Just a follow up (on fictional characters), but it's those to tend to argue people get away because of pretty privilege repeatedly ironically end up the one who judge "not-so-good" people simply because of their looks. Even when that argument can be thrown right back at them.It's like saying on how some can get more sympathised than others just because they're females. Whilst that may be a point, the problem is that if they repeatedly use that arugment every time they encounter a female, they end up being unintentionally sexist. At the end of the day, let them like on what they like. Just because they like a good-looking character that's not perfect doesn't mean they're bad people, or bad intentions. Maybe it doesn't click with you, and that's ok.
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- Thread starter Yung Dramps
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Speaking as someone with an interest in writing, I think there are good examples of “well written” male and female characters out there but you have to know where to look, and even then what makes a character well written is almost entirely up to personal opinion. Whether it’s intentional or not is one thing, but the way female leads and, to an extent, female supporting characters tend to be written seems to be taking different approaches depending on what you’re looking into and where it’s being written (that is to say, different cultures have different ways of writing characters).
To me, a well written female character is typically going to be one that isn’t just part of a Cliché Trio archetype and actually has some reason to exist aside from being a forced love interest for a male protagonist or being written as a female character just to round out and “balance” the cast. Using the Pokémon anime for example, I’ve never been a big fan of any of May, Dawn, or Serena because to a point they all feel like the same character with the same arc and only marginally different backstories at the end of the day. They’re great representations of the Cliché Trio archetype I mentioned earlier, too (the other two being Ash and whoever the designated Other Guy is), and while this absolutely isn’t limited to these three characters, there have definitely been more than a few moments in this series and in fiction as a whole where the whole “Pretty Privilege” thing has been acknowledged or teased in some form.
Let me put it this way. I would much rather read or watch a well written character who just happens to be female than a female character whose appeal almost entirely comes from “Pretty Privilege” and any overused writing tropes in their respective series or genre.
Thank you for taking the time to respond, and I can see where you are coming from. Characters should be written as their own, not merely as "Pretty Privilege".
However, what I was addressing was not on how fictional characters can get away with praise because they're been written by "Pretty Privilege", but rather I was addressing how people/fans argue characters have been getting away with criticism because they claim they have "Pretty Privilege". Let me explain.
When I was in the Three Houses fandom, there was controversy over one of my favourite characters: Ingrid. This is hearsay since I couldn't find significant evidence, but apparently people claimed that Ingrid was racist because she was prejudiced against the Duscur like Dedue, as they killed her fiancé and king (which technically they're right), and they're unhappy with the claim because they say that she had a reason behind and that she grew. However, sometimes one of their main arguments was that people like Felix were worse, as he was even harsher towards Dedue in their Support because he called him a rabid cur. The apparent reason he wasn't called out like she was was that he's attractive.
Now I get it's normal to be upset when your favourite character gets shamed; I've been there. However, even if they're right that others are worse because they're attractive, it oversimplifies things.
Because at the end these supports are very different, starting from the fact that Felix's support has him calling Dedue a rabid cur because he revealed that he will do anything his lord commands him, including killing comrades, women, or children (even if he owes his life). Or that it doesn't make Felix into the only sympathetic character but a flawed jerk, because calling someone a rabid cur is still terrible. There are other factors as well, such as the framing of the support, execution, conclusion, whether the aggressor is called out or the victim stands up for themselves, and so on. Or maybe it's just as bad, but there are so many good things about Felix that might make people forget it exists.
The point is that, based on my experience (or at least in the Houses fandom), fans often use "pretty privilege" to argue why they're not called out, when in reality, there can be many factors, or it simply doesn't resonate with them.
While ‘pretty privilege’ can influence fan perception, it’s rarely the sole reason a character escapes criticism. Reducing complex narrative reactions to attractiveness alone flattens the nuance—and ironically, can reflect the same bias it claims to critique.
I agree that the “pretty privilege” argument often deflects from deeper issues.
It's frustrating because sometimes it feels like people care more about defending their favorite characters than engaging with the real harm caused by racism or bigotry. That kind of selective empathy can be frustrating especially when it sidelines the actual victims these conversations should be about.