Mary Sues.

[samatethecookie]

Why the Culture of Mary Sue Shaming is Bully Culture is an interesting meta about a problem I hadn't considered before.

Admittedly I poked fun at so-called Mary Sues in the past under my previous livejournal account--the most recent one is only a few years ago, and I might dig out that entry because I forget the year I posted that entry never mind, it was four years ago, I checked, so it wasn't that recent but it was still less than five years ago--but I never stopped to consider what it means to the authors of these stories, or how the term's adopted another set of problems that everyone tends to overlook. Or, call myself out on the hypocrisy since uhhh, I WROTE OFCs, TOO.

And since I'm sick of some of my favorite female characters being called Mary Sues to question their worth in canon--such as Tifa from Final Fantasy VII, Terra from Teen Titans, and Kairi from Kingdom Hearts--and I'm aware of how problematic this term is, I'd like to see it die, too. Or at least, see something change.

Here's a snippet from the meta. boosette didn't write this, it was only included within the text to further prove the points raised in this meta:

No, “Mary Sue” has to go. Not only is it being applied too broadly to exclude female characters in general, but it is being used to devalue the writings and fantasies of young women. (Tolkien fan Dawn, at The Midhavens, March 2009)

Comments

[samatethecookie.livejournal.com]

They are convenient words because, like you said, sometimes an author does go too far with their original characters. It's not so much the fact that they write an awesome character who influences the story and the cast of characters, but it's more to do with the fact that these characters randomly show up, with little to no sense of balance between their strengths and weaknesses, and hijack the story in a way that's completely unrealistic. (Example: how many modern Sues/Stus show up in the Harry Potter universe and they're able to tell off Professor Snape without punishment? THAT NEVER HAPPENS, AUTHORS.)

And we don't just have Mary Sue; we also have the term "Gary Stu," which admittedly doesn't occur as much as Mary Sues do, but it still happens.

I think the main problem, other than how the term's been used to put down female characters, is that I kind of hate how everyone bullies the authors of these fics when they find out about the communities that spork their characters instead of apologizing for taking it too far. Or, they insist that they have a right to make the author feel like shit over what they're writing. I used to do it, so I can't judge too harshly, but when you remember what it was like to be twelve/thirteen years old and write your very own Sue/Stu fics? Then it really doesn't seem to be that big of a deal anymore. Just ignore them. Most authors outgrow those stories, or they learn how to flesh out their characters. (I still use my first two Sues, except they've been fleshed out and they're even more awesome! True fact.)

Also, the trouble is that the word means something different than it used to I think and has grown a very negative connotation over time.

That's what the problem seems to be, and that's mostly the reason why I'd like to see something change. It's been used by fans who dislike a specific, female character within a canon instead of explaining why they don't like her. It's extremely immature.

[http://users.livejournal.com/beyondheroism__/]

Ah, I see what you're saying with regards to the bullying nature of things and I have actually had issues with that since forever, but just never really thought about why I made :\ faces when I saw sporking comms. Mostly I just sort of shrug my shoulders at would-be Sues/overpowered & unrealistic characters and then move on with my life. I don't think I'll ever feel the need to completely tear down someone's fic, because I think the fact that people are writing is a good thing and doesn't deserve to be shamed.

[samatethecookie.livejournal.com]

I think the last Sue I sporked was in 2006, and it was this sibling of Lightning and Thunder from Teen Titans, who tried to explain that they were brother and sister, but they were technically each other's parents and children and whatnot. It was...very confusing and silly. I remember that I poked fun at that more than the author's talent or lack thereof, but I'm a little hesitant to really read through the entry since I feel guilty about it. I've debated on deleting the entry in case the author ever finds it. (It's f-locked, but still, I FEEL BAD.)

I just think people who spork fics need to remember that most Sue/Stu authors are usually young kids who don't really know how to flesh out their original characters and stories yet. They need well-intended, constructive criticism, not getting bullied behind their backs.