deliverusfromsburb:

failure-artist:

deliverusfromsburb:

failure-artist:

deliverusfromsburb:

sarcastic theory shitpost: post-retcon HS’s increasingly disturbing treatment of harassment and consent was not in fact the result of the author getting lazier and/or scuzzier but was in fact a representation of how, by hewing to the alpha timeline and Skaia’s will, the characters objectified themselves

It was always scuzzy. Vriska sexually assaulted Tavros and no one cared. Plus, I’m sad to say, there’s Equius and his treatment of Aradia.

There’s a reason I said scuzzier.

There’s at least like, an attempt occasionally with earlier stuff to indicate that it’s a problem. Tavros, Dirk, and Aradia are not happy about their treatment by Vriska, Roxy, and Equius, for example. (Although Roboradia then goes ahead and kisses him anyway, so ymmv.) HIC’s treatment of the Helmsman is pretty clearly fucked up, and Mindfang and the Dolorosa is romanticized because Mindfang’s writing it. Far be it from me to defend many of AH’s sketchier choices, but there at least, it was trending differently than it trends later.

Now, obviously I’m not saying every narrative has to have a footnote saying “this behavior is bad”. That’s… not how fiction works. But I do think especially post-retcon harassment and assault is played way more as positive, funny, and excusable. Jasprose catcalling Jane (someone who’s already been shown to be uncomfortable with her body) is played off with comical 😮 reactions and set up as more ‘lol that quirky catgirl’. D/avepeta kissing Jade is fine because ‘she didn’t mind’ and besides part of them dated a version of her, and that means they can kiss her whenever they want, right?  And then of course there’s the unnecessary crotch shots for Jake. The shift seems to be that in post-retcon, there’s absolutely no indication the author thinks this is a problem at all, and it is instead used as a joke or a positive thing. It’s just… unsettling. 

There’s consent issues or themes of control in other places as well but in terms of the sexual harassment, that’s the stuff that sticks out most to me. 

Then there’s Porrim touching Kankri without his permission and Kankri’s supposed to be a brat for getting angry

Never thought of the Davepeta problem before. Good point.

I don’t recall that but then I started skimming over a bunch of Kankri logs after they started mocking different orientations.