[Totally chill discussion] Does the Recent Harley Quinn Episode Misrepresent Snyder-Cut Folk?

General Discussion Movies & TV
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First of all, love the show. Everybody continues to kill it and it’s one of the few shows I watch now that actually gets me cackling on a regular basis. I’m literally always recommending it.

Not here to hate, cause arguments, offend, or the like, just want to put something out here to see if others agree.

Newest Harley Quinn episode was a total highlight, really enjoyed how up front it was (along with the whole show) and how risky it was with where they out Batman at the end (“risky” in the context of how loud some can get at altering source material. Personally, we should really be allowed to do anything with source material), but does anybody think it painted Snyder-Cut supporters incorrectly?

I understand this is clearly just for jokes, clearly for funnies while also including a point. It’s a fun laugh at the expense of an exaggerated version of a certain kind of people, but it sort of rubbed me the wrong way that the guy with the Snyder-Cut shirt was a pretty presumptuous sexist, among other things. I understand the fact that their jerks and misogynistic is the whole point of the bit, that they’re anti-The Harley Quinn Show people and the quality of the episode they watch challenges their opinions and proves them wrong in a sense, (because people who have those qualities challenge and dislike the show in real life), but throwing the Snyder-Cut shirt on the guy kinda makes it seem like the show understands Snyder-Cut supporters as people who share these traits to some general degree. That being said, you could also understand these characters as jerks who also coincidentally support these ideas that are on display on their shirts, but considering it’s a short bit it comes of to me that the shirts are pretty much part of their identity and meant to represent the general treatment from and ideals of the people who have been vocal online for these same things displayed on their shirts.

With that down the drain, the ultimate reason I bring this up is because I don’t feel I’ve ever seen/met a Snyder-Cut supporter like this and thus I kinda feel newest episode of Harley Quinn misrepresents them (I can’t speak for anti-The Last Jedi people). Snyder folks that I know/have seen online are progressive, are not sexist, and are pretty big fans of The Last Jedi actually. These fans support their pretty diverse casts and basically just want creative freedom supported from what I know. Yes, hardcore Snyder-Cut peeps can be annoying online with the constant hash-tagging and loud behavior, but as far as I know things have never gone farther than that in the general sense we’re speaking, right? No harm seems to be actually done by them just asking (yes, constantly) for something a lot. That’s the worst thing they’re guilty of from my experience, so I feel like the show is almost assuming the quality of their character based on annoying, bordering on troll-ish, internet behavior and misrepresnting them here.

I just worry about misrepresentation because I worry about it affecting the way others may treat the people being misrepresented. Like I said, Snyder-Cut supporters I know aren’t sexist, aren’t misogynistic, and aren’t racist, I would hate for them to be treated as such. But at the end of the day, this is all mostly for fun.

What do you think? Did I miss anything? Do you agree or disagree? Do your experiences with Snyder fans/cut supports differ? Have I forgotten something obvious? Am I reading top far into this? If you read all this, thanks.

This is the most I’ve written since college. Have a good one!

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The Joke is he “hates” the Harley Quinn show, but Knows everything about it because he watches every episode. (It’s called Irony, or whatever)

It wasn’t Sexist. it. was. a. Joke.

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Right, like I said. I know it’s a joke. Sorry that I poorly sold how chill I was trying to be with this. But thank you for including that part of the joke in the intro I missed/totally didn’t include here, and honestly thank you for replying (was worried i wasn’t going to see replies here lol).

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I was just beating the “Internet Keyboard Warriors” to the punch. I’m cool with it being Chill. Call me Mr. Freeze. Oh wait he died… :sob:

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Perhaps the jabs could have gone both ways instead of just at the Snyder fans, like myself, even if it’s just a joke
Remember
“If you have to explain it, it’s not funny!!”

  • Joker, Batman TAS
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ayye, nice. Fair enough, Mr. Freeze!

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Criticism of The Last Jedi frequently devolves into “Disney is virtue signalling” nonsense criticisms, so it’s absolutely fair to say that many (but not all) TLJ haters hate it because they’re misogynists.

On the other hand, criticisms of the Justice League theatrical cut have absolutely nothing to do with hostility toward diverse representation. If anything, it’s the opposite. Snyder Cut supporters want a version of the film without the leering shots of Gal Gadot’s backside. They want a cut where the Flash doesn’t bury his face in Wonder Woman’s cleavage.

I can understand where people might assume that Zack Snyder fans in general are obnoxious dudebros. After all, Zack Snyder is an obnoxious dudebro. But look at his two DCEU movies. Shirtless dudes abound, as if this were a firefighter calendar. The camera reserves “male gaze” shots of the women for moments when the female characters are actively trying to project attractiveness, often presenting them in powerful poses otherwise.

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If I’m being honest, it did kinda rub me the wrong way because while it’s obviously a joke. The “Release The Snyder Cut” movement was partially started as a fundraiser for support of Snyder after his daughter passed away. So personally I think it’s insincere and a low blow to her memory and all the fans. Just upsetting.

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The most uncomfortable thing to see was how big man held the game controller. That was weird. That’s a weird way of holding an Xbox One controller. I don’t think people should let the improbable release of an alternate cut of a movie we’ve had years to see be any part of a their fan identity. Martha man took a shot and missed, happens to the best. Let’s move on to the next one and hope he doesn’t.

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Here’s a better, more accurate representation of what #ReleaseTheSnyderCut supporters sound like: https://twitter.com/FilmGob/status/1256246142624575488?s=19
(It’s an edited version of the Harley Quinn scene with the two fanboys, but with Kevin Smith superimposed over the Snyder Cut fanboy)

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Well sure, I wouldn’t really define myself on that, but ultimately it’s chill if people are chill about it in return.

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I shouldn’t comment, here, because I don’t particularly care where the main line of the DCEU goes. So, I apologize in advance for whoever’s shins I’m going to accidentally kick.

From an outside perspective, the Snyder’s fans look like they’re set up to be problematic. The superficial impression I’ve gotten is of a group of predominantly men worried about “ruining” what most people see as a boring version of Superman, and proposing a conspiracy theory that a movie they feel entitled to see is being hidden from them and arguably harassing folks like Jim Lee whenever he posts somewhere. That sequence is worrying, because it generally comes with a helping of decrying political correctness and threatening to sexually assault any non-white, non-male invaders into “their” space.

That said, other than bugging prople like Jim Lee (and failing to call out the people who do), who obviously have no authority over the DCEU, I have yet to see people really confronted about having a different view, so it’s clear that the impression isn’t accurate. Just about everybody seems to be directing their anger appropriately.

As for the mocking, DC (especially in the past, under Didio) has certainly had an unfortunate glee in painting its critics with broad strokes as villains. For example, Superboy Prime is literally a metaphor for Silver Age comic book fan (his original appearance was as a Superman fan from our Earth) who’s so angry, that his criticisms of modern comics are destroying the industry. So, I can definitely understand skepticism that the joke is in good faith and share it. But it’s also just a t-shirt that the character is wearing unrelated to the dialogue, and like I mention above, it’s not hard to imagine a hypocritical creep taking “the Snyder Cut” as a community he thinks he’s a part of, given its structural resemblance to things like GamerGate. By that measure, it doesn’t represent the movement at all, much less misrepresent it.

I actually hope we see more of the characters to get a sense of who’s being skewered, though, since that sequence was a lot funnier than it deserved to be.

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To me, it did feel like this was a jab at people who debate movies and other things. I enjoy discussing what-ifs with friends, but felt like the intro of the show makes people who do that look like basement-dwelling internet trolls. It is the people that take those debates seriously that are problematic. It kinda felt like a personal attack as I was going, “But I like Harley Quinn.” during the intro.

I thought they were insulting people who wanted to see the release of the Snyder cut, but it seems a lot of people thought they were supporting it as well. Just because it was on a shirt like the Last Jedi isn’t canon, which is something people say a lot of toxic fans say.

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Initially, it bore a resemblance to Gamergate and Comicsgate. Then it became a charity fundraiser. I’m still waiting for the -Gaters to do anything like that.

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My first thought was: “Eh, villainizing overweight people and fans seems in poor taste.”

Then I thought: “Well, its on par for some parts of DC, Teen Titans Go does it now and then. This is Harley, it’s hardly the first joke in questionable taste. Comedy is subjective, maybe this joke wasn’t for me.”

Either way it doesn’t work as humor for me, it hits that tasteless spot where the joke seems to drown in the writers bile for other humans.

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Very much my point, though I didn’t know about the charity, that if they’re terrible people, they’re definitely the nicest “terrible people” I’ve had the opportunity to run across…

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Full disclosure, I didn’t watch the episode yet but I did see a video of this scene and also I don’t know anything about the inner workings of the Release the Snyder Cut community. I have seen them around the internet. To me, the scene in this episode was a jab at fan culture in general. DC poking its own fans. Because we all know fans are never satisfied with anything, we complain about everything, we make unfair comparisons, etc. It’s just what we do, people! DC acknowledged it.

The show Animaniacs (also from WB) did a very similar thing back in the day. Poking fun at those “super fans” who point out every little continuity error. Youtube the " Please Please Pleese Get a Life Foundation".

In short, I wouldn’t worry about it. I think they saw an opportunity to make fun of multiple groups of fans at once, and took it.

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the campaign has also organized significant donations to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in honor of Snyder’s daughter, with the amount raised to date totaling $171,408.

Source:

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Funny, I “fit” both of those shirts. I don’t act like that though… or at least I hope I don’t. :smiley:

My thoughts though, maybe the jabs were inconsiderate. I just viewed it as “stereo typical elitist nerds”, although probably putting the two most controversial topics in fandoms on the shirts maybe wasn’t helpful? RTSC fans seem cool with it from what I’ve seen. (I’m going to rock this avatar a bit and probably buy a shirt).

I just wish people/fans could come to terms with other people/fans likes and dislikes. It’s okay to like things. It’s okay to dislike things. Just don’t attack the fans or directors or whomever. Empathize somewhat. But I’m reminded of that episode of The Office were they are debating some actress if she is “hot or not”. “People are just going to get more set in their views…” or some quote like that.

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I thought it was pretty brave to even have a character from DC wearing “Release the Snyder Cut” on it. If you read what’s said in the media, WB wants to sidestep the whole Snyder cut situation, which makes this all the more funny.

(I don’t believe everything I read, of course)

As for Last Jedi? That’s a whole other can of worms to get into, but people wearing either of these shirts, I took, as part of the overall joke. Lampooning is an art form. MAD magazine, anyone?

Can’t say it enough. The Harley Quinn writing team are doing some amazing work on this series.

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