"Did you know she never once criticized my appearance?"
February 22, 2019 3:21 AM Subscribe
My favorite strip was "Peanuts," which, if I’d been paying attention, contained some lessons for me about the world that lay ahead. "Peanuts" was just one broken heart after another.–What "Peanuts" Taught Me About Queer Identity by Jennifer Finney Boylan.
This was a lovely read.
Love had not cured me of the desire to be female—but being fully known, at last, had made it possible for the mask to slip from my face. It had made it possible for me to transition, knowing that Deirdre’s love for me would endure. People often ask how Deirdre adapted to the change. But the mysterious self I unveiled to her turned out, mostly, to be the one she already knew. She is, as Pigpen observed, an unusual girl. She never once criticized my appearance.
That made me choke up. Thanks for the post.
posted by billiebee at 5:48 AM on February 22, 2019 [8 favorites]
Love had not cured me of the desire to be female—but being fully known, at last, had made it possible for the mask to slip from my face. It had made it possible for me to transition, knowing that Deirdre’s love for me would endure. People often ask how Deirdre adapted to the change. But the mysterious self I unveiled to her turned out, mostly, to be the one she already knew. She is, as Pigpen observed, an unusual girl. She never once criticized my appearance.
That made me choke up. Thanks for the post.
posted by billiebee at 5:48 AM on February 22, 2019 [8 favorites]
This was lovely.
Patty was always my favorite. Not really fitting into the girl/boy dichotomy, which was all we knew at the time, really resonated. My feelings for Marcie were also complicated. So may things were more complicated than I realized at the time.
posted by blurker at 7:22 AM on February 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
Patty was always my favorite. Not really fitting into the girl/boy dichotomy, which was all we knew at the time, really resonated. My feelings for Marcie were also complicated. So may things were more complicated than I realized at the time.
posted by blurker at 7:22 AM on February 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
But the mysterious self I unveiled to her turned out, mostly, to be the one she already knew.
This resonates so hard.
Thank you for posting, even if it did make me cry at work.
posted by carrioncomfort at 7:24 AM on February 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
This resonates so hard.
Thank you for posting, even if it did make me cry at work.
posted by carrioncomfort at 7:24 AM on February 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
I always think of classic Peanuts like Mister Rogers--it acknowledges that children have feelings and knowledge with no ability to know they have those feelings and knowledge. And you don't need to explain the feelings to them, nor try to give them all the knowledge. You just have to make sure that the spaces where they have those feelings are safe, and the tools they access to gain the knowledge are kind.
posted by crush at 7:41 AM on February 22, 2019 [28 favorites]
posted by crush at 7:41 AM on February 22, 2019 [28 favorites]
Wonderful. Thanks for sharing this.
posted by lizifer at 8:37 AM on February 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by lizifer at 8:37 AM on February 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
Maybe it's just me, but it feels like it's hard to overstate the omnipresence of Peanuts in the '70s. So many of my childhood memories are colored by Peanuts, that to this day, A Charlie Brown Christmas is more evocative of the holiday than most of the Christian Christmas carols. My dad and I made a kite, once, and I wanted Snoopy on it, so he photographed the panel I chose, then projected the slide on to the paper, sketched the outlines, and let me color it. And not long ago I found the copy of You're In Love, Charlie Brown which my dad gave me for my 6th Valentines. He'd inscribed it "with love, Daddy" and it struck me at once as terribly sweet, a little uncharacteristically tender, and somehow suggestive of some insight he had into his weird and anxious child long before I knew anything about myself at all.
(But Patty can't see Marcie as Marcie sees her because she'd have to see herself as Marcie sees her first—and that's an insight she apparently lacks.
This has been Queering the Peanuts w/ Jacques Lacan. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.)
posted by octobersurprise at 8:53 AM on February 22, 2019 [43 favorites]
"Patty believes all sorts of things that appear untrue: for years, she believed that Snoopy was not a dog but 'that funny-looking kid with the big nose.' She believed that Snoopy’s dog house was 'Chuck’s guest cottage."Patty sees the characters as they want to be seen. That's her charm and her wisdom. Marcie sees that in Patty, that's hers.
(But Patty can't see Marcie as Marcie sees her because she'd have to see herself as Marcie sees her first—and that's an insight she apparently lacks.
This has been Queering the Peanuts w/ Jacques Lacan. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.)
posted by octobersurprise at 8:53 AM on February 22, 2019 [43 favorites]
Let's also not forget one of the most well-known bits about Peanuts - Lucy always promising to let Charlie Brown kick the football, yet always pulling it away.
Because that's kind of what it's like when cis and straight folks talk about how they're going to be there for the queer community.
posted by evilangela at 9:31 AM on February 22, 2019 [13 favorites]
Because that's kind of what it's like when cis and straight folks talk about how they're going to be there for the queer community.
posted by evilangela at 9:31 AM on February 22, 2019 [13 favorites]
I basically read the queer content in Peanuts as being about Marcie and Patty, Patty with her gender issues and Marcie with her devotion to Patty. Even well before I figured out that I was queer, I always thought it was sad that Patty was so fixated on Charlie Brown when Marcie was right there and so much nicer to her. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I've always identified with Marcie more than anyone else.
My understanding of Charlie Brown was that he was Schulz' stand-in, Lucy was based on his wife who he had a difficult relationship with, and the little red-haired girl was the woman he was cheating on her with.
posted by bile and syntax at 9:34 AM on February 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
My understanding of Charlie Brown was that he was Schulz' stand-in, Lucy was based on his wife who he had a difficult relationship with, and the little red-haired girl was the woman he was cheating on her with.
posted by bile and syntax at 9:34 AM on February 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
This was great and well-written. I wish it had been longer, even. I'd happily read more of the author's thoughts on this topic.
It actually inspired me to google more about Peppermint Patty and I found an awesome article all about the statement Schultz was making with Patty's athleticism, as well as his friendship with/support of Billie Jean King.
It includes this excellent strips from when Peanuts ran a series defending Title XI that I'd 100% cut out and stick on my refrigerator if I saw in the newspaper today.
posted by Emily's Fist at 9:37 AM on February 22, 2019 [12 favorites]
It actually inspired me to google more about Peppermint Patty and I found an awesome article all about the statement Schultz was making with Patty's athleticism, as well as his friendship with/support of Billie Jean King.
It includes this excellent strips from when Peanuts ran a series defending Title XI that I'd 100% cut out and stick on my refrigerator if I saw in the newspaper today.
posted by Emily's Fist at 9:37 AM on February 22, 2019 [12 favorites]
Marcie is in love with Charlie Brown ...
Whaaa??
... but Peppermint Patty loves only Charlie Brown.
Seriously, WHAT???
While I don't have any quibble with the rest of the article, those two bits are absolutely miles away from my own observations. Maybe it's just been too long since I read any Peanuts (though I literally had all the compilation books growing up), but I never saw either of those characters as being attracted to Charlie Brown. As I recall, Patty only had baseball/sport-related interactions with Charlie Brown, and Marcie only ever followed Patty around. Am I mis-remembering?
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:43 AM on February 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
Whaaa??
... but Peppermint Patty loves only Charlie Brown.
Seriously, WHAT???
While I don't have any quibble with the rest of the article, those two bits are absolutely miles away from my own observations. Maybe it's just been too long since I read any Peanuts (though I literally had all the compilation books growing up), but I never saw either of those characters as being attracted to Charlie Brown. As I recall, Patty only had baseball/sport-related interactions with Charlie Brown, and Marcie only ever followed Patty around. Am I mis-remembering?
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:43 AM on February 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
Patty only had baseball/sport-related interactions with Charlie Brown
There is a Valentines Day Charlie Brown tv special where Peppermint Patty wants Charlie Brown to be her Valentine. Not sure if the tv shows are Charlie Brown cannon!
posted by The_Vegetables at 10:14 AM on February 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
There is a Valentines Day Charlie Brown tv special where Peppermint Patty wants Charlie Brown to be her Valentine. Not sure if the tv shows are Charlie Brown cannon!
posted by The_Vegetables at 10:14 AM on February 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
I never saw either of those characters as being attracted to Charlie Brown [...] Am I mis-remembering?
I don't think it was a big focus of the strip, but there are definitely a few comics to that theme.
posted by Emily's Fist at 10:53 AM on February 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
I don't think it was a big focus of the strip, but there are definitely a few comics to that theme.
posted by Emily's Fist at 10:53 AM on February 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
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