You say "bitch" like it's a bad thing.: seanan

You say "bitch" like it's a bad thing.

So here's the thing:

Sometimes I have bitchy days. Sometimes I've been woken up repeatedly during the night to arbitrate disagreements between the cats, or it was too hot to sleep, or I have lots of deadlines I need to take care of, or I just have a really painful zit in my ear. Whatever. I am a person, I have a right to the ball, and that ball includes the occasional bitchy day. Sometimes, I am not a happy little bundle of sunshine and zombie puppies, ready to spread my pathogenic joy across the world.

On those days, I tend to stay mostly in my room (or the nearest available equivalent), working industriously on whatever pisses me off the least, and interacting only with people whose response to my being snappy is "Yes, yes, dear, aren't you cute when you try to bite me, here, have a rawhide chew." I don't answer email unless I have to, because it's never nice to take somebody's face off just for asking when the next book is coming out (An Artificial Night, 9/10; Late Eclipses, 3/11; Deadline, 5/11, by the way). At that point, if you pursue me into my hole, well...

The reason I bring this up is that I've seen a tendency to write off female characters who aren't always sweetness, light, and the joy at the end of the sunshine tunnel. Jean Gray may destroy planets, but she does it while baking cookies, while Emma Frost saves the world and sneers. Jean is thus clearly the better heroine, more deserving of love and compassion and all that other wacky stuff. Wolverine, on the other hand, is an unremitting bastard, and that makes him cool. That makes him edgy. Because he's bad, see? He's bad.

I once had a proofreader return a scene from one of the Toby books with the note that Toby was being a real unbearable bitch. I wrote back, and suggested that for every instance of "October Daye," they substitute the male protagonist of their choice (they went with Harry Dresden) before looking at the scene again. The complaint was summarily withdrawn. To which I can only say, seriously, what the hell? Why is it tough and cool and all that other stuff from a male protagonist, but incredibly bitchy and hateful and awful from a female protagonist? Why do we all have to be Pollyanna, all the time?

Now, I am a natural Marilyn Munster, which means that ninety percent of the time, I'm happy and bubbly and ready to slather you in plague-carrying bats. But that doesn't mean that the Wednesday Addams girls are somehow less valid, or less deserving of their own stories. And it doesn't mean I'm not allowed to have a grumpy day once in a while. I'm just not allowed to use my grumpy day as an excuse for immuno-depressant smallpox.

Hmmph.

vincentursus

June 8 2010, 10:13:57 UTC 7 years ago

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Now, while I do not claim to be a comic book expert so there may be counter examples, but I was kind of under the impression that Emma Frost sneering was what made her, like Wolverine, an interesting character.

Where as Jean Gray was only interesting when mind controlled or possessed.

seanan_mcguire

June 14 2010, 18:18:08 UTC 7 years ago

Emma Frost's sneering is what makes her interesting, but it's also what gets her a lot of hating from certain quarters. Unfortunately.

arielstarshadow

June 8 2010, 11:57:34 UTC 7 years ago

Personally, I get irritated at any character who is bitchy/an ass/snarky "just because," which seems to happen a lot these days in books. For some reason, a lot of people out there seem to be using it as the major personality trait, and that just makes my teeth itch.

Now, justified bitchiness because people are trying to kill you, you haven't had enough sleep or coffee, and it's been a really, really bad day? Got no problem with this.

(Yes, please, no smallpox!!!)

admnaismith

June 8 2010, 14:52:09 UTC 7 years ago

There's no "just because" in snark. If it's a detective story, the detective is a snarky bitch because "prolonged exposure to the seamiest, grittiest side of the street has soured her on humanity". If it isn't, then the character had a bad relationship that has turned him into an enemy of civilization. These circumstances are such a given that it isn't usually necessary to point them out specifically in the story, and a lot of readers would accuse the writer of cliche-mongering if she did. :-)

June 14 2010, 18:18:32 UTC 7 years ago

Oh, I agree. "Bitchy as a defining characteristic" only works for me once in a very great while.

hooton

June 8 2010, 12:51:09 UTC 7 years ago

:tiptoes in:

You did a post last month about being excited by the idea that the Torchwood crew could walk into Waterstones in the UK and pick up a copy of Feed.

Well, I thought you might like to know that Feed is on the 3-for-2 promotions table at Waterstones in the UK, so technically they could come in, pick up Feed and also buy a couple of Doctor Who tie-in novels for some meta-love as well.

:tiptoes out:

:closes door gently behind her:

June 14 2010, 18:18:53 UTC 7 years ago

ZOMG.

That is AMAZING.

Thank you so much for letting me know!

tal125

June 8 2010, 13:11:11 UTC 7 years ago

Had the proofreader read any of the other Toby books because Toby is one tough protagonist. My own main character is a swordswoman who also takes no prisoners and defies the odds with a sneer. :)

June 14 2010, 18:19:10 UTC 7 years ago

Yup. Hence my surprise at the comment.

kittikins

June 8 2010, 13:37:26 UTC 7 years ago

My absolute "favorite" it when I am legitimately annoyed at someone and they make the kitty 'mrrw' noise. I am a grown woman. I am *perfectly* capable of the rational thought required to decide how many ways you have *just* pissed in my Cheerios and kitty 'mrrw' noise multiplies that number by about five. :P

June 14 2010, 18:19:42 UTC 7 years ago

Ye-ah. Making the kitty sounds at me, unless I started it, is a good way to get bitten.

marsdejahthoris

June 8 2010, 16:44:24 UTC 7 years ago

Eve Dallas. Just reading this post, I think you would LOVE Eve Dallas. Sometimes she's grouchy and snarky for a reason, sometimes because of her emotional scars, sometimes because it's just a bad day. And it's hilarious to watch her reaction to being called a "bitch" by various people. (Generally there's a "Yeah, and I'm good at it" reaction. It's great.)

June 14 2010, 18:28:51 UTC 7 years ago

What series is she from?

June 15 2010, 00:44:50 UTC 7 years ago

Nora Roberts writing as JD Robb, the "In Death" series. Sci-fi/romance/mystery/police books. They're shelved under mystery, usually, but sort of straddle the genres.