Didn’t see that one coming? Analyzing the representation of Robin in Stranger Things.
It is fitting that the most meaningful scene of the entire Stranger Things series happened on the floor of a bathroom. The eerie, sometimes gross Netflix show came out with its third season this last summer, and a new character stole the show.
The show followed what seemed like a budding love story between Steve Harrington and a new character named Robin. Robin, who was played by Maya Hawke, seemed like the perfect match for the fan favorite Steve. But what Maya revealed to Steve in a heart to heart on the bathroom floor shocked the fanbase, and Steve at first too.
When looking at LGBTQ presentation in media, the two conceps to be aware of are visibility and representation. Television has not always been the best at making LGTBQ characters visible. Visibility is the frequency that LGBTQ characters show up in broadcast media.
A record number of LGBTQ characters were shown on television in 2019, as 10.2% of regular characters on broadcast television were reported to be LGBTQ. Not to mention 33% of broadcast characters that were categorized as Lesbian. This is up almost two percent from the pervious year.
Even with improved visibility, sometimes they are not represented in the most accurate way. Much of the time this is where media companies can go wrong, struggling to accurately and appropriately represent these characters and the way they act in society.
As we learn about, certain aspects of LGBTQ life are ignored typically, while the “coming out” is usually highlighted. Lets face it, media is a business. These companies are going to put out content that they know will sell. This may mean simplifying or dramatizing a “coming out” scene, for the relative ease and safety of the audience’s consumption.
Stranger Things is not necessarily exempt from this, as some may say this “coming out” scene is not realistic (but hey neither is the Mind Flayer monster). However I think where Stranger Things excels is their depiction of Robin herself, and her characteristics and qualities put her as a great reflection as the LGBTQ community.
Stranger Things makes us believe Robin likes Steve the entire time, building up to the scene on the bathroom floor. As Steve tells Robin he likes her, she explains that her obsession wasn’t with him, but with a girl who was obsessed with him. At first Steve cannot understand, confused why she would be obsessed with a girl.
Some people may roll their eyes at yet another dramatic “coming out” story, and this is understandable. However I think we need to look beyond the way that we find out about her sexuality, and instead shift our focus to the positive representation that Robin and her situation with Steve can bring to our culture.
In this situation we see a rather unfortunate circumstance for Steve, but the way he handles it is where I think Stranger Things excels. We see real genuine acceptance, and we see a connection between characters that remains even if it breaks typical heterosexual romance narratives. Steve accepts Robin for who she is, and fans loved every second of it. And in the end we still have a beloved character who for the most part seems to be a very non stereotypical representation of a LGBTQ member of society.
Ultimately it is up to the viewer to decide whether or not this representation is positive or negative. Sometimes representations in broadcast media seem forced, but I think the addition of such a beloved character who happens to be LGBTQ is fantastic. She ultimately seems like a great representation, and the media producers in this instance seem to have gotten this one right.
