My hatred is once again justified!! (aka Sexism sucks)

[brendala]

So, a few little birdies told me that Mystery Incorporated improved in season two and I should give it another chance (despite all my VERY COMPELLING REASONS to avoid it like leprosy). So I tuned into today's new episode because I had nothing better to do this morning.

Today's episode featured a Puritan ghost who attacks teenagers on Lovers Lane for acting "impure". Specifically, he likes to target the teenage girls for dressing like harlots. When the gang first meets the ghost, the ghost chastises one random girl for her low neckline, chastises Daphne for her short skirt, and when he gets to Velma.....he remarks that he wont attack her because she is "plain, wholesome, and completely un-tempting to the male gaze". No, really. I AM NOT EXAGGERATING! THE SHOW REALLY DID THIS AGAIN!!!!

Apparently, despite the fact that Velma's skirt is shorter than Daphne's, even sexually repressed Pilgrims are so repulsed by her hideous, fat, masculine body that it doesn't bother their orthodox sensibilities to see her traipsing about with her legs exposed (because religious rules about modesty only apply to hot chicks).

Believe it or not, it gets worse...

--The episode shows a couple of teenage boys cheering the ghost on as he tells Velma that she's not hot enough to be attacked for immodesty. Her "friends" are right there as this happens; but none of them say or do anything to defend her. Presumably, it's because they agree with the ghost.

--There's a scene at Fred's house where Shaggy AND Scooby tease Velma by saying "What's wrong? Are you upset that you're not 'tempting' enough to get onto the ghost's hit list?"
Again, I am not exaggerating! This happens! These two are back to behaving like total assholes toward her for no goddam reason!!

--Later in the episode, Velma is sitting in the back of the van fiddling on her laptop while the gang sets traps. Scooby gets into the van, smiles, and snuggles up next to her. At first I thought this show might be attempting a cute Scooby/Velma friendship scene. But, surprise surprise, when Velma asked, "Why are you sitting so close to me?", Scooby replied, "Since the ghost doesn't want you, you're the safest place to be right now!".
Well, at least he's not trying to bite off her face or calling her a slut like he was for half of season one. I guess calling her ugly is somewhat of an improvement. -_-

--At the end of the episode, it turns out the ghost was a pair of teenage boys who teamed up and staged the attacks so they could rescue the "hot" girls and gain their affections. The boys went out of their way to avoid attacking/rescuing Velma because EEEEW! WHAT MAN IN HIS RIGHT MIND WOULD WANT TO DATE A FATTIE, AM I RITE?!?!?? I MEAN, JUST LOOK AT THIS MONSTROUS HAM-BEAST!!!!



YOU CAN'T EVEN TELL IT'S A GIRL UNDER THAT FRUMPY TIGHT SWEATER AND MINI-SKIRT!!!!!!



CLEARLY, DAPHNE IS THE ONLY "REAL WOMAN" IN THIS PICTURE!! VELMA'S BODY HAS ICKY BIG BOOBIES AND HIPS AND A BUTT!!! WHAT TEENAGE BOY IN HIS RIGHT MIND WANTS A WOMAN WITH BIG BOOBIES AND HIPS AND A SHAPELY ASS!?!?!? NONE, THAT'S HOW MANY!!!!!
[/end angry bra-burning sarcasm]


**sigh**
I tried to give the-show-that-shall-not-be-named another chance because I heard that one of the other season two episodes was focused on Scooby and Velma trying to become BFFs again. I'm pretty sure that whatever good things happened in that episode were just erased when Scooby teamed up with her douchebag ex-boyfriend to remind her how fat, ugly, and unappealing she is.

This shit has no place in a children's show! It's cruel, inappropriate, insulting to the franchise & characters, and just plain wrong. And a vindictive part of me hopes that the reason this show got shafted with long hiatuses and bad scheduling and whatnot is because some executive realized what a mistake this show was and is doing all s/he can to help it die a quiet death.



I should have known better than to do this again.

FUCK THIS SEXIST FUCKING SHOW AND THE CREEPY MISOGYNIST DOG IT RODE IN ON!!!!!

Comments

[brendala.livejournal.com]

I just don't get what the writers are doing. Is the "treat Velma like a she-beast even though she's clearly attractive" thing supposed to be an ironic running gag? I can't tell.

I don't know if this show has the balls to actually kill off a semi-main character. Especially since Cassidy is one of the good guys (for now, at least) and is also the only person of color in the show. But hey, if MI fridged the first leading black character in a Scooby show, I could add "racism" to the long check list of reasons why I hate this show. :P

[rezo-eris.livejournal.com]

Weelll looks like Professor Pericles seemingly killed Cassidy in yesterday's episode. However, I REALLY doubt she's really dead because she was seemingly killed in an exploding building in a way that just screams "fake out death" to me. Plus, cartoon characters survive explosions all the time. XD

[brendala.livejournal.com]

Is it wrong that my first thought upon hearing of Cassidy's alleged death was "Of COURSE she sacrificed herself! As the Blackest member of the cast, it was her duty to die dramatically! BLACK SHIELD!!"
....sorry. I watch too much South Park. XD


Yeah, she's so not gonna stay dead. Deaths aren't real unless you see a body (and even that isn't always a guarantee!)

[rezo-eris.livejournal.com]

Sometimes characters CAN die in explosions even if you don't see the bodies. (RIP Tarlock and Noatak.) But if the explosion happens in a wide area where there's possibility of escape, then it's not a stretch to say the character could've survived.

[brendala.livejournal.com]

Well, technically, Tarlok and Noatak could survive into season two. I hope the writers don't bring them back (it would kill all the emotional punch of that boat scene); but we wont know if they're REALLY gone until Korra finishes it's run.

Maybe MI will have the stones to leave Cassidy dead. But the way she went out just seems like a classic fake-out death.

[rezo-eris.livejournal.com]

Mike and Bryan confirmed at a panel shortly after that final aired that no, they are not coming back. Tarlok was the one who blew up the boat while sitting in place, and Noatak did NOT jump off: he accepted what was about to happen. They are dead, dead, dead, DEAD. XD (We'll be getting new villains each season anyway, and I hope Bryke doesn't change their minds.)

Yeah, the only character who's died and stayed dead on this show (as far as I know) is Ed Machine. And I don't think Cassidy's gone for good, because I'm hoping to see ALL of the original Mystery Inc. together by the series finale for whatever reasons. It was a fake-out death, I'm sure.

[brendala.livejournal.com]

Mike and Bryan confirmed at a panel shortly after that final aired that no, they are not coming back.

That's good to know. Hopefully, it sticks.


It's hard to say with Cassidy, though. Scooby show or not, the law of the "Black Shield" is working against her. XD

[rezo-eris.livejournal.com]

Apparently, one of the producers stated on Twitter that both Ed Machine AND Cassidy really did die. I never doubted the Ed Machine thing, but I have a hard time believing we've seen the last of Cassidy just like that. Maybe we'll be seeing her ghost? They ARE hinting at something that's actually supernatural coming into play by the series finale.

(I'd also like to say that both yesterday's AND today's episodes were excellent. Today's one even had a focus on Shaggy and Scooby's relationship that DIDN'T reference the "love triangle" from the first season, nor did it even treat them as lovers at all! Again showing this show's at it's best when such things are not present.)

[brendala.livejournal.com]

I can't say I'm completely surprised about Cassidy. After all...."Black Shield". XD


I saw the Blue Falcon ep. I was a bit disappointed that they turned Blue Falcon into "The Goddam Blue Falcon". But otherwise it was a good episode.

[rezo-eris.livejournal.com]

If Cassidy really is dead, then something had BETTER kill Pericles at the end of the show because this makes TWO people he's killed in cold blood!

Lol, "The Goddamn Blue Falcon." Yes, they were clearly going for a "The Dark Knight Returns" Batman parody with him: the way he was designed, his behaviour, his voice, etc. But I thought it was interesting how they tied Blue Falcon and Dynomutt's creation with Dr. Quest and Dr. Zin. And again, no romance. Just genuine friend relationships between Shaggy/Scooby and Blue Falcon/Dynomutt, as well as Dr Zin's love for his daughter. Even Fred and Daphne's two moments were played for laughs.

Also, I LOVED how Shaggy, of all people, was able to go badass and make Ricky cower before him! Shows that his predecessor is a bigger coward than he is. XD

[brendala.livejournal.com]

I wonder if the actual show will confirm Cassidy's death or if she'll just never be seen again (like Jet from Avatar:TLA).

I loved that we finally got to see some semi-normal man-and-dog relationships in the show. It's too bad every MI episode couldn't be like that one.

[rezo-eris.livejournal.com]

Well in a way, Jet's death WAS comfirmed by the characters asking the question if he died or not in "The Ember Island Players." XD

Oh, if only...