The few cartoons that I’ve seen don’t involve this pink hedgehog character. Sonic has mostly been running around on his own with Tails or been helping a group of Freedom Fighters. The Freedom Fighters version tends to have him interested in a squirrel(1) lady named Sally Acorn. Their budding relationship is believable. They both have similar goals and become friends while working towards those goals. It’s perfectly plausible that they could become closer and have a romantic relationship as time goes on.
My curiosity forced me to look up this Amy Rose character. According to Sonic News Network, Amy has been in many of the Sonic games, comics and an anime series unrelated to the Freedom Fighters’ universe. She’s decided that she is Sonic’s girlfriend. She follows him everywhere in order to prove it. Sonic doesn’t share her feelings. In other words, Amy is a crazy stalker chick determined to live the lies of a one-sided relationship.
This brings a serious question to mind. Why are characters like Amy Rose so readily embraced by a fandom? Why would anyone think that a stalker and a victim should be a “one true pairing”?
What really gets me is that the stalker character type is a common theme in TV shows. One character pursues another character with the insistent belief that they are meant to be together The pursuer shows no respect or consideration for the victim’s feelings, privacy or freedom. The victim is constantly harassed or forcibly coerced into accepting the stalker’s love.
One of the most famous examples of “stalker love” is the Looney Tunes character “Pepe Le Pew”. He lustfully pursues Penelope Pussycat with no regard to her attempts to derail him. Penelope has done everything from trying to run away from Pepe to causing him physical harm to flat out telling him that she’s not interested. Simply because *he* wants her, Pepe doesn’t care what Penelope says or does. Somehow, this is supposed to be “funny”.
Another example of this “humor” is the 1989 TV show, Family Matters. From the show’s beginning episode in 1989 to its finale in 1998(2), the nerdy Steve Urkel forces himself upon his neighbor and schoolmate, Laura Winslow’s, home, her life and her heart. Nothing that Laura can say or do will detract Steve’s obsessive belief that she is his one and only true love. Even during the later seasons in which they each find romance separately, Steve still tries to pursue Laura. Apparently this was funny enough to carry nine seasons.
Now Amy Rose joins the stalker character list. I honestly do not understand or find “stalker love” humorous in the least.
Romance should be about two people SHARING feelings for each other. Romance should never be about one character forcing themselves upon another whether that other likes it or not. Why do people continue to consider stalking someone relentlessly as “love”? That is hardly love. It’s harassment and possibly rape. When someone disrespects another character’s feelings, denies them their freedom or to be who they are there’s no “love” there. It’s a case of wanting to be a control freak, a dominator or a self-centered narcissist. Because people who love each other don’t treat each other like glorified personal prizes.
In short, a stalker/victim “one true pairing” just isn’t love. Why is such a relationship embraced by others? I have to wonder what kind of chemical imbalance allows a person to think stalker love is anything but a grotesque farce. I fail to understand why so many people approve of it.
Footnotes:
(1) I have NO clue what Sally is supposed to be. Is she a deer or a chipmunk maybe? Nope, apparently she’s a squirrel according to Sonic News Network http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Sally_Acorn
(2) Family Matters entry on the Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096579/
Whoa, now. Penelope never says *anything* to anyone. In the last 2 Pepe shorts, she wants Pepe. A number of times, when the tables were turned - she chased him. In the newer cartoons, she returns his affections.
ReplyDeleteBesides, that was during the 50's and 60's, when men chasing women was still in fashion. When the Marx brothers chased girls, wasn't it funny?
if you want to talk about a real turncoat stalker, try mentioning Bluto, who went after Olive Oyl in most every Popeye cartoon. he even menaced and put her in mortal peril quite often. Pepe never tied Penelope to the railroad tracks. IMHO Pepe has been unfairly treated by women's libbers since the 80's.
Actually, Penelope has "silently" told him off at least once behind a pane of glass. The only time she's returned his affection was when he got doused with some kind of love potion.
ReplyDeleteBluto's methods were "either love me or die". No less evil than a crazy stalker. And no more evil than some of Pepe's "capture methods" - going so far as to chain himself to poor Penelope to prevent her from escaping. And the "those times" are no excuse. Pepe gets exactly what he deserves from women's libbers.
Do You Even think about or read what you write??
DeleteYour ENTIRE 2nd paragraph is ridiculous! So Attempted Murder is just as bad as bondage? Those times? A fat lot you'd know about them! Some of us lived through them, remember? You're always putting the smackdown on romance because you know Nothing about it. Don't you *dare* knock it till ya try it.
You're always ready to call people out when they say stupid wrong things - so this time I'm calling You out. Let's hear about all your romances and experiences!
Whoa whoa whoa... Who is calling whom out about "thinking before they write". Huh? You just sit there and run your text about "don't you dare" or "You can't say til you've done". Well you know what? Simply because someone hasn't had YOUR experiences in life does NOT make you the "all-knowing and only one" allowed to speak on a matter.
ReplyDeleteYou will "hear about" whatever I feel like writing about. I'm not beholding to anyone with a superiority complex.
Maybe in your perverted little world bondage is a fun little sex ploy. For most people bondage is restraint. Ending someone's freedom without consent is just as traumatic and evil as trying to end someone's life.
As you told me, yourself, you also didn't like the "practically rape" aspect of Le Pew's personality. In case you failed to notice that aspect is what is mentioned in the main post.
So if you want to exonerate Le Pew from the wrath of women's libbers, try focusing on the aspects that you do like about him rather than attacking those who don't auto-tune to YOUR ideals.
Me, I like stalker characters in cartoons. It's mostly always a girl that has a huge crush on the main character an try to get them no matter what. Some of my favorites are Tootie,Panini,Pooca, and Amy Rose.
ReplyDeleteI think the these characters are hilarious when done right and doesn't go to much into "creepy stalker". also as the series of their cartoons goes on, they all have character development that shows that they're more then just lovesick stalkers.
Now I do ship these characters with there respective crushes. I do this knowing that it's a cartoon cliche that most cartoons follows at the end of the series, the crusher gets the crushie.the crushie always falls in love with the crusher because they always kinda like them and they was shy to tell them throughout the series or for some other reason.
Example:
ChowderxPanini(Canon that to last episode of chowder)
TimmyXTooie(Canon thanks to live action movie)