Benedict Wong asks trolls to leave his teenage Doctor Strange co-star alone
Xochitl Gomez, the teenage star of Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, is apparently the target of some repugnant harassment
Aux News Doctor Strange
In what is sadly the least surprising thing to happen on the Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness press tour, the film’s star Xochitl Gomez has become the target of online harassment. The 16-year-old, who previously starred in Netflix’s The Baby-Sitter’s Club, faces the abuse of the toxic fandom movies about inter-dimensional magicians inspires. The reason? In one scene, it’s revealed that Xochitl’s character, America Chavez, is the child of two women. Previously, the film was banned in Saudi Arabia for having a gay character, the dimension-hopping America is coded as queer in the movie but is canonically gay in the Marvel mythos.
Anyway, because we live in a sick, cruel, and discriminatory society, where personal freedom really only matters if it’s illogically thrown around as a bad-faith talking point, Gomez is facing the ire of the internet for daring to play a gay character. Not that she’s bothered by it. In fact, she’s defiantly proud of the role (which she should be—she’s excellent in the movie).
“It’s a big deal that America is in this movie. It’s just huge. And I’m just so happy that Marvel has stuck to it and kept the scene in there,” Gomez told Asia One (via Variety). “And it’s just pretty crazy that I get to be the one who plays America. Although, yes, my name may be circled within hate and stuff but it’s okay.”
One person who was none too pleased to hear about the harassment is the great Benedict Wong, who plays “Wong” in the two Doctor Stange movies and various MCU adventures. “It’s not okay. It’s not okay. We have to all collectively understand that,” he said. “She auditioned aged 13 and she joined us aged 14, one of the youngest actors to join the MCU of a film of that magnitude. You know, she’s just a young girl playing her role and full praise for that.”
“There’s a real level of shame for all those trolls that are cowards not to actually put their face [out there], and they should feel a deep shame of what they’re doing. Let’s all just play nice. Let’s all just enjoy what we are representing. It’s sad that fans in that country won’t get to see this. But all we are doing is radiating representation, voicing the voiceless. And that’s all that we can do — represent people so that they can be seen.”
Again, these are movies about inter-dimensional magicians with sentient capes and funny goatees. Maybe we can tone down the homophobia.
106 Comments
How exactly do you pronounce “Xochitl”? “Zock-ee-tell”?
“So-cheel”.
Gotcha. Didn’t think the “t” would be silent.
Yeah, it’s a weird one, since you see it pronounced in other words like Tenochtitlan and Quetzacoatl. It’s not quite just “cheel,” but that’s close enough for everyone really, like if her name was in a sci-fi book it’d be “So-Chee’l” or something.
Isn’t the X in Nahuatl pronounced with more of a “sh” sound?
Is it like a glottal stop thing, where you don’t exactly prounounce the T sound but you subvocalize it?
Hi! I studied Nahuatl linguistics, so I can provide a little color here! Xochitl means “flower” in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs. The “tl” sound at the start and middle of Nahuatl words is pronounced not so differently from English, like in “atlas”. That’s essentially how to pronounce the Aztes cities/places that end in -tlan (which just means “place of”), like Tenochtitlan and Mazatlan. At the end of words however it is an “voiceless alveolar lateral affricate” – which is a sound we don’t have in English (or any European language, afaik). Here’s how to do it: The word “Nahuatl” is pronounced like “Nah-waht” but at the end of the “waht”, you press your tongue against the back of your upper teeth like you’re saying the “L” but instead of using your voice to make an L sound, you breathe out like you’re pronouncing a quiet “H”. It’s actually close to the “lateral lisp” that some “nerdy” cartoon characters have. (Sid the Sloth in Ice Age comes to mind), just not as exaggerated.That said, it’s an ancient language that has been revived and evolved in different ways. Some dialects pretty much say “T” and some almost sound like they’re dropping it all together. Spanish speakers pronouncing Nahuatl words tend to turn the “tl” into just an “L”. That’s why most women with this name of Mexican descent (like this actress, or the congresswoman from New Mexico) use “Xo-cheel”. I’ve heard some younger people pronounce it closer to the original Nahuatl.English speakers (who pretty much only encounter Nahuatl in historic settings) pronounce it like the closest parallel in our language: words ending in “tle” like “battle”. That’s why we say tend to say “Kwets-a-coddle” for the snake-god.
“Hi! I studied Nahuatl linguistics”Well. That statement was not what I was expecting to read this morning here or anywhere. +1, good sir.
Great, so HOW IS HER NAME PRONOUNCED?
This is fantastic. Thank you!
Every great once in a while, the internet comment concept is worth it. This is one of those rare occasions.
You confused me even more now. Lol great language lesson! You get all the cookies you want for the day!
Holy crap I just learned something! I truly did not expect that today and I absolutely did not expect that here. Thank you!
Huh, I actually thought the L was also silent, like “So-chi.”
I am just glad the chip brand told me on the bag.
sow·cheel
Google it.
“The reason? In one scene, it’s revealed that Xochitl’s character, America Chavez, is the child of two women.”The real reason? Those women are Che Diaz and Miranda.
Okay this is a good joke.
Kid tested, Meatwad approved
Cut to an executive suite at Disney…An MCU/Sex in the City crossover?? hmmmm…tell me more.
“Meanwhile, the Guardians of the Galaxy were experiencing a Ragnarok of their own…”
Fast forward two years:“HOW DID WE MANAGE TO SINK THE MOST PROFITABLE FRANCHISE IN FILM HISTORY?!”
No wonder she punches through dimensions to get away from them.
If only the rest of us were so lucky.
Alpha Male Youtube Grifters with their anti-woke anti-woman anti-diversity message, inspire young white males to be trolls.
That is 100% a reason to protest.
I’m so tired of homophobes. Being a bigot is bad enough, but harassing a teenager is an extra level of shittiness.
Harassing a teenager FOR PLAYING A ROLE in a movie.
Not that it makes it better but it’s probably other teenagers, ones who aren’t intimidating enough to bully IRL. That, or adults who are former IRL bullies that never outgrew it.
get back to me when Wong finally brings Medibot into the MCU
what show is this
Seems a lot like “Look Around You…” but I don’t remember that bit. Intriguing…
“Seems a lot like “Look Around You…””
So, you’ve never, ever seen Look Around You?
Yeah, from the Wikipedia article on “Look Around You” it’s probably from Season 2, Episode 2. I only ever watched Season 1, unfortunately.
Yeah, that’s the Health episode of Look Around You
Season 2 was very different than Season 1, but both are amazing.
simply the greatest comedy show of all time.
Holy shit, I never made the connection (as someone who downloaded, er, “unofficial” copies of Look Around You a dozen years ago and tried to push them on friends) that this was him.
What did they say that was so offensive?
Does it need reprinting, or can we just all agree not to be assholes to teenagers online?
Slight edit needed Does it need reprinting, or can we just all agree not to be assholes to teenagers online?
I don’t know that the specific comments need to be reprinted but there’s really nothing in this article indicating what was being said, by who, where it was said, etc. It just says that she’s “facing the ire of the internet”, which was enough to get a bunch of people here pretty worked up. Whether this is an actual thing that happened doesn’t seem to matter to most, but shouldn’t it?
Do you actually care?
I’m guessing he just wants to argue that it wasn’t really that offensive and something something manufactured outrage something virtue signalling something maga something.
“What is this ‘hommis phobica’ of which you speak? Sounds made up. Nobody sees what I am doing because I am putting so much effort into it. I am clever.”
Swear to God, every last one of these banal chuds thinks that “people shouldn’t be offended by stuff” is some brilliant, novel idea.
And has done so for years. At least get some new material, for the love of all that’s unholy
Do they though? Like everything else, it seems more like they just picked the dialogue option from a set of 5 or so because it counts as saying words and they desperately need you to know they have an opinion (i.e. the same one) about everything.
Why, do you need something to help you achieve erection at last?
Doesn’t matter. We’re talking about people dragging a teenager over a fucking movie role. It’s pathetic.Not to mention if this character is gay in the source material then they have less than no leg to stand on.
Doesn’t matter. We’re talking about people dragging a teenager over a fucking movie role. It’s pathetic. YEP.
Yawn.
So we are not gonna talk about the people who went after her cause she is too pale ?
Feel free to make up whatever boogeyman you want
They’re also apparently pissed off because the actress isn’t Puerto Rican.
Are those the same people who got mad that Black Panther didn’t have enough actors who were literally from Africa?
I’ll bet that’s a safe assumption.
Which is kinda weird considering the character belived herself to be an alien from another dimension until her backstory was retconned in 2021.
I honestly though that was what this article was referring to at first. Shame how quickly people forget.
AV Club is still trying to determine the hottest take for maximum clicks.
You always could tho!
Did those people go after her directly, or complain about the movie casting? Because there’s a big difference.
The Baby-Sitter’s Club —> The Baby-Sitters Clubbanned in Saudi Arabia for having a gay character, the dimension-hopping America —> banned in Saudi Arabia for having a gay character; the dimension-hopping AmericaDoctor Stange movies —> Doctor Strange movies
I see your attempt to make the semicolon great again and fully support it!
#FullSemiColonClubRepresent
A semi for the semi?
Every time I come across some shitty homophobia online right now, I just watch Heartstopper again and feel much, much better.
Please: more shows about teens experiencing life-changing joy BECAUSE of their queerness, rather than IN SPITE of it.
I’m firmly in the camp watching it with grief for the world I could have had 25 years ago if this was made then.I’ve been a huge fan of the comics for years, and love that it’s finally finding an even wider audience, and more importantly, kids are loving it – my friends are about to start it with their 11 year old, and it’s perfect for her, (at 11 she will already talk to you about having to separate the Harry Potter series from the authors terrible ideas on trans people).It’s just so good, and they toned down the language enough, without changing any of the themes to bring it in at the perfect age level.And omg Oliva Colman.
“Although, yes, my name may be circled within hate and stuff but it’s okay.”
Well isn’t coupling the word America with hatred a broad generalization?
Although I don’t understand why anyone would be called that, should have gone with the spanish “Aimericus”,or the english “Emery”, or Ameriga.
Will never understand why who other people f*ck bothers some people so much. Much less who the mother of a fictional character f*cks.
I’m gonna guess it’s tied to the commentor’s fragile masculinity, as modern masculinity is tied to the rejection of all things feminine, and hostile to any alternatives to traditional gender roles.
It’s hard for a person who f*cks to get into the heads of incels.
Not super hard. Contrapoints did it.
That one exception hardly disproves the rule.
Because when said douche realizes that there are people who are attracted to their own gender, it means they suddenly realize there are at least twice as many people that don’t want to fuck them.
It’s just not true that “we live in a sick, cruel, and discriminatory society, where personal freedom really only matters if it’s illogically thrown around as a bad-faith talking point.” It’s just energy-sapping and bleak, and treats Fox News as if it was an accurate stand-in for society. It’s particular nonsense when it comes to society’s attitudes when it comes to personal freedom regarding sexual identity. People even 25 years ago would be astonished at the widespread acceptance of gay people in much of the world. The Supreme Court news of the last week is, indeed, really depressing, and it bodes poorly for ongoing acceptance of gay marriage as a constitutional right. We can be clear-eyed about that without descending into this depressing bull.
This is a case where both things can be true. It can be true that things are better than they were 25 years ago but that there are still horrible people in it who should be called out for being horrible. Maybe if that happens enough, they will be a little less horrible because a third thing that can be true is that the world is worse than it was 7 years ago since those horrible people realized they weren’t as small a minority as they thought they were and were emboldened by one of their own lying his way to power and now others seek to ride that same wave of horrible people to power of their own.
OK, but Schimkowitz’s comment was about society generally, and he says that personal freedom is “really only matters if it’s illogically thrown around as a bad-faith talking point.” That’s simply not true. Gay rights are a personal freedom that is widely, albeit imperfectly, possessed. Hell, the ability to call a bunch of racist trolls online assholes is an example of personal freedom.
“Gay rights are a personal freedom that is widely, albeit imperfectly, possessed.”Texas, Florida, and Tennessee have entered the chat.
Seriously, what the fuck kind of statement was that? We’re staring down a Court that is teed up and ready to strike down Obergfell within two years, and this chud uses the term “imperfectly.”
Some 3/5ths compromise bullshit.
Great point. Trump crossed a line and spoke to and emboldened a fringe constituency of conservatism that always existed. Once he normalized them (thank you Fallon), they came out of their closets and shined their ugly and we are all now paying that price.
“People even 25 years ago would be astonished at the widespread acceptance of gay people in much of the world.”All that does is say how absolutely shitty things were for gay people 25 years ago. It doesn’t mean things nowadays are great. Or even good. Or even kind of good. I don’t understand why people always bring out this talking point. Things are better for gays now than they were! Things are better for Blacks now than they were! Hooray? But they still suck. If you’re Black or gay it’s not huge consolation that you aren’t literally being lynched. I mean that’s nice I guess, but it still shitty to know that your rights could be taken away any second. That’s not a thing white cis het men understand. If your (I don’t mean you specifically because I don’t know anything about you, but general you) rights have never hung in the balance, you don’t know what it’s like, and while it’s better than it was 25, 50, 60 years ago, it’s not good, and it could go back to how it was at any time. That’s what this decision is reminding us of and that’s why people are fucking stressed out.
It makes perfect sense to be stressed out. But gloom and doom seems to be the default for liberal people. It makes it hard to, say, get people motivated to run for office and vote in local elections (maybe the most important thing to do right now to secure these rights) if you’re falsely telling them a narrative that nothing they do could matter, and that society as a whole is utterly disdainful of their rights.
“But gloom and doom seems to be the default for liberal people.”Saying the truth sounds like doom and gloom because the truth is gloomy. Toxic positivity never did anyone any good. When something shitty is happening, it doesn’t do any good to say “well at least things are better than they were 25 years ago.” What motivates people to vote is knowing the truth, and hearing how bad it is motivates people just fine. Now, you say it’s a false narrative that nothing people do can matter, but that’s ignoring the rampant jerrymandering and voting rights abuses that are being put into place as we speak by republican legislators. Nashville, for instance, has been redistricted to dilute the Black vote, so yeah, for those people their vote really doesn’t matter, and that’s the fucking truth. It’s not a false narrative. Society as a whole is utterly disdainful of their rights. “Society as a whole” doesn’t mean every individual person, of course, but it does mean that the part of society that is disdainful of their rights is the part that is wielding its power most effectively.I don’t mean to seem gloomy, but shit is bad. Maybe you live in a state where shit isn’t as bad. I live in a state that basically follows behind whatever Texas and Florida do. So shit’s bad. I’m sorry if my saying so upsets you.
Democrats ran and won in 2020. And look where we’re at now. Perhaps it’s more accurate to say that 2020’s victory was a band-aid on a leg that needs amputating, and we should have done this in 2016 when the chips were really and truly on the table. But still. We’re demonstrably fucked.
Exactly. It would be like someone responding to my comment about some new feature of a smartphone with – “well, 25 years ago you didn’t even have a smartphone!” Yeah no kidding – it’s called progress.
The Internet releasing the collective Id of humanity for all to see in plain sight is the worst mistake we’ve made as a species.
“Coded as queer in the film but is canonically gay in the comics”.What does this mean exactly? Is her sexuality not explicitly addressed in the movie, but she “acts gay”?
It means Disney won’t say “gay” in films.
Do they have to? If a woman character mentions a girlfriend but doesn’t say “I’m a lesbian, by the way!” is that somehow not being explicit enough?For example, while he never says it explicitly, it’s pretty clear from his conversation with the Rock in Jungle Cruise that Jack Whitehall’s character is gay (mentioned in a conveniently delete-able scene for certain markets).The character of Artie from Cruella, meanwhile, I don’t think is ever actually referred to as gay or queer, or outwardly discusses their sexuality, so is that more “coded as queer”?
But they’ll never SAY boyfriend or girlfriend, because that’s the SAY part of the all encompassing ‘Don’t Say’ bill. It’s to erase everything. Even the innuendo.
I imagine she doesn’t explicitly discuss her sexuality or have a relationship in her small part in the film, but it’s implicit.
If it’s implicit is that still “coded as queer”? I always thought “coded as queer” was used as kind of a derogatory phrasing for villains who are often given mannerisms or traits typically associated with queer folks without actually being considered queer characters, like Scar in Lion King or Ursula in Little Mermaid. Like sort of a wink-wink situation. Whereas if there character is just presented as queer without explicitly saying “I AM GAY” (like say, Katie in Mitchells vs the Machines), is that still being “coded as queer”?
“Coded as queer” isn’t derogatory, it’s just a kind of shitty fact about most of the “classic” Disney villains*. Being coded as queer doesn’t have to mean that the character is bad; it just means that the character is recognizably queer to other queer people and other audience members who pick up on such things, but not ever explicitly said to be. Sort of like “plausible deniability” to get queer representation in media, and it’s less common now that only wingnut dipshits get upset when gays are shown to exist.*I say “kind of” shitty, because a lot of LGBTQ+ people long ago embraced those queer-coded Disney villains, and wouldn’t change them if they could.
Ah ok, that makes more sense. I had always thought it had negative connotations because of articles about how those Disney villains were “queer coded” in order to tie queerness to villainy, or some such.
The classic definition is just that it’s subtext, but yeah, it’s more often used in a negative context.
Who we SHOULD be trolling is Benedict Wong for being in those terrible Doctor Strange Tide commercials.
This kid is living her dream and appearing in a fucking Marvel movie. Her talent and accomplishments already surpass 99% of the people aiming their insecurity at her. Imagine anonymously harassing a child because she’s playing a superhero whose values you oppose and thinking that makes you the good guy? What a bunch of mediocre losers.
I’m reminded of this.
you know the movie is a turd when they’re running this play
“Anyway, because we live in a sick, cruel, and discriminatory society, where personal freedom really only matters if it’s illogically thrown around as a bad-faith talking point”Why is this 100% the fucking truth? I’m losing my ability to handle this fact. I just want to move me and my kids to a hole where we can live out our days not ever having to come into contact with this society again.That’s all I have to say. I haven’t seen this movie. Or the other Dr. Strange movie. Or 95% of the other Marvel movies. I mean to though, if that counts for anything.
Again, these are movies about inter-dimensional magicians with sentient capes and funny goatees. Maybe we can tone down the homophobia.
INCELS get more disgusting by the minute, and these guys ARE INCELS with absolutely ‘no life’ and the emotional development and maturity of 11 year old children. And they are brave because they know no one will do a thing about it. Law enforcement cant be bothered.
So it’s ok to believe that a Dr. Strange is a wizard or a sorcerer or whatever but lesbians don’t have kids and they are going to burn in h&ll. OK. Homophobes are a strange bunch (and not in the cool MCU way). I’m still waiting for GAY SPIDERMAN and not an animated movie (although I loved Spiderverse).