Looking over the TVTropes page to refresh myself on the definition of "woobie," I'm struck by the fact that the woobie is defined by being a victim of circumstances - that is, the source of their suffering is always external to them, and never the result of their own actions, which allows them to be a compelling object of sympathy. The woobie is also defined by their own powerlessness/helplessness in the face of all the bad things that happen to them; they are not permitted by the narrative to escape, so they can only endure.
Most fandom tropes have projection at their core to some extent--not that that's inherently a bad thing, mind you--so I would guess woobifying characters allows the creator/audience some vicarious relief from their own pain, either via inflicting it on the character in question or by relieving said character's pain (aka, the entire hurt/comfort dynamic). Woobification of characters who have committed morally dubious actions also allows the audience to sidestep the issue entirely, by presenting those actions as something outside of that character's control.
This is a particularly pronounced trope in some sections of the Star Wars Sequel trilogy fandom, where many Kylo Ren fans will go to great lengths to insist he is a victim of circumstances and not responsible for anything actually bad, including on-screen canon actions. (I.e., Kylo didn't kill his father because Kylo was evil/flawed/chose to, he was misled by Snoke! OR Kylo's father abused him and he was getting back at his abuser, and it's actually Han's fault, etc, etc.) I find this absolutely fascinating, because these fans are taking a character who is presented in a decidedly unsympathetic light and converting all of these flaws into more palatable and sympathetic ones--thereby making him acceptable in their eyes.
It's especially interesting in comparison to the other approach to the character: unapologetic fans who declare outright, "He's trash/a terrible person, and I love him for it". These fans don't need to woobify Kylo, because they don't require him to be an object of sympathy in order to enjoy his character.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2021-08-07 03:37 pm (UTC)Most fandom tropes have projection at their core to some extent--not that that's inherently a bad thing, mind you--so I would guess woobifying characters allows the creator/audience some vicarious relief from their own pain, either via inflicting it on the character in question or by relieving said character's pain (aka, the entire hurt/comfort dynamic). Woobification of characters who have committed morally dubious actions also allows the audience to sidestep the issue entirely, by presenting those actions as something outside of that character's control.
This is a particularly pronounced trope in some sections of the Star Wars Sequel trilogy fandom, where many Kylo Ren fans will go to great lengths to insist he is a victim of circumstances and not responsible for anything actually bad, including on-screen canon actions. (I.e., Kylo didn't kill his father because Kylo was evil/flawed/chose to, he was misled by Snoke! OR Kylo's father abused him and he was getting back at his abuser, and it's actually Han's fault, etc, etc.) I find this absolutely fascinating, because these fans are taking a character who is presented in a decidedly unsympathetic light and converting all of these flaws into more palatable and sympathetic ones--thereby making him acceptable in their eyes.
It's especially interesting in comparison to the other approach to the character: unapologetic fans who declare outright, "He's trash/a terrible person, and I love him for it". These fans don't need to woobify Kylo, because they don't require him to be an object of sympathy in order to enjoy his character.