The following contains spoilers for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Season 1, Episode 7, "The Retreat," now streaming on Disney+.
Among She-Hulk: Attorney at Law's more dubious accomplishments is its way of agitating the most toxic contingent of Marvel's fan base to the point of apoplexy. The comedic travails of Jennifer Walters have been targeted by reactionary viewers for the crime of being created by and centered around women. It's an ugly trend that fans are pushing back against increased diversity in film and television with no basis for their complaints beyond thinly veiled misogyny.
Case in point: the absurd allegation that the Disney+ show "hates men," a common sexist accusation designed as a blanket for any woman's behavior that doesn't conform to patriarchal standards. It's as patently ridiculous as Man-Bull, with little beyond conjecture and projection to back it up. Far beyond the easy fact that the series' central antagonist Titania is a woman, evidence to the contrary is very firmly in She-Hulk's corner.
She-Hulk's Comedy Makes Many Characters Look Ridiculous - Not Just Men
The "She-Hulk hates men" argument stems largely from cherry-picking examples. That includes figures like Jen's out-to-lunch boss Holden Holliway (who's merely obtuse) and her smarmy ex-coworker Dennis Bukowski (for whom women represent nothing but sexual conquests). Specific incidents in the series also involve male characters -- notably inept magician Donny Blaze and Jen's bevy of less-than-memorable encounters from an online dating service. A more sinister figure has recently arisen in Josh, a seemingly wonderful romantic interest who was revealed at the end of Season 1, Episode 7, "The Retreat" to be actively working for an as-yet-unseen foe.
But most of these figures are played actively for laughs, and while some demonstrate the kind of daily misogyny that most women have to put up with, they're still viewed as more inept than threatening. That perception may feel like hate to the thin-skinned, but it's very much in keeping with the show's comedic tone. Jennifer often ends up as the butt of the joke, as do her bestie Nikki and nemesis Titania. Josh may prove more menacing, as well as Intelligencia -- a website dedicated to hate-trolling She-Hulk in a not-so-subtle jab at the show's more toxic critics -- but the nature of their villainy still falls far short of the hatred She-Hulk has been accused of.
The Men in She-Hulk's Life Are Largely Admirable
Aside from the above, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law presents a collection of men in Jen's life who are honest, honorable, and largely reliable. That starts with her cousin Bruce Banner, who's responsible for her condition and spends Season 1, Episode 1, "A Normal Amount of Rage" helping her adjust. Bruce's warnings about ignoring her superpowers are proving correct, as serious trouble finds Jen despite her efforts to live a normal life. It's hard to accept accusations of male-bashing when the show's most prominent male can justifiably say "I told you so" to its heroine. The remainder of her family is portrayed as equally supportive, particularly her father Morris, who pulls her away from the chaos of a family gathering to ask how she's doing in Season 1, Episode 2, "Superhuman Law." It's one of the show's most touching moments.
Similar figures have proven equally supportive. Wong, the Sorcerer Supreme, remains as stalwart as ever while former Abomination Emil Blonsky has shown compassion and insight, as have a collection of seemingly reformed D-list supervillains who validate Jennifer at Blonsky's retreat. The show's unsung MVP may be Pug, another of Walters' co-workers who helped get her in touch with superhero tailor Luke Jacobson. With Daredevil waiting in the wings -- a figure that She-Hulk star Tatiana Maslany called Jennifer's "bestie" to MTV News (per ComicBook.com) -- the male-bashing argument becomes even weaker.
These characters hold importance in Jen's life. They're friends and family: people who genuinely care about her, though Blonsky and his crew may yet prove duplicitous. Conversely, the "bad" men in her life occupy much less screen time and headspace. It renders the accusations unsustainable in the face of objective facts: screen time alone hugely favors the good guys over the bad. She-Hulk's most extreme accusers need to spend less time seeking non-existent justifications for their hate of the series.
New episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law stream Thursdays on Disney+.