#forced representation

[jarglit]

MLP "FORCED REPRESENTATION" BUT WITH THE COLOR GANG

[genyasafinsmissingeye]

The Problem with Sexuality Headcanons and Forced Representation

(This could also include race and gender identity headcanons if you please, however I’m white and cis so I don’t have a voice on this topic in much detail)

There is nothing wrong with making headcanons (Meaning: assumptions about a fictional character with either no backup in the canon or some suggestion of it). I have quite a few myself, that I share on my page. However, sometimes it gets to the point where these headcanons overshadow the real representation in books in favour for something with no real merit.

An example of this, in my opinion, is present in the Six of Crows fandom. Some people in the fandom seem to be obsessed with saying that Inej is bisexual, or that Kaz is asexual, and proceed to ignore how revolutionary the real diversity was. High fantasy is a genre with an infamous lack of diversity, and SOC gave us a disabled, two bisexual, one gay, a plus size and two POC protagonists. While this should be celebrated and admired, it isn’t as appreciated as it should. Another example is the TV show Glee. Nearly every single character in the show has been headcanoned as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, but the revolutionary queer characters are rarely acknowledged on social media (Primarily TikTok) for their role in queer identity. I’ve seen videos praising  LGBTQ+ characters on screen that hadn’t included any canonical representation. I as a lesbian don’t feel repersented by the headcanon that Quinn Fabray is a lesbian- I felt represented by Santana’s coming out process and her relationship with Brittany that made me believe I could fall in love with a woman. Isn’t that what diversity is about, being represented? When there’s no actual worth to it, it becomes forced.

It could be argued in Glee’s situation that because the diversity itself isn’t the best (See: The biphobia and stereotypes. This can be acknowledged while still appreciating its worth) viewers have the right to make their own, and this leads to my next point: When does made up diversity become necessary? This is the case of one of my favourite fandoms, the All for the Game fandom, with most of its representation coming from the fans rather than the canon. In AFTG the only POC characters are villians or morally questionable, the rest of the loveable cast being white. However, almost all of the PSU foxes have been headcanoned as POC along with queer as the LGBTQ+ rep is subpar at most. In my opinion, this is a scenario where it’s acceptable to make up representation, because there was none to begin with. This is often seen in media with book to screen adaptations, such as in The Umbrella Academy, turning some of the original white, cis-het comic book characters into POC’s and queer. 

In conclusion, headcanons are fun and they should stay fun, but they shouldn’t be used to overshadow, minimize or replace real representations in media. If you have any thoughts, I’d like to hear them! 

[fandomshatelgbtqpeople]

Hey babe, do you know if there's a word for when a show suddenly makes two characters gay without them having any history? I'd like to read more about it. (I feel like Netflix is trying to score easily, by making random people with no background whatsoever kiss eachoter out of the blue. Right now I've watched Letter to the King, but it's also in other shows. And I'm just angry and dissapointed because this is not the lgbt-representation I was hoping for.) Thank you for existing :)

Hi! So there are two things we think you could mean by this. By without having any history, we’re thinking you might either mean they’re very minor characters or they’re just two characters forced together despite not really having had any scenes together, just for the sake of queer rep.

The first example would be tokenism. An extreme example of it would be the lesbian kiss in the new Star Wars (or in general any of those “first gay character in Disney” moments). The writers teasing and making a big deal out of supposed representation when it is very small, often unnamed characters.

For the other, the only phrase we could think of is a “forced relationship.” This is often just when the only existing queer characters on the show are paired up, despite not having any chemistry. An example I could think of of this was back in Game of Thrones when they put the two canon wlw characters in a scene together and despite never having met before, by the end of it they were kissing.

Hope one of these is what you’re referring to anon. I agree, both are rather lazy and I wish they’d put the same effort into LGBT relationships as they do straight ones

mod a

[mxbitters]

It’s so annoying when people complain about “forced representation” and that people are trying too hard if they put one(1) gay person or person of color etc. like hi I’m a real person and I’m pan, possibly ace or demi, transgender and genderqueer, pagan kid of color with some sort of mental issue if I can exist and go to school and be friends with people who almost all fit under at least one of the categories I just mentioned to the point where cis white straight guys are a serious minority then your tv show or video game can have multiple characters like us without y’all crying foul. Cis white heterosexual men have never been the normal or the majority and it’s about time media and entertainment reflected that.

[tae-shimura-is-my-wife]

Isn't funny how white anime fans say that having black characters in anime is unrealistic because black people are rare in japan, but are super ok with white characters there, or anime that are located in places with a big white population (like Europe), same with white people being rare in japan as well? Hmm, it smells like r...

[ztun7856]

Cishet writers: *writes a long subplot detailing a straight romance that doesn't affect the major story at all*

Lgbt+ Writers: I like putting LGBT+ people in my stories.

Cishet Writers: Uhh, yeah ok, I WOULD put a gay person in my story but it has to AFFECT the PLOT. Otherwise it's being FORCED down people's throats to PANDER to the Gays.

[aturinfortheworse]

People talk shit about forced representation but it's one hell of a way to make a character. It's like those click and drag traits, and you get three or four and have to create this character that doesn't just have all those traits but is all of them together and more.

Before I started thinking about representation, even when I was doing it naturally as a reflection of real life, I almost never ended up with characters like Meita and Ayliah and Samael: characters who I am so invested in because they're so damn real and there is nothing about them that feels stale and old like there always was with my "one, maybe two, minority traits" characters.

Samael's family were always going to hunt her and toy with her and beg her just to be normal - because she is, after all, Samael - but the relationship became a lot more genuine and impassioned and complex with the added dimension of her gender and their mixed reactions of scorn and disbelief and hatred and dismissal. Meita was always proud because she is a queen and she does not kneel to anyone, not even a god - but that pride means a lot more when strangers  who should not dare even  to speak her name try to tear off her hijab.

I don't mean it to be inspiration porn or trait-centric characters, I hope it doesn't come off that way, but I really do feel like actively trying to include representation has made me a better writer and made my characters much better.