Voltron creator addresses fans over season 7’s queerbaiting controversy

[BUtterfield 8 41,354]

Earlier this week, Voltron: Legendary Defender Joaquim Dos Santos posted an open letter to the Voltron fandom several days after the release of the series’ seventh season. In the letter, Dos Santos acknowledged the controversy surrounding Adam, Shiro’s ex-boyfriend who briefly appeared in season seven. Following the season premiere, fans expressed anger and hurt in regard to LGBTQ representation on the show, and how things ultimately played out for the character.

“I’d like to say that we created this version of Voltron with the intent of being as inclusive as possible within the boundaries given,” Dos Santos wrote. “Are there still boundaries? Well, for this type of action adventure/product driven/traditionally boys toys” show the answer is unfortunately yes.”

[Warning: Spoilers for season seven of Voltron: Legendary Defender ahead.]

Season seven introduces Adam through a flashback in which he and Shiro argue about the Kerberos mission. After Shiro laments the fact that his superiors are trying to prevent him from going on the mission due to his illness, Adam sides with the Garrison rather than his boyfriend. He leaves after effectively ending their relationship, telling Shiro: “If you decide to go, don’t expect me to be here when you come back.”

After leaving Earth in the Blue Lion and going on to lead Voltron, Shiro doesn’t return to Earth for several years. Adam’s ultimatum eventually comes true: when Shiro eventually does return to Earth, he discovers that Adam died while attempting to defend the Garrison base from the first wave of Galra cruisers.

Although Adam only briefly appeared in the seventh season, his death was the source of major controversy in the fandom. Fans accused the Voltron crew of queerbaiting and invoking the “bury your gays” trope. Queerbaiting refers to the phenomenon of shows and movies hinting at the possibility of a queer relationship, but ultimately refusing to make the relationship romantic. The “bury your gays” trope refers to queer characters being killed off for shock value and/or to further the development of a more central character. 

Some Voltron: Legendary Defenderfans argue that Adam’s death was indicative of both of these tropes, arguing that they had been baited by cover images for the series that seemed to suggest a reunion between Shiro and Adam. Others argued that revealing that Shiro was gay at the series’ SDCC panel build up significant excitement only to lead to disappoint in the series and a lack of reference to Shiro and Adam being in a relationship in the series. In addition, many fans believed that Adam’s death perpetuated the “bury your gays” trope given that he was introduced to the series and killed within the season.

In an open letter to the Voltron: Legendary Defender fandom, showrunner Joaquim Dos Santos addressed the fandom’s responses to Adam’s death in addition to highlighting some of the boundaries that still exist in representation today. 

 

https://www.polygon.com/tv/2018/8/16/17698024/voltron-adam-controversy-netflix-queerbaiting-dos-santos-letter#comments

[Guest]

Never heard of the show but I hate when shows use the lgbtq community & bait them to get views & make money. It’s disgusting, he says there’s still boundaries even though boundaries are only there because the people making the show chose to put them there. Boundaries only exist if you let them.

[OBEY 57,109]

The 100 received so much backlash for the gay baiting too

[BUtterfield 8 41,354]

2 minutes ago, OBEY said:

The 100 received so much backlash for the gay baiting too

What did they do 

 

[OBEY 57,109]

20 minutes ago, Rainbow1 said:

What did they do 

 

Basically they introduced a new character (Lexa) and developed her a lot and it got revealed that she was lesbian after a few eps and she started having a relationship with the main character that was heterosexual and became bisexual.

Lexa quickly became a fan-favourite as she was a complex character and the fact that she was lesbian made people even more invested. the show runner even tweeted something about her in the season 3 finale. however, in the middle of season 3, she tries to save the main character and she gets killed in like 3 seconds out of nowhere.

there was outrage weeks after the episode aired.

the show writers even told people from LGBTQ communities to watch the show bc a badass lesbian was going to be on it.

[jsn 1,647]

It wouldn't have been a big deal if they hadn't made a big deal about it when they announced it.  At comic con they were all "YES SEASON 7 WILL HAVE GAYS, THIS GUY NAMED ADAM IS SHIRO'S BOYFRIEND :)))" and then the season releases and Adam is actually Shiro's exboyfriend and had a total of like 3 minutes of screen time in a flashback before he's killed off.

If they had just kept their mouths shut and let fans see it for themselves first there would have been less backlash.

[Doncho 27,241]

I never watched the show, but honestly its so great that this kind of conversations are happening. Im sure in a couple of years we will have openly gay characters in cartoons (They exist alredy, but just a few)

[Seeka 12,372]

They dug this grave, now they may lie in it.

Not saying that the fandom isn't toxic. Who boy is it toxic.

However, the show, instead of going a route similar to Free! Where there's no romance because that would ruin the equilibrium of the show, they went off and did this.

The writers shot themselves in the foot with shipping this season. 

You can't really believe this came from the creators of Legend of Korra.

[Obman 773]

6 hours ago, Seeka said:

They dug this grave, now they may lie in it.

Not saying that the fandom isn't toxic. Who boy is it toxic.

However, the show, instead of going a route similar to Free! Where there's no romance because that would ruin the equilibrium of the show, they went off and did this.

The writers shot themselves in the foot with shipping this season. 

You can't really believe this came from the creators of Legend of Korra.

This!! I haven't watched Voltron but when I read in the OP the name Joaquim Dos Santos, I was surprised that there were any issues to begin with.