During some of the cross fandom conversations going on across my dash I’ve seen a bit of confusion that I think arises simply from the fact that we don’t talk to each other as much as we should as interfandom communities.
It’s obvious and fairly easy as an outsider to understand why Swen behave like a minority community made up largely as minorities. It is also fairly obvious to understand why there are a large number of people of color who identify as ERs because of Lana’s own heritage and self identity.
So why the heck is Rumbelle in a different category of behavior than say… CS or OQ? Isn’t that a het ship of two white people too?
Well … yes.. and no.
This is one of those times when you have to know not just what the show is but also what kind of community forms around a character. And in this case how many Dearies relate to and understand Rumple. There are a significant number of Dearies that view Rumple as disabled. And I don’t mean the limp. There is actually a lot of merit in discussing how terribly the show handles discussions around people’s disabilities both Rumple’s limp and Hook’s missing hand. As a Regina fan I physically wince every time she makes a sassy joke about the missing hand but I think that’s because the writers aren’t thoughtful about such things.
But in the case of Rumple being read as disabled it has to do with the fact that a very sizable number of Rumple fans read him as neuroatypical. That is to say somewhere on the autism spectrum. I’m not going to speak to if the show does this intentionally but there is I think something to be said for the show writing Rumple as not conforming to accepted social norms.
There is also sizable portion of Rumbelle fandom which reads Rumple as gender non-conforming particularly in the Enchanted Forest. And for them the will often talk about the ways in which he is “coded” as a feminine character. In this case it’s best to remember that fans didn’t just come up with these discussions of if a character is “coded” one way or another. These are well respected ways of studying film and character. And many “evil” male characters are coded in feminine ways and have been for a hundred years of cinema.
There are also some class issues that arise from Robert Carlyle’s fanbase and Rumple’s personal backstory but i think the take away is this:
A lot of Rumbellers read Rumple as disabled and thus relate to him as a character who is like them disabled in some way. They often then interact in fandom from the perspective of a disabled community.
So yes, straight white ship. But not non-marginalized fan community.
I think your reading of it is a good one...Belle, too, has issues with depression and anxiety that are very relatable. Family Business’s mirror scene with Belle was one of the most spot-on illustrations of insecurity I’ve ever seen...and Rumple understood exactly what that mirror was doing to Belle--it was a powerful, defining moment for both characters. Though the show marginalizes Belle constantly (she has the least screentime of any of the regulars most seasons), her character is fascinating in the little bits we do get.
