#drunktextin

[whattheheehaw]

I’m not good at explaining my thoughts, but can you debunked the whole Jet and Zuko are bad boys claims? People always say this to keep others from shipping jetara and/or zutara or when they want to trash talk Zuko and Jet characters.

Thanks for the ask and I’m sorry it’s taken me a while to answer it! To be completely honest, I’m not great at articulating my thoughts too 😅. However, I’ll try to answer this question as best as I can (given it’s 1am and I get rambly at this hour).

Before we get into the Jet/Zuko discussion, we need to define what a “bad boy” is, because there’s many different interpretations of the term. For this ask, I’ll be using the definition of the bad boy archetype from this site:

The Bad Boy is someone who hides. Something has happened to them in the past or currently is affecting them and they deal with it by putting up an armor around themselves. This armor protects them for those around them who might be able to see who the real them is. The Bad Boy wants to hide away but he must open up to reveal himself... the Bad Boy doesn’t purposely hurt people to make them feel his pain. He rebels instead of living the life he once did. But unlike the Rebel, he doesn’t truly have a cause for his rebellion. He wants to be heard through his rough exterior without being seen.

So I’m going to start off with Zuko, because I’m much more comfortable talking about his character. And this is primarily because Zuko was one of the main characters of the show and didn’t die at the tail end of season 2.

Honestly, I can never understand how Zuko is perceived as a “bad boy” by so many people. I mean, the only time when I can agree that Zuko’s character could somewhat be interpreted as a “bad boy” is during the first half of season 3. Yes, you read that correctly. Season 1 Ponytail Zuko was not a bad boy; he was a homesick, abused 13 year old child trapped in the body of an angsty 16 year old. Season 1 Zuko might have been angsty and broody, but have you ever met a teenage boy? He never even really rebelled. I mean, sure, he did some things that Iroh frowned upon but in Zuko’s mind, he’s still a prince of his nation—banished or not—and he still holds himself to the standards of a prince. The only time that I think he truly rebels is by becoming the Blue Spirit, but even then, he had a cause for donning that mask.

The only episode that I think shows Zuko in a “bad boy” light is the 5th episode of season 3, The Beach. This is when his angst and broodiness reached an all-time high, and he constantly lashed out at Mai, Ty Lee, and Azula for no reason. The episode eventually culminated in a confrontation reminiscent of The Breakfast Club, Zuko’s honesty with himself, and a dramatic “I’m angry at myself!” line, which are all hallmarks of a bad boy character arc. However, this is just one episode out of 61 and solely focusing on one episode to analyze this guy’s character is an insult to Zuko’s redemption arc that spanned the entirety of 3 seasons.

Another reason why Zuko isn’t a bad boy is that he doesn’t do bad things to get attention. Nothing that he does is a plea for help. The “bad” things that he does aren’t bad in his mind. Capturing the Avatar is just something that he needs to do in order to get his father to love him and welcome him back home. If anything, Zuko is just a misguided person with messed up morals that were instilled in him from a very young age. Zuko has a purpose for everything that he does, and usually this purpose is his sense of righteous anger. Both times Zuko confronted Ozai and rebelled against him, Zuko knew that what his father was doing was wrong. Zuko rebelled against those Earth Kingdom soldiers in Zuko Alone because he felt like he needed to stand-up for Lee and his family. And Zuko didn’t pick a fight with Zhao just because he felt like it. He fought Zhao because that guy had personally insulted Zuko, a prince, and his honor. And Zuko could have burned Zhao at the end of that fight, but he didn’t. He already proved himself to Zhao. Zuko has compassion, and shows it to people that don’t deserve it (e.g. in the Siege of the North, Zuko tried saving Zhao from the Ocean Spirit).

And the most important reason why Zuko isn’t a bad boy is because of his redemption arc. By the end of the show, he’s developed many strong friendships and makes an effort to be open and socialize with others. He’s not afraid to share his thoughts and emotions with others. He trusts people. He’s less broody and smiles more often. He acknowledges that he’s done bad things in the past and asks for forgiveness and makes amends. Are these qualities of a bad boy? I think not.

As for Jet, I think he fits the description of a bad boy pretty well. He’s aloof, hot, and angsty. He’s quite dangerous with a pair of hook swords in his hands. He smokes cigarettes He chews on a piece of wheat to be “edgy”. He’s done questionable things like drown a village full of innocent people. He deceives people to get what he wants. He has all of the traits of any popular male protagonist from a published Wattpad “novel”.

However, I don’t consider Jet a “bad boy” because he has a specific cause for his rebellion. Most bad boys participate in petty crimes like shoplifting or vandalism just because they can. Jet? Jet rebels against the Fire Nation because he’s witnessed their destruction first-hand. He lost his parents from an attack by the Rough Rhinos, and he saw his village burn to ashes right in front of him. He actively tries to destroy a system that he thinks can only inflict pain on others. And what does he do with the people (mostly young children) that have lost their homes because of Fire Nation attacks? He takes them in and acts as a surrogate-father-of-sorts. He forms a community with these people, bonds with them, shares meals together, and secures supplies for them. He’s in charge of their well-being and makes sure that everyone is ok. And these people look up to him as a leader and a central part of their family. So Jet? A bad boy? I don’t think so.

Calling Zuko and Jet “bad boys” are terrible misrepresentations of their characters, and if you think they fall under the bad boy archetype, I would suggest a deeper look into their respective character arcs.

As a final note, I’d like to address the shipping aspect of this ask. After being in this fandom for about 3 years, I’ve seen my fair share of Zutara and Jetara fics that have played off of this bad boy/good girl dynamic. And to be completely honest, I don’t think there’s an inherent problem with liking a dynamic like that. I mean, it’s not an accurate portrayal of the characters, but I won’t discourage people from shipping something or creating fan content because they like a certain trope.

[justmaknit]

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I'll be drunk textin you

[waterdeepp]

Tagged by @pidgeonlol ♥️🍓 thank you sweetie!!!

3 ships:

✨ Zutara (atla)

✨ Jetara (atla)

✨ Leon x Ada (resident evil)

last song: never be the same - Camilla Cabello. I’m sorry but it’s so good 😭 I’m literally VIBING when this plays

last movie: the platform. it’s on Netflix and I highly recommend it. It’s creepy and has a really interesting take on the world

Currently craving: honestly a bloody as hell steak and 3 days of sleep

Current book: midnight pirouette by Robert Minton (and my personal friend :) )

Tags: @hammerfelll @v1rtu4l-4ng3l @lanternlad @zutaraforeverrr @drunktextin @shirbertdreams @is-that-another-soulmate-au @yourhandsarescarred @misunderstoodtomato @evergreengh0st @hyphenhyphenhyphenhyphen

[uqent]

#thisabighebeat #itseasytodogoodbusiness #nottheirbusiness #wewoking #drunktextin #bewhatyouexpect https://www.instagram.com/p/BukRwTnljeU/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=8r2vbqeluxu4

[jennbabexo]

I'll be #drunktextin you

[misstanicarose]

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#LOVE #drunktextin' #ChrisBrown #comethrough #comemere #isletaamphitheater #onehellofanighttour #onehellofanitetour

[prescribesomethinggood]

03/07/2015; 12:42pm

Why do we always repeat the same mistakes?

[tsoulmusic]

#DrunkTextin cover @Tsoulmusic x @Anhayla !! On our youtube channels #LinkInBio #Tbt ...@chrisbrownofficial x @jheneaiko .. .. New music from us both now available also!! #Spaceships #Anhayla #WordsOfWisdom #Tsoul #Chrisbrown #JheneAiko #DrunkTexting

[mcqua]

Tonight We #drunktextin Dec.4th @karrueche Invades #EnticeHouston For @lilkeith Birthday Kick-Off Mark Your Calendars 📅 Reserve Your Sections Now Houston Every So Often A Shift In The Social Order Takes Place! That Time Is Upon Us Again, The Wait Is Over @ Lusso Lounge 526 Waugh Dr. The Ultimate Mix Of General Market & Urban Elite @hardbodykiotti + @djmarvins + @mcqua Indmix Reservations Start @ $100 Includes 10 Guests 713-235-0156 #ncrowd Come Live Again 💯 (at Lusso Lounge Waugh Dr.)

[lipstickkissmyblunt]

I'm faded faded faded ... off ah drink or two.

[jennbabexo]

I want to live on a tropical island with an endless supply of coconut, salmon, shrimp & sunshine. ; Having too much fun with my @puretatts ✨💛😁🌤 #drunktextin #puretatts #inked

[rawswagger]

Shoutout to @johnjamesatl for finding time during his tour to shoot a quick #ArtOfSeduction video while being in LA..reminded me of the ol' ATL days lol @chrisbrownofficial #DrunkTextin #TeamBreezy #xAlbum #X (at Debbie Reynolds Studio)

[spread-toothin]

WELP. See you guys laterrr :P time to tip the bottle for a little bit with some friends(: