2MTL 416: Let Clara Kiss Jane
Alyssa, author of the Whovian Feminism blog (whovianfeminism.tumblr.com), wrote an essay called "A Love Letter to My Problematic Favs." In it, she said: I try to let myself love my favorite characters as much as I can, even when they can sometimes make me so uncomfortable I can’t bear to watch them onscreen. I try to defend them against criticism I think is unfair (after all, female characters come in for a disproportionate amount of sexist criticism), while at the same time trying to keep my mind open to new critical perspectives. Maintaining a healthy perspective is tough, and we don’t always strike the right balance. But ultimately, that challenge can be a rewarding experience. In struggling to come to terms with all the ways I love and have been let down by my problematic favs, I think I’ve become a better feminist and fangirl. Chip invited Alyssa to reflect a month later on what she wrote. As fate would have it, that turned out to be the same time that representation and fan entitlement became a hot topic.