laleia

So I really don't like Gossi so far. But we're not supposed to -- so far, all we've seen him do is behave like an asshole, repeatedly.

Last night, I was musing about how I don't think they would ever make a female character act as obnoxiously as him, simply because there would be no hope of the audience ever liking the female character enough for her to be a recurring character. The things he does, placing himself before the team, making moves without consulting others, they are all things that will presumably eventually be forgivable as we get to know him better and he changes, but if he were a female character, fandom would hate and despise him so much that she would never get the chance to remain a character.

And so I just watched S3 Episode 13, where they had the woman that was meant to be his younger self -- young and obnoxious and putting herself first and not consulting others, etc. Gossi sees her as a younger version of himself; Emily mentions how behavior the others criticize in her would be more acceptable in a guy who had "balls"; she herself talks about how ambition is especially jarring in women.

It's kind of like they're trying to make a statement about how she and Gossi are the same kind of asshole, but Gossi accumulated lots of success and presumably will continue doing so, whereas she is more openly despised and suffers more criticism.

Because, you see, Gossi can be an asshole and get a book deal and be famous and have everyone know him. When she does the same, she gets "put in her place" -- threatened with torture, sexually preyed upon, made into a victim.

Even though I don't like the things she does throughout the episode, I do like that she didn't consider herself a victim at the end (even if we as the audience are meant to agree with Gossi that she is in denial). And even though I don't approve of her being obsessed with the media, I like that she chose to go to the reporters, that she didn't change, that she didn't let being a victim affect her ambition. (Even if I think she need therapy.)