Since I’m back from hiatus, I wanna talk about how this fandom treats Cullen. This post is about how the fandom generally dismisses, makes fun of, or romanticizes him being assaulted at the Winter Palace and his addiction to lyrium. This is not about Cullen’s redemption arc or his actions in Da2, make your own post.
Tw: Sexual assault, ptsd, addiction
I know It’s a common thing in a lot of Dragon Age Fandom spaces to joke about Cullen being “flirted” with at the winter palace. Except, it’s not flirting, its molestation. The only reason why it isn’t treated or talked about as such is because Cullen is a man, and men being sexually harassed is often a joke or dismissed.
It happens multiple times at the Winter Palace - by both a man and a woman - and both responses to Cullen being shocked and disgusted are dismissive and joking.
Cullen: Did you just…grab my bottom?
Orlesian man: I’m a weak man
Orlesian Woman: [giggling] I couldn’t help myself!
I’ve seen too many responses to this particular scene that are romanticizing it and calling Cullen’s reaction “cute”, or that his disgust and uncomfortableness is alright because they personally dislike the character. You are allowed to feel however you please about a certain character, but defending or supporting them being groped and sexually harassed is low and toxic. Just as toxic as the idea that men being uncomfortable with sexual advances isn’t a big deal or is funny. This translates over into fanfic and artwork within the fandom.
Although not about the winter palace quest, @/dragon-agegegege had made a comic about Cullen being groped by Hawke and the underlying tone of it supposed to be funny. Their apology of which consisted of not taking the post down and adding the tag “tw sexual assault” under the post, completely ignoring why people were upset in the first place. So, not only romanticizing Cullen’s sexual assault - but stereotyping gay men to be predators. (They had also made another dubious comic making fun of Fenris and his enslavement and rape by Danarious).
The response to the cullen-being-sexually-harassed-comic was generally positive with people laughing raucously in the notes. Obviously It is not the only comic to romanticize men being groped and harassed but just an example I’d like to bring up.
To come back to the Winter Palace Quest, after the quest is complete, at the war table you will get some banter between the advisors about Cullen’s “admirers”.
Josephine: I have requests for information on your lineage from a few interested parties at the winter palace.
Cullen: Andraste preserve me. Feel free to use those requests as kindling!
Leliana: No! I shall take them. I want to know who pines for our Commander. We can use this to our advantage.
Leliana: Hush. Just look pretty.
The banter is said in a way thats supposed to be funny, though obviously the subject at hand is rather dark. I believe Its out of character for leliana and Josephine to tease Cullen about something that distressing for him. There is certainly a difference between joking about his growing relationship with the Inquisitor and joking about hanging Cullen in front of Orlesian nobles like bait, knowing full well of their disregard of Cullen’s boundaries and feelings. The allusion to arranged marriages here isn’t lost on me either, and it’s brought up again in the trespasser dlc by Josephine.
Coming from a culture where arranged marriages are practiced and not something to joke about for those who are vehemently opposed, this joke didn’t didn’t settle well. Additionally you can see the very animated disgust on his face, as opposed to other instances where you can just hear his voice.
Again, Cullen’s disgust and discomfort towards advances the Orlesian nobles make on him is treated like the butt of the joke, when it’s actually something incredibly toxic. I don’t think someone’s disgust towards being harassed or groped should be a joke, and unfortunately this is a sentiment not shared with a lot of people.
At the Winter Palace, if you bring Cole, he makes a reference to Cullen’s fear and how terrified he is of the nobles and their harassment. If it wasn’t apparent already about how uncomfortable Cullen is about everything, Cole makes it very clear.
Cole: Cullen is afraid. They’re hunting him, following fear. He shouldn’t be here.
I could write an unending post about how often Cullen’s distress is downplayed in fanfic, it is so reoccurring that its difficult to enjoy any Cullen fanfic due to how many fics laugh at his discomfort.
Coming back to what I mentioned at the beginning of the post, his addiction is often romanticized. Struggling with ptsd is not a joke, and neither is addiction. It is not cute or fun or can be solved with the “power of sex”. In too many fics are there situations where Cullen staves off his addiction urges with sex with the inquisitor. The concept that addiction and trauma can be solved with sex is unrealistic and damaging. His ptsd and fight against lyrium is downplayed due to his sex appeal, bc obviously a handsome man must only think about the curative powers of sex even when the withdrawals feel like they’re killing him. [sarcasm].
I very much believe people can write whatever they please, unless they are promoting harmful or toxic beliefs. I will leave a link here for writing characters with ptsd. And more here and here for withdrawal and addiction. I think there are better ways to be writing your Cullen smut that doesn’t include romanticizing his addiction symptoms.
The amount of fanfiction alone where the inquisitor cares next to nothing about Cullen’s boundaries or pushes him into sex is worrying. Or fics where the Inquisitor hits Cullen while in a relationship - but its okay since he’s a man and you can’t abuse men, apparently.
Furthermore I would not appreciate it if anyone would derail this post or defend Cullen’s sexual harassment because “he deserves it” or because they think its cute. Do better ya’ll.
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