Unfortunately too many people see "pretty" as an invitation to objectivize. Combine that with "physically or emotionally frail" and too many predators see it as an invitation to victimize.
Also I was actually surprised by my own surprise--and flash of defensiveness--at seeing a woman admit that she's good-looking. And that led to a broader realization about how taboo it is for a woman to admit she likes anything about herself, though it's the strongest against looks. System is at its most powerful when it gets people to self-police for it.
But yes, a lot of people really want Zuko to have manpain, and I think the fact that the narrative never lets him manpain it up, or make Katara go, "oh you poor tragic baby, here's some sex" is what a lot of them mean when they say "bryke don't know their characters" and "Zutara just fits the story better." They've been taught to want manpain, sexy jerks, and magical healing pussy.
Which also explains why there's such a high percentage of bad porn in Zutara. *shudder* My objection to this sub-genre can be summed up in five words: "Fourteen-year-old sexpot Katara." Not that I deny that teenagers have sexual drives and actual sex, nor am I bothered by the idea of consensual sex between young adults. It's just weird and off-putting when teenagers who are just starting their sexual explorations are portrayed in that porny, performative, practiced way. That's just one of many ways in which Katara and Zuko in bad Zutara have nothing to do with the actual characters, I guess.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2014-10-21 05:20 pm (UTC)Also I was actually surprised by my own surprise--and flash of defensiveness--at seeing a woman admit that she's good-looking. And that led to a broader realization about how taboo it is for a woman to admit she likes anything about herself, though it's the strongest against looks. System is at its most powerful when it gets people to self-police for it.
But yes, a lot of people really want Zuko to have manpain, and I think the fact that the narrative never lets him manpain it up, or make Katara go, "oh you poor tragic baby, here's some sex" is what a lot of them mean when they say "bryke don't know their characters" and "Zutara just fits the story better." They've been taught to want manpain, sexy jerks, and magical healing pussy.
Which also explains why there's such a high percentage of bad porn in Zutara. *shudder* My objection to this sub-genre can be summed up in five words: "Fourteen-year-old sexpot Katara." Not that I deny that teenagers have sexual drives and actual sex, nor am I bothered by the idea of consensual sex between young adults. It's just weird and off-putting when teenagers who are just starting their sexual explorations are portrayed in that porny, performative, practiced way. That's just one of many ways in which Katara and Zuko in bad Zutara have nothing to do with the actual characters, I guess.