Hey guys! Hope you're all having a good morning, day, evening, or wherever the fuck you are. As you've noticed, this isn't a chapter but a rant. Sorry if I disappointed ya'll. I just really needed to get this out because it's been begging me for years.
So around 2021, I had gotten out of a year-long relationship, and I won't lie, it had me fucked up. It was also one of the worst years of my life because during that time I was unemployed because of everything that was going on with COVID. So yeah, 2021 wasn't my year; I got dumped then, to add salt to the wound, I was jobless and couldn't find employment. To say I was depressed would be the understatement.
Fortunately it was also around that time I really got into fanfiction, with some of the first stories I got into being MHA, Naruto, and Rwby, and reading these stories along with gaming, working out, and the support of loved ones, I was slowly but surely getting better.
However, as I continued to read these stories and got older, many of them and I mean MANY of them had this single consistent, annoying, downright infuriating issue in common.
The pussification of male characters. What do I mean by that? Fuck that's quite honestly a long list that I could go on for days about, but for the sake of my and your guys' sanity, I'll only get into a few of them and keep it short.
— Making male characters complete bitches around women.
One thing that like 99% of authors have in common is that they love, and I mean absolutely LOVE, writing MC's that get comical levels of flustered/shy/embarrassed around women. This especially goes toward characters that are supposed to be written as badass, stoic, and OP, but the moment a pretty woman flirts, talks, is near, touches, or smiles at them, they act like blushing schoolgirls.
And another thing that really pisses me off is that these authors also make their characters complete pushovers and make them the personal punching bags for women as a gag.
I never understood why male characters, especially really powerful ones, would allow a woman to put their hands on them without any consequences or shrink away in fear when they glare or threaten, despite knowing they could easily overpower them.
Look, I'm all for respecting women or just respecting people in general. However, regardless of gender, there's no way in hell I'm letting someone put their hands on me and get away with it, especially if I didn't do anything, or if there was a misunderstanding, etc. And if they glare at me, threaten me, or both, I'll glare right back and say, "Do something then pussy. No balls."
If I do something wrong, tell me, and if I'm genuinely in the wrong, I have no issue apologizing.
It's a basic fucking concept.
Like, seriously, what the actual fuck?
Imagine a fucking Madara Uchiha, Guts, Yujiro Hanma, or some other really manly character being flustered/terrified of a normal female character and letting them openly disrespect them in front of others.
That would not only ruin the character for me but also any interest I had in the story and any respect I had for the author.
Look, I'm not saying every character has to be ultra gigachads and Casanovas, nor should they be emotionless like a robot or edgy like that one emo kid in your class that's one bad day away from shooting up the school.
Male characters should definitely have their ups and downs, so that they're not two-dimensional. What I'm saying is, calm down with writing the timid/shy/pushover types. They're overused as fuck and, most importantly, annoying to read. I'd love to see more MC's who are confident and playful, or calm and collected, and are both willful and dominant.
It's really not that hard of an ask, is it?
— Giving men an androgynous appearance
Another thing I noticed with a lot of these stories is that they love to give their characters androgynous to straight-up feminine-looking appearances, which doesn't bug me as much as the first issue; it still pisses me off.
Why the fuck are there femboys everywhere? Where are the cool, handsome, and masculine characters at? What is the obsession with giving men "delicate," "soft," or "childish" features? Like, seriously, can someone answer this question?
This might come off as sexist—although I genuinely don't care if I do; it's an opinion, deal with it—but I'm a firm believer than men should look like well you men and women should look like women, and I will stay behind that fucking notion until the bitter fucking end.
Men should be proud of their masculinity, and women should be proud of their femininity, as they are an important part of who we are as individuals.
— Boss babes.
Alright, last one before I stop bitching. This topic is a little different but is still related to the subject at hand.
Boss babes, you know who they are, and we've all had the displeasure of seeing them everywhere in movies, games, books, social media, etc. However, just in case you don't, a boss babe is the literal embodiment of the saying "I'm a strong independent woman, and I don't need no man."
And look, I have no issue with strong female characters; I'd rather read about them than a damsel in distress. However, that's only if it's done right and doesn't come at the expense of male characters, the bud of the joke, or looking incompetent.
Unfortunately, I rarely ever see that.
Most media nowadays, regardless of where you look, always has to portray the male character as incompetent and lesser, while women can do no wrong at all and are superior in every way.
If any of you have working brain cells, then I don't need to tell you that's a load of hot, steamy Taco Bell-level bullshit. Both men and woman have their faults, and no one is perfect, and if you or anyone tells you otherwise, then they can fuck right off.
Alright, I'm done now. I'm sorry for the rant. I know most of you likely don't give a fuck, and I understand, but as I said earlier, I really needed to get this off my chest.
However, those who did bother to read this, what are your opinions?
Feel free to let me know in the comments; I'd love to know your thoughts, but keep it respectful. I know some of you might not agree with what I said, but there's no reason to act like a cunt.
Anyways, have a good morning, day, or evening, and I'll see y'all on the next post.