riptide2406 as requested!

Ah, yes. Sub-par rep, bare mean girl, too beautiful to be human is fabulous. Don't you just love using 6th-grade insults unironically? Don't y'all love picking off strawberry seeds before eating the actual fruit?

I gagged as I wrote this, but I need to admire that one kid's dedication to her basic bitchy-ness.

Anyway, let's talk about the Aphrodite cabin.

I'll start by saying to don't have all the PJO books on me... I'm sorry. I have 4 of the ToA books and 3 of the HoO books. I'm just going on pure rage and determination right now.

I should probably say that Rick Riordan has done a lot with his books, and even if the Aphrodite cabin was a bit like J.K. Rowling saying Dumbledore was gay if you just read between the lines, we need to commend his work. He made Nico gay with a Disney publishing firm and added so many minorities, which is amazing. I don't want to overshadow that by criticizing his work on one cabin, but this would have been such a golden opportunity to inspire and empower so many people; it's just so hard to not want tweaks.

In all honesty, I wish Piper was more girly like Silena. I think the whole "not like other girls" was super basic to read about before Pipes entire character arc, and even then, she was still hard to read back without getting slapped in the face with that trope. She's still a fucking badass, and I totally respect her for that; I just think it would have been so much cooler to see Piper like more pretty things. Whether it was her putting on a dress, or doing her hair in cute styles, or wearing makeup, it would have been fantastic. I especially like the makeup option because it allows the opportunity for "I don't do it for you. I do it for the girls, the gays, and the girl gays." I think that fits her character.

Being girly doesn't mean you're not a badass. Silena was a perfect example. She was "girly" and soft and a charming person. (Did she cheat on Charlie with Clarisse, probably, but we're ignoring that) And yet, she's the reason the Ares cabin joined the Titan war.

SILENA IS LITERALLY THE REASON THEY WON

AND SHE WAS "GIRLY"

Secondly... the rep was shit.

Seriously, Drew is Japenese, so she was fetishized, Piper was native, so she was fetishized, the girls were girls, so they were fetishized, etc.

First, we know Drew is gorgeous. She's an Aphrodite kid. However, making her a bitch to appeal to certain people to call Drew a "dragon lady" was not the way to go. In fact, I wish the Aphrodite cabin was filled with body positivity and healthy relationships... you know, like most platonic girl relationships are.

Us girls are not a walking Disney movie. If anything, make Drew more like Regina George. We love to see manipulation done right.

Actually, if you ever make a girl group, make them supportive unless she's a bitch. Then make her like a Mean Girls character. Not Mean Girls 2.

I already addressed Piper above, so let's skip to the girls, shall we?

Say it with me: Girls have a personality more than wearing makeup and liking perfumes and dresses.

Also, why is that seen as a bad thing? If you look good in anything, have a lovely dress, and look hot af... dude, go off.

Like, make me want to be you or be with you.

You have power, and you look stunning.

Also, Aphrodite kids would look good in "edgy" clothing as well. Nothing stops them from wearing an oversized tee with baggy pants, killer liner, and eye shadow.

They'll still look hot.

This means that no matter what they wear, they will look nice.

So stop being such a dick about it.

Now, let's talk body positivity.

It ain't that hard to add minorities and plus-sized characters. It will make people feel seen and give so many people a boost of confidence in their bodies.

Talents were also something that bothered me. I'm ignoring charm speak right now because... that's pretty fucking valuable in a fight with other demigods.  I'm talking about singing and doing makeup as their main talents.

There is so much more beauty than that. Hairstyling, clothing design, nail painting, song-writing, acting, creating your own hair products, making makeup on your own, etc.

There were so many opportunities to show that women and men who look beautiful are also intelligent.

Songs are a form of poetry, and I speak from experience that poems are complex. That's not even with vocals, backing tracks, etc.

Acting is tough. Literally, everything you do is judged, even the tiniest nuance you add. Speaking of... nuances! That shit is hard to master. You're either a natural (see Victoria Pedretti in the Haunting of Hill House, her first acting job), or you work for years to get it down.

Hairstyling... I have black hair. When I tell you making my mane look good is a process, I mean it.

There are so many different hair types and textures with their own needs. Some people have super thick hair, but it takes in moisture really well, so it doesn't need much product. Maybe you have thin hair that's always dry. Perhaps you have curly hair with the need to be detangled at every moment.

Hair is hard.

Makeup is also a challenge. There are so many different shades of skin and different skin needs. You might have dark skin (which is just a lost cause in general), but you need something with fewer oils. You've lost your luck.

This brings me to make your own products. It shows that they are intelligent and talented, but they are still "girly."

Also, makeup does not always mean pretty. Have you ever seen some of the shit people do? I'll link a video of a really cool one above. It's from the Netflix show Glow Up.

It's just so disappointing with all things considered.