Autistic Mary Sue 'Journo' Sarah Barrett Perfectly Exemplifies Everything Wrong With 'Professional' Journalism Today.
In the age where anyone with a keyboard can publish their opinions, individuals with significant personal challenges are using this freedom to shift the focus from their own personal struggles to instead, sensationalized issues. One perfect recent example I've unfortunately discovered is Sarah Barrett, a "writer" for The Mary Sue, who's previously openly discussed her neuroatypicality issues and mental health challenges. From her own LinkedIn:
While it has historically 'potentially' been commendable to try and destigmatize these struggles - at least - on the surface, the real problem arises when society provides a platform for crazed individuals to write inflammatory and bad-faith articles that ultimately serve as a cry for attention rather than any kind of meaningful contribution to actual discourse.
Everyone has become either too comfortable or too afraid to call out the crazies in fear of being cancelled by the woke extremists...
The spotlight as of late shouldn't be on the subjects of the articles and the content within them, but moreso on the motivations and struggles of the writers themselves. I'm looking forward to the day we can get back to talking about what we love, but someone's gotta take out the trash...
The Case of Sarah Barrett and Race-Swapping in Spider-Man
Sarah Barrett’s recent article (archive link) defending the race-swapping of Norman and Harry Osborn in the upcoming animated series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is a prime example of this sad, pathetic trend.
Barrett begins her piece by labeling critics as "racists" without so much as even bothering to engage with the substance of anyone's actual concerns. Her tactic being used here, while effective at grabbing headlines, is the type of writing that prioritizes clickbait and rage over the real thoughtful discussion fans of these series want to have.
The Problem with Race-Swapping Defense
Honestly, at this point, I'm personally shocked that The Mary Sue is even a thing anymore. It's a terrible waste of a website that only serves a purpose to point and laugh at. Pair that with giving a keyboard to someone who's open about their extreme autism, and I guess you got yourself a formula for disaster.
Barrett’s article is emblematic of The Mary Sue’s broader approach to cultural criticism, which constantly seems to dismiss any dissenting views as bigotry. In this case, the article fails to address several key critiques.
Yep, the same people who show up to comment “woke” and “DEI” on everything are now commenting on the Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man trailer with, well, “woke” and “DEI.” Not only is Norman Black, but his son Harry (Zeno Robinson) is as well, and people who probably don’t even care all that much about the characters are completely furious.
Race-swapping characters like Norman and Harry Osborn is a lazy form of representation and it feels more like virtue signaling than a genuine effort to diversify media. Instead of creating new, original characters with rich backstories, studios opt for superficial changes that fail to resonate with audiences. Modern story writers have no talent, and to make up for that, resort to race swapping existing entities. In doing so, ironically, Disrespecting Black Audiences.
I've personally witnessed a lot of people in the black community voice frustrations with these changes, stating they feel 'pandered to' rather than genuinely represented. Barrett’s article ignores this perspective entirely, opting to generalize dissent as racism... because noticing any of this reality flies directly in the face of the agenda being pushed.
Then you have the trend of altering existing characters instead of investing in new ones is not limited to this Spider-Man series. Similar controversies, like when Disney casted of Halle Bailey as Ariel in The Little Mermaid, highlighted a disgusting recurring issue: studios prioritize performative diversity over any kind of real, actual meaningful inclusivity...
It’s absolutely ridiculous that people are throwing tantrums over some iconic characters being a different race in an adaption that was always going to do things differently. Still, if they’re storming off, we can safely say that the fandom is better off without them.
Doing this alienates fans and lead to complete disinterest, ultimately causing these projects to flop in the long run. Barrett’s article sidesteps this argument and instead doubles down on moral condemnation.
The Real Issue: Society’s Enabling of Attention-Seeking
Barrett’s writing style—and her trying to frame every single dissenter as a bigot—is way more reflective of the larger societal issue happening these days. By elevating individuals with clear and extreme unresolved mental health challenges to positions of influence, we're by default, actively creating an environment where attention-seeking behaviors are then rewarded over the intellectual and desired ones.
Instead of focusing on the topic at hand, the conversation she tries to have shifts to sensationalism, directly instead polarizing audiences... and ultimately, trivializing any of the genuine debates.
There used to be standards in media.
Now?
Everyone gets a trophy.
Responsibility Desperately Needed in Media
It’s time for everyone to critically examine the platforms it provides to individuals like Sarah Barrett. While mental health struggles should be met with compassion, they should not excuse or justify the publication of inflammatory, one-sided content. It's important to know WHO the author is, and be familiar with their history, because often times people in positions of 'journalism' these days don't really care about the issues they are writing about, but more so, care to push people to think like they do in any way possible.
The Mary Sue’s defense of the Spider-Man series’ race-swapping, as articulated by Barrett, underscores this important approach. By refusing to engage with legitimate critiques and resorting to ad hominem attacks against anyone daring to refute, the article fails both its readers and the broader discourse.
But hey, at least The Mary Sue is still good for something. Point and laugh away!
~Smash
