Like how Sokka in the awful ATLA live action can't even start as the sexist idiot he was only to learn and do better later on (still S1), but we need him to be a nice guy from the start because heaven forbid a character has flaws, or people will cancel the whole series. It would've been better tho.

I remember myself and friends doing similar and being in similar situations too. It's fairly common. I just feel that some audiences are less tolerant of even things like this.

In my first attempt at writing YA, my female MC's first scene is getting drunk at a party. Because she is in a very rough place and, when I was younger, that's something that we did.

There’s a lot I want to say about this, but I’ll just mention a few 😅

A protag not handling a situation the same way you would isn’t “bad writing.”
A portag being a straight up awful person is not a poor reflection on you.
Let female protags be messed up the same way you let male protags be.

Scott Pilgrim is one of my favorite stories and Scott Pilgrim is a horrible person and the story wants you to know that.