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Really like how this post comprehensively lays out so many important things. Also, I hadn't thought of the "Jack is the reader" concept! That intrigues me.
Speaking of Death of the Author & Chuck, I'm gonna bounce off of that & elaborate in a thread below:
#Supernatural
https://twitter.com/kittimau1/status/1327904950517723136
Speaking of Death of the Author & Chuck, I'm gonna bounce off of that & elaborate in a thread below:#Supernatural
https://twitter.com/kittimau1/status/1327904950517723136
What I'm about to say is kind of mentioned in the above post, but I wanted to go a little in depth with this today anyway, so here we go:
What #Supernatural is doing with Death of the Author / Chuck wouldn't be as effective if it weren't tied to toxic masculinity & queerness.
What #Supernatural is doing with Death of the Author / Chuck wouldn't be as effective if it weren't tied to toxic masculinity & queerness.
We all understand SPN's been "playing the long game" here. They have positioned the characters AS being characters in a story. As a result, they've inspired doubt in the brothers as they try to find certainty in themselves. Simultaneously, this inspires doubt in the VIEWERS.
They & we ask: What is real?
This centers characterization. It ties to Samâs desire for a peaceful life & Deanâs (queer) repression & anger. They feel burdened by who they think they're ~supposed to~ be; it was metaphorical & is now textual, as they're controlled by Chuckâs pen.
This centers characterization. It ties to Samâs desire for a peaceful life & Deanâs (queer) repression & anger. They feel burdened by who they think they're ~supposed to~ be; it was metaphorical & is now textual, as they're controlled by Chuckâs pen.
What extra-narrative purpose does this serve?
I've already talked elsewhere about why "author as villain" matters here. But to go a step further... by ~sowing doubt~ in the legitimacy of the text, they are calling attention to the details & to who the characters are as people.
I've already talked elsewhere about why "author as villain" matters here. But to go a step further... by ~sowing doubt~ in the legitimacy of the text, they are calling attention to the details & to who the characters are as people.
What do I mean by that?
To put a name to it: toxic masculinity & heteronormativity are what burden them, as products of Chuck's influence. What appears through the cracksâthe hopes, fears, love, subtextâis what's REAL, for both them & for us.
As an example of how this can work:
To put a name to it: toxic masculinity & heteronormativity are what burden them, as products of Chuck's influence. What appears through the cracksâthe hopes, fears, love, subtextâis what's REAL, for both them & for us.
As an example of how this can work:
If people later try to say âThis isnât Dean,â others can point to subtext & not only say âIt is. You just didnât pay attentionâ but ALSO say âThatâs Deanâs truths pushing through Chuckâs narrative.â What looked like an accident (& once was!) now has an in-universe explanation.
They have stated this premise explicitly; the writers have pointed this out in text. How? By having Sam tell Eileen that what they have is real. By having Cas tell Dean what they have is real. By having Cas equate happiness/freedom with being openly queer & free of controlâŚ
âŚ& by having Dean recognize that, internalize it, &âin 15x19 so farâembody it. Itâs about character growth (for Sam too), & Death of the Author, yes.
But this narrative is as STRONG as it is & #Destiel is positioned as the crux of it because it is a powerfully queer premise.
But this narrative is as STRONG as it is & #Destiel is positioned as the crux of it because it is a powerfully queer premise.
Freedom from othersâ control. Freedom from the expectations of the father & the Father, from duty & religion. Fighting to discover your authentic self, breaking away, & having the courage to live your truth & write your own story.
These are inherently, inescapably queer themes.
These are inherently, inescapably queer themes.
As 10x05 posits (unintentionally at the time): "Where is the truth in Supernatural?"
Shift punctuation: where is the truth in "Supernatural"âin Chuck's creation, & in the various writers' creation?
Over the past few years, the show has been endeavoring to present the answer.
Shift punctuation: where is the truth in "Supernatural"âin Chuck's creation, & in the various writers' creation?
Over the past few years, the show has been endeavoring to present the answer.
The truth is rejecting toxic masculinity. It's expressing how you feel & what matters to you. It's breaking free of WHAT others think you should be & knowing WHO you are. It's realizing love is the point.
Happiness is in the being.
Now all they've got left is to bring it home.
Happiness is in the being.
Now all they've got left is to bring it home.
Okay yeehaw here's a Tumblr version https://alwaysanoriginal.tumblr.com/post/634876900976869376
