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aragarnaDear fandom,
I'm tired of the difference of treatment Peter and Neal receive from the fandom.
Basically, whatever shenanigan Neal plots, it's excused because he has a good reason, and he has a good heart. And Peter has never the right to be the slightest angry at Neal for that, because otherwise he's just mean, cruel, ungrateful, sanctimonious and hypocrite.
This is not fair. This is not fair to Peter, nor it is fair to the show.
The general problem in this fandom (I'm only making general statements, so please, wonderful people of my flist, don't take it personally - unless you recognize yourself), is that the fandom is mostly and in majority rooting for Neal (and I blame his big blue eyes for this). Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's a problem to have a favorite. I myself have a known soft spot for Peter. But where it annoys me is when any other character's feelings are disguarded because all that matters is Neal.
Why so much hate for so little?
What did Peter do?
- He isn't grateful of Neal's sacrifice to get him out of jail.
Well, if you pause one second to see things from his perspective, Neal didn't trust the system to work, so Neal decided to bribe a disctrict attorney, a man serving that system, a man now rotting that system. Peter, as someone who believes strongly in his duty to serve the system, can't accept this. This is the exact contrary of what his job is.
And I really don't see why that would make him a hypocrite. Peter has ventured in the grey areas in the past, but it has always been to serve the system. Restoring order and Justice and preventing criminals - or ill-intentioned agents - from furthering chaos and polluting that system he serves and that is meant to protect the society. Peter may have occasionally crossed the strict line of the law, but he never crossed his own line of moral and principles.
We all have a certain tolerance to the letter of the law, but also firm principles and boundaries that we won't cross (most people anyway) Like, you know, I might alledgedly watch White Collar illegally. I'm not going to rob a store. There is a certain rationalization work here, but I don't believe that makes me a hypocrite. It's just the set of principles I live by.
So, Peter has principles and moral lines he won't cross. He has an ideal of Justice and protection of the society. Is that bad?
Unless this fandom is actually made of psychopaths, we actually much more live(or aspire to live) according to Peter's line of conduct than Neal's.
Of course, that system Peter serves isn't perfect and it might have failed him - he wouldn't even know that for sure since Neal took it aways from him. But that doesn't mean Peter should give up the system, that only means he should work harder to make it work better.
So, no Peter isn't a hypocrite. Just a man with a strong moral compass. And it's actually eating him that he had to make a compromise that stains his moral compass.
Yet, he made that compromise. And if you tell me that he did it to save his ass, then why is he the only one having a hard time living with that choice?
He actually made the one thing that protects Neal and Elizabeth, and that makes him miserable. And yet, all fandom sees is a selfish ungrateful Peter...
The problem Peter has with Neal is that Neal doesn't seem to see the problem here. All he sees is a "win" when Peter sees a bad compromise. And it's easy for Neal to play the whole hurt victim. But he knew exactly what he was getting himself into. He kept it from Peter. He deceived and let Peter believe he did things right. That's as close to a lie as it ever gets with Neal. So, why did he keep it from Peter? Because he knew Peter wouldn't like it, wouldn't accept it. It was his choice. It would be a great sacrifice - freeing Peter at the price of his frienship - if only he assumed it, instead of making his puss-in-suit hurt look.
- The second Big Horrible Thing Peter did this season was...calling Neal a criminal, Oh My God. And twice! But seriously given all the illegal things Neal has done this season - deceiving, keeping secrets, stealing (including 2 millions of dollars and a macuahuilt just for the sake of it), impersonating an FBI agent, cracking his anklet... (And that's only what Peter knows) - well, he acted very much like a criminal all this time.
And isn't that hypocrite? Maybe if he really stopped acting like a criminal all the time, he could have a legitimate right to be hurt for being named such.
The bottom of the problem is that Neal doesn't know how not to be a criminal. He only think in "criminal". If he wants to be something else, he has to start trusting the non-criminals around him more. Hagen had power over a judge and wanted to coerce him into working for him? Neal should have gone to Peter, or at least the FBI with that piece of info. Tell them the judge was corrupted, that Hagen wanted an appeal. They could have taken them both down properly, legally.
Peter might still have lost his job? Well, Peter can barely do his job right now anyway. So, at least, Neal should have given Peter the choice. I get you out my own way, or you'll lose your badge. It would have been Peter's choice, instead of Neal's.
But Neal didn't give him that choice and made Peter quite close of a criminal himself. So, yes, I do think Peter has a legitimate right to be upset by the situation.
And you know, fandom, there's little doubt Peter won't stay mad at Neal for very long. They'll work things out. Why can't you show Peter just a little bit of faith?
Why are you so harsh on Peter and so forgiving of Neal?
I don't remember you, fandom, asking for Neal's head when he said "we're done" (season 4), or "we're not partners anymore" (season 5). No, of course, you found Neal some nice excuses. Oh right, especially that second one that was nice: he had a crime to commit right under his new handler's nose so he had to get rid of Peter!
But those comments hurt Peter just the same way Peter's words can hurt Neal.
Oh, and I don't remember you saying you hated Neal for having an innocent bystander fired, or you know, like I said, stealing things for the sake of it.
Peter's misteps are mean and cruel and selfish. Neal's always have good excuses. With you fandom, it's always Peter's fault, all you see is Peter being angry, but you don't care that he's just as hurt as Neal. And really, it's tiresome. Peter too, has feelings.
And for the record, I don't like this blame game at all. I don't really enjoy pointing out all of the wrongs in Neal. I still think Neal is worth fighting for and rooting for. I enjoy much more focusing on the great in the characters, than on their faults. Though their faults are what make them human and also lovable. And I don't understand why this compassion for Neal can't be applied to Peter.
And I do understand why Neal is hurt. I do feel for Neal. But why, oh why, fandom, can't you be just a little more tolerant for Peter, who is just as hurt? After 5 seasons, don't you know Peter enough to know that he is not cruel, and that if he reacts the way he does it's because he's hurting? And can't you stop forgetting all the great things Peter did in the previous seasons that proved that Peter does love Neal?
The problem with all this, beyond the fact that it does ruins a little my enjoyment of the show and it makes me afraid just to talk to you, fandom, the problem is that you seem to be missing the whole point of the show. The show is about two men who are on opposite sides, and became unexpectedly friends, and who are trying to find a balance between their respective world and their friendship. And this season is also testing the limit of the lenght they both can go for each other without losing themselves. But this friendship is only beautiful if both men are considered beautiful and decent.
Also, and I'm sorry fandom, but ultimately, Neal is the one on the wrong side of the law and moral. So, he's the one who will have to make the greatest effort... There are reasons why crimes are illegal, which Neal needs to understand.
Feel free not to comment if you feel your eyes just rolling out of your eyeballs in disapproval.
I guess I just needed this off my chest...
I'm tired of the difference of treatment Peter and Neal receive from the fandom.
Basically, whatever shenanigan Neal plots, it's excused because he has a good reason, and he has a good heart. And Peter has never the right to be the slightest angry at Neal for that, because otherwise he's just mean, cruel, ungrateful, sanctimonious and hypocrite.
This is not fair. This is not fair to Peter, nor it is fair to the show.
The general problem in this fandom (I'm only making general statements, so please, wonderful people of my flist, don't take it personally - unless you recognize yourself), is that the fandom is mostly and in majority rooting for Neal (and I blame his big blue eyes for this). Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's a problem to have a favorite. I myself have a known soft spot for Peter. But where it annoys me is when any other character's feelings are disguarded because all that matters is Neal.
Why so much hate for so little?
What did Peter do?
- He isn't grateful of Neal's sacrifice to get him out of jail.
Well, if you pause one second to see things from his perspective, Neal didn't trust the system to work, so Neal decided to bribe a disctrict attorney, a man serving that system, a man now rotting that system. Peter, as someone who believes strongly in his duty to serve the system, can't accept this. This is the exact contrary of what his job is.
And I really don't see why that would make him a hypocrite. Peter has ventured in the grey areas in the past, but it has always been to serve the system. Restoring order and Justice and preventing criminals - or ill-intentioned agents - from furthering chaos and polluting that system he serves and that is meant to protect the society. Peter may have occasionally crossed the strict line of the law, but he never crossed his own line of moral and principles.
We all have a certain tolerance to the letter of the law, but also firm principles and boundaries that we won't cross (most people anyway) Like, you know, I might alledgedly watch White Collar illegally. I'm not going to rob a store. There is a certain rationalization work here, but I don't believe that makes me a hypocrite. It's just the set of principles I live by.
So, Peter has principles and moral lines he won't cross. He has an ideal of Justice and protection of the society. Is that bad?
Unless this fandom is actually made of psychopaths, we actually much more live(or aspire to live) according to Peter's line of conduct than Neal's.
Of course, that system Peter serves isn't perfect and it might have failed him - he wouldn't even know that for sure since Neal took it aways from him. But that doesn't mean Peter should give up the system, that only means he should work harder to make it work better.
So, no Peter isn't a hypocrite. Just a man with a strong moral compass. And it's actually eating him that he had to make a compromise that stains his moral compass.
Yet, he made that compromise. And if you tell me that he did it to save his ass, then why is he the only one having a hard time living with that choice?
He actually made the one thing that protects Neal and Elizabeth, and that makes him miserable. And yet, all fandom sees is a selfish ungrateful Peter...
The problem Peter has with Neal is that Neal doesn't seem to see the problem here. All he sees is a "win" when Peter sees a bad compromise. And it's easy for Neal to play the whole hurt victim. But he knew exactly what he was getting himself into. He kept it from Peter. He deceived and let Peter believe he did things right. That's as close to a lie as it ever gets with Neal. So, why did he keep it from Peter? Because he knew Peter wouldn't like it, wouldn't accept it. It was his choice. It would be a great sacrifice - freeing Peter at the price of his frienship - if only he assumed it, instead of making his puss-in-suit hurt look.
- The second Big Horrible Thing Peter did this season was...calling Neal a criminal, Oh My God. And twice! But seriously given all the illegal things Neal has done this season - deceiving, keeping secrets, stealing (including 2 millions of dollars and a macuahuilt just for the sake of it), impersonating an FBI agent, cracking his anklet... (And that's only what Peter knows) - well, he acted very much like a criminal all this time.
And isn't that hypocrite? Maybe if he really stopped acting like a criminal all the time, he could have a legitimate right to be hurt for being named such.
The bottom of the problem is that Neal doesn't know how not to be a criminal. He only think in "criminal". If he wants to be something else, he has to start trusting the non-criminals around him more. Hagen had power over a judge and wanted to coerce him into working for him? Neal should have gone to Peter, or at least the FBI with that piece of info. Tell them the judge was corrupted, that Hagen wanted an appeal. They could have taken them both down properly, legally.
Peter might still have lost his job? Well, Peter can barely do his job right now anyway. So, at least, Neal should have given Peter the choice. I get you out my own way, or you'll lose your badge. It would have been Peter's choice, instead of Neal's.
But Neal didn't give him that choice and made Peter quite close of a criminal himself. So, yes, I do think Peter has a legitimate right to be upset by the situation.
And you know, fandom, there's little doubt Peter won't stay mad at Neal for very long. They'll work things out. Why can't you show Peter just a little bit of faith?
Why are you so harsh on Peter and so forgiving of Neal?
I don't remember you, fandom, asking for Neal's head when he said "we're done" (season 4), or "we're not partners anymore" (season 5). No, of course, you found Neal some nice excuses. Oh right, especially that second one that was nice: he had a crime to commit right under his new handler's nose so he had to get rid of Peter!
But those comments hurt Peter just the same way Peter's words can hurt Neal.
Oh, and I don't remember you saying you hated Neal for having an innocent bystander fired, or you know, like I said, stealing things for the sake of it.
Peter's misteps are mean and cruel and selfish. Neal's always have good excuses. With you fandom, it's always Peter's fault, all you see is Peter being angry, but you don't care that he's just as hurt as Neal. And really, it's tiresome. Peter too, has feelings.
And for the record, I don't like this blame game at all. I don't really enjoy pointing out all of the wrongs in Neal. I still think Neal is worth fighting for and rooting for. I enjoy much more focusing on the great in the characters, than on their faults. Though their faults are what make them human and also lovable. And I don't understand why this compassion for Neal can't be applied to Peter.
And I do understand why Neal is hurt. I do feel for Neal. But why, oh why, fandom, can't you be just a little more tolerant for Peter, who is just as hurt? After 5 seasons, don't you know Peter enough to know that he is not cruel, and that if he reacts the way he does it's because he's hurting? And can't you stop forgetting all the great things Peter did in the previous seasons that proved that Peter does love Neal?
The problem with all this, beyond the fact that it does ruins a little my enjoyment of the show and it makes me afraid just to talk to you, fandom, the problem is that you seem to be missing the whole point of the show. The show is about two men who are on opposite sides, and became unexpectedly friends, and who are trying to find a balance between their respective world and their friendship. And this season is also testing the limit of the lenght they both can go for each other without losing themselves. But this friendship is only beautiful if both men are considered beautiful and decent.
Also, and I'm sorry fandom, but ultimately, Neal is the one on the wrong side of the law and moral. So, he's the one who will have to make the greatest effort... There are reasons why crimes are illegal, which Neal needs to understand.
Feel free not to comment if you feel your eyes just rolling out of your eyeballs in disapproval.
I guess I just needed this off my chest...
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no subject
Date: 2014-01-11 01:57 am (UTC)I love that the show itself doesn't really take sides -- we see (and are invited to sympathize with) both Peter and Neal's reasons for doing what they do. We see both of them make mistakes; we see both of them get hurt, and hurt each other.
I just wish the fandom could view it likewise. The Peter bashing hurts my heart. And like you said, I don't want to see Neal bashed instead. I just want fandom to give BOTH of them a chance, and accept that BOTH of them have valid reasons for what they do.
I mean, if you turn the latest conflict around ... imagine that Peter did something to really hurt Neal, so Neal pulled back and became cooler toward him, and told someone else (completely outside Peter's earshot -- in this episode, Peter had no idea Neal was listening) that he regrets taking the anklet deal ... do you think we'd see a huge upswell of hate directed at Neal? No! In fact, what I described is basically just what happened in early season five. It's the unfairness of it that frustrates me so much. Neal should have sympathy, certainly, but Peter should have sympathy too.
And yeah, it's made me reluctant to interact with the fandom. I've been loving this season, but I've had to pull back from reading too many episode reactions, and I'm too nervous to make my own reaction posts because the character bashing makes me so unhappy. I've asked people not to leave me Peter-bashing comments, and gotten them anyway. I've been told I'm over-sensitive and that I'm just imagining the Peter hate, that it doesn't really exist. Screw that, it does exist, it's everywhere. And okay, yeah, I know I can be thin-skinned on that subject and I'm trying to be more chill about it, but I just wish it was possible to find more spaces in the fandom that are Peter-friendly. (Which is one of the reasons why I love your journal so much! :))
It's just terribly frustrating because, like you said, the whole POINT of the show is that it's about two very different men with different approaches to solving crimes, trying to get along and occasionally failing. It's NOT about Neal the victim and his abusive handler, but you'd never know that from the way some people react to it.
no subject
Date: 2014-01-11 02:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-11 09:13 am (UTC)Which is my main problem. Neal is always given excuses, Peter is always condemned.
I didn't mention the conversation with Jones (post was already long enough), but it clearly was meant to be an advice to Jones. Yes, it hurts to hear this (for Neal, and for us), but it does make sense. Jones isn't Peter and Jones is already sceptical of Neal. Jones would have an harder time than Peter to cover for Neal and make compromises. Given Neal's behaviour and Jones' character, it seems like an honest advice.
Agree with everything you said, and I'm equally pleased to have found in you such a nice Peter fan. And one who writes awesome fics with that! :-)