OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE FANDOM!!!

[linndechir]

You know what pisses me off? Blatant hypocrisy in fandom. I mean, I get it, we all have favourite characters and we are a lot more forgiving about their faults, and we have characters we already despise, so of course we're going to be even harder on them when they fuck up. And that's okay, we're all human and biased. But when two characters DO THE EXACT SAME FUCKING THING, and you applaud one of them for being badass and cool and doing the right thing, and hate on the other for doing something so utterly horrible and evil ... it's just dumb. It's okay to hate characters, and it's okay to be protective of characters you love. But that doesn't mean that those you hate can't occasionally do something cool. Nor does loving a character mean that they don't occasionally fuck up and do something wrong. But if character A doing something is totally badass (or at least acceptable), I don't see why character B doing the same thing is horrifying and wroooong.

The most obvious example of this is the kind of people who yell OMFG DOMESTIC ABUSE at Robert slapping Cersei, but cheer loudly and happily when Tyrion slaps Joffrey. Make up your mind: either hitting people is wrong, then you shouldn't be so happy about Tyrion slapping his thirteen-year-old nephew. Or you think that occasionally people are such dumb shits that they deserve a slap, and in that case I don't see why you get all outraged about Robert slapping Cersei. Because the situation was very similar. You don't get to feel all righteous and outraged about the one and applaud the other. I could go on and on with examples (kings executing people for high treason, which is apparently cool when "flawless" Robb does it, but despicable when "evil" Stannis does it; or kinslaying/shrugging it off when someone else kills your relatives), but then I'd just get angry. Angrier. *grumble*

Just, argh. Don't mind me, I'm in a ranting mood.

Comments

[geeklee.livejournal.com]

take Arya's goal of revenge against those who have hurt her and those people she cares about. Cersei does the same. Arya is understood and praised or excused because of what she has been through while Cersei is condemned and made out to be an evil witch

but isn't the whole strategy of grrm? having us question what is right and wrong? what is honorable and dishonorable? these ladies taking revenge is a good example of the same action being taken by two different characters and because of our association with the character, we either condone it or attack it.

[direwolfdragon.livejournal.com]

True, but I also think GRRM's characters are far more complex than good vs. evil. With maybe the exception of Ned Stark who is so wrapped up in honor and doing what is 'right', that it gets him killed because he can't make compromises that wouldn't necessarily paint him evil in the long run.

And perhaps with Joffery, Gregor Clegane and a few minor characters, none are completely evil.

His characters are human and I think that is why we are so drawn to them and why we are so willing to let ourselves become attached and vocal about them. Why will vociferously defend one while condemning another, even when you take a step back and look at the one you are condemning, in all honesty, they aren't all that different than the one you defend.

Back to Cersei and Arya- I feel that Arya and the girl that Cersei used to be aren't all that different and if Arya doesn't find a way to make peace with what has happened to her, she isn't going to turn out much different that what Cersei has become.

[linndechir.livejournal.com]

Arya is really one of the characters whose development I'm most curious about. I mean, I love people like Stannis or Davos, but I don't really see them changing radically (unless GRRM goes for Nightking!Stannis, which I really don't hope for). And I see people like Tyrion and Daenerys changing a lot, but I don't really -care- much about them, emotionally. But with Arya, I'm really, really curious about what GRRM has in store for her. I think it all depends on how and when and under what circumstances she rejoins the other characters, and whom she meets again.

[geeklee.livejournal.com]

i don't think arya will change much more from where she is now. but of course that's a big change from where she was. a tomboy is one thing, a murderer is another.

i don't see her remaining with the faceless men or completing their course. she is too much of a stark for that. but i think she will always be able to kill and will become quite the avenger when she returns to westeros. i think she'll be a major player in the last book.

what i do wonder about is her connection to gendry. they've already bonded and forged a strong connection. i sort of expect it to continue when she returns but at the same time, i can't see her marrying him and settling down. that's where i'm not sure what will happen.

[linndechir.livejournal.com]

I really have no idea. If Arya basically gets a happy ending, rejoining her family and all, I do see her settling down with Gendry, why not? But if she gets more of a tragic ending, dying while or after killing whomever, then of course not. I really have no idea where GRRM is going with her story. The most common theory seems to be that sooner or later the Faceless Men will send Arya to kill someone and that's how she'll rejoin the other characters, but we'll see if that's what happens and if yes, how.

[direwolfdragon.livejournal.com]

I'd love to have a reunion between Arya and Nymeria. They seem to have taken the same path in regards to violence, if you take the mention of a large wolf causing trouble in Westeros as being Nymeria, as I do. Would be very interesting- would they team up and Nymeria remain at Arya's side as she continues her quest for revenge against those who have wronged her and those she cares about or would it take the path of a struggle between them where Arya struggles against Nymeria as a way to claim her 'humanity'. I truly hope that it isn't the latter, I would be severely disappointed in GRRM.