Chapter 1
I wasn't planning on writing this meta, but rather on finishing my other one: and drafting my next chapter of Lost in Imladris, my MCU/Tolkien Crossover Fic.
But somebody has gotten the wrong idea about me so here I am. I am not one for naming names, but this user y_pjunny is convinced I am somebody who commented on my Meta. Convinced that they are an alt account of mine.
Just to make things perfectly clear: I am not the user called "Rebuttal: They are not an alt of mine. We are in no way associated except insofar as they commented on my Meta yesterday and I repaid them the favour by commenting on one of theirs.
If you want to show them some support though, click the link and check out their stuff.
I really couldn't care less about Tony Stans aversion to being questioned, lack of rhetorical skills, or blocks. I can just make my own meta. In fact I have done that.
Now, that's over and done with, on with the Meta!
Tony Stark fans are inordinately fond of responding to any criticism of their favourite character by accusing their opponents of "double standards".
This is an ironic statement: Tony is more often than not the beneficiary of double standards, as fans bend over backwards to justify and condone every morally questionable action of Tony's, whilst vilifying and pointing the finger at any other character who does the same things.
Even the suggestion that Tony Stark is capable of wrongdoing is likely to be greeted with shouts of "HATER! and allegations that you are "painting him as a villian!". These claims suggest a lack of self-awareness, as Tony fans are also very fond of saying he is "flawed" and yet do not seem to understand that character flaws are supposed to involve a character being wrong, doing wrong, and displaying negative traits and behaviours.
If you cannot bear the thought of your favourite character being wrong or capable of bad things, the, like as not, you do not believe they are flawed at all.
Considerig how the majority of MCU fandom is made up of Tony Stans, and their viewpoint is predominant, the situation is rather reminscent of the quote "When you're accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression."
Or, to put it another way, Tony being judged by the same standards that his fans hold other characters subject to feels like "hatred". It feels unfair and unjust because of how often Tony's misdeeds are excused or he is exonerated of all responsibility for his actions by the most absurd stretches of logic.
Read my next chapter for some examples.