"We want toxic yaoi!" "Helluva Boss." "NoT lIkE tHaT!!!11"

[shamanicshaymin]

No, Queer Representation SHOULD be Bad Actually

Thank fucking GOD for this video. This is so refreshing to watch after going down the rabbit hole of Hellaverse hatedom and the way they demonize Stolitz and Stolas for being PrObLeMaTiK. Hell, let me copy-paste the comment I wrote for the video:

These people would not survive Revolutionary Girl Utena if it came out today.

This video is SO refreshing to see after getting into the “cringe” shows Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss. Especially in regards to HB with Stolas and Blitzo’s relationship and Stolas himself, where I feel like the hatedom and I watched completely different shows. Stolas and Blitzo are shown to be flawed and fucked up people with an equally fucked up relationship and a whole heap of misunderstandings between them. Hatedom portrays Stolas as this horrible eeeeeeevil manipulative abuser taking advantage of Blitzo yet is “coddled” by the narrative and “excused” for his behavior when Season 2 showed the opposite:

When Stolas realized the power discrepancies between him and Blitzo and how transactional their relationship was, he gives Blitzo an Asmodian crystal so he wouldn’t have to rely on the Grimoire to do his job anymore. He let Blitzo know that he wasn’t obligated to stay in a relationship with him though he would love to start over on more equal terms. And when Blitzo accuses him of being insincere and reveals that all he cared about with Stolas was the sex (which isn’t true, but neither he or Stolas know how to communicate), Stolas is heartbroken and breaks up with him.

Stella wasn’t changed to be a cartoon villain who heavily abused Stolas; she had ALWAYS been like this from Season 1. (I’d bitch about the double-standards people give male victims of domestic violence, but that’s another subject) As much as Stolas loves his daughter Octavia, he still fails to juggle caring for her and shielding her from the ugly truth of his marriage with Stella at the same time he realizes his newfound sexuality and growing feelings for Blitzo. This has consequences, with Octavia chewing out her dad and disowning him at the end of Season 2. Let’s not forget he literally loses his status and power for saving Blitzo and becomes reviled by both the upper and lower classes, and yet it’s STILL not enough for hatedom. Because how dare Stolas not confront every single flaw he has in a show and arc that isn’t even complete yet. He’ll inevitably fuck up, backslide, and make more mistakes along the way, ‘cause guess what? THAT’S WHAT PEOPLE DO.

Sorry for the rant. It just drives me nuts that people harp on about queer characters deliberately portrayed to be imperfect. It’s especially egregious that everyone shits on Vivzie (who isn’t straight herself) for the writing when HB is co-written between her and Brandon Rogers (Blitz’s VA), a gay man, and it was his idea that Stolitz be a central part of the show! Yet Rogers mysteriously doesn’t exist in favor of bashing Evil Fujoshi Vivzie. HMMMM.

Comments

[sarajayechan]

S1 was Stolas having to realize he fucked up, but Blitzo is fucking up just as badly if not worse in S2. I left off at "Oops" where he made up with Fizz but before that he fucked things up for his sister and got told off, and from what I hear Verosika had a valid reason to be PISSED over their breakup.

Basically everyone wants to villainize Stolas because he's gay and pretty, while ignoring that Blitzo is far from innocent. Fuck, Stolas got wrecked and all Blitzo did was send a damn text and then ignore him. It takes something massive to make them both realize they need each other and want to try and they're both still going to be a fucking mess even after that.

(Also Stella has fans who basically swap her place with Verosika. Who ISN'T abusive and has feelings and Blitzo fucking hurt her.)

[shamanicshaymin]

Yeah like, I love Blitzo but the way hatedom strips him of all agency drives me nuts. Like OH NOES HE'S BEING SA'D BY STOLAS!!!1!1 when 1. The relationship is consensual, even though they misunderstand each other and want entirely different things out of said relationship (Blitzo being terrified of being intimate and opening up about his feelings, while Stolas wants more romance and dates) 2. It was Blitzo's idea to have sex in the first place. The "You can meet up with me and you can borrow my Grimoire" thing was a compromise on Stolas's part.

One video was like, "WEH WEH, I CAN'T BELIEVE BLITZO AIRED HIS GRIEVANCES, AND THEN GOT PUNISHED BY THE SHOW BY BEING FORCED TO APOLOGIZE TO EVERYONE!!!11" Like, the reason Fuck Blitzo Day even exists in the first place is because of how shitty Blitzo was to his exes. As in, he'd date them, and then when he suspected an actual romance would blossom, he bailed. And he NEVER clarified to any of those exes he only wanted sex and not a relationship. THAT is what Apology Tour is about, THAT is what Verosika was calling him out for. And Blitzo is reeling from that revelation because for the first time, someone broke up with him, not the other way around.

[sarajayechan]

Yeah, I kinda spoiled myself so I know Blitzo has hurt a LOT of people via his lack of communication and fear of intimacy. This isn't like Seahorse Seashell Party in Family Guy where Meg being forced to apologize to her abusers is actually horrifying, this is a man who's actively been fucking over the people who love him and goes "w/e, not MY problem".

And he does have deep, angsty reasons for it, but the show also makes it clear he's using that to push people away and he's gotta face up to it.

[shamanicshaymin]

Seahorse Seashell Party is the perfect example of abuse apologism. Oh Family Guy, you've fallen so far you're reaching the earth's core. :(

Blitzo be like, "I DON'T HAVE TO FACE MY PROBLEMS IF I DENY ANYONE MAKING ME HAVE FEELINGS :D :D :D"

[sarajayechan]

YEP. Meg literally did nothing wrong and is punished for existing. I may have written a blurb once where Brian offered himself as the lightning rod so Meg could be FREE, it was that bad.

Exactly. Blitzo can't deal with his issues so he makes it everyone else's problem. We feel for him but at the same time we know he deserves the callouts he gets.

[lexpurr]

THIS THIS THIS THANK YOU.

Also, when they DO acknowledge Brandon they pretend he's a poor little victim forced to cater to Viv's whims or straight up say Viv's lying about Brandon being the one who was like "yeah, that's a great idea, let's do it" on Stolitz when she asked him about it. It's maddening.

Anyway I love Stolitz and how messy both Stolas and Blitz are. The hatedom can cry harder, they wouldn't have so much to whine about if they focused on things they actually liked instead of putting more investment in Hellaverse than even some of the FANS do. It's ridiculous.

[shamanicshaymin]

I was thinking of you while writing my defense. ;; God, it reminds me of Utena fandom where they demonize Saito, woobify Ikuhara, and completely ignore Enokido.

Ah, Blitzo & Stolas--where the simplest gestures like hugging and holding hands are the most intimate things in the world. ♥