Joanna Fineman

Archetype: Gatekeeper

The corporate editor who controls access to media power

Joanna Fineman embodies the gatekeeper archetype - the authority figure who controls access to resources and opportunities - but subverts it by having limited actual control over her charge. Despite her position of authority, she struggles to rein in Rigby's excesses and ultimately becomes an unwitting enabler of his most destructive scheme.

Basic Information

• Full Name: Joanna Fineman
• Aliases: None known
• Occupation: Editor at New Light Media
• Status: Alive

Physical Description

• Six-foot tall woman with a busty frame
• Black hair
• Brown eyes
• Flawless dark facial features
• Wears smart Atrium Mention business suits and Andrew Shumer shoes

Story Appearances

• Culture Vulture: Rigby Barclay's editor; confronts him about his excessive expenses

Connections

• Rigby Barclay: Editor; manages his content and expenses

Subversion of Archetype

Joanna subverts the gatekeeper archetype in several key ways:

1. The Corporate Gatekeeper With Limited Power: Despite her position, she can't fully control Rigby, highlighting the limits of corporate authority over creative talent.

2. The Authority Figure Who Must Compromise: Has to tolerate Rigby's excesses for the sake of content, showing how principles are sacrificed for profit.

3. The Professional Woman In A System That Undermines Her: Tries to maintain order in a media landscape that rewards chaos and sensationalism over responsible journalism.

4. The Voice Of Reason In An Unreasonable World: Her practical concerns are drowned out by Rigby's sensationalism, showing how reason often loses to spectacle in Horizon City.

Role in the Corporate Game

Joanna functions as a middle manager in the corporate media ecosystem. She represents the tension between corporate control and creative freedom, trying to maintain profitability while managing unpredictable talent. Her focus on "eyeballs" rather than journalistic integrity reveals how the media in Horizon City has become purely about attention and profit rather than truth or public service.

Notable Quotes

• "Half a million yen for a sex toy? Have you lost your stim-filled mind? And a million and a half for stripper tips? What the actual fuck is this?" - Confronting Rigby about his expense reports in Culture Vulture
• "Rigby? Rigby! Rigby, are you there? Rigby! I can hear you breathing Rigby! Answer me, damnit! You expensed 1.25 billion Yen to 'Frame Richard Johnson for corporate espionage'? And Mayhem is reporting it? And Johnson is dead?!? Rigby, what the holy fuck have you done?" - Calling Rigby after discovering his scheme in Culture Vulture
• "I don't give two cycles if it's a billion yen, you fucking worm! What I care about is eyeballs, and none of this is about eyeballs. You have to generate content, not fuck prostitutes!" - Explaining her priorities to Rigby in Culture Vulture