#derby evans

[adoringjesstuck]

BTS from High School Musical 2, 2007.

[kismetconstellations]

What a wonderful night to mention that Sharply overshadowing Ryan all the time is a dick move, borderline emotionally abusive.

Indeed. The dynamic of the Evans family can be aptly described as dysfunctional, at best, with Mr. and Mrs. Evans prioritizing appeasing Sharpay via spoiling her rotten (buying her a Barbie Doll pink, monogrammed convertible, funding East High’s theater department, which includes adorning Sharpay’s dressing room in lavish furnishings, pressuring an employee at their country club into promising to sing with her, convincing the cafeteria workers at East High to provide Sharpay with her own specialized, reserved lunch) and complying with her demands, all while scarcely acknowledging Ryan’s existence. 

Ryan has a plain, not customized moped, the men’s dressing room is significantly lacking in every regard, and Ryan goes through the line and chooses from the same lunch items as every other student at East High. It’s possible this is all voluntary, on his part, but, considering Ryan’s flamboyant wardrobe and similar love of luxury, I doubt it. 

I know Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure was intended to be Sharpay’s movie, but if that particular film was the introductory point for a new viewer, they would be forgiven for at first believing that Sharpay is an only child, or that her brother, who only receives a passing mention nearly forty minutes in, is much older, rather than a twin. Mr. and Mrs. Evans very much act like Sharpay is their only kid. There’s no reference to Ryan and his acceptance into Juilliard when Sharpay tries to persuade her parents to let her go to New York; no acknowledgement of Ryan and Sharpay performing in the Lava Springs talent show together when Sharpay does a solo performance for a fund raiser at the country club. 

It’s as if Ryan’s own parents have forgotten that he exists. 

Now, it’s natural for siblings to feel a need to compete with one another, to some extent, be it for attention, or “resources”. I’m the eldest of three siblings, and my younger sister and brother practically waged war against one another on a daily basis when they were younger. And, Sharpay obviously has a fear of being upstaged by her (more talented. Come on, you all know it’s true. Ryan is obviously a better dancer, and he can choreograph and play the piano. All Sharpay can do is sing and kind of dance.) brother, to the point that Ryan is aware that she has “always wanted the spotlight”. 

However, both parents favoring one child over the other seems to have encouraged Sharpay’s competitive, attention-seeking nature to the point that she sees fit to intimidate and bully others into submissively stepping back to let her shine. Even something as small as letting Ryan head to the stage before her, despite him sitting closer to the aisle, is unacceptable.

I think this article would be a great read for further research into whether or not the Evanses are outright abusive, and the effects this abuse would have on Ryan. In my opinion, the entire family would benefit greatly from regular appointments with a counselor. Though, I can’t see this ever happening realistically. 

Thank you very much for your two cents, and I apologize for this rambling, incoherent mess of a response. ^___^

[adoringjesstuck]

𝓢𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓹𝓪𝔂'𝓼 𝓕𝓪𝓫𝓾𝓵𝓸𝓾𝓼 𝓐𝓭𝓿𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮 (2011) … 𝒥𝑒𝓈𝓈𝒾𝒸𝒶 𝒯𝓊𝒸𝓀 𝘢𝘴 𝒟𝑒𝓇𝒷𝓎 𝐸𝓋𝒶𝓃𝓈

[adoringjesstuck]

𝓢𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓹𝓪𝔂'𝓼 𝓕𝓪𝓫𝓾𝓵𝓸𝓾𝓼 𝓐𝓭𝓿𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮 (2011) … 𝒥𝑒𝓈𝓈𝒾𝒸𝒶 𝒯𝓊𝒸𝓀 𝘢𝘴 𝒟𝑒𝓇𝒷𝓎 𝐸𝓋𝒶𝓃𝓈

[kismetconstellations]

Debunking A Common Mischaracterization

I’m a bit late to the ballgame on this one, but it’s high time someone laid this frustrating mess of a mischaracterization with absolutely no basis in canon, at all, to rest.

In recent years, I’ve noticed a trend amongst the High School Musical fandom. It’s present in one of the most popular posts involving this series that I’ve seen circulating this website. You know the one- it slams Troy for getting jealous over Ryan’s coziness with Gabriella, and, somehow, remaining ignorant to the “fact” that Ryan was totes having mad-crazy gay sex with his best friend.

It crops up in fanfiction, with fanfiction summaries stating that “Troy is oblivious, as always”. 

This trend is the widespread belief that Troy Bolton, the central protagonist of the original trilogy is, to loosely paraphrase, a “dense idiot who is oblivious to everything going on around him”. 

As the staunch Troy Bolton defender I am, I have to point out how immediately and glaringly wrong this characterization is. 

Troy is the victim of frequent emotional manipulation by his peers (I believe they call this “peer pressure”) and surrounding authority figures. The opinions of other people- Gabriella, Chad, his father, his friends- matter quite a great deal to him. So much, in fact, that he is willing to throw an opportunity for a scholarship out the window because he is, in his own words, “more interested in what [his] friends think of [him]”. 

One pointed look is often enough for Troy to cave in and make whatever promise is expected of him, or do whatever is being asked of him, regardless of his personal feelings on the matter. 

He is a textbook people pleaser. 

This would mean that he is not only highly attuned to the emotional states of others, he is especially adept at reading people to ensure that he isn’t disappointing or upsetting them. Thus, Troy is extremely susceptible to guilt trips, a harsh tone of voice, silent treatments, a scowl, even a mere arching of an eyebrow. 

After all, manipulators only use emotional manipulation as a tactic when it works, and a sensitive person with a propensity for people pleasing would be a prime target. 

So, no, it isn’t that Troy is an unbelievably imperceptive lunkhead. It’s that he’s far too perceptive and invested when it comes to the feelings of others, the language they use when addressing him, and the intonations and expressions backing this language, which unfortunately enables him to taken advantage of by unsavory people with ulterior motives. And, as always, I don’t believe that he deserves to be crucified for this. 

Don’t hate the victim. Hate the perpetrator. Or, in this case, perpetrators. 

If you need further proof that Troy is skilled at reading others, his own best friend, even while confronting Troy in an envy-fueled rage, declares, “We didn’t vote you captain of the team because of your jump shot. We did it because you’re the guy who usually knows what’s up.”

Taylor, as well, informs Gabriella that she was aware of Troy’s susceptibility to emotional manipulation; “We knew that Chad could get Troy to say things to make you want to forget about the callbacks.”

[ocmerunaway]

Samantha ‘Sugar’ Sweetin has always been aware that her place in rich society comes from her talent, although she was once someone’s sugar-baby, but can she ever turn her back on her past and take a chance on loving Derby after Derby’s husband breaks her heart? Will Derby believe in second chances? Can Sugar ever make Derby feel safe... will music be the key to love?

[ocmerunaway]

Saffron Ellis has always been a hard working cook, but when she’s hired to cook for the Evans family she never dares to hope that Derby will even look her way... but after Derby’s husband sees fit to throw her aside, Saffron gets her chance... but can she really win Derby’s heart with her cooking? Can she sooth a wounded heart?