SUSAN! Susan Susan Susan Susan Susan AAAAAAAAAAAA Susan you're so rad it's weird that you have your midriff exposed but you rock for reals YAAAAAAAAAY

Susan was initially inspired by me being a teenage guy who was frustrated about gender roles in general, commonly NOT interested in "guy" stuff (and ridiculed by both men and women because of it), confused about why sexism was even a thing as early as kindergarten (if not sooner), very rarely witnessed instances of guys being sexist jerks in real life, and knew a lot of girls who generalized a LOT about guys (either jokingly or sincerely).

Also, Home Improvement was on the air. Screw you, Home Improvement. Except you, Al. You rock that flannel. And I guess Wilson was rad, too. Whatever. The show should've just been Tool Time.

So basically, I had a lot of frustration about male stereotypes and was naive about how much sexism women still have to deal with, and Susan was someone who was, by design, going to say a bunch of stuff that annoyed me so that I could provide counterpoints to them.

And then Susan was all like "I am NOT your strawman", hit me with a hammer, and developed into one of my most favoritist characters ever in anything.

But, yeah, she didn't originate from a good place. On the other hand, perhaps this sheds some light on why I actually respond to people of the "not all men" variety on social media, and do so with patience and the best logic and reason I can muster.

Usually, anyway. I can be a jerk if caught at a bad time, after all, but is there anyone that statement DOESN'T apply to?

Commentary added September 24th, 2014