That cutting remark from Emma really stuck out to me, too. I keep thinking (and saying it over and over in these replies, lol) that so much of what this show does would be fascinating and nuanced if actually presented with awareness and in a different context. Emma's behavior, imo, absolutely falls under that umbrella. It makes a lot of sense that she'd be (I'll give her credit here and say 'unintentionally') cruel about Shannon's eating, because it clearly disturbs her own disordered sense of what's acceptable and what isn't. Here's a woman who eats without shame and without regard to what others think of how she eats, while Emma can't allow herself that freedom in any facet of her life. Lashing out at Shannon is about lashing out at herself. Which, of course, doesn't excuse it or make it okay, but it explains it a little.
She's played a much more limited role this season, but I'm surprised there doesn't ever seem to be much fandom discussion of Emma beyond "she needs to get away from Will." Emma seems to get a lot of slack, I think because it's so much easier to blame Will for everything (and because hardly anybody in this fandom wants to talk about the adults anymore; I can't say I much blame them). It'd be nice, though, to see people looking more critically at her character, not just as a victim, but as a person whose illness has prevented her from doing her job correctly in ways that are actively harmful to her students. Imagine if McKinley had a competent guidance counselor who could've helped Santana deal with Finn outing her? And then imagine Emma in that role. Nope. Can't do it.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2011-12-01 07:35 pm (UTC)She's played a much more limited role this season, but I'm surprised there doesn't ever seem to be much fandom discussion of Emma beyond "she needs to get away from Will." Emma seems to get a lot of slack, I think because it's so much easier to blame Will for everything (and because hardly anybody in this fandom wants to talk about the adults anymore; I can't say I much blame them). It'd be nice, though, to see people looking more critically at her character, not just as a victim, but as a person whose illness has prevented her from doing her job correctly in ways that are actively harmful to her students. Imagine if McKinley had a competent guidance counselor who could've helped Santana deal with Finn outing her? And then imagine Emma in that role. Nope. Can't do it.