Danni

18.she/her. I’ve been in love with Beth Harmon since I was 10

[elizabethharmons]

Just to make it clear I’m not an rp account lol

[itskalli]

this is very late to the trend but i binge watched this show in a day LOL so here

[elizabethharmons]

Are you in love whit benny watts?

No.

[elfdyke]

a little comfort jus cuz q_q 

[blizzahra]

The quiet girl with red hair and green dress who loves chess

[elizabethharmons]

You can definitely tell when something is made by someone who has very little experience with addiction

[diversetolkien]

Has anyone talked about the biphobia in Queen’s Gambit though? Not only that, but the treatment of queer women vs. queer men in the Queen’s Gambit. 

I really loved it, but the attitude towards queer women  within the show, as opposed to the implied gay relationship was…iffy? 

Making Beth Harmon’s relationship with Cleo the catalyst for her destruction was painful, especially since we can assume that they’re both bi. It paints a very biphobic view of bi women, in that we’re promiscuous and up to no good. 

And we see Cleo for like, one episode and never see her again. The show also implies that Beth’s relationship with men is more stable, and even if they’re not together romantically, they can make up after a romantic fall out. They can still stay friends.

But we don’t see Cleo again. 

Towns–who fans speculate is gay and who was implied to be in a relationship–is seen as a positive influence in Beth’s life. Despite his creepy, predatory behavior towards Beth when he was taking her picture, alone in his bedroom, the narrative treats him relatively well, and his orientation is not implied to be negative as it was with Cleo. 

He’s offered a reprieve by the narrative.  And Towns being gay is absolutely a great thing, and my point isn’t to say that its bad. My point is to say that the treatment of queer men and their relationships is not seen as bad in the narrative, as opposed to the treatment of queer women, which is seen as bad. 

I just find it sexist and biphobic, and I was really disheartened to see it. 

[elizabethharmons]

I think I’ve made peace with the fact that the show writers misunderstood Beth and what she’s actually about. She was never meant to be a fantasy or someone we should aspire to be like, she’s dysfunctional and her life is kind of bleak but there’s a small hope that drives her through it all. It’s a good show it just feels strangely empty behind Anya’s wonderful acting and the gorgeous costumes and set pieces.

[pinkcupboardwitch]

It’s funny because Cleo and her storyline were completely invented for the show, but book Beth is still 1000% gayer than show Beth

[elfdyke]

i cant stop thinking about the queens gambit 

[elizabethharmons]

Not to gatekeep but you guys know that the first requisite to being a himbo is to be cute right :(

[helshades]

#those twins #are not it

I mean, if that is supposed to be the extent of your conceptual might... Hard pass.

[elizabethharmons]

This is tumblr. Have some fun. It’s not that serious trust me on that.

[helshades]

It's like there's a whole Tumblr subculture of people whining about The Queen's Gambit although they haven't actually watched the series, complete with 12-year-old self-proclaimed feminists who believe it's horribly misogynistic because the actress for the main character is thin and good-looking, but after happening upon yet another post bemoaning the paedophilic undertones of the then-teenage heroine sleeping with a college student, I was stricken anew with the realisation that most people these days are genuinely incapable of relativism: separating truth from fiction, for one, and applying different lenses to the diverging morals of different time periods, as well as actually empathising with characters—rather than 'identifying' with them, that is, to accept the truth of a character only if one can relate directly to what its struggles are—and getting the intended meaning of a text, in our case a scenario.

But it's also interesting for me to see that so many Tumblrinas can see the awakening of Beth Harmon's sexuality as a narrative of victimhood (at this point I don't think they can actually envision any other dimension to female sexuality) when Beth's relation to sex is one of the ways used to show how poorly she connects with people. It is also fascinating to see a female character experiment with her sexuality (although the moments are not actually sexualised) without it being framed as some sort of quasi-religious, life-changing experience—something that rings particularly true to a lot of non-homosexual female viewers, especially those born before the advent of Internet porn.

[elizabethharmons]

This is kind of weird like why are you going so hard to defend a young girl who was written by men and has strange relationships with grown men that the narrative seems to present as legitimate and good? Also almost all of the criticisms I’ve seen of the show itself is about how the white thin classically beautiful lead is able to interact with womanhood with a type of nuance specifically because of her privilege.

[helshades]

You're replacing an argument with buzzwords about neoliberal concepts that you don't even seem to master. I'm not sure what to do with that.

[elizabethharmons]

Harry, a grown man that meets Beth when she’s a girl and sleeps with her after her mother’s death is a good and positive force in her life. This is what I meant. Again it’s feels like your dismissing a lot of valid criticism of the show as lol liberal snowflakes. Maybe the show isn’t the feminist masterpiece you think it is lol

[helshades]

Never did I say I regarded the show as 'a feminist masterpiece'—it is a little early in its cultural life to proclaim it as a masterpiece, but it certainly is a masterful work of screenwriting, directing, cinematography, acting... and it might end up getting some posterity, who knows?

Beth begins her relationship with Harry Beltik, out of her own accord, when she's 19 (she was born in 1948) and it's 1963, she's free, independent, rich, and in full possession of herself. Harry Beltik is not exploiting her. He clearly wants more than what she's giving, too, as he wants an actual relationship whereas she rather wants company, and someone to train with who gets her passion (Harry soon discovers nothing compares to what she feels about chess anyhow).

Harry Beltik is not some ancient pervert plotting to groom a little girl into becoming his thing. This is very far from the story—and it's perfectly fine. Beth is not meant as a figurehead for feministic revendications, she's a psychologically realistic yet extraordinary fictional being in a work that explores her entire character, including her faults.

Remarkably enough, though, and this should normally please feminists, Beth Harmon is never defined by her relationships with the men in her life; instead, the central point of focus in her story is her mind, and the influence on her of her two mothers, especially her biological one, and that question includes the crucial matter of her drug addiction versus her talent. And what ends up really mattering in her rapports with the men that counted in her life was the lasting friendships she formed, centred on their shared passion for the game. Which isn't that bad, for a supposed sexist pile of garbage.

I have zero patience for the people, lol-liberals or not, who can't read text for shit but will apply ready-made concepts thoughtlessly just because everyone else is barking the same nonsense because it's trending and it would require intellectual effort to form personal ideas. I know it's very fashionable, but I care not for it.

[elizabethharmons]

Dude, you’re clearly taking this waaayyy more seriously than me which is fine lol but I think it’s strange how you’re upset that people are pointing out that tgq is a clear fantasy for white women. My complaints for the show is how Beth’s relationships with men are given more priority than her relationship with the other women in her life (Cleo and Jolene who Beth loves in the book). Also Harry doesn’t have to be an ancient pervert who is all evil and wants to cause Beth harm to not have a creepy relationship with someone he knew as a young girl who is clearly very emotionally vulnerable. We can agree to disagree I just think tqg is a fantasy written by men (which is okay I guess)

[helshades]

It's like there's a whole Tumblr subculture of people whining about The Queen's Gambit although they haven't actually watched the series, complete with 12-year-old self-proclaimed feminists who believe it's horribly misogynistic because the actress for the main character is thin and good-looking, but after happening upon yet another post bemoaning the paedophilic undertones of the then-teenage heroine sleeping with a college student, I was stricken anew with the realisation that most people these days are genuinely incapable of relativism: separating truth from fiction, for one, and applying different lenses to the diverging morals of different time periods, as well as actually empathising with characters—rather than 'identifying' with them, that is, to accept the truth of a character only if one can relate directly to what its struggles are—and getting the intended meaning of a text, in our case a scenario.

But it's also interesting for me to see that so many Tumblrinas can see the awakening of Beth Harmon's sexuality as a narrative of victimhood (at this point I don't think they can actually envision any other dimension to female sexuality) when Beth's relation to sex is one of the ways used to show how poorly she connects with people. It is also fascinating to see a female character experiment with her sexuality (although the moments are not actually sexualised) without it being framed as some sort of quasi-religious, life-changing experience—something that rings particularly true to a lot of non-homosexual female viewers, especially those born before the advent of Internet porn.

[elizabethharmons]

This is kind of weird like why are you going so hard to defend a young girl who was written by men and has strange relationships with grown men that the narrative seems to present as legitimate and good? Also almost all of the criticisms I’ve seen of the show itself is about how the white thin classically beautiful lead is able to interact with womanhood with a type of nuance specifically because of her privilege.

[helshades]

You're replacing an argument with buzzwords about neoliberal concepts that you don't even seem to master. I'm not sure what to do with that.

[elizabethharmons]

Harry, a grown man that meets Beth when she’s a girl and sleeps with her after her mother’s death is a good and positive force in her life. This is what I meant. Again it’s feels like your dismissing a lot of valid criticism of the show as lol liberal snowflakes. Maybe the show isn’t the feminist masterpiece you think it is lol

[einaudis]

beth harmon + tropes

[helshades]

It's like there's a whole Tumblr subculture of people whining about The Queen's Gambit although they haven't actually watched the series, complete with 12-year-old self-proclaimed feminists who believe it's horribly misogynistic because the actress for the main character is thin and good-looking, but after happening upon yet another post bemoaning the paedophilic undertones of the then-teenage heroine sleeping with a college student, I was stricken anew with the realisation that most people these days are genuinely incapable of relativism: separating truth from fiction, for one, and applying different lenses to the diverging morals of different time periods, as well as actually empathising with characters—rather than 'identifying' with them, that is, to accept the truth of a character only if one can relate directly to what its struggles are—and getting the intended meaning of a text, in our case a scenario.

But it's also interesting for me to see that so many Tumblrinas can see the awakening of Beth Harmon's sexuality as a narrative of victimhood (at this point I don't think they can actually envision any other dimension to female sexuality) when Beth's relation to sex is one of the ways used to show how poorly she connects with people. It is also fascinating to see a female character experiment with her sexuality (although the moments are not actually sexualised) without it being framed as some sort of quasi-religious, life-changing experience—something that rings particularly true to a lot of non-homosexual female viewers, especially those born before the advent of Internet porn.

[elizabethharmons]

This is kind of weird like why are you going so hard to defend a young girl who was written by men and has strange relationships with grown men that the narrative seems to present as legitimate and good? Also almost all of the criticisms I’ve seen of the show itself is about how the white thin classically beautiful lead is able to interact with womanhood with a type of nuance specifically because of her privilege.

[elizabethharmons]

hi!! apologies for being the bearer of strange news but, Beth x Borgov is apparently a thing (and it bothers me SO MUCH) so, thoughts? you don't have to answer if you don't feel like it. you have a great day <3

Hi! No worries my inbox is always open and I love giving talking about anything Beth Harmon. I think I might make a separate post later but for now let me ramble what I think. I’ve seen it around and for the most part I’ve stayed away from it just because the age gap (among other things) makes me deeply uncomfortable. I’ve talked a bit about how Beth and Borgov foil each other and how they become focal points in each other’s lives but I don’t really view them as a possible romantic relationship. Beth x any chess player doesn’t really move me just because so much of Beth’s journey for me is tied to her identity outside of chess.

I’m also the captain of the Jolene x Beth ship lol.

[elizabethharmons]

Not to gatekeep but you guys know that the first requisite to being a himbo is to be cute right :(