I cast Hunters Mark

thatparkerluck:

re-assembled:

k-b-rock:

re-assembled:

brevoortformspring:

I think it’s two things. First off, rape and the possibility of rape is an omnipresent danger for at least half of the population, and one that many people are extremely sensitive about. It’s a serious issue, and should never be taken lightly. But secondly, there are a few readers who are upset with Rick for slights real or imagined who have no compunction about misrepresenting the work he’s done in order to stir up anger among people, in the hopes of getting him fired.

This is very much like the situation early on in the run of SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN, where a few fans outraged at the fact that Peter Parker had been killed spent months telling anybody who would listen that Doc Ock in Spidey’s body had raped Mary Jane, even though nothing remotely resembling that had happened in the comic—AND THEY KNEW IT. It was more important to those people to try to get Dan Slott fired and Peter Parker restored by any means necessary than it was for them to be truthful about the content of the work in question.

I think readers are allowed to feel however they want to about a particular title and a particular creator, and to follow or not follow that title/creator as they see fit—and even to rail against it or campaign against them if they so desire. But this sort of behavior crosses a line for me, it is a disgusting use of the very real and very emotional concerns of a great deal of the population to further an agenda that has nothing to do with the issue in question—and those doing the campaigning know it. Just leaves a bad taste around our entire community.

The concern over sexism, racism and other issues with Remender’s work is an “agenda.”

Er…I wasn’t around tumblr when Superior started, but Otto absolutely did masturbate to Peter’s memories of himself and Mary Jane having sex in issue 2, and Slott absolutely did play it for laughs. Just because that “I can relive the feel of every inch of her” scene happened with Otto as a hyper-vouyer instead of physically touching MJ doesn’t mean it “doesn’t count” as a gross sexual violation of both MJ and Peter.  :V

I mean, either Brevoort himself doesn’t read the comics in question before he talks about them, or this is a case of “it didn’t count as rape lol, overreacting much?” which is worse. Just because Slott treated it as a joke doesn’t mean I or anyone who complained should be expected to lighten up about it.

But the people who complained then and continue to complain now are the ones taking issues of sexual assault lightly? :/

Yeah it’s basically the same boy’s club attitude.  All at the same time trying to get more diverse readership and then insulting us by saying we aren’t really reading this stuff.  No, they just find offensive things acceptable and will defend it at any turn.

Because none of this has any real world implications of what people perceive as healthy?  >_>

Agreed. It’s one of those sad moments when you have one dude defending another dude’s completely unacceptable ideas, writing, etc.  Because, what?  In Otto’s case, there was a technicality that he never actually laid hands on MJ such that they slept together?  Uh.  No.  No, it doesn’t work like that. 

As pointed out above, Otto uses Peter’s memories of intimacy with MJ like a total skeeze.  

Or, hey, how about Otto treating MJ overall like a pair of boobs who talks too much?

I mean, he’s Peter Parker as far as she knows.  He’s entitled to her affections, physical and emotional.  Even if he treats her terribly and NOT EVEN LIKE A HUMAN.  ”This lovely creature.”  And it’s not a one-off thing where he doesn’t even refer to her like she’s a person with any worth.

Because it’s okay to write MJ Watson as…

1. Part of the package deal you get when you’re pretending to be Peter Parker. Keep in mind that Peter and MJ hadn’t gotten back together before Otto happened.  Peter Parker’s life DID NOT include dating MJ.  I still don’t get any of the arc with her accepting Otto’s advances because he was nothing like Peter.  But, you know, Slott wanted to make it entertaining.  Sorry.  ”Entertaining.”  What’s funnier than a villain trying to get his nemesis’s ex-girlfriend into bed?  Ha ha, hee hee.  Oh, body swaps.

2. A creature.  This is the second time he calls her a creature.  I mean, do I gotta say more?  Bonus points for the completely dismissive nickname of “the Watson woman.”

3. A science experiment.  Because… he’s a scientist.  Get it?  She’s his lab rat?  GET IT?

You know what?  I even took a closer look at Peter’s replies and side commentary and the sickening part is that he places ownership on MJ, too.  It’s not about how MJ is a human being who should be treated with respect, it’s Peter retorting to Otto’s attempts that he’ll never get it.  Honestly, you could make “it” interchangeable with “her” in this case.  Peter voices that MJ is HIS soulmate.  Peter states, “You can’t treat this like some equation!  It’s not about minds and bodies.  It’s about hearts and souls, variables you’re never understand!”  Hearts and souls is great and gushy, but he totally leaves out that respect is the keystone.  Respect for MJ as her own person and as a PERSON FULL STOP.  I’ll give Slott a shred of the benefit of the doubt that maybe he was trying to convey that on some level somewhere in this mess of a story — MAYBE — but the framework and the context just makes it all this tug of war.  Two sides.  Neither one gives MJ a voice.  

So, yeah, people had and still have a right to be angry at Slott over it all.  He reduced MJ to an object over the course of the whole issue and then had Otto violate her via memories because he couldn’t do it physically.  Knock it outta the park if you’re gonna swing, right?