When the world is a place of fear and hatred, stories have always provided an easy escape. But they serve an even greater purpose than that.
Our media, including its fictional content, exists to analyze and criticize society. X-Men was born out of the civil rights movement and LGBTQ+ fans have flocked to the franchise partly as they recognize the mutant concept as relatable to their struggle. In the turning points of history, stories take on a greater importance than ever before.
The media is immensely powerful. The clamor to make Elsa gay is the direct result of people recognizing how powerful that would be for children. Star Wars faced a backlash from those who could not bear the thought of a woman and two men of color getting such significant roles in the galactic story.
However, now possibly more than ever before, we also need to make sure that the content that is churned out into the world is the best it can be. Our arguments have become increasingly binary in all things. We must take lessons from the recent bitter presidential race; Clinton lost so much support because she was tarred as the “lesser evil.”
Clinton was not in the same realm of evil as Trump. There was no comparison but because of her highly questionable stances on certain issues, the Democrats felt unable to say that she was flawed but she was also the best choice. Instead of being able to accept nuance, the narrative is of good vs evil and so when one side might not be that perfect, silence ensues and evil is allowed to dominate the debate.
The same warnings are present whenever it comes to reviewing any content. We must be able to say that something was good but can do better in other aspects. Such an argument does not equal hatred. We need to seek the best content possible by celebrating what works, and challenging what doesn’t. X-Men has a fantastic concept, but when white actors are constantly cast in roles designed for people of color then that must be criticized. Rowling is brilliant at delivering metaphors on the dangers of racism, but how many people of color ever feature in her stories?
In fan culture, we love hard. It’s one of the best aspects of fandom but when it risks cutting us off from asking for better content then there’s an issue. It’s particularly an issue whenever it comes to specific characters. We tend to talk of them in one dimensional terms, so if we don’t like them it’s taken that we mean that they have no value in the wider story. Yet, this is very rarely the case.
Draco Malfoy had an absurdly huge fan base but he was never a good guy, and saying this does not mean that there is no value to him. Malfoy was fantastic to the story but he was also arrogant, bigoted and selfish. He had good moments, such as trying to save his friend, but that’s the point; people are complex and that’s the beauty of characters. Even Rowling has said she doesn’t understand the love for Draco, but the love for him says more about the way we consume media than anything else.
The Joker is one of the most fascinating characters ever created and I love to watch/read him. I also hate him. He’s one of my favorites and I never want his story to stop but this is not a good person where there is anything redeemable. Our favorites don’t have to be good guys, they don’t even need us to defend them, and that’s okay. The problem comes when we do try to justify toxic behavior, particularly in an era that is now celebrating toxic masculinity. Our favorites are allowed to be horror shows and that’s why stories exist – to safely explore that concept. We can absolutely love the villains as long as we recognize them for that.
Writers love their characters being pulled apart too. They love debate, they love people accepting the shades of grey and the badness in them. They don’t want a perfect or idealized character. The fact is, few heroes are ever worthy of complete devotion. Lost’s John Locke may have been right about the island, but how many people did he kill to get there? Hermione was an inspiration to so many women but when she tried to free house elves, it was done without their consent and against their wishes.
Writers appreciate when we take the time to work out what that character means and how they reflect in the world we’re living in. We can be better than Harley in “Mad Love,” where she’s been broken so many times by Joker but still romanticizes him because he sends her a rose. It’s a blunt message but it’s reflective of media today. We can enjoy the spectacle but we cannot justify the bad, whether that’s poor character choices made by good people or just generally bad writing.
We need a more open attitude than we’ve ever had with analyzing fandoms. It’s thanks to reviews that the horrendously creepy Passengers tanked. Using our voices works, and that’s why Hollywood is fighting Trump tooth and nail. Fans and journalists can participate too. We’re not always going to agree but we can work towards the same goal of demanding better content, and not just taking the content we are given at face value.
Let’s talk about how the zombie apocalypse in Fear The Walking Dead is relevant today while asking that the writers stop killing off everyone but the one white family. We can talk about the importance of Dumbledore being gay while asking for answers about Depp’s casting. In such a creative industry, the audience never should have to settle for whatever is offered.