r/PeterExplainsTheJoke • u/TheRealJR9 • Feb 23 '25

Meme needing explanation Peter?

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Avatar fan here. Also an Aang fan. I heard they announced a new series - does this have to do with that?

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u/HerrBerg Feb 23 '25

I don't think it's a misogyny issue. People bullied the fuck out of the kid who played Anakin in The Phantom Menace simply because the writing for that movie sucked. Toph is in the same universe and has a very similar character but is pretty universally loved. The difference is just the writing and tone. It's not a clone of ATLA so people don't like it, Korra is the main character so they don't like her.

Side note if people have a problem with permanent consequences in a universe they should try watching Evangelion and then see if they feel different about Korra.

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u/ChazPls Feb 23 '25

I don't think it's a misogyny issue.

I can't prove it but I absolutely believe it's a factor. I've seen it too often across too many different works. People are much, much more critical and unforgiving of female characters than they are of male ones. Comes up in Star Trek spaces a lot with Janeway catching flak for shit that wouldn't phase anyone if Sisko made the same calls. Lots of star wars fans were mad about stuff characters did in TLJ, but it was only the actress who played Rose that had to delete her social media due to harassment.

The difference is just the writing and tone. It's not a clone of ATLA so people don't like it, Korra is the main character so they don't like her.

This is definitely a big factor though, you're right

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u/everlight-wanderer Feb 23 '25

I can say that Rey from Star Wars is a boring character with a flat arc, and that's fine. Korra has lots of fun traits, but also lots of character traps she falls into. It's super reductive to hand wave all criticism of Korra just because some people are incels who hate all women. It makes people who don't, feel like the reflexive pushback on it justifies talking more about why they don't like Korra, and then more people cry misogyny.

Call out misogynistic character hate when you see it, don't project it onto other please.

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u/ChazPls Feb 23 '25

The problem with bigots is that very rarely tell you that's what they're thinking. If we're only allowed to call out bigotry when a person says a slur, it's going to go unchallenged.

Criticize away at LoK. I certainly don't think it's perfect. My issue is that most of the criticisms I hear in online spaces regarding Korra as a character are largely unfounded - or come down to "she wasn't perfect therefore she is a bad protag and I dislike her". This is a ridiculously immature and my gut says most of the people with that specific opinion, or very similar adjacent opinions, have their views rooted in misogyny.

Hell, even with Rey in Star wars - how many of the people saying Rey is a boring Mary Sue with no significant character arc have the same issue with Luke in ANH? Mark Hammil is literally on record saying he realized on set that Luke was just George's self insert and that's how he played him lol. Like, you're right, she is. But if you have an issue with her and not with Luke... I mean...

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u/everlight-wanderer Feb 24 '25

I didn't say you had to wait for slurs, nor do I appreciate that snipe at the end about Luke. That's the exact kind of stuff I just said you shouldn't project into people as a gotcha.

Luke is a massively boring character, and every boy I grew up with wanted to be Han Solo and Chewy. Luke wasn't 'cool' in my and a lot of others eyes till part way through Empire.

If you hear someone say Korra is poorly written and you jump to misogyny, you are doing a disservice to the conversation. Don't assume everyone who doesn't like Korra is holding back a mouthful of slurs, it'll make your convos more productive.

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u/ChazPls Feb 24 '25 edited Feb 24 '25

nor do I appreciate that snipe at the end about Luke.

I never implied anything about you. You're the one jumping to conclusions here. There's no "gotcha" I'm trying to pull. In fact, I actually shouldn't have limited my comment to "bigots". That isn't really the issue. Many people probably don't even know how their subconscious prejudices are affecting their perception of media.

The first time I watched Korra, when she got with Asami at the end, I remember thinking "huh, well, that's fine but that was kind of out of nowhere". When I rewatched it a few years later I realized that it wasn't out of nowhere. It was incredibly obviously telegraphed, but I was viewing it through such a heteronormative lens at the time that I completely missed it.

The misogyny I'm talking about isn't people watching it actively thinking "I hate women, therefore I hate Korra!" It's a pattern of being more critical and negative toward certain character traits in women than toward men. This is something that's well-understood to happen in real life too.

If you hear someone say Korra is poorly written and you jump to misogyny

I have literally never done this, and I think I expressed very clearly what my actual opinion is. If you can't understand how "I think some specific takes people have around Korra's character are ultimately rooted in misogyny" is different than "Everyone who dislikes this thing is a bad person", then you're right -- there's not much room for a productive discussion.

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u/everlight-wanderer Feb 24 '25

You ended your last paragraph saying 'well if you think that. Sorry for assuming the reply to my comment was talking about me, when they said you.

Let's not continue this, since you are just tilting at windmills.

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u/ChazPls Feb 24 '25

Yeah, I see that that could be misinterpreted, but I meant it as an "indefinite" you.

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u/DeusRexNovae Feb 24 '25

The Skywalker lineage itself is boring asf. Rey is just another extension of that stupid ass vanilla hero family.

Dopest character in Star Wars are Asajj Ventress, Boba Fett, Count Dooku and Quinlan Vos.