maybe…just maybe…people stereotype Katara as “too motherly” for Aang because they’ve never seen media properly portray mutual romantic attraction…
THANK YOU.
Kataang was so realistic to me. The boys I genuinely liked, I cared for like Katara cared for Aang. We were friends, we laughed together, I try to protect them. Made sure they ate and took care of themselves, I was touchy feely, I soften around them. I have faith in them and try to lighten their load.
The older I get the more I also understand the appeal of Aang and want it for myself. Yes, when we’re young we like the tall, dark and handsome and Katara was realistic in that was too hence JET. KATARA WAS A REALISTIC YOUNG GIRL. We all wanted our Jets, had our Jets and learned from out Jets.
But once all that settles we want Peace. Light. Friendship. Maturity. Effective Communication. Freedom. Adventure. Higher Purpose. Fun. Youth. Not taking ourself too seriously. Someone to step back, tell us, and not participate in our self destruction. A partner. A Best Friend. A healthy lover. An Aang.
And the whole younger thing? First of all Aang was the most mature out of all of them. True emotional, spiritual, realistic, non-naive maturity but second, CMON, Yall never fell in love with people just a couple years younger than you. Never? Can’t even picture the appeal? Can’t think of anyone you know?
And DOBS? You’ve never been surprised that the person you’ve shamelessly flirted and were touchy feely with and were in love with actually liked you back? I’ve dreamt day and night of kissing my crush and when I kissed him on the cheek after prom I was SURPRISED that he kissed me on the lips. I’m not even kidding. I knew he like be too but I was legitimately still Pikachu-face shocked.
And EIP? You’ve never been through that awkward, painful, risky and confusing transition of best friends to lovers? You’ve never had a situation where you don’t know how to deal with the predicament at hand even if you wouldn’t want to have that problem with anyone else? No “right person wrong time” experiences"?
And lastly, Katara being treated as if she had no agency when he chose Aang, that she didn’t at all benefit when she chose Aang and had children with him. That people think she didn’t love Aang at all, that she was reduced to a housewife and saw that as an insult is ridiculous to me and insulting to Katara’s character. Period.
I just…Kataang is the healthiest, most realistic portrayal of a relationship to me–platonic and romantic and everything in between. They were the heart of the show (along with Zuko and Aang) and none of it relies on a romantic fruition. Them not ending up together would not have changed anything. Yet them being together was the happy ending cherry on top that we could all use in our life.
The antagonism they receive is astonishing to me. And the denial of their utmost respect, love and adoration for each other is mind boggling. You don’t have to like them but man, some of the things I read…. And those bad takes…this might be a fictional ship but women like Katara, men like Aang, their relationship and dynamic–those TRULY EXIST in real like so when fans have bad takes on them…what they imply is troublesome, out of touch and can be down right insulting.
Ship who you want I ship Aang with pretty much everyone but bad, toxic Kataang takes? That say a lot more of you and to an extension, what the media fed us.
