Strange that people who have worked with this character so long seem to know nothing about him. So, let's remind them, shall we? Before the weaselfucks at General Hospital destroy what was once a fascinating character study into the twisted mind of an abused, neglected child who grows up to be a convicted sex offender with really twisted ideas on trust yet very traditional ideas on fidelity and family, I thought I'd throw in my two cents. You see, there's Todd Manning, tortured soul, loving father, and faithful husband. And there's Todd Manning, serial/gang rapist, kidnapper, stalker, liar, well, just all around felon. Then, there's what those Douchebags may be creating, that would be Todd Manning, Sex Machine of Port Charles.
Let's look back and see what you all think.
Here's how we met Todd Manning in 1993. He was a charming young football star at Llanview University. He had a friend named Marty. She made him mad. She had sex with him and didn't choose to take him up on a repeat performance. Here's how he handled the rejection. I introduce to you, Todd Manning, future Sex Machine:
That Todd. He's a man on a mission, huh? That's hot. That's the guy you all want sexing up those ladies in Port Charles. Yeah. This guy should have been nailing anything that moves for years. They wasted him in interesting stories of guilt and remorse. Bring on the babes! He just wanted to share his hotness with Marty...and a few friends. That generous guy. He just needed to share his hotness with the world. He can't help it. But, let's not stop there. There's so much more to Todd Manning, Sex Machine.
He goes on trial. His lawyer, Nora, realizes that he's lied to her and, in fact, he is guilty and she throws the case. Todd doesn't like that. So, he's a man on a mission. He wants to show Nora how manly and in control he is of every situation. So, here's how he handles the betrayal:
That Todd. What a scamp. He's playing games with Nora because she could feel how hot he was and she deserved it, right? He's not stalking and torturing her when she's blind. No, this is hot. That's because, as we all know, this is Todd Manning. He's not just a sex machine, but he's a playful scallywag, just funning with Nora. She's not terrified. She wants it. And she deserves it. Too bad she didn't get what she really wanted, huh? After all, he is Todd Manning, Sex Machine. But, the hotness only gets better.
Todd realizes that Marty didn't get enough of his hot man meat, so she needs more. She wanted it. He knows it. So, he decides to once again express himself physically to her. She, of course, can't resist his burgeoning sensuality. You remember how she loved it the last time he let her have it. This time, she brought friends. Notice how Luna can't deny the draw to Todd Manning, Sex Machine.
Now that's hot! Luna was so into it. She scarred him for life and he was so hot, he blew out his eardrum and will be half deaf forever. Now that's some good lovin', huh? This time, Todd blew his own mind, it seems, because he is Todd Manning, Sex Machine.
Then there was Rebecca. She wasn't hot because she was into Jesus and love and flowers and there's no hotness there. So, we don't care about Rebecca, right, even though she cared for Todd and tried to help set him on a twenty year journey of redemption. Nah, we don't need that because we now have Todd Manning, master of his own "sessuality"- or sexuality to those who don't understand the reference. He's not interested in truth and honesty and caring. NO!! Bring on the babes in Port Charles. We want some more hotness.
Oh, then there's Blair. That was a mistake. Right, Ronnie and Frankie Boy? That Blair. She ruined Todd because she wasn't there for his hotness. She was his friend, his ally, his partner in crime- so to speak. But, hey, we don't want that, do we? We don't want stories about friendship and understanding, and loneliness and pain and grief and, eventually, unconditional love and fidelity and trust and security and redemption through hope for the future. No, we don't want that.
Sure, Blair was hot herself. But Todd's too hot to be tied down to one skanky broad, right? I mean, she has to go because he, like, loves her and likes her, too!! She's like his soulmate and gave him true love and children and the only moments of real peace and joy he ever had in his rotten life. Nah, we don't need that. He needs to spread around his hotness and share it with all the deserving women of the world. Little did we know, Todd needs to spread his man love with everyone. He was tied down by that fidelity thing for too long. What a waste. Someone better call Delgado!
Okay, so I'll stop here. I won't get to the point where Todd punches Tea in the face. I can't even stomach looking at that again, even to mock it. It turns my stomach. The fun is over and let's get real. Anyone who watched those scenes knows that any attempt to turn this character into a hot man about town is not possible. It's beyond the pale, even with for these douchebags. It's taking what was once a moment of responsible story telling on daytime television and throwing it away in favor of titillation. It's taking a fascinating character study and turning it into a peep show.
Todd's story is about redemption and understanding. It's about working through the pain of the past to rectify the mistakes. It's about a character who doesn't want to forget what he's done or who he's been because it can't be forgotten- and it shouldn't. Anyone who watched those scenes and the years that followed knows that Todd can't forget what he was because he knows that could go back there so easily. His story is about his fear for his potential for evil. It's about his fear of how he could once again lash out and cause real pain and destruction. And, lastly, it's about realizing that with one small moment he could turn into who he was- a monster who preys on the weak as a form of release of an ever present anger that hides within him.
Todd Manning's story was only possible because it played out over time. It was built on relationships with people who cared for him, despite of what he'd done, because they, themselves were damaged. He found genuine kindness in the sweet but rather dull Rebecca. He found solace in the friendship and love of the his fellow misfit, Blair, who like him, had been abandoned and neglected, only to lash out at a world that hadn't treated her kindly since birth. And, finally, he found real understanding and unconditional love in the other abused child, his sister, Viki.
Without these long, highly complex relationships, Todd Manning would not exist. He couldn't. In a medium made specifically for women, a man such as this cannot be viable, unless he is redeemed. And, to some extent, Todd Manning was redeemed. But only to some extent!! He will always be the man who raped Marty. Yet he has also shown his potential for kindness, love, gratitude, and understanding. But he's still the man who raped Marty!!! You see Todd can't forget that. And neither can we. As we watched it and, unlike other shows that minimized or ignored brutal acts against women, OLTL didn't forget it either. But, in true form, GH might.
Todd Manning's story was the one thing this damn genre did right!! It showed us a cruel, angry, vengeful man who truly attempts to redeem himself without becoming a martyr or a patented "nice guy". It's a story about an abused, neglected boy who lashes out in anger and hate at the world around him, only to find that it leaves more empty than he was before. It shows us the inner workings of a man who is so angry with his feelings of inadequacy, that he lashes out at those who cause him any discomfort at all.
You can't just take that and set the reset button. You can't just ignore who a character is to make him who you'd like him to be. Because we remember, you see. And, unlike other moments in this genre that are whitewashed or forgotten, Todd's history is not. It's right there- on his face. And the face of his portrayer.
Tune in next time when we'll discuss that issue. It's tentatively called "Shame On You, Roger Howarth" or "Todd Manning Gets the Luke Spencer Treatment? Bad Roger! No Show for You!"
You totally rock, this is PERFECTION. You've covered it pretty well, a little scant on the Blair angle, but the rest is PERFECTLY IN LINE with who Todd is.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words, Kim! Blair wasn't the focus here- although she rocks, as well- but she is more in "The Problem with GH- It's the Women, Stupid" and I also rip into those Jags in the Frank Valentini post for the way they've treated KDP. It made me kind of, well, nuts. But you rock, too!! Maybe they'll listen. I hope.
DeleteTodd is about Blair, always has been ever since he met her even when he was married to Tea. Todd crossed the ocean on a flimsy raft to get back to her, he's nearly died many times yet it is Blair that has kept him alive. He has too many intimacy issues to be with anyone else. He certainly would not sleep with anyone else including Carly, he might try to manipulate carly to get back at Sonny, but he would not sleep with her.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment, skayci!
DeleteI can't believe how many people think there's something happening with Carly. Not only don't I see it as being a smart way to go, I don't see Howarth playing it...even a little. I'm with you. Manipulation only. But, I'm not watching, so who knows! Let me know when it's safe to tune in!!
Wow, I do not agree at all with your assessment of who Todd Manning is and what motivates him. I love Todd & Blair and know that he will find a way back to her, but I cannot agree with this kind of attack you've made on Todd's character. I have trust and faith in the writers and actor to evolve Todd. People are worried that his character will be ruined. Does that mean they want him to remain forever an angry rapist? It's time Todd be given a break. He wears the scar and knows who he is.
ReplyDeleteHi Cataz,
DeleteI appreciate the insight but I don't see it as an attack, just an opinion a controversial character. He's supposed to encourage disagreement. Yet thanks for the thought and I'll think about it from your perspective!