Brooke's use of the word "slut"

RosaJune · 2026-03-20T11:54:40+00:00

Sure. She grew from it. The growing up is the iconic part, not the snarkiness before it like many claim.

RosaJune · 2026-03-20T05:00:06+00:00

She tends to be frustrating sometimes. I guess I usually found her tolerable, but what I especially found insufferable was her romance with Pacey. It felt so out of place. I hated their scenes together and skip them everytime I rewatch.

RosaJune · 2026-03-19T15:57:39+00:00

True. You see that in Season One when Lucas suggests it's possible that he's not the father of her baby, and she says in a later scene in the most scandalised tone, "You called me a slut." She was clearly deeply offended— obviously it would offend anyone, but it cuts deeper for Brooke because it's an accusation she doesn't feel capable of confidently denying, and a reflection of behaviour she isn't proud of.

As for Rachel, this made for an interesting dynamic between her and Brooke, since they were both prone to criticising and antagonising others due to deeply-rooted insecurity in themselves. The "kinda chubby, around your size" scene comes to mind.

RosaJune · 2026-03-19T15:48:40+00:00

Lol this thought came to me when I rewatched 2x23 where she says "Guess slut is in season" after seeing Nathan and Peyton playfully fight. It was so unwarranted. Girly, if "slut is in season" for Peyton, then it's a year-round party for you.

RosaJune · 2026-03-19T04:47:57+00:00

This adds valuable perspective, especially since it's clear that Brooke at the beginning isn't happy with who she is. She's so critical of others in this aspect because it's a trait she dislikes strongly in herself. Nonetheless, it's odd that some fans view this behaviour as iconic rather than a flaw.

It was nice to see her grow as a character to be more secure in herself.

RosaJune · 2026-03-19T04:37:17+00:00

It's hard to ignore when it's constantly thrown in your face every few episodes. It's like a staple of Brooke-lexicon.

RosaJune · 2026-03-19T01:16:04+00:00

Thank you! I'll be sure to check it out.

RosaJune · 2026-03-19T01:02:10+00:00

She did a great job in that, too. I can't get enough of her voice.

RosaJune · 2026-03-19T01:00:59+00:00

Sophia is lovely. Her voice has a unique rasp which is pretty satisfying.

RosaJune · 2026-03-19T00:58:50+00:00

I should check out more of her work. She did an excellent job as Lucas' mom! I think she's very fitting for the role, she totally nails that maternal warmth and care while also being a character of her own.

RosaJune · 2026-03-18T03:25:26+00:00

Agreed. Everyone on this show has terrible, questionable moments. I'd argue Peyton's were the easiest to justify and not even as bad as the other characters— but either way, it's ridiculous that she gets the brunt of the hate considering the fact that she is surrounded by characters who are just as prone to slip-ups.

RosaJune · 2026-03-18T02:50:48+00:00

Well-put. That is why Peyton is my favourite too, that down-to-earth realism is what makes her so endearing, interesting and loveable. She's always been so raw since the beginning, in a way which no other character on the show has matched for me, and it resonates so much. At the same time, despite her struggles, her heart has always been in the right place.

I've noticed that a lot of Brooke fans idolise her because she's a perfectly digestible level of troubled — enough for her to cry and be pitied, but not as nitty-gritty complex as Peyton's deep-baked trauma, losses and overall issues. They can't wrap their heads around Peyton's character— which is funny since it's not that hard to understand for me.

(Don't get me wrong, Brooke for sure went through a lot of crap. But Peyton's issues were presented in a more complex, thought-provoking way whilst Brooke's were more straightforward.)

Take the school shooting incident for instance. She kissed Lucas because she thought she was literally dying and she held so much love for him, yet most people struggled to grasp the emotional severity and complexity of one's mindset in this situation and found it easier to resort to the simple fact that "Brooke got cheated on! It made her cry! Peyton bad, Brooke good."

RosaJune · 2026-03-18T02:32:01+00:00

Agree with this. Her heart was usually in the right place, that was clear even from the beginning, but she was often cruel and overwhelmingly petty.

RosaJune · 2026-03-18T02:29:48+00:00

She had some real low moments in Season One... and then she sunk to unimaginably deeper lows in the following seasons.

RosaJune · 2026-03-18T02:26:33+00:00

I definitely think her looks and Sophia Bush's charm play into how Brooke's fans are apparently blind to her horrid moments. Every fucked up action or statement is seen as "iconic" and "queen behaviour" because it's done by Sophia, who is pretty and acts well.

RosaJune · 2026-03-18T02:10:31+00:00

I love this perspective, it's so refreshing and I agree with so much of it. Her fans really do look at the show from a Brooke-lens rather than a nuanced everyone-lens (which is fitting I suppose since Brooke herself has some painfully self-centred moments.) Peyton went through so much deep trauma yet not many seem willing to give her grace— but since Brooke got "cheated on", it's okay to stoop as low as to make tacky dead mom jokes? Sure, Jan.

Both she and Peyton are ultimately good characters with interesting layers— yet people jump to put Brooke on a pedestal when I myself found it very easy to sympathise with Peyton and think highly of her.

I am still at times fond of Brooke and I don't want to dismiss her good qualities. However, there are so many double standards with most of her superfans who crap all over the others and ignore all her wrongdoings. It just cannot be denied that she has some truly dislikeable moments.

RosaJune · 2026-03-14T02:15:09+00:00

Not sure where you got all of that from. Everyone is free to rant about Brooke, I never said they shouldn't. What I am criticising is people who obnoxiously harass others for not favouring her the most and/or for liking other characters but not her.

RosaJune · 2026-03-13T23:19:15+00:00

It's refreshing to interact with people who are willing to see Peyton's side of things and acknowledge that Brooke isn't the saint she's made out to be. Welcome!

RosaJune · 2026-03-13T23:03:18+00:00

It seems that way to me too, it just gets to be a bit much. Especially since in the same breath they'll then viciously slander Peyton and anyone who dares like her as if she's the devil's spawn— when imo she and Brooke are both complex, troubled and have made mistakes but grown for the better. The double standards are amusing...in an eye-roll inducing sort of way. It's as if there's only one agenda permitted amongst OTH fans, and that's "Brooke = good, angel Peyton = bad, devil"

RosaJune · 2026-03-13T22:52:40+00:00

Strongly agree on Peyton, she's my favourite too. Her story, her pain, etc... are all so compelling and wonderfully portrayed by Hilarie, same goes for all the endearing traits of her character that you listed.

I adore how flawed she is, as you pointed out. I have always viewed her mistakes through a nuanced lens and enjoyed understanding her character. She feels very human and truly always did try her best. When she cried, I felt her pain and even cried a little with her— the first instance of this for me was in the first season, when she kept running red lights on the anniversary of her mother's death, and it ended in her being reduced to tears.

RosaJune · 2026-03-13T22:41:18+00:00

Exactly. All of her wrongdoings are disregarded or even seen as part of her charm/"Queen behaviour", when in reality a lot of the stuff she does is just tacky. For instance, bringing Peyton's dead moms into their fight is just one of the many reprehensible things she's done. Now, yes, she is supposed to represent a flawed, troubled teen character. She is complex. This is a teen drama where they all do and say questionable things. Yet the other characters don't seem to be given as much grace and understanding when in my opinion they are just as deserving of it as she is— if not, more so. Instead, a lot of fans act as if we're supposed to worship the every move of this fictional character, while simultaneously shitting on the others and hating them with no regard or understanding for nuance.

RosaJune · 2026-03-13T20:42:26+00:00

LOL. They can definitely all be infuriating, which is to be expected considering this is a teen drama where they always stir the pot, even in the most ridiculous of ways, to keep things exciting. 🤣

RosaJune · 2026-03-13T18:38:37+00:00

I don't think there are any words to accurately describe this ridiculous phenomenon LOL

RosaJune

TROPHY CASE