gailsimone:

Internet Winnage: Someone Asked…

covertwallace:

[Trigger warning: discussion of rape, rape culture, rape-related tropes found in Watchmen.]

gailsimone:

…so here we go.

One of my big problems with Watchmen is how stupidly the near-rape is handled. And it’s EPIC stupid.

It’s full of every dumbass cliche there is,…

Really? Silk Spectre I falls in love with him after he tries to rape her and beats the shit out of her. SS II specifically states how cool he is, and flirts with him openly. Ozymandias respects him. Rorschach praises him, that leaves almost no POV characters left who don’t openly express admiration for him. And, this stuff doesn’t happen in a vacuum…using rape cliches isn’t excused because the writer is talented, unless the cliche is subverted or presented in some manner that illuminates the characters in a new way. This doesn’t. In my opinion, of course. The victim falling in love with her rapist is a hoary cliche and there’s nothing here to elevate that cliche away from its crappy peers. Brilliant book. It doesn’t mean it’s without problems.