatics, but you know that if you had a gun, you at least have a chance against the Joker or Riddler. Mongo of War-World would crush you. But Gotham just has creeps, and you know you have a chance. Even Bane, R'as Al-Ghul, Killer Croc, and Mr. Freeze are just slightly altered dudes. Oh no, Poison Ivy is going to kiss me to death! Who gives a shit, you kinda wanted to go out that way anyway.

The Hunger Games (2012) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

bonus:

A hate-able character, for this post, is more of a side villain than the main antagonist—something like a school bully. However, some of these points can still be applied to the main ant., too!

constantly seeks to harass the people around them

most of their friendships (if they have any) are usually out of fear/respect for their power or people who genuinely have moral issues

let them be the one in power—the one who wields the most influence—so they can have things their way most of the time

if people stand up to them, they use the most self-centered excuses to shut down criticisms

make them prejudiced. not just against the main character(s) or the “good guys,” but also groups of people (minorities, typically)

give them annoying, distinguishable traits (ex. eye-rolling, smirking, pretending to be polite)

lacks gratitude (not thankful for what they have & don’t thank people who help them).

Then put the side villain directly in the way of your character getting what they deserve.

Example:

Nawal is a high school girl who part-times as a superhero. Her arch nemesis has been trying to figure out her civilian identity all day so Nawal’s been on high alert trying to avoid him. She deserves a good long rest, a good meal, and a safe place to get both.

Nawal’s step-mother has been stewing all day on how unfair her life is. She didn’t sign up for the suburban life when she married Nawal’s father. She has no interest in the running of the house or in managing her rebellious step-daughter. 

Nawal is tired. More than tired. Her legs throb as she drags herself the last few steps to her front door. It feels like she’s been running away all day. All she wants to do is sleep.

Nawal lets herself in the door just as her step-mother comes down the stairs.

“You didn’t take out the trash this morning,” her step-mother says. She only glances at Nawal before focusing on the mirror in the hall. She carefully pats at her hair. “Better get to it before your dad gets home.”

“Amy’s supposed to do that today,” Nawal says. She normally wouldn’t talk back, but she’s tired and it seems like Amy’s been leaving more and more of  her chores undone lately. “I’m really tired–”

“God,” her step-mother says. Nawal can see her roll her eyes in the mirror. “What do you have to be tired about? Just do it. And the dishes too. You know how much your dad hates a dirty sink.”

She didn’t eat at home today. “But Amy–”

“You’re here and Amy’s not. I don’t have time to argue, I’m already late to the salon.” Her step-mother grabs her purse and pushes Nawal aside.  “It better be done when I get back.”

Nawal flinches when the door slams shut. After a long moment, she makes herself stagger to the kitchen. The sink is piled high with dishes, plates and cups and pots and pans. She spots the container that held the left over casserole she’d planned to have for dinner today.

Bruce: I love him so so so much. I don’t approve of his methods. I’m glad he’s here in Gotham and I believe in him and cherish him. I worry that the lives he takes will weigh on him and that he’ll lose himself in the violence.

TH: Wow that’s quite personal, it sounds like you know him?

Bruce: He’s Batman’s son and we both know he doesn’t deserve him

TH: Batman’s son????

Bruce: yup

Bruce *leaning closer to the microphone*: his son

Bruce *looking directly at the camera*: who he loves but doesn’t deserve

TH: o-okay then um moving on… uh about the rumors about your and Batman’s relationship-

Reporter: Oh my god- is that the Red Hood?

Reporter: Red hood sir? Can I ask you a question?

Red Hood: uh yeah?

Reporter: How do you feel about Bruce Wayne’s recent comments on the Late-night Gotham Talk Show?

Red Hood: I hope that Wayne gets custody of me during the inevitable break up. (Grapples off)

~

Reporter: Tim Drake-Wayne! How do you feel about the possibility of the Red Hood becoming your new sibling?

Tim: (eyebrow twitching) delighted, god only knows I need more murderous siblings.

Reporter: Elaborate on the ‘more’ part?

Dick: