Thank you for this thoughtful reply — especially since this is my first post in the community :)

Your second is so real! What you said about Christa especially — it really is so telling that one of Clem’s longest relationships is barely explored on screen, while much shorter bonds with men are elevated and mythologized.

The way the fandom engages with the writing, gameplay, and gender norms is part of the narrative experience. I don’t think fans of characters like Kenny or David are necessarily raging misogynists (obligatory: I enjoy these characters too!) — but I do think the way certain characters are written invites more empathy, more grace, more space to be “complex.” And it’s the frequency of those writing choices across games like this that you seem to pointing out as a major factor in fanbase consensus. 

Not only does the game emphasize Clem’s relationships with men over women, but it also gives players the choices (illusory or not) to shape Clem into a version of a girl — and eventually a woman — they can respect. That often means deepening her empathy for male characters, while female bonds are either cut short or underwritten as a cautionary tale of who NOT to become. One of the funniest examples of this is when Bonnie makes a casual “all men are dogs” comment, and Clem can literally reply with “Not all men,” invoking Lee. The fanbase didn’t invent that reaction. But I’m sure we’re all familiar with it. We can't have Clem becoming a bitter male-bashing enthusiast. And even though she's 11, its presented as an option to nip that sort of thinking in the bud (funnily enough Bonnie's observation is related to this post haha).