#this is kinda anti-ezekial

[retired-ceo]

How do you feel about Ezekiel?

My explanation under the read:more (a lot of salt, be warned)

Blorbo by proxy: I have tumblr moots who love this guy. So many. Canon isn't real if I don't look at it: I don't see the point of Feral!Zeke. They sure do exist: I have mixed neutral feelings on Ezekial. Ezekial as a character is like... idk, he's so clearly a straw-man? Like I'm not even mad that he's sexist because it's so forced and stupid. Nothing about Total Drama is subtle, but S1E1 Ezekial was so clearly just meant to be a character no one would miss. But so many other characters on the show, men and women, are sexist! There are so many sexist jokes on this show. So like... what was the fucking point? Ezekial to me is a less a character, and more of a preformance. "Look, we hate sexism! See, we get rid of the sexist character in the first episode! Wow!" And then pat themselves on the back, while continuing to write sexist comments for the rest of the show. And I didn't miss how if Ezekial wasn't such an obvious first-boot, Courtney would have gone home in his place. Like... couldn't they have figured out a more clever way to make sure Courtney wasn't eliminated, if they wanted her to stay so bad? Ugh. But anyway, as for Ezekial himself as a person he's fine, I guess? He seems to want friends, he's just like... really ignorant. It's cute that he wants to be Lindsay and Beth's friend. Yay. I just... don't care. I'm gonna be honest, nice characters aren't my thing? Evil people for me all the way. And sure Ezekial's sexist but like... none of it is actually feels like his fault. He's sexist because he's stupid, not because he's taking advantage of the real power dynamics that sexism helps create. So no villainy for me to exploit and critique :( I guess you could use Ezekial to discuss how prejudice is passed down and adopted blindly, how people should always question the information they get. And so his crime would be his gullibility, but... Ezekial's backstory is that he's homeschooled by conservatives who isolated him from the world? So like, what else was he supposed to think? How am I supposed to say he was wrong to believe that women were stupid when that was the only thing he was taught from birth? Like? I don't know. When I think about writing a story deconstructing racism or sexism, I'd like to be able to point the finger to *society* as a whole, to the wage-gap to uniform policies for girls, to talk about how prejudice manifests itself in media and life. But with Ezekial, I'd just have to go "The reason he's sexist is because the two random individuals raising him are sexist! Case closed!" Perhaps I could stretch it farther and explain how his parents got that way... but then I wouldn't be talking about Ezekial, would I? Anyway, you get the gist. I don't like his character, because I don't like any story that he's used to tell. I don't doubt that more experienced and creative writers could find a use for him, but... not me lmao. Tl;dr: Ezekial's just there for me. I don't find his actions or his backstory compelling enough to like him. And Fresh did a really bad job of writing him.

[daisiesflower]

It’s time for a wholeass list detailing my thoughts on the contestants and ships

Gwen: Ok in season one I liked her but found her a lil boring and kinda underdeveloped. Her and Trent were cute but underutilized and her scenes with him were the only character development we got even after he left the show. That being said I think she should have beat Owen, I know he went through some shit as well but I just think she worked harder for it. Season two she’s one of my favorites, I think she was so screwed over with the way the Trent thing was written, season three her whole character is written completely differently in each episode and she has no lines that aren’t setting up the love triangle so really I hate how she’s written more than the character

Beth: While her sticking it to Heather is one of the best moments of season one, in season two idk I really started to dislike her, I can’t explain it she was just not likeable in season two like the way she treats Lindsay rubs me the wrong way

Bridgette: Adore her, one of my favorite characters, the writers ruined her in season two by erasing her friendship with Gwen and making her entire character revolve around her relationship, same goes for season three

Duncan: Obviously when I was ten I had a massive crush on him, season one was peak writing and peak duncney, season three they uh just straight up destroyed him and we’re not even gonna mention All Stars

Izzy: A fan of her and Owen, she deserved to make it to the final two in Action, that’s all I have to say about that

Cody: A decent guy in season one! After Gwen says she’s not interested he backs off and helps her get with Trent, decent! Season three Cody is a nice guys finish last kinda guy

LeShawna: Deserves the million in every season! Friends with everyone! Amazing! Deserves the world!

Heather: Obviously we don’t like season one Heather but can admire and respect her. Underutilized in season two, season three Heather is amazing and I feel sorry for anyone who had to see Alejandro beat her, y’all don’t live in the best timeline

Geoff: Fun! A party boy! We love season one Geoff! Season Two Geoff thinks movies are too politically correct these days and uses the term sjw. Season three Geoff same problem with Bridgette, reduced to his relationship

Courtney: *big sigh* season one Courtney is great and has great character development! Season two Courtney starts great and by the end and by season three you can tell the writers hate tough women

Noah: We stan! Deserved to make it further in season three

DJ: deserves the world, deserves everything, I would die for DJ

Lindsay: my all time favorite! deserved to win Action and deserved to get further in WT

Owen: a sweetheart, any ship with Owen in it is pure and as much as I love Owen/Izzy my otp is definitely Nowen

Katie: don’t know anything about her except she’s a lesbian, automatic stan

Sadie: deserved to get further in Island, also an automatic stan due to lesbian

Tyler: would have been better as a gay girl, props to a boring character for getting so far in season three

Justin: we stan. next question

Eva: we also stan. deserved to win a season

Ezekiel/Gollum: bro...what to even say about this boy. Ezekial is horrid and it’s a funny running joke that he gets eliminated first every time. Gollum is a fun and new concept. The writers were getting bold, unfortunately this gave them too much confidence in later seasons so minus points for that

Harold: Doesn’t respect women. Watches hentai. LeShawna deserves better

Trent: *another big sigh* completely underdeveloped and boring in season one due to the writers being dumb. Season two Trent is in the wrong in the Gwen situation but it doesn’t ruin his character the way Duncan’s cheating ruins his. I joke about being anti-Trent but like I really don’t hate him as much as I hate other characters