AN ALLCAPS ABOUT GODDAMN ROMANTIC STORYTELLING (AKAÂ âHOW WRITING WORKSâ) AND TWO SHIPS GIRDED BY MISOGYNY, ONE WHICH IS ACTUALLY ROMANTIC AND ONE WHICH IS DECIDEDLY NOT, AND BOTH OF WHICH ACTUALLY HAVE SHIPS IN THEIR MOVIES WHICH IS JUST A FUN FACT.
[Non-allcaps version here.]
LISTEN, THOUGH, IâM LITERALLY THE PERSON WHOSE MOTHER MADE TO WRITE A 5-PAGE ESSAY ABOUT HOW JACK/ROSE WAS INHERENTLY ABUSIVE BECAUSE HE TAKES ADVANTAGE OF HER VULNERABILITY IN THE MIDST OF HER SUICIDE ATTEMPT AND USES EMOTIONAL MANIPULATION ABOUT HER FEAR OF CALâS PHYSICAL ABUSE TO HELP HER SELF-ISOLATE FURTHER FROM HER MOTHER AND EVERYONE ELSE SHEâS EVER KNOWN IN ORDER TO GET HER TO CHOOSE HIM, AS THE CONDITION OF LETTING ME SEE TITANIC WHEN IT CAME OUT IN 1997, AND I FULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IS 100% TRUE. JACK ABSOLUTELY PREYS ON ROSEâS VULNERABILITY, AND IN REAL LIFE, IF THAT WERE HAPPENING TO YOU OR YOUR FRIEND, YOU SHOULD GET OUT OF THAT SITUATION.
BUT JACK/ROSE IS ALSO ROMANTIC AS FUCK AND TITANIC IS MY FAVORITE GODDAMN MOVIE OF ALL GODDAMN TIME BECAUSE IT IS ROMANTIC AS FUCK EVEN THOUGH ALL THE ABOVE IS TRUE, BECAUSE LEO AND KATE HAVE CHEMISTRY AND THE CINEMATOGRAPHY AND DIRECTION AND EVERYTHING WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE THEIR DYNAMIC AS A ROMANCE, IN SPITE OF THE ABOVE, BECAUSE THE ABOVE IS AN UNINTENDED TRUTH THAT UNDERSCORES THE STORY BECAUSE JAMES CAMERON IS A MISOGYNIST DOUCHE AND CULTURE REPLICATES ABUSIVE PATTERNS IN MOST TRADITIONAL ROMANCE TROPES (THE FAKAKTA IDEA THAT âLOVE SAVESâ BEING THE MOST COMMON, AND THE ONE CLEARLY REPLICATED, HERE). TITANIC WAS CREATED WITH THE INTENTION OF BEING ROMANTIC, DESPITE BEING SADDLED BY A LEGACY OF INHERENT MISOGYNY, AND EVERYTHING OVERT ABOUT JACK/ROSEâS SCENES TOGETHER WORK TO CONVEY THAT INTENTION OF ROMANCE. ULTIMATELY, ALTHOUGH FLAWED IN ITS EXECUTION, JACK/ROSE BOTH WANT THE SAME THING: ROSEâS FREEDOM AND HAPPINESS. (Side note, MOM, Jack even says to her that only she can save herself, and YES I KNOW THAT THE FACT THAT HEâS POSITIONED HERSELF AS HER ONLY ALLY AND CONFIDANTE DURING HER SUICIDAL IDEATIONS ON THE SHIP MAKES HIM SUSPECT IN SAYING THAT BUT GAH). ROMANCE, AS A STORY CONSTRUCT, IS PREDICATED ON TWO CHARACTERS WHO WANT THE SAME ENDGAME GOAL AND WHOSE JOURNEY TOGETHER TOWARDS THAT GOAL HELPS TO ANSWER THE OTHER CHARACTERâS âESSENTIAL WOUND,â THE UNDERLYING WANT OR GOAL THAT DRIVES ALL OF THE CHARACTERIZATION OF THAT CHARACTER.
SO IN JACK/ROSEâS CASE, WE KNOW THAT BOTH JACK AND ROSE WANT ROSE TO FIND FREEDOM AND HAPPINESS, THEY BOTH WANT TO FIND A WAY OF LIFE OUTSIDE OF THE CONSTRAINTS OF EDWARDIAN SOCIAL STRATA, AND THEY BOTH WANT TO SURVIVE. ROSEâS ESSENTIAL WOUND, WHAT DRIVES EVERY ASPECT OF HER CHARACTERIZATION, IS THAT SHE WANTS TO BE SEEN AND ACKNOWLEDGED AS AN INDIVIDUAL HUMAN PERSON, NOT JUST AÂ âSOCIETY WOMANâ WHOSE TRAITS DONâT EXIST AND WHOSE ONLY ROLE IN LIFE IS TO BE AN ACCESSORY PROCLAIMING THE WEALTH OF A MAN. JACKâS ESSENTIAL WOUND IS THAT HE WANTS TO BE SEEN AS WORTHY, AS IN A PERSON WITH WORTH IN THIS WORLD, IN A WORLD THAT IS DESIGNED FROM THE GROUND UP TO VIEW PEOPLE IN HIS SOCIAL CLASS AS LITERALLY WORTHLESS. IN SPITE OF THE FLAW IN CAMERONâS EXECUTION OF THEIR INITIAL INTRODUCTION AND HOW THAT COLORS THE SCHEMA OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP IN THE CONTEXT OF RAPE CULTURE, JACK/ROSE ARE A QUINTESSENTIAL ROMANCE BECAUSE EVERY ACTION THEY TAKE BOTH TOGETHER AND SEPARATELY IN CANON (ON-SCREEN, IN TITANICâS CASE) AFFIRM EACH OTHERâS INDIVIDUAL ESSENTIAL WOUNDS AND COOPERATIVELY REACH THEIR SURFACE-LEVEL GOALS.
THAT JACK DIES IS WHAT MAKES TITANIC A ROMANTIC TRAGEDY, BUT IT DOES NOT NEGATE THAT ALL OF THEIR ACTIONS ARE BASED IN MOVING TOWARDS THE SAME GOALS BOTH IN-WORLD AND OUT-WORLD OF THE STORY. THE ACTUAL STORYTELLING BEATS OF TITANIC CREATE ENOUGH CONFIRMATION OF ROMANCE AS THE DYNAMIC BETWEEN THESE TWO CHARACTERS THAT EVEN CAMERONâS DUNDERHEADED INHERENT MISOGYNY DOESNâT PRECLUDE JACK/ROSE FROM READING AS ROMANTIC. SO EVEN I, AN AVOWED ANTI(TM), AM LIKE, âYEAH I ACKNOWLEDGE THIS SHITâS PROBLEMATIC BUT SIGN ME THE FUCK UP ITâS HOT AND I LOVE IT.â
SO ITâS NOT LIKE ~*ANTIS*~ CANâT BE NUANCED ABOUT THIS KIND OF THING? ITâS JUST LITERALLY THAT REYLO IS NOT ROMANTIC.
NOTHING ABOUT KYLO REN+REY WAS CONCEIVED, OR FILMED, OR WRITTEN, TO INDICATE ROMANCE. THE ONLY INTERPRETATION OF THEIR SCENES -- INCLUDING, YES, THE LEAKED NEW ONE -- THAT COULD ALLOW FOR ROMANCE IS A FLAWED VIEWING PREDICATED ON A MUCH MORE VIOLENT FORM OF MISOGYNY THAN WHAT GIRDERS JACK/ROSE. TO SEE REYLO AS ROMANTIC REQUIRES 1) THAT REY NOT BE CONSIDERED HER OWN CHARACTER/PERSON, BUT AN EXTENSION OF KYLO REN [in the context of in-world viewing, ie seeing the story from the inside as though it were real]; 2) THAT REY NOT BE CONSIDERED TO HAVE HER OWN STORY, BUT TO EXIST ONLY AS SET DRESSING IN KYLOâS STORY [in the context of out-world viewing, ie seeing the story as a piece of media], 3] ABSOLUTELY PRIVILEGING THE WANTS/GOALS/PHYSICAL INTEGRITY/VALUES/ETC. OF KYLO REN ABOVE REYâS WANTS, GOALS, PHYSICAL INTEGRITY, VALUES, AND LITERAL SAFETY. FROM JUMP, KYLO IS PRESENTED AS THE ANTAGONIST TO REYâS STORY -- AND YES, OF COURSE THE INVERSE IS ALSO TRUE, BECAUSE THAT IS THE NATURE OF PROTAGONIST-ANTAGONIST RELATIONSHIPS, BUT KYLO IS NOT AND NEVER WAS THE PROTAGONIST, SO IT ONLY FUCKING MATTERS IN ONE DIRECTION. REYâS.
REYâS SUPERFICIAL GOALS IN TFA ARE TO SURVIVE, TO DELIVER BB-8 TO THE RESISTANCE, AND TO RETURN TO JAKKU. HER âESSENTIAL WOUNDâ GOAL IS TO GET CONFIRMATION THAT SHE MATTERS. KYLO IS PRESENTED FROM JUMP TO BE AN OBSTACLE TO EVERY. ONE. OF. THOSE. GOALS. AND HE NEVER DEVIATES FROM BEING AN OBSTACLE TO HER ACHIEVING THOSE GOALS. IN TLJ, HER SUPERFICIAL GOALS -- AS FAR AS WE KNOW NOW, AND LIKE, ITâS A STAR WAR, SO, ITâS NOT THAT DEEP -- ARE TO SURVIVE, TO DELIVER LUKE TO THE RESISTANCE, AND TO RETURN TO FINN. HER âESSENTIAL WOUNDâ REMAINS THE SAME BECAUSE, NEWSFLASH, ITâS ESSENTIAL AND FOR THE SWST TO HAVE ANY SEMBLANCE OF COGENT STORYTELLING, IT MUST REMAIN THE SAME FOR THE ENTIRE TRILOGY: REY WANTS CONFIRMATION THAT SHE MATTERS. GIVEN THE LEAKS WEâVE GOTTEN? KYLO. STILL. WORKS. IN. OVERT. OPPOSITION. TO. HER. EVERY. FUCKING. GODDAMN. ASS. GOAL. HE IS STILL. HER ANTAGONIST.
BY THE NATURE OF HOW PROTAGONIST-ANTAGONIST RELATIONSHIPS WORK, THEY CANNOT BE ROMANTIC, BECAUSE THEY CANNOT -- CANâT, CAN NOT, ARE NOT ABLE -- TO BE PREDICATED ON ACHIEVING THE SAME ENDGAME GOAL. BECAUSE THE ROLE OF AN ANTAGONIST IS TO OPPOSE THE PROTAGONISTâS JOURNEY TOWARDS ALL OF THEIR GOALS, BOTH SURFACE AND âESSENTIAL WOUNDâ AFFIRMATION, THE PROTAGONIST AND ANTAGONIST INHERENTLY, NECESSARILY, AUTOMATICALLY, CANNOT HELP EACH OTHER IN A ROMANTIC CONTEXT TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS IN ANY OF THEIR STORY BEATS.
AND THEY FUCKING DONâT.
NOT ONE FUCKING BEAT OF TFA CAN BE BROKEN DOWN IN ANY RATIONAL, ACTUAL, NORMAL, LEGITIMATE WAY, TO SUGGEST THAT KYLO DOES ANYTHING OTHER THAN OPPOSE REYâS GOALS.
HE PHYSICALLY HARMS HER. HE EMOTIONALLY/MENTALLY HARMS HER. IN THE FOREST ON TAKODANA, IN THE FOREST ON STARKILLER, IN THE CHAIR ON THE FINALIZER, KYLO REN ACTIVELY WORKS TO OPPOSE REYâS GOAL OF SURVIVAL. HE IS NOT HOLDING BACK DURING THEIR FIGHT IN THE SNOW, YOU NUTBARS. NOR IS HE MERCIFUL AND TENDER WHEN HE VIOLENTLY AND PAINFULLY PENETRATES HER BODY FOR HIS OWN GAIN DESPITE HER PROTESTS AND TEARS. FUCK YOU.
HE IMPEDES HER PROGRESS TOWARDS THE RESISTANCE WITH BB-8. ONCE SHEâS ON STARKILLER? SHE HAS NO WAY OF KNOWING WHETHER BB-8 MADE IT TO THE RESISTANCE. FINNâS GONE, AS FAR AS SHE KNOWS. UNTIL REY REACHES DâQAR AT THE END, AS FAR AS SHE IS AWARE, KYLO REN SUCCESSFULLY THWARTED HER GOAL TO BRING BB-8, AND THE MAP, TO THE RESISTANCE.
HE DOES ACTUALLY SUCCEED IN OPPOSING HER GOAL TO RETURN TO JAKKU: NOT ONLY DOES HIS EXISTENCE ULTIMATELY CREATE THE SITUATION THAT LED HER TO HAVE TO FLEE IN THE FIRST PLACE (IF LUKE WERENâT IN HIDING, THEREâD BE NO MAP/IF KYLO HAD NOT LED THE MASSACRE AT TUANUL AND ABDUCTED POE, BB-8 WOULDNâT BE ON JAKKU WITH THE MAP) BUT HE DOES SUCCEED IN CREATING CIRCUMSTANCES THAT HAVE, EVEN AS FAR AS TLJ AS FAR AS WE KNOW, PREVENT REY FROM RETURNING TO JAKKU. HE HAS DEFEATED HER ON THIS ONE OF REYâS GOALS.
OF COURSE, REY ONLY WANTS TO RETURN TO JAKKU BECAUSE OF ANOTHER OF HER GOALS, HER ESSENTIAL WOUND: REY WANTS TO KNOW THAT SHE MATTERS. AND IN TFA, REYâS PATH TO THAT UNDERSTANDING, AS FAR AS SHE CAN CONCEPTUALIZE IT, IS TO BE FOUND AND WANTED BY HER FAMILY. KYLO CANNOT HELP HER WITH THAT, AND, IF YOU WANT TO GET TECHNICAL ABOUT THE TORTURE SCENE, WHICH YâALL NEVER DO BECAUSE YOU DONâT WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ITâS A GODDAMN RAPE METAPHOR AND TORTURE SCENE IN THE FIRST FUCKING PLACE, KYLO DOES ACTUALLY OPPOSE THIS GOAL IN THE MOMENTARY MENTION OF IT IN THEIR STORY BEATS TOGETHER: HE TAUNTS HER WITH HER OWN LONELINESS. SHE DOES NOT MATTER. SHE IS ALONE. IN TLJ -- WELL, IâVE TRIED NOT TO SPOIL PEOPLE SO FAR, SO I WONâT HERE, BUT SUFFICE TO SAY: HE DOESNâT EXACTLY GIVE REY ANY POSITIVE AFFIRMATION ON HER ESSENTIAL WOUND. âHE HATES HER, THIS GARBAGE-PICKER,â AFTER ALL.
BY THE NATURE OF THE ACTUAL STORY THAT WAS ACTUALLY HAPPENING ON THE ACTUAL SCREEN DURING THE ACTUAL MOVIE OF STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS, AND AGAIN IN THE ACTUAL MOVIE OF STAR WARS THE LAST JEDI, IT IS LITERALLY NOT POSSIBLE, OR PLAUSIBLE, OR DEFENSIBLE IMO, TO SEE REYLO AS ROMANTIC. ITâS NOT. ITâS JUST LITERALLY NOT. IT IS LITERALLY, NOT A MISUSE OF LITERALITY, NOT ROMANTIC.
IF YOUâRE ALL TRYING TO SAY âWE KNOW ITâS NOT ROMANTIC, PER SE, BUT WE THINK THAT TORTURE-PORN AND SAD WHITE BOYS ARE SEXY ENOUGH THAT I DONâT REALLY CARE ABOUT REY AND JUST WANT KYLO TO GET SOME HOT WET HOLES AND REY IS THERE, SO, LIKE, THATâS SEXY TO ME,â THEN JUST SAY THAT. BUT ITâS NOT FUCKING ROMANTIC.
ITâS ALSO NOT SEXY; JJ ABRAMS HIMSELF CONFIRMED THE TORTURE SCENE IS A RAPE METAPHOR, BUT WHATEVER.













