Hang the Fool
| Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Hang the Fool |
| Author(s): | AlmaMeDuele |
| Date(s): | June 7 - December 13, 2016 |
| Length: | 231k words (including author's notes) |
| Genre: | Slow burn, angst |
| Fandom: | Overwatch |
| External Links: | AO3 |
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Hang the Fool is a McCree/Hanzo fanfic by AlmaMeDuele aka Sam.[1]
Opinions on this fic are polarized, with some fans loving it and others despising it as racially insensitive. The author has edited the fic since its original publication to try and address some of the issues raised, but detractors maintain that the edited version is still unacceptable.
Reader opinions
Positive
•For starters, the pacing in this is amazing. I tend to see a lot of pacing issues in fan fics. Normally things happen entirely too fast and it feels forced.•Then there is the detail and the way the characters are portrayed. Their motivations are wonderful. The way everything is just so casual but not is wonderful. Watching (Reading) these two fall in love is wonderful.
•And then there is Jesse McCree. I have a weak spot for guys who are battling their own demons and man Does McCree have his fair share of demons. It is wonderful. The portrayal of his reactions and his panic attacks are amazing. I could read stuff like that for days. Days.
•Character development! I am going to be honest. I went into this not expecting much. I used to read fan fic a long time ago and I rarely if ever actually enjoyed them. The ideas were always good but poorly executed. Seeing this much depth and growth within the characters from “Hang the Fool” was truly amazing and I need more. I need it.
•The conflicts, the imagining of Talon and Reyes’ involvement, the growth of Overwatch, the concern of characters for each other, the human emotions. Seriously, this person needs to be like a published author is they aren’t already. I really love this.[2]
Okay, I really have to wonder… why are so many of the people I follow shitting on Hang the Fool? Like… is there something I’m missing? I absolutely loved that fic. It makes me want to do more as a writer, inspires me to improve my writing style, and it’s just so beautifully detailed. A unique take on McHanzo that I adore. Coming from a background as an English Literature major, I quite enjoyed reading this giant piece. And as a future editor, it was nice to see something so organized, well-thought out, and willing to adapt. It was even explicitly stated in the notes how the writing and details changed once problems were pointed out, so I honestly see no issues.[3]
Negative
mccree is written like a dumbass with no concept of boundaries or personal space– hes compared to an animal, a beast, is called a fool by hanzo more times than you could count and his physical appearance and intellect are often mocked by hanzo. thats awful treatment for any character, but especially for a brown latinx like mccree[...] theres a scene ( in ch. 18 i believe? it may have been removed ? ) where gabriel, an obviously black man, stands in front of a bunch of nooses? ive seen people say that it doesnt have anything to do with race and that its just the writing, but authors need to be cognizant of what theyre writing. the imagery of a black man standing in front of a row of nooses is so sickening and i dont know how that could have gotten past a sensitivity reader. [...] hanzo and mccree have a mission they have to dress in suits for i believe, and hana is basically their beautician. hana, a 19 year old korean girl. do you get how thats racist and iffy as hell?[5]
Lucio is already a racist caricature and now the fandom along with HTF has increased that by ten, not even bothering undo Blizzard’s racism, to develop his Afro-Brazillian background. Ya’ll just reduced him to a DJ, frequently called ‘boy,’ and he speaks AAVE so bad, I bet Tracer could speak that shit better. [6]
please, please listen to the poc - especially to the actual east asian people - expressing discomfort over hanzo and mccree having sex in a sacred family shrine. it's a very important thing in their culture and by the dragons short also the place hanzo honored genji as well as heavily implied as the place he tried to kill him. please also consider the deep discomfort of many with the portrayal of gabe and the comparisons of poc - especially latinx and black people to beasts/monsters/animals, as this is deeply dehumanizing and has really nasty real life implications. i'm black and my whole body flinched so hard at that noose thing in chapter 18 that i had to close this fic and go do something else. please don't make the mistake of thinking that everyone who has a problem with your fic is just angry or hating or wants to be upset about something.[7]
Inspired works
- A zine based on the fic was organized in early 2017, titled "Clever Fella Good Shot".[8]
- Over a dozen fanmixes were created for the fic.[9]
- Dream a Little Dream is a vid inspired by the fic.
Links
References
- ^ Tumblr about page
- ^ How ‘bout that Book?, tumblr post, May 22 2017
- ^ Okay, I really have to wonder…, tumblr post, April 20 2017
- ^ Tumblr post by thewoesofyaoi, Feb 23 2017
- ^ Tumblr post by oli, Dec 15 2016
- ^ Tumblr post by cioji, Sept 13 2016
- ^ Comment by wetatmospheres on AO3, Nov 25 2016
- ^ Tumblr post
- ^ playlists tagged "hang the fool" on 8tracks