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Anonymous writes...
Hi Greg. I'm loving Young Justice so far, and was rather surprised with some of the things you've been able to show, especially in the Bane episode. I don't know if the standards have changed recently, but I’m used to seeing grittier subjects being only alluded to. I really like it! I think it makes their circumstances seem more real and dire. Since I’ve already given my favorable impressions in earlier questions, I wanted to mention two things which I have found to be minor annoyances, mostly because they happen so frequently:
The first is Megan’s use of youthful vernacular. It’s awkward. Since you write these kinds of lines naturally for other characters, I imagine it’s intentional to make her seem more alien. I just don’t know if it’s having the intended impact. The strongest example I can think of is after receiving an explanation of something in their plane, Megan responds to herself, “Like, duh, Megan!†Apart from the slightly awkward usage, and her not saying “like,†much, it gives me a negative impression of her when she does that. I tend to associate that kind of speech with bubble-gum, ditz caricatures. This may be contributing to the negative reaction I’ve seen mentioned a lot here towards female portrayal in the first few episodes. Artemis and Black Canary certainly don’t paint any negative pictures about women.
The second thing I've found slightly annoying is Robin picking apart words in every single episode, even if it’s just leaving off a prefix rather than a whole conversation about it. I don't think it would bother me if it happened often rather than always. I look forward to YJ episodes, and never know what kind of story to expect, but I also go in thinking, “Okay, what’s Robin going to say this time?†Since nothing else is so consistent (at least at present), it stands out a lot. It’s not a huge deal, but the frequency it’s used elevates it to catch-phrase notoriety, and it doesn’t seem like the sort of thing I should immediately call to mind when I think of Young Justice (Like Flintstones & “yabadabadooâ€). I don’t know how you feel about catch-phrases, though.
I hope this fan feedback is worth something to you, even if you disagree. I’m sure I’m not the only viewer who feels this way. Keep up the good work!
Greg responds...
She never says "Like, duh, Megan!" Never. She says, "Hello, Megan!" Now, you may be shrugging and saying "What's the difference, really?" But there's a big difference. Particularly, since one of your complaints is the "like" which in fact she never says. I think the reason she's saying this is already fairly obvious, but if not, it will be.
And I'll stand by our portrayal of women in this shows (and all my shows) as diverse and not monolithic. You don't have to like everyone of the female characters I write and produce, but I won't be bound or forced to portray them all in the same way in order to avoid any whiff of criticism.
As for Robin, the fact that you're asking yourself "Okay, what's Robin going to say this time?" positively THRILLS me. Catchphrases (assuming these qualify) don't bother me. I like 'em. And they're hardly limited to The Flintstones. Even Gregory House has a catchphrase.
Ultimately, my answer is "WE LIKE OUR SHOW."
By the way, I do appreciate that you were able to write up your criticisms without being rude or obnoxious. I may not agree, but I respect the way you presented your arguments.
Having said that, I am STILL going to ask: DIDN'T YOU SEE THAT BOTH OF THESE THINGS HAD ALREADY BEEN RAISED BY POSTERS BEFORE YOU? Did you add anything to the discussion or just inadvertently hammer me with the same complaints because you didn't follow the guidelines and didn't look to see that others had beat you to it?