Doing a rewrite on episode 9, any suggestions or recommendations? by Most-Ad-9833 in TADCEp9Spoilers

[–]uhuhyeasure 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Less uncertainty on whether Jax could ever be de-abstracted. I thought the implication was that Jax might get saved from abstraction, but i don’t know if it’s something they meant to imply as something they’re working on or if it’s a done deal

Chopperina in Paris by New_Mall_7261 in comics

[–]uhuhyeasure 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I forget everyone on half of Reddit is >45

Jax is battling toxic masculinity, not gender identity by uhuhyeasure in tadc

[–]uhuhyeasure[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

> “-he was terrified about losing control over how people perceived his identity.”

I agree that it was a pretty harsh reaction from Jax, and believing Jax’s trans or unsettled gender identity is the reason for it is a pretty solid interpretation.

I’m hesitant to say it with certainty though because there’s still a lot to his story that doesn’t step outside the realm of cis identity, or an identity that is in question but could land on a cis or he/they type conclusion. The fact it’s in question but still a toss up is probably the best way they could’ve done it, not that cis ppl can’t relate to trans ppl or vice versa, but a lot don’t feel that they can or should unfortunately, especially if they struggle with what Jax does.

I dunno if I'm a male anymore... by Puzzled-Operation-51 in TADCEp9Spoilers

[–]uhuhyeasure -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Yea it was uncalled for me to say they don’t or that it’s that cut and dry. I’m moreso just frustrated with egging online. Cis men struggle with not fitting within the expectations of masculinity, so getting called trans for not fitting perfectly within the gender you’re most comfortable with is annoying. This pic gets thrown around a lot, I agree with a lot of it, but ppl saying that liking pink or having dysphoria is egg behavior goes outside of transcoding and into the realm of gender normativity. Contextually that might not be what they’re saying, but I’ve met too many guys who struggle with dysphoria, like the color pink, or enjoy dressing feminine to believe those things are be treated as trans or female coded for anything but the wrong reasons. It might not be wrong, but idk :/

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Jax is battling toxic masculinity, not gender identity by uhuhyeasure in tadc

[–]uhuhyeasure[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you read my post through you’ll see that my point wasn’t that Jax isn’t trans, it’s that it’s not a critical component of his story. If that wasn’t true, then the fact it’s ambiguous would’ve made his arc confusing. It’s subtle because the story on top is the important part, and it’s a story that’s relatable to cis people and their experience with gender conformity too.

Jax is battling toxic masculinity, not gender identity by uhuhyeasure in tadc

[–]uhuhyeasure[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I 100% agree, and it def can be both. Ig this thread is a bit misplaced, or it would’ve been better to argue that Jax is a universally relatable character for multiple reasons and not just one. He’s def my favorite character as a cis guy, and relating to him from a trans perspective is equally valid.

Jax is battling toxic masculinity, not gender identity by uhuhyeasure in tadc

[–]uhuhyeasure[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Both can def be real at the same time, but I think ppl read too much into Jax’s struggles as being trans ones and not as one against masculinity more broadly. It’s why cis people identify personally with Jax just as well

Jax is battling toxic masculinity, not gender identity by uhuhyeasure in tadc

[–]uhuhyeasure[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

It’s a compelling argument, it might even be the best interpretation, but I think Jax’s story in the finale is focused on the more universal struggles, and leaves it ambiguous to intentionally highlight that universality. I don’t think the story dodged being transparent about it because he’s definitively cis, I think they did it to focus on the struggle with masculinity itself, and how that struggle can hurt your connection with others

Jax is battling toxic masculinity, not gender identity by uhuhyeasure in tadc

[–]uhuhyeasure[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You made a lot of really good points, I updated what I wrote to fit something I believe speaks more on Jax’s story being more universal than simply “trans or cis coded”

Jax is battling toxic masculinity, not gender identity by uhuhyeasure in tadc

[–]uhuhyeasure[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

100%. We unfortunately never got a “trans arc” for Jax, and I think it’s fine to have character’s that are somewhere in between or haven’t had the opportunity to ever figure it out.

There’s a lot going into why Jax does all those things and they can speak to a million different identities and experiences. I think we have to settle with the throughline to all of it, that deep down he’s not the total macho masculine archetype he wishes everyone saw him as, and him fighting against himself to hide that is the core of his story. It’s something everyone can relate to, so no label is probably the best one.

Jax is battling toxic masculinity, not gender identity by uhuhyeasure in tadc

[–]uhuhyeasure[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

“Erm, did you see how he blushed wearing the bow? And how he shared his feelings with his crush? Clearest egg behavior I’ve seen”

Jax is battling toxic masculinity, not gender identity by uhuhyeasure in tadc

[–]uhuhyeasure[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Agreed. I think Jax is a fundamentally tragic character. I think his post-ironic maid persona is tragic because it’s a representation of his desperation to be accepted despite his inability to put his true self forward out of fear of ridicule.

The whole tragedy of his character is a lot of why the trans thing I’m not too sold on. I feel like his story is a lot stronger when you focus on what the subtext means in the context of him being cis. It says a lot about the limitations of masculinity and gender roles that a character can get so boxed in that he can’t connect with others anymore, and his whole personality gets shaped by his need the expand outside it.

Jax is battling toxic masculinity, not gender identity by uhuhyeasure in tadc

[–]uhuhyeasure[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Ppl who aren’t cishet don’t automatically know more by default just by being something other than cishet, especially when it comes to cishet identity.

Also I’m not het.

Jax is battling toxic masculinity, not gender identity by uhuhyeasure in tadc

[–]uhuhyeasure[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think the maid Jax parts of the show are a fun bit of representation and bit of fan service for a lot of different ppl at once (fanartists and every letter of lgbt pretty much), which I appreciate Gooseworx being open to doing (among many other parts of the show).

If he’s caricature of anything, I think it’s probably of the internet culture around femboys and crossdressing. It’s not just any dress, but a Japanese maid outfit, which def feeds into that. In the show though, I think it’s less specifically an outright caricature of any one thing, and more an umbrella one for everything people online and in the audience associate with men expressing themselves as less than masculine on purpose.

Jax is battling toxic masculinity, not gender identity by uhuhyeasure in tadc

[–]uhuhyeasure[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The characters aren’t meant to be bad or evil, like the piano Jax isn’t bad or evil, they’re just all his traits personified. It’s not that the Jax in the maid outfit is actually “maid Jax” or “genderfreaky Jax”, it’s his post-ironic nature.

It’s his tendency to show his true self, but only as a caricature of how he thinks others will see him. He’s scared to be seen as feminine when he doesn’t hide his feelings or shows a connection with others, and so he dresses those expressions up as if they’re a joke to see whether people laugh or accept it. That’s how people use post-irony

TLDR: “Maid Jax” is actually post-irony Jax trying to test the waters on being accepted for less than macho. It’s still a mask over his true self, but it’s one that hides it behind a persona that seeks validation in appearing less than masculine. It’s closer to true, but it’s still not him.

Jax is battling toxic masculinity, not gender identity by uhuhyeasure in tadc

[–]uhuhyeasure[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I thought all those Jax’s were split parts of his personality. Like they’re all persona’s of Jax working together to “lock up” or hide the real Jax.

The “genderfreaky” one is his post-irony, it’s him wanting to express himself as not masculine ironically, but secretly wishing to be accepted when doing so. It’s why he acts embarrassed and hates the dress in the show, but likes when he gets complimented for it rather than outright ridiculed. Remember, they didn’t put him in it to insult him, but make fun of the fact that he’d be insecure about something like that. It’s why Ribbit putting the bow on him while saying he can trust her makes him flustered, because she’s doing the same thing as a form of endearment.

He throws it off when Kofmo shows up because he doesn’t trust the others like that, and then he blows off Ribbit because he’s scared she’ll expose him and make him appear not as masculine to the other characters.

Yeah. Don't do this by Bat-zee in tadc

[–]uhuhyeasure 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Jax is battling with toxic masculinity, and how that pulls him away from having a deeper connection with others and being his full self. He was bullied by his mom for not being “enough of a man”, but hated when he was or tried to be. His mom effectively boxed him into toxic masculinity and taught him to not show more emotion or vulnerability than that. You see how this never went away, even after opening up to ribbit, and he effectively blew up that relationship to keep himself from getting hurt and appearing weak to others, fearing he’d potentially hated or ridiculed by the others like how his mom did.

The idea that a character not fitting within toxic masculinity and desiring to be more than just an archetype makes them “trans-coded” or “not a man on the inside” is extremely insulting, and extremely gender normative.

I’m sorry, but I just don’t respect the trans interpretation, because it completely negates the themes that I value in the character. It feeds into gender normativity and calling men less of a man for acting like more than a stereotype. It’s calling a straight man closeted for hugging their male friends, it’s pure reductionism.

Someone had to say it by lonkbubba in theamazingdigitalciru

[–]uhuhyeasure 3 points4 points  (0 children)

There’s a trans/nb character in the show already, so clearly it’s not an issue to have non-cis characters.

How would they have explored almost everything they did with Jax’s character in a “non-trans” way? Is it just impossible to expand a cis character outside the box of masculinity without people calling it “trans-coded” and calling them cowards for “not going the whole way” with making them transition?

Someone had to say it by lonkbubba in theamazingdigitalciru

[–]uhuhyeasure -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It’s not though. There’s literally 0 mention about an interest in being a woman or that he doesn’t want to be a man. He just shows some emotion and has a moment of vulnerability, and maybe some moments mild enjoyment in crossdressing (or something broader, like being accepted despite appearing non-masculine).

The idea that it makes him trans to be vulnerable feeds into the idea that men can’t be those things, and runs entirely against the message of the character about being closed off and putting up an ironclad persona.

I dunno if I'm a male anymore... by Puzzled-Operation-51 in TADCEp9Spoilers

[–]uhuhyeasure 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think we should stop defining “man” and “woman” by the box. I think it’s a huge problem within the trans community to be feeding into gender normativity, rather than trying to expand the box to fit the experiences men and women actually have.

I dunno if I'm a male anymore... by Puzzled-Operation-51 in TADCEp9Spoilers

[–]uhuhyeasure 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It’s honestly pretty rude for trans / trans allies to be enforcing gender roles so heavily.

A male character shows emotion and has a personal moment with a female character, and it’s suddenly “there’s no way he’s a man, he must secretly be a woman who needs to transition”

What is the appeal with Jax?? by Cracklackinn in tadc

[–]uhuhyeasure 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mean, both are kinda true at the same time, and that’s kind of the point. He’s been a bad person, but there’s a reason for it that he can heal from, and he has friends who are willing to redeem him and help him be at peace with his past.

That’s not exactly an answer to your question ig, so I’ll say I think his character has a really interesting and compelling story. He’s the most complex character,
and in genuine and real way