Over the past few years, companies have started using social media as a means of levelling with their customers. In the case of Netflix, the streamer has been using its Twitter account to converse with the fanbases of its various films and series. Sometimes, they upload memes and other times, they actively partake in ongoing discussions.
For a recent example, look no further than this tweet which Netflix directed towards fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender. In it, the streamer pokes fun at two camps within the fanbase: those who like Aang, the protagonist of the series, and those who prefer Zuko, the villain turned antihero turned hero of the show.
To be fair to the Avatar fandom they're both right pic.twitter.com/WczsFwP0lM
— NX (@NXOnNetflix) July 22, 2020
Before diving into the tweet, and why it’s so funny, a bit of context might be in order. Avatar tells the story of Aang, a chosen one messianic figure whose destiny is to do battle with the Fire Lord, a power-hungry dictator who seeks to conquer the entire world. In order to do so, Aang receives help from a variety of friends, including the Fire Lord’s own estranged son, Zuko.
The tweet which Netflix uploaded pokes fun at fans by highlighting the different reasons for why they like the characters. Zuko, for instance, has often been hailed as one of the most complex characters in modern entertainment. Starting out as an exiled son who must capture the Avatar in order to win the respect of his abusive father, he eventually comes to chart his own course.
Although Aang may be a simpler character than Zuko on paper, he’s by no means less complex. Sure, the protagonist of Avatar: The Last Airbender is generally happy and optimistic, but he’s got his fair share of psychological trauma as well. For one, there’s the burden of being born the world’s predestined savior, and having to live with the impossibly high expectations that come with such a title.
