Not to mention the queer angle - I mean this is the other thing that is so fascinating. Since the PILOT, Sydney's portrayal has demonstrated many, many characteristics of the closeted sissy sidekick trope. And I think making Sydney a genie is somewhat of a brilliant move in this regard, considering Orientalist stereotypes of middle eastern men as inherently queer, effeminate, pansexual, and Fairytaleland as this ultimate iteration of the kyriarchy and its pathologies. And I think they actually could have gone here with a critically engaged perspective since thus far, the M.O. of the show has been to poke holes in the romanticization of Fairytaleland.
Instead, Genie's subjectivity is ultimately rejected (and contained), and Sydney is Regina's new playboy??? For whatever reason I'm ok with pulling on old heterosexist tropes of subordinate sissies up until the point that they are pushed back into heterosexual paradigms, but, at that point, it feels like Sydney the character isn't allowed to exist except as a mirror of Regina... Which doesn't feel meta (the show isn't in her pov!) it just feels like we saw an episode about a character they refuse to fully construct.
Also - I FEAR YOUR RETCON IDEA D: And, I had a similar reading with Julie on the King Toby / Evil Queen situation.
Oh but one more thing! I think it is telling that one of the least believable Emma storylines intersected the racist sexist storylines since it's all just lazy writing....
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pt 2
Date: 2012-02-04 01:37 am (UTC)Instead, Genie's subjectivity is ultimately rejected (and contained), and Sydney is Regina's new playboy??? For whatever reason I'm ok with pulling on old heterosexist tropes of subordinate sissies up until the point that they are pushed back into heterosexual paradigms, but, at that point, it feels like Sydney the character isn't allowed to exist except as a mirror of Regina... Which doesn't feel meta (the show isn't in her pov!) it just feels like we saw an episode about a character they refuse to fully construct.
Also - I FEAR YOUR RETCON IDEA D: And, I had a similar reading with Julie on the King Toby / Evil Queen situation.
Oh but one more thing! I think it is telling that one of the least believable Emma storylines intersected the racist sexist storylines since it's all just lazy writing....