Mary Jane Watson/Parker Appreciation Thread 2018

[millernumber1]

Lois Jane returns .

But it's nice to be able to look forward to a book where Mary Jane is likely to have a major role .

I wonder what the new content will be? Stuff cut from the game? Illustrations of stuff only mentioned in the game? Maybe Peter and MJ's breakup from the novel?

I really think the "Lois Jane" thing is overstated. She's not brassy. She's quietly brave, and still very sweet. I like her a lot.

[Frontier]

I really think the "Lois Jane" thing is overstated. She's not brassy. She's quietly brave, and still very sweet. I like her a lot.

I'm not saying she's not likeable, but she does come off a lot like Lois Lane to me even if she's softer and not as in-your-face as Lois Lane is and it's not a complete personality swap.

I like her too .

[millernumber1]

I'm not saying she's not likeable, but she does come off a lot like Lois Lane to me even if she's softer and not as in-your-face as Lois Lane is and it's not a complete personality swap.

I like her too .

Well, I'm glad we both like her.

[Celgress]

I'm not saying she's not likable, but she does come off a lot like Lois Lane to me...

This is my main complaint with the character as well. Granted, perhaps it is unrealistic for MJ to be a model or actress in spinoff media given the social/political climate of today.

[millernumber1]

This is my main complaint with the character as well. Granted, perhaps it is unrealistic for MJ to be a model or actress in spinoff media given the social/political climate of today.

What does modelling or acting have to do with social/political climate? I mean, it might even give her a plotline where Spider-Man can't be the savior?

[LordUltimus]

This is my main complaint with the character as well. Granted, perhaps it is unrealistic for MJ to be a model or actress in spinoff media given the social/political climate of today.

I think it has more to do with how writers have trouble with love interests whose careers can't intersect with the protagonist in some way and still keep them relevant.

[Celgress]

What does modelling or acting have to do with social/political climate? I mean, it might even give her a plotline where Spider-Man can't be the savior?

I meant in regards to developments like the "Me Too" Movement. Some in Disney or Marvel might not want to play up MJ's traditional jobs (which people could argue are "sexist") because they fear to alienate potential segments of the audience. I like her in these roles, however, in the culture of today, many people can easily get "triggered" by such things.

[Kevinroc]

I meant in regards to developments like the "Me Too" Movement. Some in Disney or Marvel might not want to play up MJ's traditional jobs (which people could argue are "sexist") because they fear to alienate potential segments of the audience. I like her in these roles, however, in the culture of today, many people can easily get "triggered" by such things.

I think you're thinking too hard on this subject.

[Jman27]

I think it has more to do with how writers have trouble with love interests whose careers can't intersect with the protagonist in some way and still keep them relevant.

yeah that was my reaction to hearing Mj role in the game cause it reminded me of Lois, Iris from DC. And I know that writers are capable of making the female love-interest interesting without intersecting with the hero. Or at the very least give her a different job why does she have to be a reporter

[Celgress]

I think you're thinking too hard on this subject.

Perhaps, but I have been told by recent Marvel workers (who prefer to remain anonymous) that Disney is rather concerned about some of the more "problematic aspects" (the terms I was told) of MJ's character especially her past career choices. While those in Disney concede the public seems to want MJ as Peter's primary love interest going forward they (Disney again) are uncomfortable with certain historical themes centered around her.

[Snoop Dogg]

MJ's model career should be discarded regardless of anything else because it's antithetical to the core themes of Spider-Man. Actress can totally stay, because you can draw thematic parallels between that and what Peter does.

[Kevinroc]

Perhaps, but I have been told by recent Marvel workers (who prefer to remain anonymous) that Disney is rather concerned about some of the more "problematic aspects" (the terms I was told) of MJ's character especially her past career choices. While those in Disney concede the public seems to want MJ as Peter's primary love interest going forward they (Disney again) are uncomfortable with certain historical themes centered around her.

I think the idea of folks at Marvel being uncomfortable how MJ, and female characters in general, have been portrayed is no secret. It would explain some of what Spencer is doing with MJ if the orders from the top are that she can't return to acting. Although I think that her job being problematic is thinking way too hard on the subject. (That's just my opinion.)

[Huntsman Spider]

MJ's model career should be discarded regardless of anything else because it's antithetical to the core themes of Spider-Man. Actress can totally stay, because you can draw thematic parallels between that and what Peter does.

Wasn't she a theater actress at one point, with Aunt May (during the JMS run) encouraging her to challenge herself more in that regard instead of playing it (relatively) safe as standard eye-candy? As for the ongoing debate about her being a model-slash-actress vs. being a reporter like in Ultimate Spider-Man (comics/cartoon) and the PS4 game, I think there's room for the former to intersect with Peter's superhero life. After all, Janet van Dyne, the original Wasp, was a fashion designer and a pretty famous/popular one, so I could see her and MJ interacting on the basis of that, maybe Jan mentoring MJ a bit should MJ become a fashion designer (or blogger) herself like in the Renew Your Vows ongoing series. And didn't Roderick Kingsley, widely considered to be the best Goblin that isn't Norman Osborn, start off with fashion as his business before going into supervillainy, and more recently parlay his expertise in that into designing and franchising supervillain identities to whoever was willing to kick up a portion of their profits to him? Plenty of room for Kingsley to have hired Mary Jane to model one of his designs at some point, and then have Kingsley committing crimes behind the scenes, whether as the Hobgoblin or not, that get uncovered by Spider-Man (with or without MJ's help).

And yes, given the prevalence of abuse and harassment throughout much of the entertainment industry and how superhero comics have been used to tackle themes closer to home for a lot of readers --- bullying and drug addiction, just from Spider-Man comics themselves --- why not address that through Mary Jane's character? Come to think of it, with Jonathan Caesar using his wealth and influence to wreck her career when she wouldn't give into him and even helped put him in jail for his crimes all those years back, it's very hard not to see parallels to the accusations that have surfaced about various famous and/or powerful figures in entertainment.

[Celgress]

I think the idea of folks at Marvel being uncomfortable how MJ, and female characters in general, have been portrayed is no secret. It would explain some of what Spencer is doing with MJ if the orders from the top are that she can't return to acting. Although I think that her job being problematic is thinking way too hard on the subject. (That's just my opinion.)

Oh, I agree. I think (assuming the info is legit) what they are concerned about is some activist group (with to much free time) latching onto MJ being a model, or less likely, an actress and using it to cause bad press for the company (reinforcing negative gender stereotypes about women and all that jazz).

[Frontier]

I think it has more to do with how writers have trouble with love interests whose careers can't intersect with the protagonist in some way and still keep them relevant.

That's probably why they keep re-using the reporter job, even if it's kind of also generic.

MJ's model career should be discarded regardless of anything else because it's antithetical to the core themes of Spider-Man. Actress can totally stay, because you can draw thematic parallels between that and what Peter does.

I don't know if I'd go as far as to say it's antithetical to the core themes of Spider-Man. I think it fits with MJ's character and she's as likely to struggle in as cutthroat an industry as modeling as she is in action, but she could probably be both.

I think the idea of folks at Marvel being uncomfortable how MJ, and female characters in general, have been portrayed is no secret. It would explain some of what Spencer is doing with MJ if the orders from the top are that she can't return to acting. Although I think that her job being problematic is thinking way too hard on the subject. (That's just my opinion.)

I know the modeling thing and MJ being so good looking (and proud of it) was one of the criticisms of the marriage and her relationship with Peter and why they weren't a "good fit."

I mean, working under the assumption she's a Mary Jane stand-in I think it's telling that they cast Zendaya as Michelle but actively went against portraying Michelle as the vivacious bombshell Zendaya is in real life (even though that's more in-line with Mary Jane Watson).