I gotta get something off my chest (this is Daudrey related and unfriendly. be warned)

Where-In I rant and I am unkind to the notion of Daudrey and Daudrey shippers. Be forewarned. You are on MY turf.



I am reacting to something I saw on Tumblr. It was a picture of Duke and Audrey hugging after he called her out for being Audrey and NOT Lexi. And they're all "remember when this ship almost sailed?" And I'm like. Uh. No. Never. It wasn't even built.

Daudrey fans used it to attempt to illegitimatize Naudrey because it was DUKE that saw through her ruse. NOT Nathan. Well... It was DUKE in the fucking hospital basement, wasn't it? Jesus Christ.

Some of my invective here may be coming from posts I saw last fall of Daudrey fans dissing Jennifer and insisting that she should find Audrey and the GTFO of town because she was a threat to their ship. A ship that everyone involved in the making of the show made clear never even existed.

Duke had feelings for Audrey for obvious reasons. She was beautiful and she didn't treat him like a worthless asshole. You do not build an adult relationship on not being treated badly. And truth be told, there were a number of ways in which she did treat him badly. It wasn't a direct and intentional mistreatment. It was always an exhibition of her preference for Nathan.

Example Given:

Nathan went crazy from the music man and beat the shit out of Duke. Audrey's reaction: "Sucks to be you! Make sure nothing happens to Nathan."

The Daudrey fans like to insist that Duke is somehow better for Audrey than Nathan. That's debatable enough without me pointing out: She doesn't seem to be that good for Duke.

There are a few more incidents of Audrey making it clear that while she cared for Duke, she was falling in love with Nathan but I'm going to skip right to the next great gong that should have told you that Daudrey was never even intended.

AUDREY SHOT-TO-KILL THE REVEREND. She could have put that bullet in his hand or in his shoulder and instead she killed him. EVERYONE knew that was fucked up. You know what was REALLY fucked up about it? She killed the reverend knowing that Duke needed information from him. If NATHAN had needed that info? Rev. would be alive.

I don't even understand Daudrey fans and in my own back yard I don't have to be nice about it. Most likely it stems from wanting their favorite male character to remain front and center and that is accomplished by knitting him to the pivotal female lead. I know, they went to Colorado and she kissed him and it was hot because somewhere between Eric Balfour and Duke Crocker we have a being that should be giving lessons in kissing. Holy shit but he's good at it. But Colorado is again an instance where yeah, Duke is really good to and for Audrey but she is NOT good to and for him in anything beyond their friendship (which I love). But Audrey kissed Duke because she was feeling hurt about having maybe been too successful at pushing Nathan away to Jordan's arms. She did a very human thing and I've done it to my guy friends over my broken heart.

I like Audrey fine. BUT, I could probably put up another post about how Mara-Audrey never WAS Audrey to begin with and we knew that all along and why the fuck would anyone really ever want to embroil themselves in that and Duke, being Duke, knew that all along and that was why he was loathe to admit that he loved her. He knew that it wasn't just because of Nathan that he couldn't have Audrey.

Duke spent more time with the REAL Audrey Parker than pretty much anyone else thanks to their misadventure on the island. He has some first hand knowledge at just how similar and different the two women are. He loves Audrey Parker but even he has to wonder just who the hell is it that he loves.

Duke and Audrey make some of the best friends ever. I tried to cover it in "Stay." They trust each other because they know all the ways in which they are each UN-trustworthy. I often wonder if the more mischievous side of Mara-Audrey was always Mara (in each incarnation). The mischief being tempered by the over all goodness of each personality that was pressed upon her. Duke has a wonderful sense of mischief as well - lacking the malevolence that Mara has. Both Audrey and Duke are aware that their respective lovers are maybe a little too good for them.

Dukifer fans are not Dukifer fans because they are Naudrey fans. They may be fans of both but the two ships are two very different ships. Dukifer fans are Dukifer fans because Jennifer Mason is exactly what Duke Crocker wanted and needed and he also happens to meet that need for her. Not just because he is proof that she was never crazy. Not just because he saved her multiple times from danger she never would have been in if it wasn't for him to begin with. Jennifer needs Duke because if she won't let him get away with shit, he will not let her get away with it either.

"If you think we're some flavored coffee commercial... You don't know me..." That's paraphrasing, I think, but you all know what he said. Duke is refusing domestication here. And Jennifer simply smiles, steps forward and murmurs that she does know him before settling into one of those wonderful kisses. That was, however, Duke calling Jennifer on a bit of her shit. And that was Jennifer kissing him because she knows he can't resist her. Because he loved Audrey and still does. But he is in love with, and adores Jennifer.

Feel free to share your thoughts and flames.