Goodbye Gossip Girl

[felicityking]

Congratulations. You've lost a viewer. In retrospect, I never should have started watching again. But you lost me for good this time.

I stopped watching the show when season 2 started, because I wasn't a Chair fan.(I was a Derena and Dair fan back in the day.) I missed that whole season, andd didn't regret it. Somehow the season 3 promos and advertising pulled me back in. And, shockingly, I found myself loving Chair.

Then IP and the whole shitdown on Blair happened afterwards. My heart shifted back to Dair but I still hoped Chuck would be redeemed, even though I didn't want him back with Blair. I watched this season with increasing horror and shock. And, then, Monday happened. That was too far.Then, reading the interviews where those fucking twits who write the show tried to justify Chuck's abuse.

That is TOO much. I am done. Done! I'll still keep my membership in LJ GG forums because I adore the people I met there (and they are very articulate, intelligent and thoughtful and always willing to call the show on its shit). But no longer am I viewing it.

Now, to be clear: I'm still a fan of the actors (Leighton's got a great career ahead of her, and if the others are phoning it in, they can't be blamed when they have such CRAZIES behind the scenes running the show.) I'm still a fan of the fashion and the music. But as a feminist, I can't support watching something that negates the impact of how domestic violence affects women.

DOMESTIC ABUSE IS NOT ROMANTIC!
JUST BECAUSE HER BRUISE WAS "DAINTY" DOESN'T MEAN CHUCK'S BEHAVIOR IS JUSTIFIED!
JUST BECAUSE CHUCK DIDN'T HIT BLAIR DOESN'T MEAN HE DIDN'T ASSAULT HER!


PS: I will freely admit I will probably still seek out Dair scenes on youtube and watch the BTS blooper reels. But I'm not watching the show live.

Comments

[veritas724.livejournal.com]

I don't blame you at all. I'm horrified by Safran's comments in particular but more upset by the Chuck apologists on Tumblr and Twitter who say "If you've never been in an abusive relationship, you can't decide what counts for abuse." Just... I can't with that.

But I'm going to watch the next two episodes out of genuine curiosity, because even if they are backpedaling and rationalizing, they still WENT THERE with Chuck for a reason, and I have to think that they're saying most of this stuff to stop the crazy Chair shippers from sending bombs to their mailboxes. It's WRONG and HORRIBLE and it means they're accidentally advocating "romantic abuse" but I truly don't think they're misguided enough to believe the shit they're spewing.

Chuck is poised for a fall, and unfortunately that means we're going to be dealing with a lot of woobie Chuck next season, which will be when I quit watching because after last night, there's no redemption for that character, but I honestly think they have an exit strategy for Blair. I really think next week's preview is purposely misguiding and that they only released the Chuck/Blair-oriented pictures for it and the finale in preparation for the Chair shitstorm from last night. After last night, more than ever, I'm starting to doubt Chuck/Blair is endgame.

I don't need Dair (I'd LOVE IT) but at this point I need a strong, independent Blair to validate all the time and emotions I've put into this TV show. I can't believe they're being such idiots about it now but I do think it's salvageable. And hey, at least Blair escaped, chose her Prince over Chuck, and put Serena in her place.

Seriously, I don't blame you at all, and if the finale goes as I'm DREADING it will go (because I have my hopes but I'm also a realist) then I'll be right there with you.

(PS I keep seeing "IP" everywhere and I don't know what that means... D:)

[felicityking.livejournal.com]

IP = Indecent Proposal. It's the name the GG team came up to shorthand Chuck trading Blair to save his hotel (also inspired by the Demi Moore movie).

Now, see, I think Chuck has already fallen. If a freaking GUNSHOT couldn't make him change, what else needs to happen that he will? Honestly, he could commit murder and his Daddy Issues would be brought up as way to justify his behavior.

I LOVE Dair, which is why I'll be youtubing them. I am sort of disgusted with myself that I can't bring myself to boycott the show altogether...but at least I won't be watching it live. (If I overthink it long enough, I will.)

And I'll definitely be reading your posts.

[swamp-ariadne.livejournal.com]

hi. wow just saw the episode. i cannot for the love of all things holy believe that they are not calling this abuse. i hope that sometime in the actual season finale they make blair realize that she is a victim here. some victims don't see themselves as victims in the middle of the whole ordeal anyway. i just hope something like this does play out because Leighton is supposed to be a spokesperson against domestic violence so if this doesn't result in growth for blair then clearly Leighton loses her cred as a spokesperson for the issue. i understand if they want blair's character to go that way, but in real life Leighton needs to actually say something here and call things as they are. it's one thing for the show to be up in your face about sexuality, but abuse is an entirely different ball game here.

[felicityking.livejournal.com]

"Leighton is supposed to be a spokesperson against domestic violence so if this doesn't result in growth for blair then clearly Leighton loses her cred as a spokesperson for the issue."

THIS. I don't hold her accountable for the idiots who are writing Blair--the actors clearly have no control over what happens in the writing room--but if she is still pro-Chair in real life after 4.20, then I seriously question her domestic violence campaign work. You can't have it both ways. And, if she tries to, my respect for her will go way, way down. (Ed is inconsistant, but overall-he's anti-CB. Also, he's not a spokesperson for anti-abuse campaigns.)

She hasn't done any interviews yet that I can find. However, "Monte Carlo" is coming in the next few months, so we should get her opinions soon.

[swamp-ariadne.livejournal.com]

the long arms of AbuseGate will reach far into the future... at least up to the end of this year.