Part 7/9:
The creators’ efforts to embed modern meme culture within the show appear to backfire, especially when it comes to depicting harmful stereotypes. The episode included brief segments mocking "toxic man babies" and equated certain social memes with deadly threats, such as people joking about wanting to kill She-Hulk. Critics interpret this as an attempt to portray critics or dissenters as hostile or dangerous, further fueling polarizing narratives.
This strategy seems designed to dismiss any criticism as the product of toxic masculinity or online harassment, but it has only served to deepen the divide. Marvel’s attempt to frame its critics as a monolithic enemy, characterized as misogynistic or threatening, hasn’t resonated and appears to have been viewed as tone-deaf or outright dismissive.