Speaking as a writer, I can say that this is a slippery slope. As soon as you start thinking about how other people will react or interpret your work, you've shot yourself in the foot. Or maybe in the head. Either way, you're handicapping yourself.
Oh, I get that. I have stories I haven't finished because of concerns about audience reaction.
I think, though, that there should perhaps be a basic level of education about the sexist and racist tropes that have been a staple of popular entertainment. A baseline, so that you can merrily go about writing your story without winding up with egg and/or guac all over your face like Vogue just did.
(And yes, I'm still pissed off about BtVS S7.)
That said, one of the most annoying things about the SPN writing team is that they *do* listen to audience but in ways that seem self-defeating. (See also: Jo. Kripke, put down the keyboard, and step away from the TWoP.)
But there are times when I would like to see a little glimmer of outside perspective dawn in the SPN writers' collective heads about the dodgy gender and race issues they keep stirring up.
Totally. Just, you know, pull back from the trees for a second and look at the forest!
That said, one of the most annoying things about the SPN writing team is that they *do* listen to audience but in ways that seem self-defeating. (See also: Jo. Kripke, put down the keyboard, and step away from the TWoP.)
What Plei said. Also, what Nutty said.
I think there's also a middle ground between crippling yourself by second-guessing the story you're writing and sealing yourself away from all outside influence ("you" in this case being a hypothetical person, not Kristen). That is, after all, what editors and betas and test-audiences are for. I don't always get as much beta done as I need: but if I'm at all concerned about response, by golly, I get a wider range of betas than usual.
Because I want to know if part of my audience thinks I'm shitting on them. It's bad writing to do that by accident; and bad television to not know.
That is, after all, what editors and betas and test-audiences are for.
Well, TV doesn't really have those things. There are execs who approve stories and scripts but how useful those notes are can vary greatly. ;-)
Why does "greatly" look so wrong to me? I hate when that happens.
In my brief time on the other side, I've discovered that sometimes people really do
know.
And they do it anyway. (Not just talking about the misogyny issue here but more things that make your eyes roll in general.) Sometimes, it's because there genuinely is no other option. But other times, it's that this is the story they want to tell and you can go at them until you're blue in the face and it won't make a difference. Both of those situations can be frustrating for different reasons.
Since I don't know the parties involved, I can't speak on if they know or not and if they care or not.
Though I will now give a funny example of an actual "not knowing" moment. On Drive, there had been an idea to do flashbacks of how Alex met and fell in love with his wife. The writers had been in two different rooms so, when we got back together, one of the senior writers told us the planned flashbacks. One of them was Alex and Kathryn's first date and he takes her to this, like, dilapidated greenhouse. (The idea being that he's just bought what will eventually be his landscaping business and wants to share it with her and they have a romantic picnic or something inside the greenhouse.)
So he finishes telling us and I guess that Lauren (story editor) and I had equal looks of horror on our faces. We had to explain to the boys that, if you're a single woman and some guy you just met takes you to ANY kind of abandoned building, you're not going inside. You're running away and calling 911. Otherwise, you might never be seen again.
"You wouldn't think it was romantic?"
"I would think he was a serial killer."
Bwah! that's awesome, Kristen. And a very telling point to make.
OMG the t-shirt.
t dies
Perkins, we're getting on the road now, cause we have general admission tickets. I'm going to be SO TIRED tomorrow. It's almost a good thing that Bruce doesn't play for 4 hours anymore...
Look for me in the middle of the floor!
t grins
I wish I hadn't been drinking a diet Pepsi when I clicked on that link.
Have a great time, Consuela! We're leaving in a bit, at least in theory, since no one is here yet, or even due for half an hour.
Poor Anne, and poor Anne's monitor.
Poor Anne, and poor Anne's monitor.
More like "poor Anne's
sinuses"
Wow.
Just wow.
Do you think he knows what his shirt means or he was just being nice wearing it for a fan? That's hella funny if he did that on his own. Cringe worthy if a fan approached him to do it.
