You know what, I’ve gotten to a point where I simply do not care anymore what your idea for Vanessa and Gregory’s relationship is. I have my idea, my preference. And I’m not changing it. It’s unique, versatile, about as far as you can get from the traditional nuclear archetype, and above all else.. it makes me happy. And if you agree then that’s great! But I’m not gonna crucify you if you don’t.
The thing that’s grinding my gears though is how the dynamic itself is portrayed. You can make them parent and child, siblings, friends, whatever.. for the love of all things good though please don’t make them BORING!
This is my exact reason for hating the opposite traits idea for Vanny. Bc it gives people the excuse to now portray Vanessa herself as the most boring stereotypical cookie cutter paper thin working cooking cleaning disciplining bordering suburban housewife character that she is the exact OPPOSITE of!
Do you actually think that her dynamic with Gregory would end at the child and guardian? She’s the adult, she stands off to the side while the kid plays? Bc.. I think the fuck not. The woman is a FUCKING GAMER NERD who loves rainbows and baking and has a sarcastic goofy side to her. She spent all night chasing a kid down waving a flashlight like a madwoman. Does ANY part of that scream boring guardian figure? HELL NO.
You can’t seriously sit here and tell me that woman is not constantly bickering and engaging in playful banter with him. That she’s not teasing every little aspect about him from his height to the way his voice squeaks when he gets angry. That she wouldn’t annihilate his ass at Mario kart and Mario party bc she is NOT going easy on him. That she wouldn’t think twice about throwing his cheeky gremlin ass on the ground and subjecting him to atomic noogies and tickle attacks. That she wouldn’t care to actually engage in fun activities with him like going at it in laser tag and best 2 out of 3 at skeeball. I promise you all right now she is NOT just the chaperone waiting in the car. She’s not just a guardian, she’s a BUDDY.
It simply doesn’t matter whether they have a 11-12 year age gap. I think the idea of what is considered “appropriate” for adult characters to do and behave like has become so skewed that it borders damn near bigotry. Child-like adults CAN and SHOULD exist without being infantilized! I promise you are not infantilizing a grown adult for assuming that they still like watching cartoons and playing games and simply wanting to have FUN.
And this is ESPECIALLY true for WOMEN! Women are prone to being hit with the “age appropriate” archetype bc you are expected to be nurturing and gentile and maternal and NOTHING ELSE. which is utter BULLSHIT. Who in their right mind said that a woman can’t have a maternal, protective side while still being silly and goofy? You are walking a VERY THIN LINE if you think that one can only exist without the other when the reality is that they can and do exist in tandem!
And yes I know, characters that ARE strict and authoritative and serious archetypes do exist, but I am telling you all right now that Vanessa is NOT one of them. She’s goofy. She’s silly. She’s putting puppies on pink journals and dying her hair funky rainbow colors. She’s a sarcastic little smartass that would not hesitate to take the bait if someone challenged her head on. Whatever the relationship itself is, that kid is bringing out a side of her that she thought was long gone. The side the virus tried to extinguish. It didn’t. It failed. Bc she’s still there.
So yea.. do whatever you want with labels. But please, don’t make them boring 😭 I just wanna see my lil goofy goobers having fun and being happy. That is all.
