I hate Leela

[Reply #80 on:]

I just feel that some people have overreacted big time.

Says the guy who started a thread called "I hate Leela".

[Reply #81 on:]

I understand Jarvio's reasoning, but I still feel the character's strengths outweigh her failings. Plus flawed characters are interesting characters.

I don't really see how Amy could be considered more likeable. Amy is stupid. Stupid people are awful.

[Reply #82 on:]

Stupid people are awful.

I heartily second that. Stupid people are why we can't have nice things.

[Reply #83 on:]

Stupid people aren't completely useless because they provide a context for interesting people.

[Reply #84 on:]

I think that people who KNOW better but still do stupid things are worse than those who are genuinely of below-average intelligence.

It's an interesting divide in Amy's character - She's klutzy and gullible and often shallow, but isn't actually supposed to be a stupid person.

[Reply #85 on:]

Says the guy who started a thread called "I hate Leela".

You've taken this too far, LMP!

[Reply #86 on:]

I think that people who KNOW better but still do stupid things are worse than those who are genuinely of below-average intelligence.

Someone born in this era of information accessibility has no excuse to be uninformed, and education stimulates the mind to develop other areas of intelligence. So in the absence of an actual mental impairment, there is no excuse for being stupid. It is a result of what must almost be a deliberate effort to avoid learning.

Stupid people are a burden on our society and the time has come for us to do... what we know must be done.

She's klutzy and gullible and often shallow, but isn't actually supposed to be a stupid person.

The incidences where she demonstrates a little intelligence are so few and far between as to be almost inconsequential. She's also a filthy, venereal disease-carrying slut.

[Reply #87 on:]

Amy really isn't represented as stupid. Like TMC said, she's shallow and clumsy, but her intelligence hasn't usually been shown, it's other aspects of her character that are.

Someone born in this era of information accessibility has no excuse to be uninformed, and education stimulates the mind to develop other areas of intelligence. So in the absence of an actual mental impairment, there is no excuse for being stupid. It is a result of what must almost be a deliberate effort to avoid learning.

Stupid people are a burden on our society and the time has come for us to do... what we know must be done.

Are you stupid or something?

[Reply #88 on:]

Stupid is as stupid does, sir.

[Reply #89 on:]

Why don't some of these Leela haters put her in that machine General Zod used on Superman that strips people of their powers?

[Reply #90 on:]

Why don't some of these Leela haters put her in that machine General Zod used on Superman that strips people of their powers?

KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!

[Reply #91 on:]

Why don't some of these Leela haters put her in that machine General Zod used on Superman that strips people of their powers?

Probably something to do with the fact that Leela is not a real person, which makes it impossible for anyone to touch her.

[Reply #92 on:]

Amy really isn't represented as stupid. Like TMC said, she's shallow and clumsy, but her intelligence hasn't usually been shown, it's other aspects of her character that are.

That's untrue: Amy is much, much smarter then Leela academically.  In her specialised fields, she's the most intelligent character after the professor, and seems to be a skilled surgeon of both humans and robotics (notice it wasn't Zoidberg heping out in it, it was Amy.)  

She's just very naive due to her sheltered upbringing, and when it comes to absent-mindedness, lack of common sense, naivete, guillability, she rivals Fry.  "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me seven or eight times, shame on me." and "what's rent?"  Oh and let's not forget the time Amy had to be physically restrained by the entire crew to stop her from sticking her hand down a garbage dispal unit that was telling her someone had dropped a diamond ring down there... during a murderous robot uprising.  and  Leela is street smart but average in booksmarts, whilst Amy is book smart but has no real common sense whatsoever.

Really Amy is the combination of the most common Asian stereotypes despite them being polar opposites of each other, the ditzy airheaded pretty girl (Tiffany from Daria, Gwen from American Dad) and the academically gifted smartypants (Phoebe from Hey Arnold, Candy from Gravity Falls, Cho Chang from Harry Potter)

[Reply #93 on:]

Amy is much, much smarter then Leela academically.  In her specialised fields, she's the most intelligent character after the professor, and seems to be a skilled surgeon of both humans and robotics (notice it wasn't Zoidberg heping out in it, it was Amy.) 

Yes, but that's just not part of her character mostly. It is in couple of episodes, but not usually.

[Reply #94 on:]

To be fair, Amy's not the focus of many episodes. Most of the time she's just around the place, so casual acquaintances (or people just watching her pass through a non-Amy-centric episode) will take her to be nothing more than a ditz. Kind of like how if you don't watch the episodes that focus on Nibbler being intelligent, you wouldn't think he WAS intelligent.

[Reply #95 on:]

There's nothing to hate about the characters.  I really like Leela.   Hating on a character is just a waste of time.

[Reply #96 on:]

Yeah, I agree. Unless the character is offensive in some way there's no need for people to get their panties in a knot, especially if they're actually supposed to be jerks.

[Reply #97 on:]

All the characters have imperfections. Fry is stupid and lazy, the professor's an amoral crackpot and Amy's a Martian klutz who lives off her parents. But they all have strengths, too, and you seem to be neglecting Leela's strengths.

[Reply #98 on:]

Anyone else feel the same?

I hate her too.

She didn't bother me in the original series, but I can't stand her at all in the new episodes.  I don't know if she's actually worse, of if it's just that reading too many posts from shippers and Leela fans on PEEL has lowered my opinion of her, but I still like her in the old episodes, so I suspect that it's the former.

[Reply #99 on:]

I feel generally the opposite.  In the newer episodes, actually being with Fry, she seems more down to earth and reasonable rather than being stuck up and overly bitchy.  That's the feel I got a lot from season 5 or is it called 6?  I dunno.

When's the new season start anyways?

[Reply #100 on:]

Which one's Leela again?

[Reply #101 on:]

Which one's Leela again?

lelas the 1 w/ 1 eye n ppl hair ^_^

[Reply #102 on:]

But Fry has people hair too! This is so confusing.

[Reply #103 on:]

But Fry has people hair too! This is so confusing.

I guess this will confuse you even more.

[Reply #104 on:]

...

Show spoiler

It's Randi, right?

[Reply #105 on:]

Anyone else feel the same?

I hate her too.

She didn't bother me in the original series, but I can't stand her at all in the new episodes.  I don't know if she's actually worse, of if it's just that reading too many posts from shippers and Leela fans on PEEL has lowered my opinion of her, but I still like her in the old episodes, so I suspect that it's the former.

I guess the on/off inconsistencies were unfitting, rendering Leela from "A woman who is not completely sure what she really wants" to "a character whose writers do not really know want they want to do with her".
As episodic sitcom Futurama can take many liberties on a "whatever fits the episode right now". But the Fry/Leela relationship as the shows supposed most continuous aspect was also the most ineligible for that kind of writing.

[Reply #106 on:]

Is it not once in every young person's life that they too become the leela

[Reply #107 on:]

Perhaps part of the problem was that Leela's flaws came from her unknown past. She was pushing back at a harsh world. But when she found her parents, her love, her life's ambitions, she lost the sympathy and reasoning behind being naggy and hypocritical.

[Reply #108 on:]

I like Leela a lot. But I agree with Mr Snrub. I think that Leela should be portrayed as  being a victim of discrimination from time to time. It would make her more sympathetic.

[Reply #109 on:]

Sorry about joining in on this conversation so late but, I'm a huge fan of Leela but i do agree with both Mr Snrub, and CookiesOnTheFloor,Leela's life situations is kinda like Minx with her Verbal Abuse     

[Reply #110 on:]

Perhaps part of the problem was that Leela's flaws came from her unknown past. She was pushing back at a harsh world. But when she found her parents, her love, her life's ambitions, she lost the sympathy and reasoning behind being naggy and hypocritical.

Finding her parents eventually doesn't really erase the fact that she spent all of her life not knowing where she came from and having no family. She might have a good life now, but if she's had a shitty life and spent the majority of it pushing back at a harsh world that's probably going to continue to affect her.

[Reply #111 on:]

I don't like Leela because I know several people like her in real life and at best I find them very self absorbed and irritating and exhausting to be around because of how much they find ways to turn everything into a big pity party for their childhood.   I get it, but I notice Leela is consistently unappreciative of the people who care about her and those she claims to care about.   Leela's biggest other flaw for me is how much of a hypocrite she is, as well as her self pity, aggression,entitelment and neediness. 

The thing is, the two characters she gets along with best out of the main PE crew, Fry and Amy (the other two Young characters) are, along with Nibbler, are the characters she treats the worst.   Honestly, I really get impatient with seeing Fry pine over a woman who doesn't appreciate or deserve him, when Amy is much more fun and has much more in common with him and out of all the PE team, is by far the nicest to him or at least exploits or mistreats him the least.

I don't hate Leela, but Fry and Amy have had pretty awful childhoods too, and they can;t resolve them.  Amy's parents continue to verbally and emotionally abuse her well into adulthood, while Fry;s parents weren't as bad as he remembered, but the two of them are dead forever.   Leela's parents loved her enough to make the sacrifice they made for her, and they don't seem to get many visits from her.   Hell, Leela gave up on helping out little Sally very quickly and to the best of my knoweldge and is very much allowing history to repeat itself.

Leelas childhood can't be that bad if she's completely bothered about Sally going through the same thing and has not lifted a finger to do anything to help the little girl with an ear.

[Reply #112 on:]

Bender has done more for Sally than Leela ever has.

[Reply #113 on:]

And he did that despite trying to sell her as livestock to a restaurant.

[Reply #114 on:]

Yeah, he set the bar pretty low (he is Bender, after all), but she still somehow managed to do even less.  Pathetic, really.

[Reply #115 on:]

I agree.

Leela's selfishness really annoys me.   I really get fed up with the "Fry does something upset Leela out of innocence and has to make it up to a woman who doesn't appreciate him or anyone else who loves her" storylines.   Leela really needs to appreciate what she has: she has good friends (Amy,Nibbler, Kiff), a boyfriend who clearly adores her and worships the ground she walks on, an orphinarium of desperately lonely children who look up to her and need her guidance just as much as Sally does judging how Leela is the ONLY ORPHAN who doesn't suffer from some form of mental illness in her adult life and is doing well, two parents who loved her so much they have made sacrifices no parent should ever have to do for his or her child yet....

Does she appreciate any of these people?  No she does not.   Hell, when she's not treating her lovely boyfriend like garbage, she's putting down Amy or beating her up, treating a member of the most advanced race in the universe like a two year old or one of those nasty yappy little ratty dogs that live in purses, and letting her parents marriage fall apart because she rarely seems to bother visiting Morris and Munda.  Don't see her asking them to live in her eeny teeny apartment.

Really the only reason I think she is less horrible to Fry then she is to say, Amy is because Fry is a fantastic shag or something.   I notice Leela tolerates Fry when he annoys her MUCH more then she tolerates say, Zoidberg or Amy.   It's obvious Leela is threatened by Amy being

a) younger
b) richer
c) has her act together socially and professionally-y despite also having a horrible childhood only Amy's parents are continuing to emotionally abuse her well into adulthood unlike the lovely parents Leela never seems to even want to visit
d) much smarter then Leela despite Amy's own insecurities.  I don't see Leela zipping about with a PHD of any sort.

[Reply #116 on:]

I take back what I say about Leela not having some form of mental illness.

Leela honestly reminds me of some young women (ex girlfriends of several male friends I know, and a few lesbians, if anything the lesbianand bisexual women with the BPDs are even worse as they tend to be much more abusive towards girfriends then they are to their boyfriends for some reason) I know who have BPD and ohhhhh is that not pretty for anyone involved. 

Leela could easily be a much happier person if she got some sort of therapy, but Fry is much more intelligent and aware of other people's emotions then she is, and so is Amy, which is why Amy and Fry never have any real drama.   The writers seemed to realise that Amy x Fry worked together so well teh only way they could torpedo it and have Fry pining after Amy again and Amy being a slutty slut slut was to have Fry behaving ridiculously out of character even by early Fry standards, where he was still rough around the edges and hadn't quite devloved to the childish levels of naivite he was in later seasons.     My theory was that Fry was freaking out by his developing feelings for Amy and he wasn't expecting to enjoy her company and have such a great relationship with her.... it's like he felt he was emotionally cheating on Leela or something and he had to self sabotage what was far and away his most healthy romantic relationship on the show so he could show her how pure his love for her was... not that she appreciated.

Fry never needed the worms to make Amy happy.   She liked him the way he was because that's what she needed at that stage of her life: a fun goofy silly big brother who enjoyed all the things she enjoys and has a similar sense of humour.    Amy seems to like Leela more then Leela seems to like her, but I would say the two characters who have the most mutually friendly relationship that isn't exploitative in some way is easily Fry/Amy.  They just work together.   

The problem was in the Fox years, Amy was easily the character with the most untapped potential and was treated as Girl Hermes when Amy is much more like Girl Fry.   I would say Amy is similar to Fry as in that she is a character that can be counted on to have some sort of reaction to anything or anyone around her.   She shares this with the other Big Personalities of the team, like the main trio and Zoidy.

One of the things I did think was a genuine improvement over the Fox seasons was that the Comedy Central team realised how much potential Amy had as a character, to the point that I waould say in the CC years, Amy can easily be considered the Fourth Main Character, and as I rewatch the classic seasons in my underpants with several bottles of beer and a bag of Hermes's favourite smokable treat, I realise how many of the classic episodes could have been improved by having the team be expanded to four to include her, or five.   Amy has a unique relationship with each character, similar to Fry.  Along with Fry Amy is the most congenial and socially bubbly member of the team, but she has enough contrasts to him, which allows them to feel truly equal to me, as they both take turns being the comic foil and the straight man, as there are times when Amy's common sense is so.... gone that even Fry is outraged at her stupidity.     

I really think they should do a spinoff of Futurama with the team being expanded to Four, with Amy being a permanent member of the trio raising it to a quartet, and Zoidberg occasionally being the fifth.

I thought it was interesting that the CC was more likely to have the whole team be sent on missions, but I would say that Hermes and the Prof and to a lesser extent Zoidy work better as a set together, while the Young Folks are the ones who go on missions.    The second episode of the fox classic run really implied that Amy would be much more important of a character then she was going to be, and should have been. 

[Reply #117 on:]

Really the only reason I think she is less horrible to Fry then she is to say, Amy is because Fry is a fantastic shag or something.

Not according to Amy (or Fry himself).

Hermes: "Maybe you're just a fantastic lover, Fry."
Amy: "No."
Fry: "I don't know what I'm doing."

The reason that she's less horrible to Fry than she is to others is simply that he's her best friend, probably the first real friend that she's ever had, and the one who took her away from her boring and unfulfilling life as a cryogenic councillor to Planet Express, where she has several friends, a low-paying job, and a bed in a robot's closet.