"mad woman" by Taylor Swift
What did you think I'd say to that?
Does a scorpion sting when fighting back?
They strike to kill, and you know I will
You know I will

What do you sing on your drive home?
Do you see my face in the neighbor's lawn?
Does she smile?
Or does she mouth, "Fuck you forever"?

Every time you call me crazy, I get more crazy
What about that?
And when you say I seem angry, I get more angry

And there's nothing like a mad woman
What a shame she went mad
No one likes a mad woman
You made her like that
And you'll poke that bear 'til her claws come out
And you find something to wrap your noose around
And there's nothing like a mad woman

A/N: I received the following review a few hours ago on this story:

RomanEmpire: Are you kidding!? "And i tell Senna"...whaaaat, what is so freaking wrong with her? Tell uuuusss, or imma dropping this depressing not informative fic for ever and ever and ever! Bet she is drama queen. A cheater too. Pff I hope JackAss drops her at some point.

Historically, I would have let this go with a shrug and a laugh because this website is often a toxic place to post fan fiction stories, and comments like this always happen as a writer; you can't make everyone happy. However, this review was bothering me far more than other hate comments. I didn't understand why right away, so I got to thinking.

Then I realized it's because this is a FEMINIST story, and this review is incredibly misogynistic.

My first reaction to having this revelation was to remain silent about it. However, that is what women are constantly forced to do, so I am going against the status quo and embodying some empowerment.

With that being said, I want to address several things:

First, "whaaaat, what is so freaking wrong with her?" Why does something have to be "wrong" with Renesmee because she decided to share her trauma story with Senna? It is often a thousand times easier for survivors of trauma to share their experience with someone neutral. That is why we have mental health therapists, for example. Senna, in my mind, is, essentially, a vampire therapist in this story. Because Renesmee's trauma centers around Jacob, of course she's struggling with opening up and mending things with him. Everyone deals with trauma experiences differently. You didn't leave a comment after chapter nine when you saw how haphazardly Jacob's been handling his stress. Renesmee is actively getting help for the things she's struggling with, and Jacob is drinking his life away. Why is there so much judgment only targeted toward her?

Second, "tell uuuusss, or imma dropping this depressing not informative fic for ever…" I will, a thousand percent, admit that I am dragging some plot points out in this story, which could make it seem "informative." I am not, at all, taking offense to this part of the review. I know I can draw things out in my writing sometimes, so if that's not your jam, please feel free to move on to a different story that is happier and more straightforward.

Third, "Bet she is drama queen." This is the part in the review that really points to misogynistic thinking. You did not review chapter nine and call Jacob a "drama king." Why is that? Maybe it feels more accepting for Jacob to drink his life away than it does for Renesmee to be actively trying to heal and do what's right? I'm not judging Jacob for his decisions; I think he's doing the best he can with how he's feeling. Why can't the same empathy be applied to Renesmee? Because Renesmee is having real feelings, that makes her weak and makes her dramatic? No. Women are called "drama queens" in order to continue patterns of oppression by silencing them. True strength comes from being vulnerable and sharing our thoughts and feelings.

Fourth, "A cheater too. Pff I hope JackAss drops her at some point." This comment is likely referring to chapter six. I'm actually surprised this is the first critical review I received for Renesmee sleeping with someone besides Jacob. But let me ask you this: If I wrote that chapter in Jacob's perspective, and HE slept with someone else, would I get as much hate for this plot point? Would it be deemed more forgivable because he's a man?

Depending on your perspective, Nessie did cheat on Jacob. So, there probably needs to be some repair around her mistake in order to mend her relationship with him. But sex doesn't always equal love. Women don't need to be in love with someone to have sex with them if they don't want to be. Women are sexual creatures, too. Women can like casual sex. Sex often feels empowering; maybe that's why our society still calls a woman "a slut" for being with multiple men – it's just another way to oppress them! Sorry to disappoint, but when I said this was a feministic story from the get-go, I meant it. I'm sick of one-bed tropes where a woman is seen as "pure" or "better" because she's only slept with one man.

Now, I know I am likely going to get cancelled for addressing this review. I will likely be called "dramatic," or someone will say, "this is just a story; you're taking this too seriously." And my response to those comments is this: If we (as women) continue ignoring comments such as these, they are going to continue happening. My motive for addressing this review was to educate about misogyny. This is not about me being upset for getting a "bad review." You can leave critical reviews on my stories all you want, but I will not be quiet in these situations because silence only perpetuates toxic patterns of oppression.