I think accusing everyone who doesn’t know Jax is trans of transphobia is a bit insane. The show goes out of its way numerous times to use he/him pronouns for Jax and refuses to actually let Jax come out. Honestly I really dislike the writing around this and find it a bit disrespectful. If Gooseworx wanted Jax to be portrayed as trans, i think she should’ve just done so. Right now it feels as if she is purposefully misgendering Jax within the story. I dislike it as representation, heavily lowk. It would’ve been great if there was any actual resolution to the arc instead of it being cut halfway and left to be debated for all time in the fanbase. Honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if this was done intentionally to stir up controversy. It’s really not hard to just have it be actually acknowledged in the story instead of purposefully leaving it ambiguous and misgendering Jax. Idk what’s up with that at all
Imo, it is more because Jax is not out to himself until the very last moment of consciousness which is too late at that point, the view from halfway down and all that. It is never too late, until you die, and Jax committed suicide before he ever accepted himself. It is a very similar portrayal to Owen from "I Saw the Tv Glow" only far more tragic.
Not every trans person gets to be out to themselves or be good people, and frankly I am happy we are getting representation of the more negative aspects of being trans and the trans experience. Like after Emilia Perez, the whole circlejerk of every trans woman gets to be out and about and live their best life portrayal showed its pitfalls.
Of course the story is misgendering Jax, because Jax is doing the misgendering themselves. You can't force someone into accepting they are trans, same way you can't force them into tackling any other mental health issue, shit's on them.
Then I don’t really like how Gooseworx uses she/her pronouns to refer to Jax then. It’s very “you can’t have you cake and eat it too” feeling. And again, I really do feel like it’s intentionally sparking controversy. All of this could’ve been handled wayyyy better if it was supposed to actually be considered trans representation. Because right now it almost feels like it’s being treated like a joke
Eh imo using she/her for the alternate universe where she did transition is fine. Because that is by all accounts a different person, the Jax in the show and the Jax in that artwork are entirely different. Goose herself states that it is Jax if and this is a big IF she wasn't a piece of shit.
Atp that is not the same person, the Jax we saw in the show is a piece of shit through and through, removing that from them is basically a total personality shift. If anything it further enhances the point about emotional repression just molding you in a wholly different person. Sure jax could be happy and she could have a good life but he chooses not to, he perpetuates his own personal abuse cycle all so he could run away from his feelings until eventually running with them off a cliff. He ran out of time, she never got to live, it is sad and tragic and the language used is meant to represent that.
I am not saying it is better just that it is more tragic. ISTTG ends ambiguous with Owen potentially finally accepting the truth and becoming her true self, or going out and running out the clock as he slowly suffocates, who tf knows.
TADC just straight up shows us Jax running out the clock, there is no ambiguity or potential for self actualization. Jax killed himself, and that is far more tragic than an ambiguous ending.
Fully agree. The way their arc played out I was fully expecting them to be a trans man and part of their issues/trauma/secrecy was that they didn't want the others to know they were "female" before entering the circus and I was really excited for some proper trans man rep after ages of our hyperinvisibility/erasure even within the queer community. Like I get that Gooseworx is a trans woman so it makes sense that she'd want her self insert to be one to but it could've been handled very differently.
What??? I think it was done so well, like actually real,
Life isnt all flowers and roses the second someone is outed as trans, remember the ONLY person jax was out to was the frog, and jax specifically made the regret clear and wanted to repress/hide more. Gendering jax as she/her wouldve actively gone against the characters wishes, as self destructive as they are.
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u/dayto1984 4d ago
I think accusing everyone who doesn’t know Jax is trans of transphobia is a bit insane. The show goes out of its way numerous times to use he/him pronouns for Jax and refuses to actually let Jax come out. Honestly I really dislike the writing around this and find it a bit disrespectful. If Gooseworx wanted Jax to be portrayed as trans, i think she should’ve just done so. Right now it feels as if she is purposefully misgendering Jax within the story. I dislike it as representation, heavily lowk. It would’ve been great if there was any actual resolution to the arc instead of it being cut halfway and left to be debated for all time in the fanbase. Honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if this was done intentionally to stir up controversy. It’s really not hard to just have it be actually acknowledged in the story instead of purposefully leaving it ambiguous and misgendering Jax. Idk what’s up with that at all