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apocalypsosSo, here's the thing. I love Shannon. I do. As bitchy as she can be, I love the little blond twit. And while I understand all of the anti-Shannon bias out there, I do feel like I have to stand up and defend her, since it doesn't look like anybody else is stepping forward to do so anytime soon.
Let's just get this out of the way first things first. Am I going to deny she's a bitch? No, that wouldn't exactly help my argument. She is a bitch, but then again, someone has to be the bitch. You can't have every single female being this wonderful, sweet, gentle flower of feminity. It doesn't work that way. If every single woman was, under her faults, kind and beautiful and well-meaning, we as a fandom would be crying foul. Not all women are like this, we'd be saying. Enter Shannon.
I mean, let's look at the other women on the island who've been given substantial parts. Kate is ... well, the writers would have us believe that regardless of her criminal record and possible murderous past, Kate means well, can do pretty much everything, is beautiful and capable, etc. Personally, I don't want to watch Kate, because either she's being portrayed as too perfect or, when she's allowed to be selfish, is difficult to watch. Claire is cute and adorable and is now a mother. She's lovely, but she's also never been one for displays of anger. Sun is smart, creative, and the calm center of the storm. And Rose, the few times we have seen her, has been the spiritual earth mother of the survivors.
Damn it, somebody needs to be the pissed-off one. Someone needs to have spoiled fits, throw things, have tantrums and just be generally self-centered and pessimistic every once in a while. And let me point out that I did not say "always." Shannon is not always the bitch, the same way that Claire is not always the adorable one and Kate is not always the one who knows what to do (although it certainly feels that way sometimes). Shannon is the one who's allowed to say what the rest of the castaways (and the audience) may be thinking, but might not want to say. She doesn't have to use the same off-switch that everyone else gets to use out of politeness, although she does use it most of the time.
Now, when they first landed on that island, Shannon wasn't being forced to change her ways. In one of the few optimistic displays she's ever shown, she was positive that a ship was coming to save them. Granted, there was a substantial thread of selfishness in that belief, because it meant that she didn't have to help them prepare or hunt for food or anything. But there was a certain desperate hopefulness to it, because if they weren't getting rescued, then she was going to have to grow up and behave like someone who wasn't a spoiled princess. And with the life she'd had, would any of us want to give that up?
But think of the difference between the Shannon we met in the first few episodes and the Shannon we saw in "Do No Harm." The simplest comparison would come when you compare what Shannon was wearing when she went to Sawyer for bug repellent way back when and what she was wearing when she and Sayid showed up at the end of "Do No Harm." Back then, she walked up to him in a filmy top and skirt wearing flipflops. In "Do No Harm," she spent the episode wearing a sensibly light long-sleeved shirt over a tank top (light enough to be cool in the warm temperatures but covering up enough to keep her from burning), jean shorts, and sneakers. Over the course of the season, she's probably made the quietest adaptation from acting as if she's on an extended beach vacation to realizing that they're probably going to be there a while, and even if she doesn't get as much screentime as many of the others, the costumers have made a simple display of how she's changed in her wardrobe.
Of course, she's not all fixed and perfect. That's not coming anytime soon. Think of how much she has in common with Cordelia Chase from "Buffy" and "Angel." They're both spoiled little princesses used to getting whatever they want until extraordinary circumstances beyond their control forced them to change their attitudes. Cordelia took several seasons to change, and even when we'd been exposed to her for three seasons, I can remember the fanbase raising a collective "Uh ... why?!" when it was announced that Cordelia would be heading to L.A. and working with Angel. I can still remember people calling her a bitch even then, and that was after three seasons worth of working her slowly away from that. If Shannon suddenly became a cuddly, fluffy kitten overnight, we'd shout down the writers with complaints. She's going to be like this for a while.
I think we all realize that a lot of the change in Shannon's personality will come this week, when we see how she reacts in front of the others in regards to Boone's death. As much as it might pain me to say it considering how much I liked the dumb little puppy, Boone's death does have as much resonance as the writers have said it does. It affects Locke, who loses his greatest ally; it affects Jack, who couldn't save him; it affect Sayid, who now has to deal with whatever Shannon's reaction to this is; and it affects Shannon in huge, life-altering ways. This was her brother, no matter how much they might have downplayed that aspect of their relationship. Just because they were stepsiblings didn't change the fact that she always expected him to rush in and save the day, and he always came to help whenever they called. When I made the reference in Red Shirts and Blue Blankets to Boone holding her hair back while she vomited and making bulimia jokes, that's the exact mental image in my head of their relationship. Yes, they sniped at one another and fought and generally called each other every nasty name in the book, but he took care of her and she came to expect that she didn't have to worry about anything because her big brother was there to defend her.
But now Boone's not there to protect her, and you can't tell me that if you did cry during "Do No Harm," it wasn't during that scene where Shannon broke down. I think that that was the precise moment when she realized what a huge part of her life he was and how that piece of her life had just been ripped away from her. It's going to be interesting to see how she behaves for the rest of the season. It would be nice to see her find a new source of independence without Boone around to protect her, but it would be just as in character if she suddenly latched onto Sayid to a frightening extreme. And I wouldn't be surprised if Sayid played along for a while while gently working to let her off the hook and try to get her to be her own person. To be honest, if she's going to try and attach herself to a male protector on the island, it's probably a good thing she is going out with Sayid, because he'd be the one most likely to be gentle about transitioning her from dependent spoiled princess into independent woman.
Now, do I think that they'll last as a couple? Not really. I mean, I love Shannon and Sayid, and they're not bad together, but I don't see this relationship as being anything other than a way to get Shannon to grow up and become her own woman. Sayid is a gentleman of the highest order, but he's also not one to coddle Shannon when he knows she can take damn good care of herself. Hell, he even said as much to Boone. But this is pretty much a doomed relationship without some major change on her behalf, and like I said, I don't think "major change" is really something to look forward to anytime soon with Shannon.
I think my main problem with everybody's hate-on for Shannon is ... well, let me put it this way. There's a blond on the island who's a total jerk. At the beginning of the season, they didn't do a goddamn thing to help anyone, and only recently have they begun to show signs of being more integral to the workings of the island. They're snotty, snappish, and make a lot of lame, sarcastic comments, but they're gorgeous, so they think they can get away with it.
Was I talking about Shannon there? No, actually, I was talking about Sawyer. But, see, it's okay if Sawyer does it, because Sawyer is handsome and sexy and takes off his shirt a lot. *growls*
Look, I love Sawyer, too. And I know they're not exactly alike. But they are close enough in temperment and behavior to make me pissed off about the double standard. Let me get this straight -- it's okay if a man does it, because it's charming and sexy, but if a woman does it, it's bitchy and repellent? This is what bothers me the most about anti-Shannon complaints. Because the same people who complain about her selfishness and laziness fawn all over Sawyer for the exact same behavior.
Shannon is not that bad. Look at this way. The self-centered twit isn't around anymore at that level, and that's without the influence that Boone's death will bring on. Just imagine how much more palatable she might be in the future when she has to make do for herself and has to stop relying on everyone else.
*steps down from soapbox*
Let's just get this out of the way first things first. Am I going to deny she's a bitch? No, that wouldn't exactly help my argument. She is a bitch, but then again, someone has to be the bitch. You can't have every single female being this wonderful, sweet, gentle flower of feminity. It doesn't work that way. If every single woman was, under her faults, kind and beautiful and well-meaning, we as a fandom would be crying foul. Not all women are like this, we'd be saying. Enter Shannon.
I mean, let's look at the other women on the island who've been given substantial parts. Kate is ... well, the writers would have us believe that regardless of her criminal record and possible murderous past, Kate means well, can do pretty much everything, is beautiful and capable, etc. Personally, I don't want to watch Kate, because either she's being portrayed as too perfect or, when she's allowed to be selfish, is difficult to watch. Claire is cute and adorable and is now a mother. She's lovely, but she's also never been one for displays of anger. Sun is smart, creative, and the calm center of the storm. And Rose, the few times we have seen her, has been the spiritual earth mother of the survivors.
Damn it, somebody needs to be the pissed-off one. Someone needs to have spoiled fits, throw things, have tantrums and just be generally self-centered and pessimistic every once in a while. And let me point out that I did not say "always." Shannon is not always the bitch, the same way that Claire is not always the adorable one and Kate is not always the one who knows what to do (although it certainly feels that way sometimes). Shannon is the one who's allowed to say what the rest of the castaways (and the audience) may be thinking, but might not want to say. She doesn't have to use the same off-switch that everyone else gets to use out of politeness, although she does use it most of the time.
Now, when they first landed on that island, Shannon wasn't being forced to change her ways. In one of the few optimistic displays she's ever shown, she was positive that a ship was coming to save them. Granted, there was a substantial thread of selfishness in that belief, because it meant that she didn't have to help them prepare or hunt for food or anything. But there was a certain desperate hopefulness to it, because if they weren't getting rescued, then she was going to have to grow up and behave like someone who wasn't a spoiled princess. And with the life she'd had, would any of us want to give that up?
But think of the difference between the Shannon we met in the first few episodes and the Shannon we saw in "Do No Harm." The simplest comparison would come when you compare what Shannon was wearing when she went to Sawyer for bug repellent way back when and what she was wearing when she and Sayid showed up at the end of "Do No Harm." Back then, she walked up to him in a filmy top and skirt wearing flipflops. In "Do No Harm," she spent the episode wearing a sensibly light long-sleeved shirt over a tank top (light enough to be cool in the warm temperatures but covering up enough to keep her from burning), jean shorts, and sneakers. Over the course of the season, she's probably made the quietest adaptation from acting as if she's on an extended beach vacation to realizing that they're probably going to be there a while, and even if she doesn't get as much screentime as many of the others, the costumers have made a simple display of how she's changed in her wardrobe.
Of course, she's not all fixed and perfect. That's not coming anytime soon. Think of how much she has in common with Cordelia Chase from "Buffy" and "Angel." They're both spoiled little princesses used to getting whatever they want until extraordinary circumstances beyond their control forced them to change their attitudes. Cordelia took several seasons to change, and even when we'd been exposed to her for three seasons, I can remember the fanbase raising a collective "Uh ... why?!" when it was announced that Cordelia would be heading to L.A. and working with Angel. I can still remember people calling her a bitch even then, and that was after three seasons worth of working her slowly away from that. If Shannon suddenly became a cuddly, fluffy kitten overnight, we'd shout down the writers with complaints. She's going to be like this for a while.
I think we all realize that a lot of the change in Shannon's personality will come this week, when we see how she reacts in front of the others in regards to Boone's death. As much as it might pain me to say it considering how much I liked the dumb little puppy, Boone's death does have as much resonance as the writers have said it does. It affects Locke, who loses his greatest ally; it affects Jack, who couldn't save him; it affect Sayid, who now has to deal with whatever Shannon's reaction to this is; and it affects Shannon in huge, life-altering ways. This was her brother, no matter how much they might have downplayed that aspect of their relationship. Just because they were stepsiblings didn't change the fact that she always expected him to rush in and save the day, and he always came to help whenever they called. When I made the reference in Red Shirts and Blue Blankets to Boone holding her hair back while she vomited and making bulimia jokes, that's the exact mental image in my head of their relationship. Yes, they sniped at one another and fought and generally called each other every nasty name in the book, but he took care of her and she came to expect that she didn't have to worry about anything because her big brother was there to defend her.
But now Boone's not there to protect her, and you can't tell me that if you did cry during "Do No Harm," it wasn't during that scene where Shannon broke down. I think that that was the precise moment when she realized what a huge part of her life he was and how that piece of her life had just been ripped away from her. It's going to be interesting to see how she behaves for the rest of the season. It would be nice to see her find a new source of independence without Boone around to protect her, but it would be just as in character if she suddenly latched onto Sayid to a frightening extreme. And I wouldn't be surprised if Sayid played along for a while while gently working to let her off the hook and try to get her to be her own person. To be honest, if she's going to try and attach herself to a male protector on the island, it's probably a good thing she is going out with Sayid, because he'd be the one most likely to be gentle about transitioning her from dependent spoiled princess into independent woman.
Now, do I think that they'll last as a couple? Not really. I mean, I love Shannon and Sayid, and they're not bad together, but I don't see this relationship as being anything other than a way to get Shannon to grow up and become her own woman. Sayid is a gentleman of the highest order, but he's also not one to coddle Shannon when he knows she can take damn good care of herself. Hell, he even said as much to Boone. But this is pretty much a doomed relationship without some major change on her behalf, and like I said, I don't think "major change" is really something to look forward to anytime soon with Shannon.
I think my main problem with everybody's hate-on for Shannon is ... well, let me put it this way. There's a blond on the island who's a total jerk. At the beginning of the season, they didn't do a goddamn thing to help anyone, and only recently have they begun to show signs of being more integral to the workings of the island. They're snotty, snappish, and make a lot of lame, sarcastic comments, but they're gorgeous, so they think they can get away with it.
Was I talking about Shannon there? No, actually, I was talking about Sawyer. But, see, it's okay if Sawyer does it, because Sawyer is handsome and sexy and takes off his shirt a lot. *growls*
Look, I love Sawyer, too. And I know they're not exactly alike. But they are close enough in temperment and behavior to make me pissed off about the double standard. Let me get this straight -- it's okay if a man does it, because it's charming and sexy, but if a woman does it, it's bitchy and repellent? This is what bothers me the most about anti-Shannon complaints. Because the same people who complain about her selfishness and laziness fawn all over Sawyer for the exact same behavior.
Shannon is not that bad. Look at this way. The self-centered twit isn't around anymore at that level, and that's without the influence that Boone's death will bring on. Just imagine how much more palatable she might be in the future when she has to make do for herself and has to stop relying on everyone else.
*steps down from soapbox*
