Read some news about “Wednesday” and Jenna Ortega gleefully talking about how they will get rid of romance next season, and several comments (many of them coming from men) cheering about how the show will now become “watchable” and worth seeing and I’m just…

The “strong cool women need no romance in their stories” take is not as progressive as people think it is. It basically devalues a type of story that many people, particularly women, enjoy and connect with. There is a longstanding tendency to dismiss things associated with femininity as inferior, which is in itself a form of sexism. This only contribute to the gender bias present in media consumption and criticism. And to see someone like Jenna reinforce that in this day and age is sooooo outdated. Girl, this aren’t the 2000s or even 2010s.

Suggesting that strong female characters do not need romance only imply that a woman’s strength is somehow compromised by romantic involvement. It just perpetuates harmful stereotypes about what constitutes “strength”, implying that emotional depth and relationships are signs of weakness.

All of this isn’t to say that every female character needs a romantic plotline. A diversity of stories and experiences is crucial. But devaluing stories that do include romance perpetuate the idea that stories centered around women and their experiences are less valid, less serious, or less worthy of attention.