In this data sample, I want to check out the comments of the
“Mabel is Terrible” Parts one and two videos by CC West on YouTube. For now,
I’ll be sorting five into each of the categories from my previous post. Some of
the “Mabel is Good” comments may be kind of a stretch, as they were difficult
to come by.
Mabel is Bad Part 1 (Simple)
1.
“Nathan Higgins
6 months ago
Nowadays we expect our female characters to be strong we
forget to make them responsible, likable, and competent.”
2. “Hannah Nelson-Cole
4 months ago
Mabel: Gets Dipper to break up with Gideon for her
Also Mabel: Forces Dipper to confess his feelings to Wendy”
3. “Scootaloopuff
10 months ago
Dipper: being supportive to Mabel and sacrificing himself
for Mabel
Mabel: you not supportive enough so I made dippy fresh”
Mabel is Bad Part 1 (Complex)
1. “Neon Lights
7 months ago
While watching the series, Mabel was always a little on the
edge for me, but what settled it was The Sock Opera.
1. After promising to help Dipper find a way to log into the
computer (knowing full well how important finding the author of the journals is
for Dipper) she makes him drop everything and help her impress some boy she
never met.
2. On the night of the show, Dipper comes to her in a panic,
explaining that he was possessed by a demon and needs her help and what does
she do? She completely brushes him off as “overreacting” and basically would
rather win over some boy she barely knows instead of saving Dipper’s life. His
soul could’ve been lost forever and she didn’t bat an eye. Let’s not forget the
part where Dipper was begging her to save his soul but Mabel had to interrupt
to comment on how funny he looked as a puppet. Not like he was pleading for his
life or anything.”
2. Crystal Joy
3 months ago
Mabel is the villain of this story,
She has everything most villains have
Greed
Selfishness
Doing insane things because it's what she THINKS is best
Thinking she is doing good when she's putting everyone in
danger
Making others do her own wishes even if it's painfully
obvious they don't want to do it
etc. etc. etc.
3. “Allison Bilbey
3 months ago (edited)
I really agree with this, like a lot. As the show continued
I felt like Dipper learned and progressed but Mabel stayed the exact same and
always got her way. Probably doesn’t help much either since Dipper is probably
my favorite character in the show, next to Wendy. What’s even more fascinating
is that even Pacifica becomes more like able than Mabel at some point which I
don’t think many saw coming. I didn’t anyways. Mabel is in summary very toxic,
selfish, and manipulative. I really wish that Dipper had been able to stay in
gravity falls so that he could have gotten what he wanted, like I really would
have liked that ending way more”
Mabel is Good Part 1 (Simple)
1. “Link Lonk
8 months ago
Saving a mermaid is much more important than a summer job
that you’re not even properly doing”
2. (In response to a comment that said Mabel nearly
ended the world and never apologized) “Nicholas Gadson 7 months ago
A character doesn’t have to verbally say the words “I’m
sorry” for it to be an apology. It’s quite a common thing in fiction,
especially in the visual medium of television and film, for the characters to
express certain things through their actions or facial expressions”
3. (In response to a comment that said she was selfish
for trusting Blandin) “Anna Richardson
1 week ago
I think that Mabel was just upset because she felt betrayed.
Dipper isn’t compassionate, and he is kind of selfish himself.
Mabel is Good Part 1 (Complex)
1. “Dark Mystery
1 month ago
I agree with mostly everything, but I have a few issues.
1. Trusting Stan. As
someone else in the comments brought up, it isn't exactly that she trusted Stan
over Dipper after everything that happened, but that she never really lost hope
in Stan to begin with. Yes, she found the ID's and the tape, but she'd spent a
lot of time with Stan, and had grown very close. And, rewatch that scene. Mabel
looks at Stan, sees his expression, and feels pity at his distress, a perfectly
human response.
2. Dipper's apprenticeship. Part of me wants to assume
you're an only child. Trust me, even if you actively know it's a good
opportunity, and that they want it, it's still excruciating to be separated
from a close sibling like that. Not to mention that she accepted it in
Weirdmaggedon. It hurts, trust me.
3. Weirdmageddon. I.....can't believe there are people who
genuinely blame Mabel for it. It wasn't her fault at all. After (accurately)
having an emotional breakdown, she finds a solution to her problems. And since
she's still in her breakdown, you can bet that she's desperate and probably not
in a normal mindset. So yes, Bill tricked her. As for the not apologizing, I
feel like none of the others blamed her either, so no apology was needed.”
2. “Ana Tuba
3 months ago
I thought it was pretty clear in the show that Dipper and
Mabel's personality traits are directly related to those of Grunkle Stan and
Ford. Dipper has Ford's intelligence and
curiosity, while Mabel has Stan's selfishness and childish qualities. Mabel's reaction to Dipper apprenticeship
directly mirrors Stan's to Ford's possibility of going away to college without
him, and their falling out serves as a warning to Dipper and Mabel. If Mabel doesn't grow up, she'll lose Dipper
and if Dipper doesn't forgive her when she screws up he'll lose Mabel. That's why it makes sense that Dipper
constantly sacrifices for her and forgives her, and why Mabel finally accepts
that they have to grow up. It shows that
even though they have the same flaws as Stan and Ford, they won't make the same
mistake. When Mabel says that it's okay
for Dipper to move on without her, it shows growth and the thing that Stan would
have never done, but when Dipper stays he does the thing Ford wouldn't have
done. Without Ford and Stan's dynamic,
Mabel would probably be irredeemable, but with it's inclusion, the show is
making a powerful statement about forgiveness, growing up, and family. But hey, that's just my take
3. “I hate humans
3 months ago
I'm going to disagree with the "Trusted Stan, opened
the portal". I feel like it's not that she trusted Stan over Dipper, it's
more like she didn't lose hope on her gruncle like everyone else. At that point
they just gathered Stan's intentions from the government, is illegal actions,
and in the book. She believed that Dipper wanted to avoid the destruction of
mankind and that Stan wasn't that bad of a guy. If the roles were reversed she
would've trusted Dipper. But I do agree with the rest of your points.”
Mabel is Bad Part 2 (Simple)
1. “Abby Beatson
4 weeks ago
“Oh but Mabel is just a kid!!¡¡!”
SO 👏 IS 👏
DIPPER 👏!!! AND PACIFICA! And Candy and Gretchen who
still manage to behave better than her.”
2. “Shy Fly
1 month ago
I never questioned mable because she really does act like a
preteen girl in her situation. She believes shes a good person but she isnt
thats true. A selfish child, but what more do you really expect from your
average middle school girl? Something ive learned is that not every personality
trait has a reason. Some people are just, not good”
3. “Emperor Of Mankind Official
3 weeks ago
You wanna hear a joke?
Mabel's character development.”
Mabel is Bad Part 2 (Complex)
1. “Gryotharian
1 month ago (edited)
Bill’s offer to her for the rift really makes it seem like
the writers knew exactly what they were doing, Bill literally said in the
puppet episode that dipper sacrifices everything for her and she never does
anything for him. Bill knows how selfish Mabel is and exactly what kind of
selfish deal she would want to accept and offers it to her for the rift. Which
makes me wonder why they didn’t do anything more redeeming for Mabel. Cause
she’s a very well written character, they just didn’t give her a complete arc
for whatever reason”
2. “Greatsaiyakirby
1 month ago
I feel Mabel would be ALOT more tolerable if she suffered
CONSEQUENCES for alot of her selfish actions. It's okay to have a flawed
protagonist who makes bad decisions, selfish decisions - but it's NOT okay if
one of your main characters CONSISTENTLY faces NO consequences for those
actions and decisions. There's a reason why the Eds in Ed, Edd and Eddy almost
never WIN, because at the end of the day their main goal is to SCAM the other
kids out of their Money for Jawbreakers”
3. “Galactic tea spiller
1 month ago
This show was legendary. It made history and a majority of
people can agree how well executed it all was, however, I do highly agree with
all your points. Yes Dipper and Mable are siblings meaning it makes sense for
them to tease each other and fight every once in a while, however some of
Mable's actions, like giving the rift and just her forceful behavior of
everything SHE wants was insanely extravagant, and I haven't ever read the
comic (I REALLY WANT TO THO) but yeah that apology doesn't sound like an actual
apology for so much awful behavior. It sounds like what a character might say
after a fight over the course of a one time filler episode”
Mabel is Good Part 2 (Simple)
1. (A response to a comment about feeling sorry for
Pacifica but hating Mabel) “Saanvi Srivastava
3 weeks ago
I wouldn’t say I hate Mabel, more so that I wish she would
open her eyes and see the harm that she causes. Still agree with everything you
said about Pacifica though”
2. (A response to a comment saying that Mabel’s
apology in the comic was too little too late) Anita “Remenárová
1 month ago
@Fräulein Zuckerguss To each their own, I guess. I'm fine
with it like it is. Her correcting her ways is more important than the apology.
As someone once said: "Don't be sorry, be better.”
3. “Mya W
1 month ago
I feel like Mabel giving up the rift has more to do with a
fear of growing up (especially without dipper) than general selfishness. Mabel
is childish and scared of facing any future without having the one person she’s
always relied on in that situation”
Mabel is Good Part 2 (Complex)
1.
“Li Marrable
1 month ago
I definitely think that some of her her flaws are due to the
fact that she's like- dumb and 12 and isn't really thinking much about
1. The long term affects of her actions as a whole
2. How these actions may affect others in ways not
immediately obvious to her
3. Consent and manipulation
I think she could grow up to be more well rounded and
thoughtful, as she grows and gains perspective, and I think that's starting to
happen in the comics.
I don't think shes a bad person who wants to hurt people,
she's just... Got some growing up to do. Compared to her brother, she is much
less mature in a lot of ways.”
2. (In Response to a comment on how Dipper should
have accepted Ford’s apprenticeship offer)
“ CutielyCat 1
2 weeks ago
I mean yeah he should went with ford but like (my opinion
here) I really don't blame Mabel really for crying and not wanting him to go
with ford because like if you're freaking close with Ur siblings especially
twins,since dipper and Mabel do adventure together makes them super very close makes
it REALLY hard to leave your sibling and grow up without em”
3. (In response to a comment about Mabel’s breakdown
at the end of the summer being an overreaction)
“Christopher Brown
1 month ago
I thought it was because she was afraid she and her twin brother
would grow apart upon becoming teenagers and entering high school? She seems to
depend on him a lot, so separating understandably freak her out. It's something
she needs to grow out of, of course, but that's what the finale was all about.
Perhaps Alex Hirsch has a hard time Mabel's characterization from the point of
view of a third party, given that he's writing about his relationship with his
twin sister. (But then again, most of us don't have a fraternal twin, either.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, what questions does this information raise? Even with
just three comments in each section (a total of 24), that’s a lot of
information to go over. But the most important question is this: How do
people’s reasons for hating or supporting (at least admitting that she’s not
the devil) vary? Because, even if most of the comments under each video were in
agreement that she’s terrible, a closer analysis will show you that different
users have different reasoning, and some criticism is definitely a lot more
sexist than others. Although, to be fair, I would argue that anyone who paints
Dipper, Ford, and Stan as saints while full-on trashing Mabel likely has at
least a little vein of sexism in them, seeing as they share some flaws of
Mabel’s—such as, how Dipper and Ford were both also tricked by Bill (Ford is
really the root of all this) and Dipper has endangered the lives of his loved
ones to impress a girl or satisfy his own curiosity on a few occasions. But I think that comments about disliking
Mabel could be further categorized into comments attacking her for reasons
attached mostly attached to the show, or for reasons attached to personality
traits, most of which I’ve seen could also be tied to negative behavior
commonly associated with teenage girls. The “Mabel is good” categories exist
mostly to illustrate that, even in these comment sections, there are some
differing opinions, but even then, they aren’t usually necessarily saying that
she’s good. So why is there so much more hate for Mabel than the other
characters in this series? Why is there no sympathy for a child who, at age 12,
came to a new town, was almost physically forced into marriage with gnomes, was
stalked, was pressured into a relationship with her stalker who also tried to
kill her brother behind her back and later tried to threaten her back into a
relationship with a giant robot, was bullied, was terrorized by supernatural
forces and had to deal with all of this as a child in a new place? Is not it a
normal reaction for a young girl to try and push all of this away by pursuing a
summer full of carefree fun? After all, she never signed up for this. Mabel is no
angel, but she’s definitely not that bad. She’s a frightened kid, and a complex
character. Also, I just want to point out that Mabel apologized in the comics
and everyone is acting like that’s too little too late, and when the aforementioned
stalker apologized, the show then made it clear that he hadn’t changed that
much, and people still act like he’s been perfectly redeemed. He and Mabel are
a somewhat popular pairing, and I’m not even going to start unpacking that here
and now.
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