At the request of people who can’t seem to understand where our vehement dislike for the character of Vanessa Abrams comes from we have accepted a challenged to put together a cohesive statement as to why we and other people in the fandom have what others call an ‘unexplained’ hate for this particular character. It is true, that for the most part, people randomly shout ‘HATE VANESSA’ statements with nothing to back-up their particularly passionate statements and we also admit to falling into this same category because at times the hate is so much that we can’t think straight and we develop a temporary case of turrets.
So, we will attempt to put together a chronologically-friendly essay as to WHY exactly there is dislike, hate, and major indifference for this character. NOTE: In a show such as Gossip Girl one can hardly afford to have a character whose purpose in the show is clouded and yet to be truly lined out.
When we first meet Vanessa she crawls through the Humphrey window and we wait a few minutes to see if anyone will push her out. When that doesn’t happen we, as the viewer, begin to wonder if she’s here to stay. So let us begin analyzing the purpose of Vanessa in episode 1.06, The Handmaiden’s Tale. At this point in our story Vanessa’s sole purpose is to create conflict in the relationship of Dan/Serena which was root-worthy back then. As a writer, one has to ask oneself, what do the writers want me to feel towards this character when they are introducing her under these conditions. For starters, if you’ve never read the books, which is like 80% of the fans of the show, you’re mad as hell. Here comes this bitch who claims she knows Dan better than anything and makes Serena feel inferior. So the writers as USING her to make Serena doubt her connection with Dan. Instantly by Vanessa’s reaction to the ‘you said you loved me’ statement shows a map of how HER emotions will always be justified and excused.
From the moment of conception in 1.06 she’s already a thorn on your side.
Bring in 1.07. While we, CB’ers, block anything that doesn’t have to do with Chuck & Blair out we have to take a moment to remember that it was ONCE MORE the window-crawling tactic that was used to ruin the attempts at Darena consummating their teenage love. BECAUSE we, the audience, are on Darena’s side the little wishful look that Vanessa sports as she advices Dan to spiffy up his room tells us that she’s TOTALLY INTO HIM. STILL. Now, once more, her purpose here is to tell you that she’s looming in the shadows being pretty, perfect, down to earth and overall good. Those are the characteristics of a Mary Sue. She’s being paired up AGAINST Serena at this point in our story. (note: through the course of the last 2 seasons she has been paired up AGAINST all 3 female leads in the show)
We, the audience, is supposed to feel a bit sad for Vanessa because she’s longing for the guy that no longer wants her. Boo hoo. I’m sorry. I cannot be sympathetic at this point in our story. Because at this point, I happen to like Darena and want Darena to work out. NOTE: As the audience’s indifference towards Darena begins so does Vanessa’s indifference towards Dan progresses. ;)
Now, let us bring in 1.08 Seventeen Candles. In the originally story, as stated by Blake Lively, Vanessa was going to BEAT Serena in the Guitar Hero contest held in Blair’s party. Though it didn’t air, one has to ask oneself once more WHY? This is what got me thinking about Vanessa’s purpose in the show at this point. Her point was simply to make Serena feel insecure in her relationship with Dan, to start Dan lying and to make Vanessa the ‘good guy’. Because she never means to do harm, she’s honest and good and perfect in every way. Like chocolate.
Now. Let us bring in the big guns.
Episode 1.11 – Roman Holiday. The fact that Vanessa is STILL after Dan as pointed out by Blair herself and not contradicted tells us that it is true. Now, the interesting part in this sequence is that by the end of the episode, AS ALWAYS WITH VANESSA, she ends up being the good-guy with the heart of fucking gold. But really, let us think what is her purpose here. It starts out by the very beginning by once more using her to make Serena insecure about how well she knows Dan and how will she ever compare to the ever perfect Vanessa. *look* Including her thought that the Humphrey mix CD is perfection in itself for her. She’s a good honest girl, you see. ONCE MORE pegging her as a Mary-Sue. Then we have the point when she knows JUST WHAT to get Dan, thus helping Serena. Point here is that she does know Dan better than Serena yet Dan still wants Serena and this triangle from Brooklyn-hell continues.
Now, there begins a shift in her purpose when 1.12 airs. I like that in this episode is the first time she either reads something she shouldn’t or sees something she shouldn’t and magically understands people. In 1.12 her purpose shifts from being in the middle of the Darena debacle to pushing her towards the UES. Mainly towards Chuck, Blair and Nate. She can’t do more damage to Darena that it doesn’t do itself so might as well USE her for another purpose. I think this is when the camera begins. Oh the camera. You see the camera itself is ALSO a tool. It’s a tool to make her tag along with Dan everywhere she’s not wanted AND is a tool for the Chuck/Blair storyline. So hence once more she’s being used for the ‘greater good’ having no real purpose of her own. Vanessa voices her dislike for all things UES various times so it’s ironic that by the next season she’s using the SAME tactics she so despised to her own purpose and agenda. I will get to that later on. So, this episode once more concludes with Vanessa being the good-guy who helped Blair defeat Chuck’s blackmail and push her towards the 2nd round of the 4-minute Nair. At this point my TV is dripping with Mary-Sue references, more than I can count.
So we have some nice episodes without her on screen and then comes the progression of the stage previously formed in her ‘purpose’. This is 1.15, ‘Desperately Seeking Serena’. Can we state how she starts out by being a jerk to Nate right off the bat? But she’s supposed to be redeemed by the end because thus begins Nate/Vanessa. In the same episode. Without previous interaction. THAT is a bothersome thing in itself. He like discovers her, woos her and now they’re kinda dating. All in 46 minutes. But things with Nate generally work this way. Now, once more, we have the whole she does something brash and ends up saying she’s sorry and she comes off as the good-guy. Who steals Nate’s erratic heart. First letter snatching of her career comes in play when she reads Nate’s essay. By the end of it Nate is hooked, Dan KINDA is jealous but that is never touched on and Blair kinda is also but we walk away from it.
Now, I should state that while she was segregated with Nathaniel in a corner I was fine with her because her purpose was to entertain Nate. It’s when she’s loose that she becomes dangerous because we still don’t have a purpose.
In 1.16 we don’t know what is her purpose still aside from serving Georgina/Sarah coffee and something about a documentary. But then again, if she wasn’t around who would serve the coffee?
In 1.17, Woman on the Verge, we do have a purpose. It’s to entertain Nathaniel once more and to inform Dan that Sarah may be a liar which ends up being pointless because Dan believes anything anyone tells him. It’s sad. And I think there’s a Rufus scene in here. To make him think about Lily, I believe? It’s useless because Lily still chooses Bart regardless of what happens. Oh and the cables for the show! How can I forget? Without her Rufus would’ve been going acoustic.
1.18 makes me laugh, and it’s got nothing to do with the dress but the fact that her character is SO badly used that it makes me cringe. When we see her she kinda makes eyes at Dan and by the end of the episode there’s totally a sense of Danessa but it’s just LEFT there. It goes NOWHERE and it makes me annoyed because once more it’s crappy storylines that are doing NOTHING for her character or her character development.
We have a Blair confrontation which always leaves me on Blair’s side because Blair actually has to pay for her wrong doings. Unlike Vanessa. Vanessa is once more shown as a strong moral character who is willing and eager to listen to anything either Nate or Dan have to say. She reminds me of that girl in comedies when a successful guy goes back home to remind him of what he left behind? And there’s this girl who is just perfect in every way because thought she makes mistakes she always apologies and ends all with a dimple smile. She’s her. She’s that girl, it’s a Mary Sue. So we don’t know why her and man-bangs are no longer talking and we also don’t know why she’s suddenly interested in Dan again. All we can be certain at this point is that Season 1 leaves us wondering if she’s going to come in between Darena once more and what the heck was her point in S1.
Let’s recap S1 in bullets, like I promised.
- Purpose #1 – the bring tension between Darena
- Purpose #2 – To make Serena insecure of Dan
- Purpose #3 – to show she’s an overall great person
- Purpose #4 – to end the Chair blackmail for the time being
- Purpose #5 – to push Blair towards Nair II
- Purpose #6 – to entertain Nate
- Purpose #7 – to pour Georgina coffee
- Purpose #8 – to talk to the Humphreys
- Purpose #9 – to wear a radio-active dress and make us scared of Jenny’s abilities as a designer
- Purpose #10 – to make us forget all about her until a few episodes into S2
Let us begin Season 2. What – you thought I was kidding when I said this was going to be extensive? Think again. I’m just getting started because Season 2 is when she became controversial and thus the HATE begins.
We’re stunned in Episode 2 to find out that Vanessa is still in the show. It takes us a few minutes to realize this and remember her. I don’t know what I find more disturbing in this episode. That she never leaves the coffee shop or that she flirts with Rufus. I’m like WTF? But really, if they had done the Rufus/Vanessa angle I might not be here typing this up, that would’ve been one hell of a killer scandalous angle. Worthy of Gossip Girl but since Gossip Girl, often shunned for their scandal, really does lack it I’m not surprised. But once more (and really, by now I’m kinda tired of this) she ends up the jipped one being left by Nate for his prostitution.
Enter ‘The Dark Night’. Now, the ironic part, is that episode 2.03 can possibly be her best episode. I know, it’s strange. The writers had a GOOD thing going there for 20 minutes but how fast it was easily crushed by later doings. I have honestly nothing but good things to say about 2.03. Her character had a storyline, a good one that didn’t negatively fuck up things. I was slightly bothered that AGAIN she’s the sacrificial lamb here but what they did to Nate/Vanessa in this episode was possibly Nate’s best angle on the show thus far. What happened to it? We still don’t know – it’s a fucking phenomenon. They lost that momentum and fast. So we rooted for her here, it was a new feeling and we thought we could possibly like her and ignore the bad wardrobe and blinding earrings.
Then comes the ex-files. *takes a breath*
Inherently she’s used to remove Marcus from the show and have Blair be distracted enough to lose her throne to Serena. What bothers us from here is this. She SEES how affected Blair is by the Marcus/Catherine pictures, Blair was crying. Yet, she turns around and uses those same pictures that caused her pain for the purpose of blackmail later in the season. If this was something Blair had done then she would’ve seen the errors of her ways and would’ve had to pay one way or another. But because it’s VANESSA, our resident Mary Sue, she didn’t have to. I will elaborate in a minute.
What good thing they had going for her just an episode before is snatched away at her inability to keep her fucking mouth closed. Nate, being the douche he is, leaves her and that entire NV storyline is left hanging last yesterday’s laundry. This is what I mean. The inability of the writers to continue her storyline as they just leave it and pick it up when needed is what kills her.
I think she was like in 2 scenes in ‘New Haven Cant Wait’ – something about encouraging Jenny to drop out because she could be as fabulous as Vanessa. Who we find out is homeschooled and all the random appearances are now magically explained. By this point I’m indifferent towards her character. And this is important because indifference is the first step into the hate which comes swiftly after it.
In ‘Chuck in Real Life’ her purpose is needed once more in order to be a catalyst for things to come. One must note that this episode is not really about her despite it being drenched with her. It’s really about Chuck and Blair. Mostly Blair and Blair’s feeling about Chuck. There are several things that bother me about her in this episode, things that started the hate.
1. Instigating the blackmail against Blair when she knows FULL WELL what Blair is capable of. Once the blackmail backfires she’s shown as the victim. Blair wasn’t parading around school wondering how she could fuck over Vanessa. It was Vanessa who showed up at a school that she doesn’t even attend to blackmail Blair.
2. How exactly can the writers THINK that having it seem like Vanessa understands Chuck more than Blair will show her in ANYTHING other than a negative light? That the fans will cheer for this? This is the beginning of our very stupid writing. I think it’s safe to say that a lot of the V-hate was born out of this particular exchange. The motivation? How about people just don’t fucking like it?
3. ‘Winning’ against Blair has never done anything for any character other than create hate. Why? Because Blair is an overall favorite and because she’s the one who is always loosing people root for her. So having Vanessa ‘win’ in ways against Blair are we really surprised that people would antagonize her? Really? Are we? If you are then be surprised, by now V-hate was created and once a character is hated it’s VERY hard to remove the hate.
I think by far my favorite was 2.08 when she has the BALLS to tell Dan that she was used. It reminds me of a kid who poked the lion. Poked it without provocation and then got bit. And says that the lion bit them. What the fuck did you think was going to happen? That it would lick you?
I think that 2.08 was the true turning point for me. No remorse, just the victim. It wasn’t her fault, she was used. It’s this mentality that the writers have towards her character that makes me AFRAID of what they are willing to do with her and what they THINK they can get away with. That we can still like her after 2.07 and 2.08 that we wouldn’t notice that even though she claims she hates all things UES and all the blackmail and the lies she turns around and does the same thing. Because YES, what she said to Dan was a conventional lie. They didn’t USE you, you tried to use them. That’s twisting truth for your convenience and others may not notice but I do and I’m here to fucking tell you that this was my last straw. ANYTHING she does after this goes into my V-hate pile.
In ‘There Might be Blood’ we have her AGAIN posed as the victim. If this is not a fucking pattern I don’t know what is. I’m not even a fan of Vanessa but not even Nate cared that she was upset by the NJ kiss. That’s victimizing right there. The good girl that loves the guy sees the guy once more choosing someone else over her. It’s all too VOTE TEAM VANESSA for me and I can’t stand it. You can’t make me like her by now, she’s already messed with too much for me to root for her. I just can’t. But you see, I think that the writers STILL don’t see this and continue their VOTE TEAM VANESSA thoughts.
Shall we proceed to the Magnificent Archibalds? Let us. I love that her opening line to Chuck is ‘you know how hard this is for me’. Let me take a moment to say ‘WHAT THE FUCK?’. He would’ve never have TALKED to you if you had not baited Blair to begin with so anything that happened to you it’s your own doing yet Chuck (as always) is the evil guy here and she’s the victim. Whatever, she helps Nate during this and the NV starts once more at the end of this episode. Now. The final act in this play here is when it gets good. This marks ‘letter stealing from Nate #2’. You see, those of you who love Jenny are infuriated. Those who don’t care are like ‘yay, she did something naughty’ and people like me who are just offended by her mere presence in my TV are like ‘STOP TRYING TO GIVE HER A MOTHERFUCKING EDGE’.
Now, this is when we have character assassination. Because at this point nothing that Vanessa claims to be, nothing that she says she is can be considered true. She claims to dislike all things UES, claims to despise what the people in the UES do but she does it. In Brooklyn. She does the same thing. I wouldn’t have a problem with this if she was held accountable for the things she does. If, like Blair who loses things permanently because of it. But she doesn’t. Even after the whole NJV drama she keeps BOTH the guy and the best friend.
But let’s get there first. Episode 2.12.
I like that she goes back to being with Nate in the beginning of the episode without repercussions, with a bit of a twisted conscious and a twist of the scarf to show how bad she feels. They’re laughing, kissing, and smiling though he’s basically an erratic fool. NOW he’s into her. I have to say that they could’ve done SO much more with the whole NJV storyline and I was definitely deflated that they left it at that because it could’ve gone much better. But once more choppy storylines get in the way and Nate ends up choosing Vanessa after a little heartfelt confession to Dan and a heartfelt confession that she’s been jealous of Dan & Jenny and that’s that. You see, ONCE MORE, she’s justified in what she does and we’re supposed to be ok with it and even go as far as to root for her. This is what marked her as a Mary Sue for me. She’s too good in every way yet she does things that contradict that and those things that contradict it are never addressed and those that are addressed end up painting her in a good light. So, in reality it ends up being a win-win situation which must be nice.
In Gone with the Will she does a cameo. I think. I think her and Nate are still dating. I think. This does NOTHING to make me like her more.
Same with ‘You’ve Got Yale’ in which EVERYONE can at least agree that the entire purpose of Nate/Vanessa in this episode was to smile and look cute. Thank you but no. I would’ve rather had a minor Chair scene.
I also think this serves to once more show that though she dislikes all things UES she’s willing to overlook some things. This makes her a loose cannon in my eyes.
Once more, Carnal Knowledge, mission? To look cute with Nate. I sense a pattern. And I think the majority of people agree that this entire episode was a HUGE WTF. So if the episode made no sense Vanessa made even less sense in it.
Now, enter Age of Dissonance, which is the turning point or should I say the basis for the ‘poor Vanessa’ movement. It’s a movement because even people who didn’t like her thought Nate was a douchebag to her. Which he was. But you see, at first glance, one doesn’t see what is going to happen. Now that we’ve seen the episodes after it one can see what was meant by this turn of events.
I call it the ‘Poor Vanessa’ moment because I see it as the manipulation tool used by the writers to make us not only feel bad for V but to justify her actions in coming episodes. This is what bothers me about this and I can safely say it bothers quite a few people.
Up to this point, we’ve had episodes and episodes of us not caring if Vanessa comes and goes. She’s stayed in a corner entertaining Nathaniel and that’s been that. Because we have not been made to care for her – to ROOT for her the change in the final few episodes backfires. You see, at this point the majority of your fans of the show are clamoring for Chuck to shape up and to stay on target. The target being Blair. Instead of cultivating that inherent need that the fans as asking for in order for them to continue being interested in the storylines you have presented to them thus far this season a 360 degree switch is made. Suddenly there’s tension for NV, Blair is out of control and Chuck’s doppelganger has taken over. Now, these things are all being orchestrated for the grand finale which is 2.20 when the big FU happens. Yes, the big FUCK UP.
This is a warning of things to come. Things start falling apart, characters begin behaving out of their control and no one is in charge.
There is no storyline consistency carried over from previous episodes. None.
Now, this would’ve not turned into the Vanessa hate show had she been kept at bay. However, she’s ONCE MORE, used and abused by the writers who at this point were given five extra episodes to work with and had to do something to make Nair look like it was ok.
Now comes MY moment.
This storyline and the debacle of the ever present Vanessa hate comes in three acts. Like a magic trick.
ACT ONE – the pledge
The writers promise us a fantastic storyline worthy of admiration. It seems impossible at first but we, the audience, are raptly attune. We can’t wait for them to show us all the wonderful things that Chair is. Vanessa and Nate at this point are in the background. But for not long.
ACT TWO – the turn
This is when the very rapt audience gasps. Where is the pledge? How can this be? What happened to our story? Where is the admiration? There is inherent confusion as we stand by gasping, adamantly hoping that it’s not all true. The ‘magic’ trick is too awful. It’s too discombobulated. Why is Nate ignoring Vanessa and going for Blair? Who is this person claiming to be Blair? Where is the fight that Chuck promised us? Why is suddenly Vanessa in the middle of the scandal? Now you’re looking for the secret? But you see, there is none. There is no secret. By now ALL the character are being used for a greater purpose that makes no sense. The grand secret is that there is no plan, that this plan hatched up, patched together. So the question now becomes WHY out of all the people in this party is Vanessa getting the most hate?
ACT THREE – the prestige
Enter the last act. The shock. Because the audience has been emotionally invested in Blair, Chuck and Nate’s character and the writers have not made us root for Vanessa the way they had us root for the other three she will inherently get the hate. Makes no sense, you think? Actually it makes PERFECT sense. Let me explain. When watching a war movie and the audience only sees one side of the story they will automatically be against the enemy. Regardless of their side of the story, regardless of their motivations and their own pity-party. Why is this? Because if you have not up to this point made me understand ANYTHING at all about why this character does what she does, believes what she believes and has had a substantial effect on my enjoyment of this story I will automatically make her the opposition. The reason things are not working out. You can call is an scapegoat but it’s an scapegoat created by the writers. I didn’t create her, I didn’t destroy her, I don’t control her. The writers do.
At this point in our story it’s too late to redeem her. It’s too late to get a fandom to stop hating on her. You can’t stop the signal. You can’t tell people what to feel towards her when you’ve never given them a reason to feel anything but indifference and dislike towards her. This is the backlash of the Mary Sue syndrome. When a character is treated the way she is, so sporadic and unbalanced in both her actions, motivations and consistency it makes her dangerous. Because the writers continue just using her for their purposes she can, at this point, be used FOR ANYTHING.
We know that the Vanessa hate is inherently the writers-hate. We know this, we’re not fools. We know that they are the ones that have written her, exploited her and used her for their own devices. They KNOW the audience doesn’t respond to her yet instead of either writing her off or giving her a storyline that will NOT interfere with the most popular storyline in the show they do quite the opposite.
THAT is what is what the hate is about. It’s not even about Chuck and Blair anymore. Chuck and Vanessa was the last straw to this boiling dislike that has been bottling up inside people. You see the problem is that people are usually afraid of stating something as boldly as I HATE THIS CHARACTER in a public place because of the obvious backlash that will incur from others. So what do we do? We sit around and we whine about. We whine, whine, whine about her and about this and about that. The purpose behind the petition is to stop the whining and begin the action.
We are TIRED of hearing people complain about a character, we’re tired of being indifferent towards her, we’re tired of her being used, we’re tired of her being developed in ways that we’re not accepting. THE AUDIENCE, the majority of the people, do not like her. It’s a fact. Goes across the board. This type of reaction should be reserved for a bad character. BUT making a Mary Sue can also have this effect.
Now, I wanted to keep the essay objective and making it to have nothing to do with Jess’ performance. Yet, people often talk about Nate being boring because of Chace and this is accepted. Most agree that the reason Nate’s storylines are what they are is because of Chace. I think and I believe that a lot of this problem is parallel with the actresses’ inability to make me love her the way I love Blair. It’s that vulnerability hidden behind layers of bitchiness, it’s that ability to claim her bitchiness and make no apologies. With Vanessa it’s quite different as I have pointed out on various times that her hypocrisy makes her unsympathetic and BECAUSE I’m already unsympathetic towards her plight now that she’s suddenly given a storyline I cannot – WILL NOT – root for her. Excuse her. Do anything but rant and rage. MOST ESPECIALLY when said storyline comes in between a favored pairing. A fandom’s favored pairing.
I have stated this before, the purpose of the petition is NOT to fall under the belief that we can get rid of the character. It’s the hope that we can show the writers that we are not responding well to their chosen tactics. Why Vanessa? Why not petition for Nate?
I will tell you. Because unlike Nate, Vanessa is not anchored to the UES. She’s notorious for showing up in scenes and places that she has nothing to do with. Hence making her unpredictable and untrustworthy in my eyes. Because once this is all over, once Blair and Chuck are together and Nate is doing god knows what, what can be done with her character?
These are the options
- Make her a 3rd party to Chair. Which is the stupidest of moves, if you ask me because she’ll always be the third party in the audiences’ eyes. Because in the end Chuck will ALWAYS chose Blair before Vanessa.
- Bring Nate/Vanessa back together. This is also an unlikely path BECAUSE they were so easily dispatched for no other reason than prolonging Chair so I don’t see the writers rooting much for them.
- Dan/Vanessa. If kept around I do believe this is the most likely route that will happen and this will only serve to infuriate the Darena fans. Granted, I wouldn’t care but this means that officially Vanessa would’ve been with all 3 guys. Yet out of all the possibilities I think this is the most likely of them all. Yet, because so much screentime has been invested in Darena you have to HONESTLY ask yourself if we can even take DV seriously.
- Final one. Get her a new barista boy. I think this can only keep her at bay for so long before one of the top 3 ones can be latched on to. Mostly because if the writers didn’t even invest that much screentime on NV can you really expect them to be either interested or have the availability to give a Vanessa/other pairing the careful attention an END GAME ship requires?
I think I can say no more. Five thousand words later and I’m tired of talking about Vanessa, I officially dislike her more than I started out in this essay because now I can see all the fuck ups that have been done with her. And really, I’m not attempting to convince you to hate her. I’m just trying to give you an explanation of why I do. You’re welcomed to like her all you like. Just like I’m welcomed to hate her all I do.
