It's kind of fascinating watching fandom implode in sh. I'm not really involved, but it seems like no one is treating Magnus any differently than any other canon love interest throughout fandom. But suddenly it's bad to do that when it's a man that gets the behavior
I feel like the fandom has been imploding for a while now even before the cancellation. 😬
But as for the treatment Magnus gets in fandom I think largely it is the same as any other love interest but also not? Ignoring my other issues with how fandom does not seem to care how his character is actually handled on the show as long as he and Alec say I love you every two eps or so, I have also noticed that everytime Magnus goes against Alec in some way or doesnt explicitly put Alec and what Alec wants and the people Alec loves before himself people tend to… not like that. I dunno if this is a specific SH-related thing or not but I dont think I have seen the same thing with sterek when I was in the TW fandom so.
The thing I keep going back to and it’s probably the biggest issue I’ve had with fandom so far is people’s reactions after they broke up at the end of s02.
Like people went off on Magnus during that time. It was like they were more pissed off at him for breaking up with Alec and not talking to him for 2 bloody days than they were at the actual villian trying to destory all the DWs. The reactions I saw from people about something as small as Magnus doing “duh” when Alec asks for help again or how he refused to talk to him during the cabinet meeting with the Seelie Queen were just… they acted like Magnus had kidnapped Alec and tortured him or killed all his family before his eyes or something…
(And of course it doesnt help matter that almost nobody was this pissed at Alec for hiding the truth about the SS or asking for a DNA sample, just saying.)
I dont know what exactly motivates these reactions (I’m sure racism plays a role but I can claim to know exactly how big it is) but to me it is undeniable that fandom is most happy with Magnus when he is obedient and subservient to any and all of Alec’s wishes, whether implicit or explicitly stated.
And I dont think that’s something you see with Jace and Clary or Simon and Maia/Izzy or any of the other couples.
