#Remus has become the embodiment toxic masculinity in fanon

[acewitch-writes]

Fandom decided to make Remus a hyper-masculine dom, and for some reason, this involved stripping him of all of his kindness and softness in the process. Because I guess a character cannot be gentle and kind AND masculine. Only fem characters are allowed to have a character trait as soft as kindness.

If that wasn't bad enough, they also stripped him of any flaw that could be perceived as emasculating. His well-established avoidance and cowardice? His insecurity and passivity? His people pleasing tendencies and self-loathing? His devotion to Dumbledore and his deep admiration (and perhaps envy) for James and Sirius? All gone. Doesn't exist. Fanon Remus is the coolest, smartest, bravest, and most capable of all the Marauders.

Even his appearance was completely altered to ensure that Fanon Remus is just oozing with raw, unfiltered masculinity. This is a topic I am especially heated about as someone who is chronically ill. I relate deeply to Remus because I see my own struggles in the ways his Lycanthropy affects him. It makes him sickly and pallid, he is described as thin and worn down, both from the effects of the disease itself and later from the struggle of keeping himself fed and housed due to the stigma surrounding it.

But Fanon Remus? He's huge. He's buff. He towers over everyone else around him, intimidating and aloof with a cigarette hanging idly between his lips for optimum sex appeal. He is so strong, with his broad shoulders and his rock hard abs, and his Lycanthropy just makes him super fucking aggressive and horny around the full moon. He can lift Sirius up over his head with one arm. He's the Casanova, everyone wants him because he's just so hot and so cool. The fact that he is a werewolf only serves to elevate his primal, masculine allure.

#Remus has become the embodiment toxic masculinity in fanon #he's angry and violent and often depicted as being emotionally abusive towards Sirius #and this abuse is often presented in the guise of comedic relief #which is especially troubling #remus lupin #canon remus defender #I won't shut up until the real Remus Lupin returns from war #the quiet ableism in this fandom makes me insane #marauders era #fandom critical #wolfstar