It suprises me how people love to claim to be fans of Heather Chandler but go ahead and demonise musical renditions of her, claiming that she doesn't have those same humanising moments like with David and such. But the thing is she does it's just not as upfront.
For example, when Veronica writes Heather's suicide note she writes "I am more than just a source of handjobs" and as @annbeez said, Chandler was literally the one woman defence against date rape at westerburg so she likely had to give out hand jobs to the jocks to get them to leave her friends alone.
Veronica was aware of that to the point she felt the need to tell the male population of westerburg that chandler was infact more than what she gave them. Plus the fact that in big fun literally both Mac and Duke get unwanted touching and get pressured to watch porn with the guys the second Chandler isn't with them, she has to be with them at all times or else Kurt and Ram will just start becoming dangerous.
Plus the fact that Chandler gets picked up and her ass slapped too when the other two aren't around, she literally makes sure they aren't near her when it happens because canonically we know that Chandlers seemingly untouchable status was a much needed comfort for the other two, especially McNamara so Chandler can't even confide in them about it because then she just won't be untouchable anymore.
Veronica was the only one who actually noticed but most likely never said anything about it. The heathers only don't get assaulted when they're together as a three, which honestly makes Chandlers constant berating of them more understandable. Becauseā and I can't stress this enough, if. They. Are. Not. Invincible. They. Are. Gonna. Get. Raped. Which is quite possibly the reason Chandler is so hard on Duke about her Bulimia, it's a weakness they can't afford to have.
Heather McNamara shows her emotions to Kurt after Chandler dies and he immediatly takes advantage of that. Duke shows the slightest bit of uncertainty and JD immediately uses her to get people to sign his petition. They needed to be perfect and without Chandler they couldn't be.
After lifeboat we see Duke trying to be Chandler, trying to show the heathers are still powerful but it just doesn't work the same because she isn't Heather Chandler.
Speaking of which, it's quite likely that David existed canonically in the musical because when Duke is shouting at Mac she says, "why don't you hop on your little lifeboat and catch a gnarly wave over to remington." So we know Remington is a place, and Duke knows about it. This could imply that Chandler has gone there before and...well we all know what happened at remington.
The point is I know a lot of people demonise musical Chandler, saying it took away those moments that made her human, I myself were guilty of this at one point but I think people forget that the musical physically couldn't put certain scenes in there.
Because how on earth are you meant to put actual grooming and rape in a musical, it's a different media form than films and cinema, musicals are typically lighthearted which is why blue for example is so goofy, it needs to be funny for the audience but if you really look, it still has that underlying fear.
Plus I would never go to see that musical if it had mac getting raped on stage or chandler getting forced to blow someone on stage, I dont think it's purposefully misogynistic I think there's just certain limits for that form of media, it's not the musicals fault that some darker parts just can't be put in there.
One of the reasons I admire the musical alot is because it has so many tiny missable details that make sure the origional message is there without, you know, having live rape. The stuff in big fun, the bit before blue, the line in the me inside of me and more that I've missed. The musical doesn't take away the humanity of the characters it just makes the cruel bits from Chandler and Duke especially, more theatrical. They're still real humans, you just have to look a bit harder.
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