: Acknowledging the failings of historical greats —from MLK's affairs to Newton's alchemy—helps us see them as human beings rather than unreachable myths.
Joss Whedon and the Feminist Pedestal: A Reading List - Longreads pedestal
True connection requires the removal of the support structure. To treat someone as an equal is to refuse to prop them up. : Acknowledging the failings of historical greats —from
: When we idolize icons—whether they are political figures or queer creators—we strip them of the right to be "messy" or "wrong". : When we idolize icons—whether they are political
: To look up at a pedestal, one must adopt a position of inferiority, which often fuels submissiveness or resentment in the observer.
: Society often waits for those on pedestals to fail so they can be "knocked off," a process that is often more about the observer's sense of power than the idol's actual character.