01-11-13 Pretty for your date

[Malkizid]

I think there is a problem in how Ruby is being represented.
In the MA3/SDB universe, she is probably the only main character who does not constantly obsess about sex/relationships. She could had been used quite effectively as a contrast to Amber and Dillon, who are the complete opposites, as a rare example of an independent single woman who does not need a relationship to be happy.
And how is she represented? As a neurotic character who refuses to see the light - that dating a guy is the most important thing on earth.
I'd say that it is a pretty sexist way to represent a character, regardless of the gender of the authors.

[Chantaru]

I think she could turn them down politely (but firmly) but she chooses to go along as soon as she faces the slightest opposition. She has less backbone than Gary. She wouldn't have graduated, she would have been forcibly dragged to every party dreamed of by her classmates.

[Spidrift]

Ruby's socialisation process collapsed at age 14. She hasn't a clue how to deal with other human beings, so she shouts at them until they fail to fold at that, then she folds herself.

"Always confront, always surrender." Actually, it's a viable minimal strategy for confrontations - it works fine for a lot of wild carnivores - but it's hopeless for ultra-socialised communalised primates.

It's not so much that Ruby lacks a spine, as that she doesn't know how to use what she's got. And no, I can't imagine how she got through university. I prefer to stick my fingers in my ears and insist that she's an 18-year-old school leaver.

[melmel]

@Spidrift and @Fluffy

Yes, those are exactly my problems with the development of the story :/ (and Spidrift you'd be surprised by the amount of internalized mysoginy women have. The actual storyline with Ruby is actual a good example of what internalized mysoginy produce in women's mindset.)

When Ruby was introduced I was really hoping she was going to be this "I'm happy the way I am" character, she can still be a bit uptight but it didn't have to be necesserily about sex. She coudl still be an independant woman who doesn't have to have a makeover, who has a job but who learns to relax and that there's things outside work which would lead her to embrace herself even more. I was actually hoping that by being with her, Dillon and Amber would get shown outside of their "sex only" mindset and that we would see more their acting career.

Instead we have the classic "you need a boyfriend/a good fuck/to be sexy or you're not a valuable woman!" story and ugh... It didn't reached the grossness of the last Nina's story in EC yet but it's getting closer and closer...

And about Ruby's backbone I think the difference here is that she's under a strong peer pressure, she's a rightful type of person (she made a promise, she will keep her promise) and the pressure only add because she has nowhere else to live. I also think nobody was her friend in college so when you're isolated, you don't go to parties. Especially when you have no interest in them.

I'd also add that Dillon is quite the typical gay man who thinks he is entirely entitled to touch/remodel a woman body because since he's not sexually attracted to them, he thinks it's totally ok. The number of gay guys who gropes women breasts or comments very negatively their wardrobe wthout getting why it's not ok is pretty high.

[Bambikles]

Instead we have the classic "you need a boyfriend/a good fuck/to be sexy or you're not a valuable woman!" story and ugh...

So you also don't Ma3 Gary's storyline ?

[melmel]

The difference with Gary's storyline is that Gary have repeatedly express his desire and want to have sex and a girlfriend. Though frankly the amount of time he is forced into relationships makes me really uneasy too. Yes Gary has no backbone, that doesn't mean it makes it ok for all the other characters to take advantage of that. But still, even with a non-existent backbone, he has more opportunity to express his consent than Ruby have right now. And nobody tried to change him to get him in a relationship.

[Spidrift]

Actually, Zi did try to change Gary a bit - just not enough. If he wants a vaguely sensible relationship with a woman, he needs to change in at least one respect; he needs to get the hang of how relationships work. But he's the sort of geek who think that other people should love him the way he is, however unloveable that may be - and Zii failed to get him to understand the problem there.

Whereas Ruby understands perfectly well that she'd need to change if she wanted a relationship, but she doesn't, so there's no problem. (Well, she has some problems anyway, but she's right in that respect.) Amber and especially Dillon trying to change her anyway just comes out jerky of them. A story where she did discover feelings for some guy, gritted her teeth, and went to those two for advice despite her better judgement, could have worked fine as a comedy of errors without looking quite so damn Victorian.