The fact that the relationship between Jack and Ianto is open to the sextoy interpretation, in my mind, also immediately implies that it is possible for viewers to perceive Jack as THE SORT OF GUY WHO WOULD DO THAT. Harrassment, of a subordinate. Because that's what that boils down to.
You aren't wrong to be annoyed by that. The thing is, why do people think that? There has been nothing at all in canon to imply that Jack is that kind of guy, or even that he ever was that kind of guy.
Seriously, in The Empty Child or any of his other Who eps he was certainly seen as flirty and fun and promiscuous but not as a user. He could have had Rose is a heartbeat (I'm convinced) but other than flirting with her he never really pushed it at all. He could have had Gwen, never went there. He was in the position of life or death pretty much over Tosh, never went there. All the indications are that while he flirted with Ianto the aggressor in the situation was Ianto, not Jack. If Small Worlds was their first sexual encounter we know for a fact that it was Ianto who initiated. If, as Gareth said he thinks, they were involved before Cyberwoman then from what we've seen it was also Ianto who inititated then as well. At the least he let Jack know he was interested.
I can't see anything in the writing to lead people to the idea that Jack is someone who would abuse his position. In fact, the only one Jack has been seen to have an actual sexual relationship with over both shows is Ianto. We also know about a five year relationship that he had with John. So yeah, he's admitted to plenty of casual encounters but so what? We've seen Owen, Tosh and Gwen all with multiple sexual partners. Only Ianto and Jack have had only each other.
The thing that gets me even more are the fanfic writers who write about Jack pretty much forcing Ianto into sex in the immediate aftermath of Cyberwoman because "you need this". Ok, that's not even harrassment. That's rape. And if someone truly believes that Jack Harkness is a rapist then I don't know what show they are watching because it's not the same one I'm watching.
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You aren't wrong to be annoyed by that. The thing is, why do people think that? There has been nothing at all in canon to imply that Jack is that kind of guy, or even that he ever was that kind of guy.
Seriously, in The Empty Child or any of his other Who eps he was certainly seen as flirty and fun and promiscuous but not as a user. He could have had Rose is a heartbeat (I'm convinced) but other than flirting with her he never really pushed it at all. He could have had Gwen, never went there. He was in the position of life or death pretty much over Tosh, never went there. All the indications are that while he flirted with Ianto the aggressor in the situation was Ianto, not Jack. If Small Worlds was their first sexual encounter we know for a fact that it was Ianto who initiated. If, as Gareth said he thinks, they were involved before Cyberwoman then from what we've seen it was also Ianto who inititated then as well. At the least he let Jack know he was interested.
I can't see anything in the writing to lead people to the idea that Jack is someone who would abuse his position. In fact, the only one Jack has been seen to have an actual sexual relationship with over both shows is Ianto. We also know about a five year relationship that he had with John. So yeah, he's admitted to plenty of casual encounters but so what? We've seen Owen, Tosh and Gwen all with multiple sexual partners. Only Ianto and Jack have had only each other.
The thing that gets me even more are the fanfic writers who write about Jack pretty much forcing Ianto into sex in the immediate aftermath of Cyberwoman because "you need this". Ok, that's not even harrassment. That's rape. And if someone truly believes that Jack Harkness is a rapist then I don't know what show they are watching because it's not the same one I'm watching.