it......gets.....worse......**sob**

[brendala]

Hey, remember back in my Fridging of Velma Dinkley essay when I joked that:
At least Velma was never sexually assaulted or severely beaten in Mystery Incorporated (however, the show was green lit for another season; so I wouldn’t put it past them just yet...)

Well, Velma wasn't sexually assaulted in the latest episode (she's an ugly, un-rapeable troll, remember?). But someone else was. Take a wild guess who.



The latest episode featured the gang getting stuck in a creepy mansion when their van breaks down in a snowstorm. The Monster-of-the-Day screwed with them by setting out firewood that emitted a hallucinogenic gas when burned. At one point, Daphne thinks she's being chased by a demon and runs into a room to find Fred waiting for her. She's so relieved to see a friendly, non-demonic face that she immediately forgives him for all past transgressions and asks him to make out with her (because that's what girls do when they're scared).
Anyhoo, it turns out that the guy she's making out with isn't Fred. It's Shaggy. And he was apparently well aware that Daphne was out of her mind (she kept calling him "Fred") but he went along with it because Daphne is the most irresistibly hot woman to ever live (unlike his fattie ex-girlfriend).

When the crazy gas wears off, Shaggy claims that he inhaled the smoke and thought he was trapped in Fred's body the whole time. But that doesn't jive with what happened to everyone else. ALL the other characters remained well aware of who they were after being gassed. They simply saw bizarre/frightening visions happening around them. And the scene doesn't make it clear if he's telling the truth or just lying to prevent Fred and/or Daphne from murdering him.


That's right. This show implied that Shaggy might have taken advantage of Daphne while she was obviously intoxicated. As much as I hate this show, I NEVER would have imagined that they'd do something like this!


EDIT: I just realized something! We now know why Shaggy could never bring himself to bang Velma even though she kept giving him opportunities to get laid in season one. It isn't just because he wasn't attracted to her. It's because Velma wanted CONSENSUAL action and Shaggy clearly prefers the other kind!!! >_<   




I....don't know what to make of this. Up until now, my over-the-top raging about this show was mostly a running joke (since CN essentially killed it with bad scheduling a long time ago and MI's canon hasn't seeped into any other Scooby projects). But now I am genuinely PISSED OFF! Like, I have half a mind to write angry letters to Warner Bros, spread this news to feminist blogs, and write reviews on all the "Parental Watchdog" websites so parents know that this show is bad for kids (and adults) on every conceivable level.

WHERE THE HELL WERE THE NETWORK CENSORS WHEN WE FINALLY NEEDED THEM!?!?!

Comments

[sarajayechan.livejournal.com]

...what.

No, please. THIS IS SCOOBY-DOO, THIS KIND OF THING ISN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN ON SCOOBY-DOO. God, does EVERYTHING have to have rape or something like it in order to be "dramatic" these days?!

[brendala.livejournal.com]

Apparently, it does. You know how us chicks can't get anything done unless somebody rapes the apathy out of us.

[sarajayechan.livejournal.com]

Whoever wrote that episode needs to be fired and to have their cred taken away until they learn. >:[

[brendala.livejournal.com]

I just realized something! We now know why Shaggy could never bring himself to bang Velma even though she kept giving him opportunities to get laid in season one. It isn't just because he wasn't attracted to her. It's because Velma wanted CONSENSUAL action and Shaggy clearly prefers the other kind!!! >_<

[sarajayechan.livejournal.com]

...oh God. SHAGGY, NO. Just...how did they manage to glean "rapist" from a goofy loveable coward obsessed with food?! Even the terrible smutfics I stumbled on back in the day kept him out of the action! When bad porn gets it more right on that front than professional writers, something is VERY WRONG.

[rezo-eris.livejournal.com]

It wasn't played for drama, it was played as a comedic misunderstanding. Whether that makes it better or WORSE is up for debate.

[jordan179.livejournal.com]

That is a really gross abuse by the writers of Shaggy's character. Shaggy is supposed to be a cowardly (implicitly pot-headed) glutton, not a lecher.

(Daphne kissing Fred is hardly out of character, though her choosing to do it in the middle of a dangerous situation is more than a little weird).

But yeah, if Shaggy actually did this, it would imply seriously bad things about his character which would make him more than a little bit un-lovable. Plus, I don't recall him ever acting attracted to Daphne.

[brendala.livejournal.com]

He's also supposed to be a nice guy. Even in the other "bad" Scooby reboots, he's always been a decent person. Having him treat Velma like shit was bad enough. But THIS....*shudder*


MI-Daphne is a dumbass whose entire personality and character motivation revolves around her relationship with Fred (the same was true with Velma and Shaggy in season one). So her kissing Fred after being scared half to death isn't out of character.


In MI's canon, Daphne is an irresistible sex goddess. So that may be why Shaggy felt compelled to jump her while she was loopy (that, and he's a FUCKING MONSTER!!!!)

[rezo-eris.livejournal.com]

Fucking Monster? Does that make him as bad as or worse than MI Scooby or Fred Jones Sr.?

[brendala.livejournal.com]

Fucking Monster? Does that make him as bad as or worse than MI Scooby or Fred Jones Sr.?

Since we never saw any implications that Scooby or Mayor Jones might have sexually assaulted someone, I'd say Shaggy is the worst (at least until we know for sure if he was genuinely loopy or just faking it to get to second base with Daphne).

[rezo-eris.livejournal.com]

I'm going to insist he was genuinely loopy. For my own sanity's sake. Though is sexually assaulting someone that much worse than threatening to phsyically assault (Scooby) or mentally assaulting others? (Mayor Jones) Does Shaggy's sleazy move even count as assault?

[brendala.livejournal.com]

I'm going to insist he was genuinely loopy. For my own sanity's sake.

I'm sure him being loopy was the intent. I just wish the writers had been smart enough to make that clear and erase any troublesome implications


Though is sexually assaulting someone that much worse than threatening to phsyically assault (Scooby) or mentally assaulting others? (Mayor Jones)

Speaking as a woman...YES!!! YES IT TOTALLY IS!!!!

I'm not gonna go into a long lecture on rape culture and all that. But sexual assault is a special kind of evil because of:
(a) how inherently cruel it is compared to other crimes
(b) the permanent mental damage it leaves behind
(c) the fact that victims are often shamed when it happens to them.
People who are physically assaulted are never made to feel like they "asked for it" because they wore the wrong outfit. And people who are mentally/emotionally abused by a parent are rarely told that they deserved to be abused for some arbitrary reason. But that shit happens to rape survivors all the time.



Does Shaggy's sleazy move even count as assault?

It does if he was lying about being loopy. Granted, what he did isn't as bad as putting a knife to her throat and dragging her into an alley to violate her. But it's still a HUGE betrayal of trust, friendship, and basic human decency. If a "friend" had done it to me, I would not only NEVER trust them again, I would call the cops!

[rezo-eris.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I would've liked to see him totally freak when he realizes what he did, and then keep apologizing to Daphne for the rest of the episode, and she'd always be like "Huh? For what?" That would've made it alot better. But if he LIED about it, that implies he had no remorse whatsoever and just didn't want to get busted for it. And that's terrible.

Well, physical assault victims COULD be made to feel like they asked for it depending on if the attack was the slightest bit provoked or not, and mentally/emotionallly abused victim could be told they deserve their abuse BY their parental figure. Just look at N and Ghetsis at the end of "Pokemon Black and White" if you don't believe me.

Sorry, I just wasn't certain if the equally horrible "taking advantage of a drugged up friend to make out with her" was the same as "sexual assault" (which to me implies that the victim is not willing AT ALL, whereas in this case the victim WAS willing but ONLY because she thought the assailant was someone else.) Either way, it could be interpreted as a date rape allegory. It's a disturbing thing to happen in a Scooby Doo cartoon in the wrong way, and should not have even been put into this episode.

[brendala.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I would've liked to see him totally freak when he realizes what he did, and then keep apologizing to Daphne for the rest of the episode, and she'd always be like "Huh? For what?"

That would have been a good way to resolve that scene. It would have erased any "date rape" implications. And seeing Daphne say, "We were both wacked out when it happened. I'm not mad at you. Now lets never speak of this again" would have actually been kinda funny.


And I know a lot of victims of physical/emotional abuse are shamed. But it's not nearly as bad as what happens to rape survivors.



Sorry, I just wasn't certain if the equally horrible "taking advantage of a drugged up friend to make out with her" was the same as "sexual assault"

Legally, it is. Since Daphne wasn't in her right mind, she couldn't really consent to anything.

The situation becomes more gray when BOTH parties are out of it. But since the show didn't make it clear what Shaggy was thinking at the time, he comes across as a horn dog at best and an amoral sexual predator at worst.

[rezo-eris.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Shaggy would FEEL like he commited date rape and keep apologizing, but Daphe would think it was no big deal since they were both loopy, and would probably be more concerened over the fact that it proved she still had "those" kinds of feelings for Fred, anyway.

Which is why rape is never a comfortable subject. Ever.

And I get that. If a girl is drugged and the guy who drugged her makes out with her while she's delirious or unconcious, then that's a sexual offense. And not only did what Shaggy did seem too close to that, but his lack of sincere emotion or remorse makes it easy to see him total ass scum.

[brendala.livejournal.com]

Agreed. Regardless of whether or not he enjoyed it or harbored feelings for Daphne or whatever; Shaggy would have felt BAD about how it happened because he's supposed to be a nice guy. And I could totally see him apologizing over and over until Daphne gets annoyed and has to beg him to shut up! THAT would have been an in-character way to handle that scene. Instead, we see him acting like a creep and get some frightening implications shoved in our faces.

[rezo-eris.livejournal.com]

Yes indeed. This is the first time since the Mai Lee incident where I have no defense for MI Shaggy's actions. UNLESS I just pretend he was wacked out completely at the time but the aftermath just wasn't written correctly. Which I shall, again, just to keep my sanity. XD

[brendala.livejournal.com]

I prefer to believe he was loopy, too. Like you, I can't wrap my head around the implication that he might be THAT evil (even in this show's canon) and still maintain my sanity. XD

[rezo-eris.livejournal.com]

Same here. I know the MI characters can be jerks and you hate that, but I thought the days of Shaggy, Velma, or Scooby acting outright EVIL were behind us. And I'd like to keep believing that. (Speaking of which, yesterday's episode...AWESOME! Fred's not so stupid after all, and HDW rules! XD)

[dqbunny.livejournal.com]

To be a bit fair to Daphne, I have grabbed and kissed my husband when I was terrified ... but not made out with him. More like hugged the daylights out of him, then a peck on the lips.

[brendala.livejournal.com]

Point taken. But if you later found out that it wasn't Mike after all and some dude had messed with you while you were out of it, I assume the offending dude would be in pieces the next morning?

[jordan179.livejournal.com]

Yeah ... come to think of it, wouldn't everyone (save perhaps Scooby) be mad at Shaggy for this?

[rezo-eris.livejournal.com]

No, Scooby WOULD be mad at Shaggy for this. He's "his", remember?

[dqbunny.livejournal.com]

Yes. Absolutely. I'd reported him to the police so damn fast it wouldn't be funny, and then Mike -- Mr. Not Violent -- would have punched him.

[amelia-seyroon.livejournal.com]

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.

[oronoda.livejournal.com]

I think you should spread the word about this. This sounds absolutely ridiculous and wrong. Write an OP-ED to Jezebel.

[rezo-eris.livejournal.com]

Woah. I wasn't even thinking about it that way. I was too distracted over the fact that it was Fred and SCOOBY who were the ones to be so freaked out over this. (Again implying Scooby is Shaggy's lover and that he doesn't like him "cheating on him". C'MON, MI WRITERS!)

Apparently, this one was written by Michael F Ryan, whose previous one was the one that had Baylor Hotner revealed as the Crybaby Clown. Yyyeeah, I don't think I like this guy. Though if you want someone bigger to blame for this one, blame the head director Victor Cook, who obviously couldn't tell "Shaggy's an idiot" and "date rape implications" apart.

But why did you even watch this one? I thought you swore off this damn show!

[brendala.livejournal.com]

I tried to avoid it. But hearing about the Marcy/Velma stuff and the recent Scooby/Velma buddy episode piqued my morbid curiosity (plus it was on TV while I was home and had nothing else to do).

What can I say? I couldn't resist the urge to peek at the train wreck. I am weak. XD

[rezo-eris.livejournal.com]

When you put it that way, I guess I can understand. XD

[earthstar-moon.livejournal.com]

*blinks* Let me get this straight censorship people, when Rebot came out, you didn't like Dot kissing her little brother on the cheek because it implied incest. You didn't like Yugioh saying the word death, and thus everyone was sent to the "shadow realm" when they died/threatened to be killed.

However, implying Shaggy would take advantage of a scared woman is OKAY!! @_@ This...hurts my head, I didn't think they could beat the last episode.

[brendala.livejournal.com]

I can't shake the feeling that CN assumed it was OK to leave the writers alone because, "hey, it's Scooby Doo! How risque can you possibly get with those goofy, lovable characters?"

I now understand why Network Censors are a necessity. Sometimes they're over-zealous (like the Reboot people). But who knows how many other Mystery Incorporateds were prevented by Censors who could recognize REAL wrongness when they saw it?


And the implication that Shaggy would hurt a friend like that is just so unsettling! I'm not saying it would be better if he had taken advantage of a stranger. I'm just saying that it's EXTRA sad to think that he might have betrayed a friend who trusts him just for a quick trip to second base.

If the MI writers had any clue how REAL females think, they'd have Daphne being majorly uncomfortable around him regardless of whether or not he was high on crazy gas when it happened.