We Love the Women That Fandom Hates - Day 4
Naturally, the reasons to hate any one particular character are as varied and numerous as the people that hold them. Nevertheless, the majority of the flak that Ashley gets can be lumped into the following three main categories.
1. Her Personality
You rarely see someone come right out and mention this as a reason for hating Ashley, but I think it would be an oversight to assume that it's not a factor. She has a personality type that, to put it mildly, tends to be not-so-popular among female characters in fandom.
I should note that I'm not automatically condemning every single person who dislikes Ashley because of her personality. Everyone's entitled to their own favorite and not-so-favorite characters; sometimes a character just rubs people the wrong way, and that's fine. However, I think good old fashioned sexism can also play a significant role here. Large chunks of fandom (fandom in general, not just Mass Effect fandom) prefer their female characters to be quiet and demure. Sweet and shy. Cute and giggly. Passive and non-threatening. Ashley is none of those things. She is outspoken, sarcastic, and sometimes even aggressive. When a male character has these traits, fandom rarely bats an eye. When a female character does, fandom instantly labels her a bitch.
Personally, I think it takes all kinds of personalities (fictional and otherwise) to make the world go 'round. And while I certainly do adore some ladies in the "cute and giggly" camp (e.g., Leliana from Dragon Age, Kaylee from Firefly), I tend to have the biggest soft spots for female characters who always speak their minds, even if what they have to say is blunt or sarcastic or aggressive. That fits Ashley to a tee, and it was one of the biggest things that drew me to her from the first day I played the game.
2. Her Religious Beliefs
Out of all the reasons to hate Ashley that fandom has drummed up, this one disturbs and baffles me the most by far. Ashley's religious beliefs, while certainly not an insignificant aspect of her character, are presented in about as low-key a manner as you can possibly get. She never goes around preaching or trying to convert anyone. In fact, she hardly ever brings it up at all. The subject comes up in exactly one conversation, and it's kept so vague that it's blatantly obvious BioWare was attempting to do it in a way that couldn't possibly step on anyone's toes. Ashley never names any specific religious figure, nor does she ever quote from or mention any specific religious text. (By contrast, she quotes poetry on at least three or four occasions. Perhaps one might make the assumption that Tennyson is her God.) Essentially all she says is that she believes in the existence of some higher power. But even just that little bit of nonspecific religious talk is enough to make some people slam her for being a "religious nut" or a "freak" or a "zealot."
I won't even attempt to offer any kind of rebuttal for that because the very notion of it is, quite frankly, ludicrous. If people get upset over the mere fact that *gasp* religion exists, that's on them, not on a religious character. In Ashley's case specifically, what makes it even more facepalm-inducing is that the same people who trash her for having religious beliefs often, in the same breath, turn around and slam her for her "bigoted" opinions of aliens. Apparently the irony is lost on them.
3. Aliens, Aliens, Aliens
This one, of course, is the biggie. Ashley's views on aliens are easily the most controversial aspect of her character, and have led fandom at large to label her with such nicknames as "Space Hitler," "Space Nazi," "Trashley," "Assley," and various other incredibly clever and mature monikers. Just based on the fandom's reaction, a casual observer who didn't know much about Mass Effect might assume that Ashley is a crazed genocidal maniac who guns down every alien that crosses her path.
But what exactly does she really say about aliens? Here's the beginning of the conversation where the topic comes up:
I know things are different aboard the Normandy, but--I'm concerned about the aliens. Vakarian and Wrex. With all due respect, Commander, should they have full access to the ship?
One thing I think is interesting to note is that even though she says "the aliens," she actually mentions only two out of the four non-humans on the ship. She isn't saying, "Ew, I don't want any of these nasty aliens crawling around on a human ship;" if that's what she were thinking, presumably she would have brought up Tali and Liara as well. Instead, her concerns are directed specifically at the krogan and the turian--members of two species that have especially violent and/or militaristic reputations. To me, that suggests that her concerns are fueled less by the mere fact that they're alien and more by the fact that she's a soldier. Evaluating threats to her people is what she does for a living. To me it makes complete sense that she would assess the situation that way: all these humans and aliens are mingling on board the most advanced human military vessel there is, and if Wrex or Garrus aren't trustworthy, they could very easily royally screw things up for both the crew of the Normandy and the Alliance as a whole.
One could make the argument that Ashley's generalizing--i.e., judging Wrex and Garrus to be threats based not on their own personal actions but on their species' violent histories/tendencies--is still problematic. I wouldn't even necessarily disagree. But I think it's important to separate our external perspectives from Ashley's more limited view. As fans of the game (especially those of us who have played it through multiple times), we know that Garrus and Wrex are trustworthy. And I suspect the fact that those two characters are both immensely popular among the fandom has a lot to do with the kneejerk "WTF?!" reaction to Ashley's concerns--it's only natural for fans of a character to bristle when someone else calls that character's loyalty into question. But Ashley's perspective isn't our perspective. This conversation takes place fairly early in the game, before all these characters have had time to get to know each other. All Ashley really knows for sure about Wrex and Garrus is that one is a mercenary (not exactly the most trustworthy type around, as a rule) and the other is a member of a species that was at war with humanity just 26 years earlier--the same species that her grandfather fought. At this point in the game, she has very little reason to believe with any kind of certainty that if push came to shove, their loyalties would lie with their new-found human commander rather than with their own respective species. Is it fair of her to generalize and expect Wrex and Garrus to be exactly the same as "typical" krogan and turians? No, but in her position, it's better to generalize than to be betrayed or dead. Again, she's a soldier. Some level of mistrust comes with the territory.
(I should also point out that Ashley is not the only Mass Effect character guilty of generalizing. Wrex can call out Kaidan, Garrus, and even Shepard for making generalizing or otherwise ignorant species-related comments.)
When it all comes down to it, mistrust is probably the best word to describe Ashley's feelings toward aliens, and especially alien governments.
As noble as the Council members seem now, if their backs are against the wall, they'll abandon us....Members of their species will always be more important to them than humans are.
To me, that seems less like racism and more like realism. Sure, it's nice to think of a whole galaxy full of selfless, benevolent people and governments putting others before themselves, but at the end of the day, how often does that actually happen? Of course governments are going to take care of themselves and their own people first--especially since humans in this scenario are still very much newcomers on the galactic scene. (Also, the fact that the Council members are largely presented as a bunch of stubborn, ignorant buffoons doesn't exactly do much to invalidate Ashley's concerns.)
All that to say, Ashley doesn't hate aliens, or even necessarily dislike them. She doesn't think they're inferior or refuse to work with them. (She also harshly criticizes actual human supremacist groups Terra Firma and Cerberus.) She just doesn't trust aliens to have humanity's best interests at heart 100% of the time. (And for the record, if she did embrace all aliens with open arms and believe everything they had to say all the time, my guess is she would be slammed for being naive or gullible.)
Anyway, my main goal here isn't to say "ASHLEY IS PERFECT" or to try to claim that her opinions on aliens are completely flawless. On the contrary--I think it's pretty clear that Ashley is not perfect. What I am arguing is that the automatic rampant hate she gets for her opinions is completely blown out of proportion compared to what she actually says about aliens. Moreover, her flaws make complete sense given who she is and what she's been through, and they're a huge part of what make her a fascinating character. To reiterate from my Day 1 post: I'll take a flawed, realistic character over a perfect cookie-cutter character any day.
1. Her Personality
You rarely see someone come right out and mention this as a reason for hating Ashley, but I think it would be an oversight to assume that it's not a factor. She has a personality type that, to put it mildly, tends to be not-so-popular among female characters in fandom.
I should note that I'm not automatically condemning every single person who dislikes Ashley because of her personality. Everyone's entitled to their own favorite and not-so-favorite characters; sometimes a character just rubs people the wrong way, and that's fine. However, I think good old fashioned sexism can also play a significant role here. Large chunks of fandom (fandom in general, not just Mass Effect fandom) prefer their female characters to be quiet and demure. Sweet and shy. Cute and giggly. Passive and non-threatening. Ashley is none of those things. She is outspoken, sarcastic, and sometimes even aggressive. When a male character has these traits, fandom rarely bats an eye. When a female character does, fandom instantly labels her a bitch.
Personally, I think it takes all kinds of personalities (fictional and otherwise) to make the world go 'round. And while I certainly do adore some ladies in the "cute and giggly" camp (e.g., Leliana from Dragon Age, Kaylee from Firefly), I tend to have the biggest soft spots for female characters who always speak their minds, even if what they have to say is blunt or sarcastic or aggressive. That fits Ashley to a tee, and it was one of the biggest things that drew me to her from the first day I played the game.
2. Her Religious Beliefs
Out of all the reasons to hate Ashley that fandom has drummed up, this one disturbs and baffles me the most by far. Ashley's religious beliefs, while certainly not an insignificant aspect of her character, are presented in about as low-key a manner as you can possibly get. She never goes around preaching or trying to convert anyone. In fact, she hardly ever brings it up at all. The subject comes up in exactly one conversation, and it's kept so vague that it's blatantly obvious BioWare was attempting to do it in a way that couldn't possibly step on anyone's toes. Ashley never names any specific religious figure, nor does she ever quote from or mention any specific religious text. (By contrast, she quotes poetry on at least three or four occasions. Perhaps one might make the assumption that Tennyson is her God.) Essentially all she says is that she believes in the existence of some higher power. But even just that little bit of nonspecific religious talk is enough to make some people slam her for being a "religious nut" or a "freak" or a "zealot."
I won't even attempt to offer any kind of rebuttal for that because the very notion of it is, quite frankly, ludicrous. If people get upset over the mere fact that *gasp* religion exists, that's on them, not on a religious character. In Ashley's case specifically, what makes it even more facepalm-inducing is that the same people who trash her for having religious beliefs often, in the same breath, turn around and slam her for her "bigoted" opinions of aliens. Apparently the irony is lost on them.
3. Aliens, Aliens, Aliens
This one, of course, is the biggie. Ashley's views on aliens are easily the most controversial aspect of her character, and have led fandom at large to label her with such nicknames as "Space Hitler," "Space Nazi," "Trashley," "Assley," and various other incredibly clever and mature monikers. Just based on the fandom's reaction, a casual observer who didn't know much about Mass Effect might assume that Ashley is a crazed genocidal maniac who guns down every alien that crosses her path.
But what exactly does she really say about aliens? Here's the beginning of the conversation where the topic comes up:
I know things are different aboard the Normandy, but--I'm concerned about the aliens. Vakarian and Wrex. With all due respect, Commander, should they have full access to the ship?
One thing I think is interesting to note is that even though she says "the aliens," she actually mentions only two out of the four non-humans on the ship. She isn't saying, "Ew, I don't want any of these nasty aliens crawling around on a human ship;" if that's what she were thinking, presumably she would have brought up Tali and Liara as well. Instead, her concerns are directed specifically at the krogan and the turian--members of two species that have especially violent and/or militaristic reputations. To me, that suggests that her concerns are fueled less by the mere fact that they're alien and more by the fact that she's a soldier. Evaluating threats to her people is what she does for a living. To me it makes complete sense that she would assess the situation that way: all these humans and aliens are mingling on board the most advanced human military vessel there is, and if Wrex or Garrus aren't trustworthy, they could very easily royally screw things up for both the crew of the Normandy and the Alliance as a whole.
One could make the argument that Ashley's generalizing--i.e., judging Wrex and Garrus to be threats based not on their own personal actions but on their species' violent histories/tendencies--is still problematic. I wouldn't even necessarily disagree. But I think it's important to separate our external perspectives from Ashley's more limited view. As fans of the game (especially those of us who have played it through multiple times), we know that Garrus and Wrex are trustworthy. And I suspect the fact that those two characters are both immensely popular among the fandom has a lot to do with the kneejerk "WTF?!" reaction to Ashley's concerns--it's only natural for fans of a character to bristle when someone else calls that character's loyalty into question. But Ashley's perspective isn't our perspective. This conversation takes place fairly early in the game, before all these characters have had time to get to know each other. All Ashley really knows for sure about Wrex and Garrus is that one is a mercenary (not exactly the most trustworthy type around, as a rule) and the other is a member of a species that was at war with humanity just 26 years earlier--the same species that her grandfather fought. At this point in the game, she has very little reason to believe with any kind of certainty that if push came to shove, their loyalties would lie with their new-found human commander rather than with their own respective species. Is it fair of her to generalize and expect Wrex and Garrus to be exactly the same as "typical" krogan and turians? No, but in her position, it's better to generalize than to be betrayed or dead. Again, she's a soldier. Some level of mistrust comes with the territory.
(I should also point out that Ashley is not the only Mass Effect character guilty of generalizing. Wrex can call out Kaidan, Garrus, and even Shepard for making generalizing or otherwise ignorant species-related comments.)
When it all comes down to it, mistrust is probably the best word to describe Ashley's feelings toward aliens, and especially alien governments.
As noble as the Council members seem now, if their backs are against the wall, they'll abandon us....Members of their species will always be more important to them than humans are.
To me, that seems less like racism and more like realism. Sure, it's nice to think of a whole galaxy full of selfless, benevolent people and governments putting others before themselves, but at the end of the day, how often does that actually happen? Of course governments are going to take care of themselves and their own people first--especially since humans in this scenario are still very much newcomers on the galactic scene. (Also, the fact that the Council members are largely presented as a bunch of stubborn, ignorant buffoons doesn't exactly do much to invalidate Ashley's concerns.)
All that to say, Ashley doesn't hate aliens, or even necessarily dislike them. She doesn't think they're inferior or refuse to work with them. (She also harshly criticizes actual human supremacist groups Terra Firma and Cerberus.) She just doesn't trust aliens to have humanity's best interests at heart 100% of the time. (And for the record, if she did embrace all aliens with open arms and believe everything they had to say all the time, my guess is she would be slammed for being naive or gullible.)
Anyway, my main goal here isn't to say "ASHLEY IS PERFECT" or to try to claim that her opinions on aliens are completely flawless. On the contrary--I think it's pretty clear that Ashley is not perfect. What I am arguing is that the automatic rampant hate she gets for her opinions is completely blown out of proportion compared to what she actually says about aliens. Moreover, her flaws make complete sense given who she is and what she's been through, and they're a huge part of what make her a fascinating character. To reiterate from my Day 1 post: I'll take a flawed, realistic character over a perfect cookie-cutter character any day.