Parallels

[kfchimera]

I don’t know what these writers intend for their story, but they have started off subverting tropes of the female damsel-in-distress, trying to write strong female characters.  Neal and Rumple are not operating in a vacuum.  I want to see Belle have a role to play here and feel some of the space between them may be intentional to create a need for one who can bridge their perspectives.  I am hopeful Belle can, but first I would like her to repair her own relationship with Mo.  Granted I feel it is more on Mo than Belle to make the effort, for what he did was terrible.  His motive for doing it though was not self-preservation or to hurt her for the sake of it–he really believed she was brainwashed and in danger from Rumple.  He ought to have trusted her more, but he crossed a line by trying to take her memory away, even though he did not succeed.    That whole conversation frustrated me when they shouted how the other didn’t understand–maybe if you stopped shouting, you could talk and try to understand?  Mo never told Belle how her boyfriend savagely beat him in SB, and Belle never told Mo how sure she is that her boyfriend has changed because of her.

I hope the writers go in a hopeful direction.

[RumplesGirl]

I want to see Belle have a role to play here and feel some of the space between them may be intentional to create a need for one who can bridge their perspectives

Agreed on this account. I want Real!Belle, no more Vision!Belle.

I don’t remember which Screwball essay it was, but she joked that Archie should be the richest man in town because EVERYONE needs to sit down with our resident cricket-therapist.

Every member of this family unit needs to has things out. This, honestly, is my biggest issues with any romantic entanglement right now. Everyone has individual issues AND then they have issues with other people.

Emma has issues with her self; but she also has issues with Neal, Snow, Charming, and Regina. She also has as of right now unresolved sexual attraction to Hook that could lead to something else, but by golly she needs to work on herself before getting with ANYONE cause…yeah. Girl’s a mess.

Neal has issues with himself; but he also has issues with Rumple, Emma, Snow and Charming, Hook, Henry and I can imagine that he’ll eventually have issues with Regina as co-parent.

And then there’s Rumple, my lovely lovely sprarkly imp, who’s got issues with EVERYONE. Like even the random passersby. My poor Imp.

Everyone needs to sit down and just talk.

"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"

[RumplesGirl]

Sometimes I think Screwball stalks us and then writes essays based on what we write here.

Anyway, this is an essay she wrote today about fandom in general, villains, and “victim” shaming when it comes to Neal, Henry, and Snow, ect. (the supposed good guys). Even if you disagree with her overall, her essays are ALWAYS worth a read.

http://screwballninja.tumblr.com/post/65078069931/why-do-the-ouat-villains-get-all-the-love-essay

"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"

[kfchimera]

Screwball …I should just wait and link her posts because she says it better and funnier, with fun GIFS.

On that note too: Forgot to say I loved your post earlier Timespacer!

 

“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?” -- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

[storyteller]

Why do villains get the love? Gee that’s a toughie. Maybe because society has conditioned us to love the heroes already? Nah that can’t be it.

 

Custodian of Graham's darts, Rumple's spindle and Robin's quiver

[RumplesGirl]

Why do villains get the love? Gee that’s a toughie. Maybe because society has conditioned us to love the heroes already? Nah that can’t be it.

Well sure. But this is my own personal thesis on the subject: with the villains, for us, it’s a move from sympathy to empathy. I can feel sorry for Snow and Charming but it’s like I understand Rumple. Which is bizarre given that I’m not an immortal dark one, right?

But I think one of the reasons that we it often feels like the villains of ONCE are loved a bit more is because they are presented as more human. I love Snow and Charming, I do. But often times their moralistic, “good always wins” “I believe in your heart and you are such a good and strong person” is down right grating. Not because it isn’t a good message, but because in my world view (my subjective world view I should note) it’s totally unrealistic. They are more idealized people rather than flesh and blood people.

But with Rumple (and I’m going to stick with him just cause I’m me) I not only feel sorry for him, but I understand the actions he takes because in my warped mind he is a fictionalized TV male version of my own tortured psyche that stems from abandonment at a very young age which I equate to being unlovable and then mental, emotional, and physical abuse at a much older age (not to drag my own personal bag-o-crap into it). So when Rumple yells that no one could ever EVER love him–I get it on such a deeply personal level that his struggles become MY struggles.

It’s very hard, often, to relate to Snow (who is supposed to be the vision of goodness and purity) because our reality is probably wholly different. She was loved and adored (up until Regina sent her off into the woods and tired to kill her, but her childhood at least) and grew up in a castle knowing that she was deeply loved by both her biological parents AND everyone around her. As someone who equates staying with love and then has had people leave, I can’t understand Snow’s world view.

But because she is presented as this vision of goodness (as are the rest of our heroes) when they do “fall from grace” it’s hard to stomach because gosh darn it! They aren’t supposed to! They’re supposed to be the moral center. Snow manipulates Regina into killing Cora and we’re outraged. Nealfire makes questionable choices toward Rumple and we can’t believe what he’s doing becuase they’ve suddenly broken the mold that they were supposed to fit.

My own personal thesis. A little rough because it’s late and I’ve recently really started to try and understand group psychology in fandom.

"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"

[storyteller]

Or it could just be because the villains get the cooler costumes.

 

Custodian of Graham's darts, Rumple's spindle and Robin's quiver

[RumplesGirl]

Or it could just be because the villains get the cooler costumes.

That is the number one factor, absolutely. 🙂 (would probably sell soul for some of the Evil Queen’s outfits)

And then there’s this…

LOOK AT MY IMP. GAH-AH.

"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"

[storyteller]

I’m more into the Brooks Brothers, granny specs and chrome-tipped cane look myself.

 

Custodian of Graham's darts, Rumple's spindle and Robin's quiver

[storyteller]

It’s very hard, often, to relate to Snow (who is supposed to be the vision of goodness and purity) because our reality is probably wholly different. She was loved and adored (up until Regina sent her off into the woods and tired to kill her, but her childhood at least) and grew up in a castle knowing that she was deeply loved by both her biological parents AND everyone around her. As someone who equates staying with love and then has had people leave, I can’t understand Snow’s world view. 

I’ll second that.  Snow isn’t my favorite either, what’s that Rizzo says in Grease?  “That goody-two-shoes makes me wanna barf.” And that whole business about “you took my father haven’t we both suffered enough?” Yeah, once you grow up the daughter of an abusive power-hungry mother (whom you love in spite of it all), a loving but meek father, Machiavelli for a granddad, Rumple having manipulated you before you’re even born, putting your trust in an innocent young person only to have it be betrayed, to say nothing of losing your true love right before your eyes, being forced into a loveless, lonely marriage and fed a steady diet of dark magic and negative emotions from a self-interested manipulative mentor, oh and banishing your own mother to another realm.  And in the process lose your love, hope, innocence, purity, courage and self-control. Then just maybe you’ll have suffered enough.

 

Custodian of Graham's darts, Rumple's spindle and Robin's quiver

[Author]

Posts