Raoul Sucks

Should you so desire, you can watch the stage production of The Phantom of the Opera on Netflix.  I absolutely adore it.  The costumes, the sets--the music!--are all gorgeous.

I've seen it a few times now, and I've realized something.

Raoul is kind of a douche.

Sure, he functions as Christine's white knight/Twu Wuv, and he's cute, but beyond that he behaves in ways that make me cranky.  He bosses Christine around with no thought to ask about her needs and desires- the first time they meet he says 'to supper!' and Christine says no, and he won't hear it.  He just assumes she is available to him.  He's very proprietary about her.

Later, during "All I Ask of You," he pretty much dismisses he experiences with the Phantom as imaginary and infantilizes her.  To be fair, Christine seems ok with being wrapped in cotton wool, but still.

Later, he refuses to listen to Christine's objections to their (frankly ridiculous) plan for apprehending the Phantom.  Raoul also dismisses her fear of the Phantom.

It's never explicitly said, but you can assume he's only treating Christine like this because she is female.

Ths show was written in the 1980s.  Does the main love interest really need to behave like a misogynist jachole?  I don't think so.  I will continue to love this show, but my word does Raoul make me cranky.