Nonspecific TV Show Commentary (trigger warning for rape)

[donutsweeper]

In a recent episode of a current TV show our group of valiant heroes came up against a woman with the power to control people (men in particular). They were warned that it was impossible to resist and the BIGBAD would force them to do her bidding.

So, of course, HEROGUY falls under her spell. He is forced to turn on his teammates and do as she commands (they've made it clear that people under her control are aware of their actions but unable to resist) and they spend the night together. We see them kissing and then later the team (including HEROGUY's current no-strings-attached lover) sees a bed that has obvious been used.

There has been no mention anywhere I've seen that THIS IS RAPE. He wasn't capable of consent, he could not say no. The show not only didn't deal with that aspect of it, but they actually had him apologizing to the lover character only to be punched HARD IN THE FACE.

In fact, the only comments and posts I've seen are in favor of the lover character's actions and cheering her for hitting him, if not suggesting she should have done more. (Well, that and a shipwar that's apparently blowup as a result of a random comment made by the BIGBAD character, but that's neither here nor there.)

I am just so disappointed and annoyed by that reaction. Is it because the non-consenting party in this case was male? Does that make him any less violated?

Bah.

The show was Agents of SHIELD, ep 1x15 btw, if you want to make sure you skip it

Comments

[flamebyrd]

Wow, thank you for the warning - I may have to skip that one.

Oh, but how ironic that you have a situation where a woman actually is responsible for a man's interest in her*, but the narrative ignores that and punishes him for it.

* vs rape culture's idea that women shouldn't wear "provocative" clothing because men just can't help their reactions

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

It's disappointing because this episode was being touted as the huge SIF EPISODE OF AWESOMENESS and there was a cameo with someone else and then *this* happened.

It really was ironic in that sense.

Really disappointing too because there could have been an interesting discussion about consent but it was all completely ignored.

I did find an article by thinkprogress.org about this, but the comments on it were *disgusting*, although there were a couple of good points, mentioning that so many people didn't see it as rape or didn't realize it could be thought that way until it was pointed it because of a problem our society as a whole has with consent and what it really means.

[flamebyrd]

Oh no, I'm a few episodes behind but I knew there was a Sif episode coming up and I was looking forward to it. :(

I think on the whole the media (and by extension society?) is very irrational about the "cheating" narrative - consent is irrelevant, monogamy is completely inflexible.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Sorry! If you want you could watch the beginning of the episode to see some of the Sif bits, but then skip the awfulness? Or if you choose to skip get a plot summary?

Yeah, society has horrid ideas about acceptable sexual behavior and how it fits into the overly prevalent rape culture.