Leaving Ladies

[gingerberrycat.livejournal.com]

OK, so i'm a casual watcher and as such i'm not as familiar with Prentis or JJ.
I don't mean to be insulting, but neither character really stood out for me. Not the way Garcia, Reid, Morgan, and Hotch have.
I do think they're both fine actresses, and talented women, so my question here is what were some of the standout moments for either character?

Comments

[melodyclark.livejournal.com]

I've given you my reasons.

They aren't "quiet," in my estimation, they are dull. This is all subjective. All of your perceptions are subjective also. I'm not going to people as individuals and demanding their papers for thinking what they do.

The audience agrees. They are *not* favorite characters. So, you tell me, they needed to cut two characters -- which ones other than JJ and Prentiss?

[haildorothygale.livejournal.com]

I hope you don't mind me addressing both of your posts in this reply but...well, I guess I'm lazy.

I don't have to state my criteria. I'm not arguing a doctoral thesis.
True, but the OP's post was geared at eliciting discussion from interested parties. They asked a question. Yours came into a polite, but high emotion discussion and made an 'eh, so what' type post. This is something that is affecting a big chunk of fellow fans ...but oh well. Totally your prerogative of course, as it's mine to ask what criteria you based it on.

Gingerberry has made an eloquent reply regarding the characters themselves, so I'll leave it be.

My major problem with your argument is the reasoning though. In one post you describe them as the weakest characters, then in another you acknowledge the external restrictions placed on the characters by the business, largely due to gender stereo-typing and sexism, are responsible for this. I agree with this, however I don't find writing out two thirds of the female cast to be an acceptable alternative.

Your logic doubly punishes female characters and their actors, and doesn't actually do anything to combat the problem you yourself identified in your post. Additionally, you describe one actor in terms of his minority status and importance to the show, but not the women. You describe it as a creative decision and then argue from a financial POV. Then you denigrate the supporters of JJ and EP as just bitter shippers? That is just slipping into cliche territory right there.

This is all subjective. All of your perceptions are subjective also.
I have no issue with your opinion, I just think that you've presented several of your opinions in your posts as factual statements ("they lost the two weakest characters"/"Hotch, Reid and Garcia ...are not expendable") or strawmen, which need some backing evidence ("main reason people like these two characters is because they represent half of some pairing"). I could have sugar coated the phrasing a bit. I apologize if you felt attacked in any way.

The audience agrees. They are *not* favorite characters.
While I don't know the format of the poll you reference, online polls in general mean nothing, so please don't generalize "audience" views. For example, Reid could be 40% of the voting American audience's fav character, Garcia 20% and Hotch 10%. However Prentiss could be the close second favourite character of 95% of the audience. The poll, besides not being representative, won't record that.

This particular audience's attention was very casual until the Prentiss intro episode, and has largely been maintained by the strength of the writing for all characters, and the lack of overt sexism. Online CM fandom is admittedly male character centric, it's also quite misogynistic at times, which has kept me a lurker until today. So yeah, representation!fail. Just saying.

[melodyclark.livejournal.com]

I wrote a long article for OEN on sexism in media I'm well aware of it. I'm saying that this is the reality of the situation.

Demographers cover ALL audiences, not "just" American ones. Again, you tell me -- which character would you prefer to see removed rather than JJ and Prentiss.

I don't see anyone marching out logic for their pro-thread views. I'm just stating my opinions. The only reason you are objecting to me is that I'm trying to explain another perspective. I'm not the enemy. I just disagree with you.

And yes, my opinion is most of the objection on this community is wrapped around shipperness. I'm allowed that opinion without being bullied. I'm not contesting anyone's views. Just stating my own.

At this point, it has all become absurd. I'll leave you people to your amen corner.

[haildorothygale.livejournal.com]

which character would you prefer to see removed rather than JJ and Prentiss.
For the record, my argument has never particularly been about preference, mine or yours, those are both personal, although I haven't hid the fact that I disagree. However I agree that this is getting silly, and I don't want to incur any further bad feeling, but thank you for being polite about it all.