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

[sarajayechan.livejournal.com]

Either way, turning Velma into Meg Griffin is all kinds of wrong.

Is it too much to hope that Velma goes apeshit and beats everyone within an inch of their lives in a future episode? And then runs off with Marcy? I don't even watch this show and I want to ship Marcy/Velma because Marcy's the only one who actually GAVE a shit about the girl.

The sad part is, I still want to see it for myself. Just out of morbid curiosity. And...I'll admit, parts of the actual PLOT are kind of intriguing.

[brendala.livejournal.com]

That's the most aggravating thing about this show. It does have some good ideas and some good things going for it (like the art, the darker tone, and the basic premise of the kids living in a "haunted" tourist trap). It had the POTENTIAL to be so amazing.
That's why I was so angry when the show jumped the shark. I fell madly in love with episode one (mainly because it canonized Shaggy/Velma) and just watched in horror as each following episode got progressively worse. I kept thinking "there MUST be a good reason that they're doing this that will be revealed in the end" and it never happened.



The sad part is, I still want to see it for myself. Just out of morbid curiosity. And...I'll admit, parts of the actual PLOT are kind of intriguing.

If you're that curious, go ahead and check it out (it probably wont hurt as much if you can see the badness coming). Hell, you can ease the pain by making a drinking game out of it! XD

[sarajayechan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, pretty much this. The darker tone plus canonizing Shaggy/Velma made me want to love it. But then I started hearing it wasn't as good as it could've been. D:

I'll probably only check out a few select episodes. Including the HDW one so I can have a valid reason for shipping Velma/HDW.

[rezo-eris.livejournal.com]

I'm one of the "Just Here For Godzilla" people who watch the show for things like the Crystal Cove mystery plot and original characters like HDW, Sherrif Stone, Fred Jones Sr., and ESPECIALLY Professor Pericles, who's frightening, intelligent, and totally aware of how evil he is and just does not give a shit. XD

As for episodes to watch, I recommend the first episode, "The Legend Of Alice May", "Howl Of The Fright Hound", "When Cicada Calls", "Mystery Solvers State Finals", "The Wild Brood", "Where Walks Aphrodite", "Escape From Mystery Manor", "Nightfright", "Menace Of The Manticore", "Attack Of The Headless Horror", "A Haunting In Crystal Cove", "Dead Justice", "Pawn of Shadows", and "All Fear the Freak" from the first season. And then all the first few episodes of the current season up 'till "The Night On Haunted Mountain" (the episode right before this one) 'cause of all the Velma/Marcy goodness. Then you can decide if you want to stick with the show.

[sarajayechan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the Crystal Cove plot sounds like something I could sink my teeth into. And I gotta admit the parallels between the original M.I. and the current gang intrigue me, too.

[rezo-eris.livejournal.com]

And that's why all the crap this show pulls frusterates me so much: what's good is REALLY good but the Romantic Plot Tumor and Unfortunate Implications stuff absolutely plague the show. I wish they'd go away.

The Mystery Inc. parallels are great too. Like how Ricky's become such a powerful, ominous figure but is still kind of a whiney, cowardly slob like Shaggy. Or how Cassidy is as unlucky as Velma is but is competent and works to set things right like her too. Or how Professor Pericles is such a total opposite of Scooby in every way: smart, bold, well-spoken, and totally evil. And no, MI Scooby isn't even that last part despite how he behaves at times, especially during the earliest episodes.

[brendala.livejournal.com]

And that's why all the crap this show pulls frusterates me so much: what's good is REALLY good but the Romantic Plot Tumor and Unfortunate Implications stuff absolutely plague the show. I wish they'd go away.

This is the reason I get so crazy about this show and not other "bad" Scooby productions. Mystery Incorporated had the potential to be one of the most amazing cartoons ever made and really breathe new life into the franchise. But then the writers lost their minds and decided that they wanted to make a horrible teen soap opera instead. You can still see glimpses of awesomeness when the romance subplots are ignored. But they're few and far between.

This show is one of the few instances where a prudish Network Censor hovering over the creative team's shoulders might have done some good.

[rezo-eris.livejournal.com]

Sad but true. Like you said, it's the same deal as "Legend of Korra", only worse. :(