I am actually going feral right now.
Absolutely feral. Why does fandom KEEP DOING THIS... So many fandoms in the past 3 years have done the same thing. People just do not know what infantilization is. I want to take the word away from you... it really just is to the point where I am SCREAMING.
Heaven forbid that people write neurodivergent or disabled characters as neurodivergent or disabled.
Or really, and
Neurodivergent and disabled.
Heaven Forbid that we actually write disabled people as needing help, or having “childish” interests and hobbies.
Like man, infantilization is not that.
Needing help, needing something explained isn’t infantilizing(not on its own anyway). Having a childish interest also isn’t infantilizing on its own... what is infantilizing is the perception of such. Like man, heaven forbid people have hobbies that aren’t in the “correct” age group. It’s like when people look at folks getting into Bluey as adults and react like it’s weird and unbecoming of an adult...
Heaven forbid that people have diverse interests I guess.
Or like, specifically for autistic characters, I’ve seen a sweep of people reacting to folks writing/drawing meltdowns as if a meltdown is inherently infantilizing... same with shutdowns. Or folks reacting to depressed characters acting depressed as if it’s automatically infantilizing for those folks to struggle. Anxious characters been anxious is also apparently infantilizing.
It’s that one particular crosshair of ableism that I hate
Like heaven forbid that people struggle with their disabilities I guess. If you struggle at all you’re a child who can’t do shit... Go sit on a cactus, go touch the stove and think about what you’re saying when you say such things.
A wheelchair user needing their wheelchair isn’t treating them like a child.
Autistic people stimming isn’t treating them as a child.
ADHD folks having reminders on their phones isn’t treating them like a child.
A deaf person using sign language isn’t treating them like a child. ALSO READ Selectively Mute folks having a bad day and using sign isn’t treating them like a child.
Autistic Shutdowns and Meltdowns isn’t throwing a tantrum and been a child.
Having a “childish” interest doesn’t mean you’re incapable of been an adult
Been in a wheelchair doesn’t mean you have an intellectual disability automatically(why is this coming back up so much to?! Like excuse me?!)
Characters having injuries and having to recover isn’t treating them like a child
Sickfic isn’t infantilizing
A character asking for help shouldn’t automatically been seen as infantilizing either, sometimes people just don’t know how to do something. It’s when they refuse to learn or even try on their own you should squint at it.
Script failures and struggling to continue a conversation isn’t been a child
Apology loops are trauma responses not someone been a child
Having days where life is just... too much isn’t been a child either. That’s just life.
Struggling to eat/handle certain foods isn’t been a child
NEEDING HELP BECAUSE SOMETHING IS HARD ISN’T INHERENTLY BEEN TREATED LIKE A CHILD
But man, so many times I see characters having bad days treated as if that’s infantilizing. Just, just stop.
I hate this trend so much. Like I can list off a million little things that people seem to take as inherently infantilizing when it’s just... reality sometimes. And maybe some folks would point at me and say well that’s just infantilizing myself but like-- it’s complicated.
The whole issue is COMPLICATED.
But I am so very, very tired of seeing characters written as struggling with their disability and that inherently been read by the audience as the writer infantilizing them.
Rain World... Pokémon, Encanto, a few specific Coco fics... Steven Universe, Warrior Cats, Sonic the Hedgehog... All these fandoms have this problem and I am so tired of it.