Reflection and Analysis

AtLA - Is Zutara in the Live Action Caving? Not in the Way You Think (8/17/20)

Of course, one of the rumors going around regarding what might have been a conflict of interest is the fact Netflix and Viacom/Nickalodeon are going with Zutara and certain fans are claiming Viacom/Nickalodeon and Netflix are caving.

Is it really caving if Nickalodeon actually intended to go the route of Zuko and Katara getting together?

Nope. This may shock people, but people forget that what the copyright holder wants trumps what the creators want, but there is no evidence that Nickalodeon are the ones who wanted Aang and Katara to get together. In fact, there is far more evidence that was something Bryke wanted, hence why so much of the staff were surprised when it did go this way. Let me repeat the fact the staff were surprised it went this way, which means they were keeping it under wraps, but copyright holders are very trusting of the executive producers to produce their vision of the show.

IF it wasn't Nickalodeon's intention, is it caving?

Yes, but not in the manner people are thinking – that the copyright holder is caving to the Zutara fanbase.

Truth is, Zutara fans aren't the only ones displeased with the route Katara and Aang's relationship went. What he did is sexual assault, kissing her after she'd said no and there is no getting around that, but he also uses threat of physical violence in the comics. In an era where the MeToo movement has brought more attention to the fact this behavior is not okay, but women of color like Katara are more likely to fall victim to these kind of relationships because their voices are more likely to not be heard than a woman who isn't of color...

Well, there is no getting around the fact Aang and Katara's relationship is NOT okay, so why would Nickalodeon want to go forward with a canon pairing where the male character SEXUALLY ASSAULTS the female character and THREATENS her with PHYISICAL VIOLENCE?

In other words, if they do go with Zuko and Katara they are caving, but they're caving to the pressure of society saying this isn't okay, which is a good thing. We shouldn't reward toxic masculinity.

Does this mean liking Kataang is wrong?

Yes and no.

The basic answer is, there is nothing wrong with shipping what you want to ship, nor should you let people demonize you for it.

The problem is, and this is where the no comes in – is the fact a lot of Kataang like the ship and openly deny the problems with the ship including the sexual assault exist, that maybe Aang apologized off camera – which, given that he repeats the behavior like most people who abuse means nothing, or they tell women who have almost been sexually assaulted or were assaulted by some man kissing them without their permission that what happened wasn't sexual assault when that is what it is.

The other issue is – it's okay to stop liking a ship because you noticed something you didn't before and thus can't stomach it. It's also okay to continue loving that ship despite those problems, particularly with a ship like this one. Aang's crush on Katara is cute and doesn't get creepy until the last episode of the second season and the entirety of the third season. It is a pairing that could work and not be a toxic relationship, so this isn't even getting into the fact it is okay to like toxic relationships because they are toxic relationships; I know I've a few I enjoy simply because toxic relationships need to be explored and I like when they're resolved well, although this typically means not getting with the toxic partner or a tragedy.

Of course, another way they may cave is to address the issues with the pairing that is canon for the cartoon. Problem is, doing so wouldn't be an easy task given the fact – well, do we really want Aang to change? That's the one who would have to change as Kataara's not the problem in the relationship, which does indeed make Zuko and Katara the more likely pairing choice if they are caving to the social pressure of not making sexual assault of ones romantic partner come across as being okay.

Seriously – are you really okay with a version of AtLA where Aang is allowed to get away with that stuff to the girl he's supposed to be in love with? Bryke would likely have also changed Katara to be submissive to make their pairing work, thus meaning Katara is no longer the strong female character we all love. Would that have been worth it for a live action adaption?

And keep in mind, it's not just fans of pairing Katara with Zuko who don't want the canon pairing to happen because of what Aang did to Katara in the canon material, but pairings who pair both her , Aang and Zuko up with a wide range of people.