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So this is a weird position for me to be in. I've never considered myself a huge fan of Caitlin Snow; I liked her character, as a brilliant STEM lady, but I've always been more of a fan of Iris West. Still, I've seen a lot of unjustified criticism hurled at her character, particularly from otherwise progressive Tumblrs, and I'm really tired because I frankly find the criticism hurtful.
1. "Caitlin Snow is acted poorly."
So many people seem to be hating on Danielle Panabaker, Caitlin's actress, for her acting abilities. I'll admit I'm biased, not because I'm a huge Panabaker fan, but because I thought she was really charming in Sky High. Still, I find nothing wrong with her portrayal of Caitlin. There are women in the real world who aren't very expressive or who aren't "good" at expressing their emotions. To suggest that all women need to meet a standard of how to be expressive (which, by the way, is a standard men are almost never held to) is really hurtful and stigmatizing towards those women who don't meet that standard, but are still women and are still real human beings worthy of sympathy.
2. "Caitlin Snow's enthusiasm for Ronnie only when he can be separated from Martin Stein is ableist."
???
It's...not ableist to feel weird around the love of your life when he's literally merged into another person. I think this criticism is really unfair. Unless the idea is that Caitlin Snow should also fall in love with Martin Stein. Which is a nonargument.
3. Caitlin's infamous "I wish [Ronnie] were dead" line.
Do I wish this line hadn't been written? Yeah, but I blame the writers for that, not the character.
I don't think it was "obvious" that when Caitlin first met Firestorm!Ronnie, she instantly knew he was mentally ill. If you notice someone you love acting strangely, your first instinct is not going to be "They must have a mental illness, they need help!" It's going to be "Why is he acting weird?"
I take huge issue with the idea that people are obligated to feel comfortable around people with mental illnesses. I say this as someone who lives with depression (which has been intensifying recently) and someone who has grown up with a family member who had a mental illness and never sought treatment. Of course I'd like for people to be sympathetic towards people with mental illnesses, to understand it's not their fault and it's not laziness or some inherent personal failing. That's a given. But that's different from being "comfortable" with mental illness.
Mental illness is inherently uncomfortable and discomfitting. And for someone who may be otherwise emotionally compromised—like Caitlin, who had been grieving Ronnie's death for over a year—it's really unfair to expect them to shoulder that kind of burden. The number one rule for trying to take care of a loved one with a mental illness is to make sure to take care of yourself first. Otherwise you'd get burned out and everybody ends up suffering. And that's a very real danger. Caring for someone with a mental illness who isn't being treated is emotionally draining and can be very upsetting.
It is not a sin to be emotionally unprepared/unequipped to deal with someone who has a severe mental illness. And honestly it's healthier to express when you feel overwhelmed and out of your depth than to keep pretending that nothing's wrong and everything's under control.
I would've preferred for that line to be written differently, but I don't believe it's supposed to be understood as saying "People with mental illnesses are better off dead."
1. "Caitlin Snow is acted poorly."
So many people seem to be hating on Danielle Panabaker, Caitlin's actress, for her acting abilities. I'll admit I'm biased, not because I'm a huge Panabaker fan, but because I thought she was really charming in Sky High. Still, I find nothing wrong with her portrayal of Caitlin. There are women in the real world who aren't very expressive or who aren't "good" at expressing their emotions. To suggest that all women need to meet a standard of how to be expressive (which, by the way, is a standard men are almost never held to) is really hurtful and stigmatizing towards those women who don't meet that standard, but are still women and are still real human beings worthy of sympathy.
2. "Caitlin Snow's enthusiasm for Ronnie only when he can be separated from Martin Stein is ableist."
???
It's...not ableist to feel weird around the love of your life when he's literally merged into another person. I think this criticism is really unfair. Unless the idea is that Caitlin Snow should also fall in love with Martin Stein. Which is a nonargument.
3. Caitlin's infamous "I wish [Ronnie] were dead" line.
Do I wish this line hadn't been written? Yeah, but I blame the writers for that, not the character.
I don't think it was "obvious" that when Caitlin first met Firestorm!Ronnie, she instantly knew he was mentally ill. If you notice someone you love acting strangely, your first instinct is not going to be "They must have a mental illness, they need help!" It's going to be "Why is he acting weird?"
I take huge issue with the idea that people are obligated to feel comfortable around people with mental illnesses. I say this as someone who lives with depression (which has been intensifying recently) and someone who has grown up with a family member who had a mental illness and never sought treatment. Of course I'd like for people to be sympathetic towards people with mental illnesses, to understand it's not their fault and it's not laziness or some inherent personal failing. That's a given. But that's different from being "comfortable" with mental illness.
Mental illness is inherently uncomfortable and discomfitting. And for someone who may be otherwise emotionally compromised—like Caitlin, who had been grieving Ronnie's death for over a year—it's really unfair to expect them to shoulder that kind of burden. The number one rule for trying to take care of a loved one with a mental illness is to make sure to take care of yourself first. Otherwise you'd get burned out and everybody ends up suffering. And that's a very real danger. Caring for someone with a mental illness who isn't being treated is emotionally draining and can be very upsetting.
It is not a sin to be emotionally unprepared/unequipped to deal with someone who has a severe mental illness. And honestly it's healthier to express when you feel overwhelmed and out of your depth than to keep pretending that nothing's wrong and everything's under control.
I would've preferred for that line to be written differently, but I don't believe it's supposed to be understood as saying "People with mental illnesses are better off dead."
