The Lana Lang Effect

[Lily Adler]

A situation where writers are simping on a particular female character where she is turned into a Mary Sue where everyone is in love with them in some way. Inspired by Kristin Kreuk's Lana Lang from Smallville. Do you guys know of any other examples of this?

 

[flickchick85]

Marissa Cooper on The OC.

 

[Slick]

I always hated how they ended the relationship with Clark and Lana in that she was radiated with kryptonite so she had to leave Clark.

I hated it because it made Lois look like a second choice instead of Clark and Lana ending their relationship because they just weren’t meant to be with Clark seeing that Lois was his real love and not his second choice.

I love Smallville but man the producers and writers made so stupid choices. But the good outweighed the bad for me so whatever I guess.

 

[Pink Ranger]

A situation where writers are simping on a particular female character where she is turned into a Mary Sue where everyone is in love with them in some way. Inspired by Kristin Kreuk's Lana Lang from Smallville. Do you guys know of any other examples of this?

I always felt Finn from Glee was like the male version of this: a doofus who really wasn't a good singer is suddenly the most important member of the Glee Club and is the subject of Mr. Shue's creepy paternal instincts.

I'd say Penny from Big Bang Theory, though I haven't seen enough of that basic AF show to know for sure. The actress herself is fine, but the character isn't really written to have any positive qualities besides her appearance; she's not particularly street-smart, she's not kind, she doesn't appear to have any unique talents. We're supposed to buy that all these incels are into her just because she's blonde and kinda attractive.

 

[flickchick85]

I always felt Finn from Glee was like the male version of this: a doofus who really wasn't a good singer is suddenly the most important member of the Glee Club and is the subject of Mr. Shue's creepy paternal instincts.

Rachel and Finn both could qualify in a way, imo. I mean, Finn more obviously, as Rachel was at least a good singer, but the way the show bent over backwards to convince us she was better than/had more star quality than Mercedes and Santana and other guest stars was downright maddening sometimes. The Troubletones>>>New Directions. Actually, on that note, if we could apply this effect to a whole group, I'd say New Directions would also qualify. Almost all the major groups we were introduced to on that show were better than them, but they would win because...heart?

 

[Pink Ranger]

Rachel and Finn both could qualify in a way, imo. I mean, Finn more obviously, as Rachel was at least a good singer, but the way the show bent over backwards to convince us she was better than/had more star quality than Mercedes and Santana and other guest stars was downright maddening sometimes. The Troubletones>>>New Directions. Actually, on that note, if we could apply this effect to a whole group, I'd say New Directions would also qualify. Almost all the major groups we were introduced to on that show were better than them, but they would win because...heart?

Damn girl, that's shaaaaade.

The reason I didn't mention Rachel is that she really was presented as a spoiled, self-centred diva, and got as good as she gave. Finn basically was treated like a slightly flawed Captain America, which his character definitely did not earn.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Felicity Smoak to a degree.

 

[TheVileOne]

Iris on The Flash?

 

[Dark Raven]

Felicity Smoak to a degree.

Iris on The Flash?

Definitely both of these. But not just the writers. Even Stephen Amell was speaking in terms of Emily Bett Rickards being their secret weapon or ace in the hole or however he might've phrased it.

 

[MilkmanDan]

I guess Robin from HIMYM might count. As a character in a sitcom, she was given some quirks and was occasionally the butt of a joke. But mostly she was the designated cool girl of the group and other characters' obsession with her was a running theme. The writers insistence that she was the "end game" is what lead to the much maligned finale of the show.

 

[Dark Raven]

Michael Burnham from Star Trek Discovery seems to be one. Good at everything, and all events revolve around her. She solves them all and is the only one who can solve them, and the writers keep pushing her on the audience to the detriment of other characters' development.

 

[obredaan]

I'd say Penny from Big Bang Theory, though I haven't seen enough of that basic AF show to know for sure. The actress herself is fine, but the character isn't really written to have any positive qualities besides her appearance; she's not particularly street-smart, she's not kind, she doesn't appear to have any unique talents. We're supposed to buy that all these incels are into her just because she's blonde and kinda attractive.

I'm not sure where you are coming from labeling the male characters as incels on BBT. I'm not a huge fan of the show and only saw the first 3 seasons but I never got the impression they were incels.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Michael Burnham from Star Trek Discovery seems to be one. Good at everything, and all events revolve around her. She solves them all and is the only one who can solve them, and the writers keep pushing her on the audience to the detriment of other characters' development.

I can see some of that with Burnham, especially with the strange hetero girl-crushes she seems to engender among every other woman in the crew. But at the end of the day the show makes it clear she screws up, a lot. Almost too much even. And she pretty much says at the end that she doesn't deserve command, but has it thrust upon her.

 

[flickchick85]

I can see some of that with Burnham, especially with the strange hetero girl-crushes she seems to engender among every other woman in the crew. But at the end of the day the show makes it clear she screws up, a lot. Almost too much even. And she pretty much says at the end that she doesn't deserve command, but has it thrust upon her.

Agreed. I don't think this effect really applies to Burnham. She's not a magnet for male attention on the show, either.

 

[flickchick85]

If my mom were asked about this her immediate answer would be Lady Mary on Downton Abbey. The number of times we'd be watching that and she'd burst out with a "what's so goddamn special about Mary?!?!" were too many to count.

 

[Prison Mike]

Kate from Lost

 

[Pink Ranger]

If my mom were asked about this her immediate answer would be Lady Mary on Downton Abbey. The number of times we'd be watching that and she'd burst out with a "what's so goddamn special about Mary?!?!" were too many to count.

How dare she besmirch the very name of Lady Mary Josephine Talbot, née Crawley, heir to the Earlship of Grantham and Wardeness of the Vaguely Westward Leaning!