not to rehash s1 criticism again but to this day the only direct explanation i’ve heard for why they defanged gabe was that podcast interview where jon steinberg said they were “investing in sally and liking her” so they wanted her not to be treated badly. i’m sure there are reasons they are intentionally avoiding talking about but taken at face value that’s just straightforwardly saying abuse should only happen to characters who deserve it lol
like i’m inclined to think that’s not their actual reason but it’s actually incredibly important that sally is a likable, kind, strong, smart woman—and she is treated badly. the first thing we ever hear about sally is “she's the best person in the world, which just proves my theory that the best people have the rottenest luck.”
i think it’s more likely that the rumor about them deciding it was too scary for kids is true. and that’s also bullshit. this stuff happens in kids’ lives all the time. have the decency to treat them like they live in the same world as you
@thinkingisadangerouspastime
yeah you’re right and we should talk about it in those terms more
i maintain that “[thing] is too dark for kids”/cozywholesome witch-in-the-alps mentality/book bans are all cousins. and the effect is not just what stories get pulled off of shelves (and screens) but also the impact on what stories get made and how. most of the time we’ll never know the extent of what that impact is, so the difference in how the lightning thief was told in 2005 vs 2024 is kind of an unusual data point. i’m sure the team wouldn’t have considered themselves to be self-censoring, but they created this while swimming in the same water as us these last several years.
