#omcp_critical

[lexpistachio]

looking through the codependent list I realized its kind of a sad thing that the comic doesn't address the negative aspects of codependency in Jack and Bitty's relationship when we know it can because it has done so for Jack and Kent's relationship, and like this isn't to harp on either relationship but it would be a good story to show a person who was in a toxic codependent relationship start a new codependent relationship realize it, talk about it, and work to fix both relationships.

i don’t think jack and kent were in a codependent relationship though? i'm not sure what's the consensus in the fan discourse is surrounding this, but if i remember correctly, the only “definitive” thing we know about that is, if Jack is to be believed, that it wasn’t even a relationship at all, that it was purely physical. the thing is, though Kent did indeed try hard to seek Jack (notably, years? later), we don't fully know the extent to which Jack relied on Kent during those years at the Q. we can't accept that it was purely physical, could we, and still assign him the role of confidante/supporter to enable Jack's addiction? but more importantly, i think, to assume that they were codependent is to make a lot of conjectures as to Kent's inner thoughts and motivations. as far as i know, it'd taken him months? years? to contact Jack, and he'd been able to function perfectly well at his job without Jack's immediate approval. A codependent, btw, is someone who cannot function from their innate self and whose thinking and behavior is instead organized around another person.

unlike, say, for zimbits, where we have repeated visual evidence of how pervasive their relationship affects their individual issues, and Bitty's need for approval such a significant part of his characterization. idk. as i've said, i'm not a fan of diagnosing fictional characters of mental illnesses.

lack of diagnosis aside, it is sad, that there are these aspects of that relationship that wouldn't ever get explored. with or without conclusive label of codependency, Bitty still has an extreme need for other people's approval. He still has a tendency to do more than his share. Bitty is still Jack's caregiver, prone to an exaggerated sense of responsibility for Jack's mental health. He still has a tendency to avoid arguments, still confused with how he wants to go about his life. maybe it's honeymoon phase for them, but they're still a part of every part of each other's lives with a lack of separate space.

but you're right, the topic of co-dependence could be a worthy exploration there for sure! and yeaah, it's not gonna go there. i feel like cp idealizes zimbits relationship as healthy and aspirational? which: lol.

[lexpistachio]

Bitty asking "Why can't we" has got to be the straightest thing I have ever read. Well I'm done, I'm just going to assume this is all a dream sequence and leave. Let me know if Kent shows up and if he's given some actual depth till then I wish you all well.

You know what no Bitty crying on the floor and saying “It’s just going to be so hard keeping all that to myself, and I just don’t know how long” is the straightest thing I have ever read. The whole update is just like the straightest thing like good lord I don’t know where to begin, like wow this is straight author 101 gay people in the closet are miserable you should pity them. Just throw me on the ice I am soo salty.

Sciiiience fiction. Dooouble feature ahahaha

~closeted tears while on the floor~ I’m still sitting here laughing. I was zero levels of surprised, and I think I’ve ran out of fucks to give anyway. 

“But doesn’t any gay person aspire to be out, anyway?” replied some person on a post I made about this several months ago, which, frankly, speaks to how predictable the trajectory of this comic is). The oversimplification of it all astounded me. Because no, actually, I don’t want the whole world knowing what’s basically my business, I don’t owe the world anything. What the question is really asking is, do you want to be out and thriving or closeted and miserable? That’s the false dichotomy engendered by the comics itself, that to be out = to be happy, and to be in the closet = to be repressed/miserable. It’s so wrong on so many levels, but to say the least, this kind of thinking ignores how our environment have very real consequences for many of us, and coming out is not a black-and-white choice for any given circumstance. 

For one, I don’t want to see the world magicked away and pretend that the possible hate and shaming that i will get when i declare my sexuality don’t exist, I want to see people around me learning to be accepting and letting go of their prejudices, and then maybe i’ll choose to come out.  It’s a process–not only for the people around you but for letting go of the fears and shame you’ve held close to your chest since forever (Bitty used to reflect that well? lol not anymore). But also I want the love and acceptance of my family and peers, but not at the expense of them being replaced by pod persons lol, if that makes sense? It’s super unsatisfying to see this supposedly Big Coming Out hoopla when everyone in this universe seems to have inhaled gas fumes and acting out of bounds of reality anyway, consequence-free and mindlessly cloying. 

But that’s me, But as a friend pointed out,  they’ve never met a gay person who thinks of being out the way Bitty does. It’s like having big shiny thing to achieve, something to be crossed off a bucket list or something for their relationship to be Truly Happy. Never mind that this something that he should have considered in the first place before entering into a relationship with a pro athlete? As the culture among hockey players is to blend with the team and to avoid drawing attention to one’s self, as good ol’ Canadian boys are told to do from a young age? 

Anyway, fans of this comics buy suspension of disbelief in fudging bulk and wholesale lol. It’s (maybe) a good thing I have extremely low expectations of this comic treating any subject matter decently, but I can’t blame you for going tbh.

The only ~closeted tears~ i’ll be crying is over the potential this comic had but lost lmao

[lexpistachio]

I really want a fic about Kent and his friends and family. I want to see him interacting with Swoops and other teammates and his other friends in Vegas. Just him learning how to cope with life, and everyone supporting each other as they figure out their lives.

How did you get my password?!?!

But in all seriousness, i heavily emphasized Kent’s individuality in that last post because i think it’s important to Kent’s character’s arc to find satisfaction in one’s accomplishment without seeking anybody else’s approval for validation. Having a support system is truly important too, though, you’re right! I understand hockey clubs are a tight-knit group, and I’m up for seeing Kent relying on his teammates through the thick and thin of a looong hockey season.

I also find that as a heavy contrast to how Jack’s pro hockey career has been written? For all that the comic is a found family story, he never really fully steps out of the comfort zone that is his college hockey team. There is this extreme focus on Jack’s anxieties about the playoffs and the focus is on how a loss or a win relies heavily on his performance, his ability to cope with his worries, nevermind that hockey is a team sport, and that the guys in his team are most probably suffering from the same anxieties and fears as well. These guys probably don’t even have the benefit of having a Stanley Cup Champion-multiple times over hockey dad or having the same tier of skill as him; these guys could get traded or cut off the roster or placed on the waivers or lose their jobs based on ever second of their performance on the ice.

Anxiety is of course irrational, but I do believe that the comic missed an opportunity to give Jack a perspective that he is not alone, that his situation is not unique, and that he doesn’t need (1) person or just one clique to alleviate or lighten his fears. 

But by aaaall means, let’s make it the Jack Zimmermann: Hockey Messiah comic, about the guy with the One True Destiny of singlehandedly carrying his team to the Stanley Cup, he alone watched game day tapes on his laptop and lost sleep over it. 

[lexpistachio]

I want to love CP so much because LGBTQ representation is so low but it's SO problematic.

Hi you!

I’m just gonna go out on a limb and say go ahead and enjoy what you enjoy, regardless of whatever. I’ve always believed that we can be critical of media we consume and enjoy them at the same time.

Although on a deeper level, we understand that “problematic” has roots in issues regarding representation and identity politics, it’s often used to devolve issues to black and white questions of morality that makes it easier for people to be dismissive of them. The term “problematic” tends to skew readers’ perception without resorting to involving one’s self in actual and legitimate discussions.

As a life rule, I do try to use “problematic” as little as possible, and aim to avoid being authoritative when it comes to moral judgments and preferences. You do you! My own preference does admit to the fact that I think CP is drawn very well and had a terrific first few years and some interesting characters, but it just had come to the point that the issues I have with it outweighed the enjoyment that it delivers.

At the same time, I feel you SO HARD on this. I have friends who still actively write in the fandom, and I do want to read them?? I’m a huge consumer of fics, but reading fics in this fandom makes my soul hurt most of the time. Sometimes I feel like I’m missing out when i’m !?!?! about it when all the other people are \o/ \o/ \o/.

On the other hand, for a celebrated lgbt work, CP’s representation and portrayal is awful anyway (the implied caveat here: imo as always), so as a friendly advice, do try to find and support works written by LGBTQ authors, because there are a lot out there!