One thing I think about when people hate on Lena (/women in general) for making mistakes/having flaws and also getting a redemption is how praised men are for the exact same thing. People love to see terrible men get a redemption but hate when women are afforded even a sliver of it. People LOVE zuko and Iroh in atla and praise their redemptions bc they are good people in the end but forget they were literal war criminals and fascists. People love Vader for ONE moment after DECADES of war crimes
Barbara was shown to be an inherently good, kind hearted, intelligent and socially awkward woman that society had shit on, neglected and walked all over, with a man even trying to assault her in the park. When given a taste of respect and human connection for the first time in her life thanks to the wish, she was tricked by a man, got drunk with the feeling of “power” and went off the deep end, potentially killed a rapist and hurled some cops around. In the end, despite Diana’s direct pleas, she doubled down and seemingly refused to change. But finally made the choice for herself to renounce her wish along with everyone else. And in the end wound up just as she began: alone.
And then there was Max. A person with a tragic past certainly, but who voluntarily turned into a fake, blow-hard, lying deceiver and criminal, who stopped at nothing - including using a woman - to obtain more power and greed and wealth due to his feelings of inadequacy, who found a way to do just that, costing countless lives and nearly setting the end of the world in motion in the process, who was begged and pleaded with but just laughed and got worse, until he finally woke up solely due to caring about his son (but no one else’s child or life being of value, mind you) and renounced his wish and then was reunited with his son and offered absolution via said child.
So you had a woman who was inherently good, slipped up after being beaten down, went off the deep end, eventually chose to undo it, and ultimate wound up back where she started: alone and forgotten.
Meanwhile you had a man who was inherently troubled and horrible, who became even worse, then snapped out of it because of his kid, and wound up forgiven and reunited with the only thing he loved, and zero indication he wound up punished.
Men in fiction can start off awful, do horrible things, decide to do better for once in their life, and ultimately still get what they want as if a reward. And the audience calls them complicated and sympathetic.
Women in fiction can start off good, hit a rough patch, decide to do better, and ultimately wind up with nothing, as punishment. And the audience calls them toxic and unforgivable.
I am tired of this messaging.
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