Tom Sloane: Difference between revisions
→Fan Controversy
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[[Image:tomnostferatu.jpg|frame|Tom Sloane as Nosferatu the vampire, from the MTV ''Daria'' website]]
Tom's potentially ending the relationship between Daria and Jane, and effectively sealing the fate of the flirtation between Daria and [[Trent Lane]], caused Tom to be a very controversial character. [[The Kiss]] itself triggered a massive bomb in the fandom.
Tom's potentially ending the relationship between Daria and Jane, and effectively sealing the fate of the flirtation between Daria and [[Trent Lane]], caused Tom to be a very controversial character. [[The Kiss]] generated enormous antipathy for both Tom and Daria, therefore, there are very few fanworks that portray them in a positive light. Notable exceptions are [[Ring Toss]] by [[Nemo Blank]] and [[Mr. and Mrs. Sloane]] by [[Quiverwing]]. The Tom/Daria pairing has come in for stick for Tom being ''too'' much in the right, with some saying the relationship comes off as parternalistic and unequal as a result; others criticise it for being too unromantic, viewing this as unrealistic. Others defend the latter as making sense for Daria, a normally closed-off person. [[Starah Choe]]'s essay "[[Daria's Love Life]]" argues Tom has qualities that allow him to coax daria out of her shell and thus the relationship is perfect for Daria's first: "Tom, being the confident and easy-going guy, however, is just the guy to help give her the nudges and pushes required to make a relationship work." For Choe, this could not be long-term due to "her self-esteem (with Tom's assumptions of her needing to 'reach his standard' i.e. Bromwell) and her conscience", in that Daria must feel guilt over Tom's extreme patience. ▼
On the [[Daria Fandom Blog]], [[The Angst Guy]] once remarked Tom had been punished for The Kiss by ''having to date Daria'', which he viewed as being a source of pain and frustration for Tom.▼
Outside of his relationship with Daria, Tom's portrayal still varies. A number of writers show him being a good person and/or an ally of Daria's, and his smart and sarcastic nature useful to contrast with his background. [[Brian Taylor (author)|Brian Taylor]]'s 2000 essay "[[Why Did It Come To This]]" even argues that in "Parade", Tom "really is way too nice, considering the way Daria had/has been treating him up until this point." Others have criticised Tom for being dull and not having much to him beyond being "the boyfriend", claiming he wasn't fleshed out enough. The Angst Guy has usually shown Tom as being weak, attempting to do the right thing but backing out or getting it wrong. Whether Tom is a toxic figure or a positive one has been subject to pendulum swings in the fandom. ▼
[http://www.thepaperpusher.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=41395#p663957 In a Q&A], [[Guy Moore]] - who worked on "I Loathe A Parade", "Fire!", and "IIFY?" - said that various show admin kept an eye on the fan's views and "mention[ed] in a general sense that the viewers WERE reacting furiously [to the Kiss plot], waiting to see how it resolved. They never qualified "reacting well" or "reacting poorly" I assumed it was well."
[[Caira]]'s contemporary essay "[[Has It Fallen Yet?]]" refers to the Tom/Daria development causing "a huge influx of new posters" on message boardsm and fan reaction was split: "Roughly fifty percent are loving the new episodes and anxiously awaiting for [[Is It Fall Yet?]] for further development of the relationships (I'll call them category one), about 40% are aghast at the romance in what was once a show above all that and dreading the assumed further horrors of IIFY (category two), and most of the remaining ten have the same issues with the romance but look forward to IIFY to get the whole unpleasant business over with -- having faith in Glenn to deliver some genuinely new goods in Season Five (category three). ... and one or two disappointed -- but quiet -- D/Trent 'shippers."
[[Guy Wheatley]], not a fan of the S4 ending, mentions fan reaction in "[[Objectivity Free Landslide Victory]]": "Most of the Majors and Indie-Fans on the boards alike seem to approve the direction of Daria's last two eps, or at least condone them, nevermind the emasculation of Our Heroine and her partner-in-crime, nevermind the overexposure of Kevin and Brittany earlier in the season, nevermind the lowest common denominator panning with this love-triangulation. Few have openly spoken against them. Those who do I feel have something of an unspoken judgment passed on them, that they are churlish, retro-minded, unrealistic folks and less than well-bred. Fans living a Season One pipe dream, and why-can't-they-just-leave-us-char-devvers-the-hell-alone-and-take-up-chess-or-something." He also recorded that many fans thought this development had improved S4.
For years after, however, there were not many Tom/Daria shipping fics or positive depictions of the relationship. Notable exceptions are [[Ring Toss]] by [[Nemo Blank]] and [[Mr. and Mrs. Sloane]] by [[Quiverwing]].
▲
▲On the [[Daria Fandom Blog]], [[The Angst Guy]] once remarked Tom had been punished for The Kiss by ''having to date Daria'', which he viewed as being a source of pain and frustration for Tom.
▲Outside of his relationship with Daria, Tom's portrayal still varies. A number of writers show him being a good person and/or an ally of Daria's, and his smart and sarcastic nature useful to contrast with his background. [[Brian Taylor (author)|Brian Taylor]]'s 2000 essay "[[Why Did It Come To This]]" even argues that in "Parade", Tom "really is way too nice, considering the way Daria had/has been treating him up until this point." Others have criticised Tom for being dull and not having much to him beyond being "the boyfriend", claiming he wasn't fleshed out enough. The Angst Guy has usually shown Tom as being weak, attempting to do the right thing but backing out or getting it wrong
Whether Tom is a toxic figure or a positive one has been subject to pendulum swings in the fandom.
==Fanfic Stereotypes==
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