One thing that always drives me nuts about YJ fandom is that people almost never talk about class. People will ostensibly reference the way that Nat lives in a trailer/is considered a slutty burn out, but there's no discussion of, say, the way that Lottie being as rich as she did had an impact on people listening to her - by the time we hit the adult timeline, Lottie is wealthy to a degree that DOES leave her disconnected from the dangerous realities of day to day life the way, say, Van isn't. Even when Lottie's cult is dissolved, she's still got a place to stay and the ability to just gift $50k to Lisa.
Also thinking of Van and Tai's relationship, and how I think in a lot of ways Tai just did not see the hardships Van went through - Tai got to watch cartoons every Saturday morning, Van was parentified with her drunk mom. The "sad little redhead" speech that Tai gave still kind of shocks me and I wish it were discussed more - that was frankly pretty fucking cruel, and then the ending "and now you're so chill and beautiful" was just. Wow. You don't know her like you think you do, Tai.
Idk if any of this is coherent, I am very tired. But it is an analysis I wish got applied more often.
*Full yap incoming that ended up turning into somewhat of a Taissa analysis, despite that definitely not being what anon was asking about, so I'm sorry in advance!
I completely agree that class is one of the most underexamined dynamics in Yellowjackets analysis/discourse, especially when discussing characters like Nat, Van, Lottie, and Jackie. However, I also think it’s important to be careful not to neglect intersectionality and the other axes of power that exist within all of these characters in the process. Race, cultural heritage, socioeconomic status, nationality, gender, sexuality, trauma history, religion/spirituality, and disability all interact in ways that make any straightforward discussion of privilege or marginalization incomplete. I know my own analyses inevitably have blind spots, particularly around identities I don’t personally share.
The show is full of characters who hold contradictory social positions: Lottie is wealthy but mentally ill; Tai is economically privileged but racially marginalized; Nat and Van are white but are raised in poverty, abuse, and neglect. It’s important to take all of these factors into account when discussing them.
Lottie's wealth is absolutely a contributing factor in her ability to maintain social status before the crash (and not be as blatantly alienated as Misty, despite displaying some of the same social eccentricities that Misty is relentlessly bullied for), her voice being elevated in the wilderness while Natalie's is often dismissed, and her ability to establish a wellness retreat (cult) after being discharged from psychiatric hospitalization. Wealth often comes with an assumption of credibility and competence. And her wealth grants her more influence and authority over her disciples at the cult in the adult tl (wealth equals power, which so often leads to manipulation, as we all know).
And unfortunately, I think classism often leaks into fandom portrayals and discussions as well. The whole popular fabulous rich girl Lottie x burnout druggie loser Nat trope that was so common in fandom spaces (and is thankfully dying down now) often has roots in classism and harmful stereotypes about people from low-income backgrounds.
But it's also important to acknowledge, alongside these discusions of class, the ways Lottie's spirituality is automatically dismissed as mental illness by her white father and by the white Western ideology she's surrounded by, the medical abuse and trauma she endures as a result of this, and the stigma she faces (both externally and internally) due to her schizophrenia diagnosis. All of these factors into Lottie's worldview and the amount of privilege she possesses.
Tai and Van's relationship is actually really interesting to view through this lens. I don't think it's entirely fair to say Tai was just watching cartoons while Van had the weight of all of these responsibilities, because I think a huge part of Tai's character is her relentless pursuit of perfection, control, and achievement, which are traits that can be understood, at least in part, as adaptations to navigating the world as a Black lesbian. She grows up under pressures and scrutiny that Van never has to contend with. Excelling academically, athletically, and socially becomes a way of minimizing scrutiny and maintaining control in a world where Tai knows she may be judged more harshly because of her race and sexuality. Her class privilege probably exacerbated that pressure in some ways.
That relentless self-discipline is one of her greatest strengths, but it's also one of her deepest burdens. It leaves very little room for vulnerability, failure, or dependence on others, which is precisely why losing control in the wilderness is so psychologically devastating for her, but also leads to an ultimately cathartic and freeing experience that she doesn't want to leave. Tai literally splits her psyche in half to cope with this side of her that does not align with the perfect, controlled image. Other Tai represents everything Tai deems as unacceptable within herself and has therefore suppressed. I think Tai's need for control is unfortunately often viewed as evidence of narcissism or self-centeredness, when I think it's really desperation and fear.
Van and Tai's argument over whether to stay in the wilderness or get rescued is really interesting to me because of the different privileges they hold. Tai wants to stay because she doesn't want to face the scrutiny she once faced in society, and has finally allowed herself to be free of it in the wilderness, which Van doesn't fully understand. But Van wants to return home, likely because she is worried about her mother (whom she has cared for her whole life) and because the wilderness no longer represents freedom to her. It has become another environment of instability, scarcity, fear, and survival, which echoes the chaos she grew up with.
Of course, Tai will never quite understand the financial and substance-related hardships Van and Nat face, and she certainly makes ignorant comments at various points throughout the series that show her privilege in these regards. Her comment to Van last season (that you mentioned) was certainly insensitive (and it's interesting that it was actually Other Tai who said it, which raises interesting questions about whether Other Tai expresses biases and resentments that Tai herself normally suppresses). I took it, at the time, as a playful jab, but there could be some serious implications behind it.
And her "You smell like a wino, get your shit together" and "Don't you have a bong to hit or a dick to suck?" digs at Nat in the pilot show a limited understanding of addiction as something deeply intertwined with poverty, trauma, and generational cycles, while her judgment of Nat's sexuality is likely informed, at least in part, by classist stereotypes. But I think there's a sense of resentment or even jealousy behind some of these comments, too. Nat can survive with an unsavory reputation in a way Tai doesn't believe she could. Tai feels she has to engage in respectability politics in ways Nat never does, because she knows any perceived flaw may be judged more harshly. And while gossip about Nat's sex life is undoubtedly incredibly harmful to her, a rumor confirming Tai and Van's relationship could threaten their actual safety. I think, in some ways, Tai sees it as a kind of freedom she can never afford (even though we can clearly see that Nat's life is anything but free). She's frustrated by what she perceives as Nat's apathy and willingness to reject respectability, while Tai feels she has to work twice as hard.
I do think Tai has grown and changed a lot from that mentality in the adult timeline. Tai’s “Who does Natalie have?” speech has some roots in her recognition of the class disparity between herself and Nat. Tai mentions “luck” and “fate” to describe how she has more social support and resources than Nat; she was born into the privilege of a financially stable household and therefore has had a stronger foundation to build on. Many of Nat’s struggles are rooted in coming from a very low-income household heavily impacted by substance use. It is so important that Tai corrects Shauna's instinct to frame Nat's addiction as simply a matter of personal failure or a lack of willpower. Tai now recognizes that addiction and recovery are far more complex, and that Nat has faced structural barriers that neither she nor Shauna has ever had to contend with. She understands that Natalie has never had the same safety net, financial security, or social support she did, and her repeated willingness to pay for Nat's rehab is, at least in part, an acknowledgment of that inequity and an attempt to provide the support Natalie has always been denied.
Anyways, yap is over. I could talk about Tai and Nat's dynamic all day.
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