On futility

[moonwise]

Every time I see someone posting long-winded screeds about how slash is raping their childhood heroes and Character X is SO NOT GAY and HOW COULD YOU EVER THINK THAT, I want to pat them on the head and say, "You're new to the Internet, aren't you?"

Comments

[maeveth.livejournal.com]

Point me to this exercise in futility so I might mock it?

[arafel.livejournal.com]

I don't know how to link to individual posts on a MB, sorry. But here's the thread - it's the most recent post by JECrazy.

HE-MAN IS TTLY NOT GAY, BARBARIANS DRESSED IN FUR SPEEDOS, IT ARE A FACT. (http://www.ectozone.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=233&sid=3003b0029f00e3ffb946d063427b834b&start=15)

[morgi.livejournal.com]

Just the title of that makes me laugh.

But then I don't find gay people scary so...

[arafel.livejournal.com]

There's a certain wisdom to "If you don't like it, don't read it." Slash isn't my thing; I don't read it, but I have no problem with it. If people want to ship Peter/Egon, go nuts, I'm all for it; arguing that they shouldn't is one of the fastest ways to find yourself on Fandom Wank.

[morgi.livejournal.com]

I'm not particularly even into slash (and I think the use of the term for strictly gay partnerships is stupid... I see a slash in "Harry/Hermione," don't you?), but I think it can be entertaining. I don't necessarily want to read explicit porn of certain pairings, though.

I think the reflexive "OMG [favourite character] ISN'T GAY HOW COULD YOU THINK THAT???" is kind of juvenile and silly. That's what fandom is: an exercise in interpretation.

Real-person fic, on the other hand, freaks me right out.

[arafel.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I've got a live-and-let-live philosophy regarding fanfic, except when it comes to RPF. Picard/Riker is okay; Patrick Stewart/Jonathan Frakes is not. IMO, the character is separate from the individual, and to write gay or straight fics about people who exist is disrespectful, to my mind.

But, it doesn't stop the Domlijah tinhats.

[jaina.livejournal.com]

I just laugh and laugh and laugh.

[arafel.livejournal.com]

And point and laugh some more.

[jaina.livejournal.com]

And then maybe scratch my butt. And laugh again.

[keelieinblack.livejournal.com]

"You're new to the Internet, aren't you?"

Clearly, or else they'd have realized that by now slash is one of the least offensive and brain-scarring things that can be done to a beloved character. Just wait until they run into the REAL outré stuff. Poor innocent little fan-brains.

[arafel.livejournal.com]

Buttsex is quite tame when it comes to the full fanfic pantheon, I quite agree.

Speaking of He-Man...

[ladyofthesea.livejournal.com]

Mention of He-Man reminds me of a discussion my sister and I had about whether or not Adora and Adam are separate personalities from He-Man and She-ra. I don't buy that theory, but I think she was just trying to come up with a way to draw them together in a non-incestuous way. Yeah.

I admit I've ranted about how slash can and has infiltrated my childhood (Voltron slash makes me run for the hills) but I don't hold it against a person if they want to see Sven, Keith and Lance in a hot orgy. But I've just kind of turned a blind eye to it all. It's there, and it's not going away. Ever.

Re: Speaking of He-Man...

[morgi.livejournal.com]

Voltron is coming up next in our Netflix queue.

This is going to make watching it much more interesting.

Re: Speaking of He-Man...

[arafel.livejournal.com]

<>But I've just kind of turned a blind eye to it all. It's there, and it's not going away. Ever.

Exactly, and this is how we all know you are not new to Internets. Arguing about these things is ultimately pointless.

[tiggymalvern.livejournal.com]

The poor little things. They've been so sheltered, they really do need petting when they meet the Big Bad World.

[arafel.livejournal.com]

Ssh, it's okay. The bad bad slash was only a dream, go back to your Mary Sues.

[arafel.livejournal.com]

You would know, wouldn't you? XD

[archaeologist-d.livejournal.com]

LOL. I loved how you summed it up in just one sentence! LOL.

[arafel.livejournal.com]

What your icon says. Especially about He-Man. Really.

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

lol n00bs

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

Cite reference on this one? The Celts painted themselves blue and went naked into battle, but I'd like to know who went to war in a fur Speedo.


I think I love you.

[arafel.livejournal.com]

Notice that there have been no pixplzkthx.

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

I hope no one talks about how straight all the boys are in 300.