So this post by @jakedillinger got me thinking last night about the fandomās interpretation of Brooke Lohst and why it seemed to be so shallow and flanderized. Long story short, I did so much thinking that Iāve decided to do a little mini-essay analyzing her character. Because I love Brooke and hereās my take on her. (I may end up doing one for every character at this point.)
One of the most perplexing things I remember when I joined this fandom about a year ago was the complete lack of Brooke content. As I looked at art and read fanfics, no one even seemed to acknowledge the fact the Brooke and Jeremy date for a good portion of the musical. (even if we see very little of it, itās clear that some time has passed between Upgrade and Halloween). In fact, I was shocked to find almost no content for Jeremy/Brooke, which wasnāt necessarily something I shipped, but there was so much potential there, it seemed criminal that no one was exploring their dynamic. (They have potential for a post-squip forgiveness arc that could rival any boyf riends plotline.)
Now, many people have responded to the question of Brookeās lack of popularity among fans by simply claiming that sheās underdeveloped. Sure. She is less developed than some of the other characters, which is natural, considering that sheās a side character in the musical and too much emphasis on her would derail the plot. But Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz did what they could with her limited stage time, and they gave us some pretty interesting information to work with.
For one thing, Brooke instantly sympathizes with Jeremy in the mall after he makes up a story about being cheated on. āMy boyfriend cheated on meā¦ ex-boyfriend. So, I know how you feel.ā Her instant trust in Jeremy and the fact that she spits out personal information like that so quickly suggests that itās something she likely hasnāt confided in many people. Or if she had told people, they may have written her off. (Maybe even Chloe based on her dismissal immediately after. āBrooke. Come on.ā More on that later.) Sheās described in her character breakdown as āinsecure,ā and itās not too much of a stretch to assume that some of her insecurities may be rooted in being used and objectified by boys sheās dated. Can we see more of her dealing with that and becoming her own person? Please?
Next up, the Pinkberry issue. Pinkberry being the ship between Brooke Lohst and Chloe Valentine. Listen, I donāt hate this ship. I really donāt. In the right context with proper development, I ship it myself. What I do hate is when itās relegated to the background of fanfics with one or two cameos and presented as this perfect, insta-relationship following the SQUIP aftermath. Hereās the deal. The friendship we see between Chloe and Brooke in the events of the musical is toxic. No friendship or relationship should have such a blatant power imbalance. Not to mention Brooke, someone who has already been cheated on in the past, is horribly betrayed by Chloe when she almost forces Jeremy into cheating on Brooke. This further supports my speculation above that Chloe may not know or care about Brookeās maltreatment by the boys she dates (Jeremy included). Or maybe she just lets her personal jealously come before her duties as a friend.Ā
Chloe does not treat Brooke well, and after everything she does to her in the events of BMC, it is unlikely that they would fall into a healthy relationship without some serious work and time to heal. Iām still waiting for someone to write a nice, multi-chapter fic exploring the ship the way it deserves to be explored.
(Also a quick note, I know Iāve said a lot of things about Chloe being awful to Brooke but I do not believe she is beyond redemption and she is yet another character misrepresented by fanworks but thatās a whole ānother post right there.)
Finally, thereās ample evidence in Brookeās dialogue suggesting that she feels unseen and inferior, despite her popularity, almost in the same way Jeremy does. This is especially apparent in her brief scene with Jeremy at the Halloween party, where she not only makes a costume that she hopes will help her stand out āyou always see sexy cats but no one ever goes as a sexy dogā and also is shown to be anxious that Jeremy has forgotten about her. āI was afraid you werenāt coming. Did you get my messages?ā It really makes me wonder what her SQUIP might have said to her and how the aftermath of having one would affect her thinking. I like to imagine the SQUIP might have criticized Brooke for being submissive to Chloe. It may have even reinforced her internalized thinking that sheās inferior. Again, really interesting stuff that I have yet to see explored.
Brooke is more than a girl who loves frozen yogurt. She has suffered through a lot of heartbreak and has a lot more story potential than a lot of people give her credit for. Iād love to see more people represent her well in fanworks, because sheās just a goldmine of potential.
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