spammity

[asimplechord]

While I wait for my gels to finish running, I'm going to spam y'all with thoughts I've been gathering all day. I'll try to keep the work & political stuff separate from fandom, since I know we don't all have the same ideas on all subjects.

[Poll #1001428]

Um, and while I'm discussing fandom. Can someone please explain to me the appeal of hooker!fic in some RPS fandoms? 'Cause I don't really get it. I mean, I'm all for AU, but why is AU prostitution fic so prevalent? Or do I just notice it more because it leaves me cold?

Comments

[libgirl.livejournal.com]

I've been thinking and writing about the definition of slash and what it means in fandoms where the relationship is already same-sex, it's an interesting topic (thus my fascination with it;)), but not one I have an answer for.

For me, relationships are about people. I see the subversive, larger themes relationship of slash to a heternormative world, but I also see that I ship House/Wilson because House relies on Wilson in a way that House relies on no one. And, that Wilson is the caretakers of House in a way that he isn't to his own wife (wives). I ship them because that is a reasonable and logical relationship to me. Yes, the fact that cannonically they're heterosexual does complicate the issue, but it doesn't say to me that they are not in a deep and meaningful relationship.

Some people slash because they like to boysonboys woo! I get the appeal ;), but it's not for me. I see the subversive position as well, but what's the point in being subversive to be subversive? I mean, waht does that do for you? And, is it really subversive if that's why you're doing it? Isn't true protest and change in paradigm the result of genuine action? If you believe that, then the subversive approach doesn't hold water on it's own. There has to be more to it that.

I don't know if same-sex pairings are all that's required to be slash. I do know that in recent years, particularly in the HP fandom there has been a trend to write every pairing with a slash= Hr/R etc. The point of slash in older fandoms was to show that it was a same-sex pairing. Therefore the / isn't appropriate in a Hermione and Ron romance story.

In the X-Files fandom things were written like this= M/Sk (Mulder/Skinner) or MSR (Mulder, Scully Romance). There was a clear visual clue that there was a romantic same-sex pairing if you saw the /.

I don't really like it that it's lost its significance (and in my opinion its value)in the HP fandom. Everyone still calls it slash, but then they use the / for all pairings--???? Though, I'm in the minority, I know. I hate the smooshed names too!

:D

I've got more to saw about this...I have been working on an essay about it...I'll have to try and finish that up and post it :D

[asimplechord.livejournal.com]

Ooh, you're writing an essay on this? *bounces* I'm excited to read what you have to say.

I'm totally biased because I came to fandom through HP, and slash is commonly used to describe m/m relationships there, but I understood it via the Kirk-slash-Spock definition, whether there was sex involved in the relationship or not. I think the emotional connection is the most important thing, although obviously the hotness factor is also a plus for me.

What did you think of Henry Jenkins' slash fanfic? Have you read it? I thought it was a fabulous example of slash without sexual fulfillment, because of the deep relationship between the men involved.

[libgirl.livejournal.com]

Wow. Okay..your reply deserves a serious reply from me (which I will try to give it), but it's not something I can do right now.

I am writing and essay on this, have been for ages. We'll see if I can't move it up the priority ladder ;)

[mimiheart.livejournal.com]

TICKIES!!!

Um. When I first joined the ST and Sentinel fandom, WAAAAAY back when I was in eighth grade, the definition of slash was slightly different than it is now. It was considered portraying the characters in a sexually opposite way than canon portrays them. So, straight characters having gay relationships=slash. BUT gay characters in straight relationships also=slash. (Femmeslash seems to be f/f always, though.) Even when I first started looking at B5 fanfic, which I'm not really into, despite my daughter's name, there was a large group of people that said that Ivanova/Talia was not slash, since it was HINTED in canon. (Well, Ivanova declared her love for Talia at one point, but I don't there's no proof that anything outside of that happened.)

Who knows...

[scotrid.livejournal.com]

Joe Straczynski was, in fact, trying to imply that something happened between Ivanova & Talia in the episode where Talia stopped being a sleeper agent and was taken away. But he left it implicit rather than explicit because general audiences weren't ready for it at the time.

[mimiheart.livejournal.com]

I know, but I don't know if I consider that pure canon--canon, yes, but not pure-it-was-in-the-show-so-it's-fact canon.

[larilee.livejournal.com]

Canon, to me, is the original medium. In Harry Potter, it's the books or what JKR says. And I'm pretty iffy on the latter. Not everyone has access to her interviews. But I don't see the movies as canon at all. There are too many changes in them for visual effect or time limits.

Star Trek is a good example of canon-shifting. Because you have the Original Series, then movies, then spin-offs, tons of interviews with everyone. I'm not a Trekker/Trekkie, so I don't see a problem with something listing what it's canon to.

I've heard the X-men groups are arguing canon. You have comic books, cartoon series and the movies. And LotR comms are having similar issues. So I have to say it's the original medium, but give leeway to those who are using alternate sources that are close to canon.

Boy, that sounds confusing. :-)

[asimplechord.livejournal.com]

That makes sense. For the Potter-verse, I will specify if there's something in my story that is based on movie-canon, rather than book. Because some things really are different. And I tend to use the Lexicon A LOT, but that may or may not be considered "canon", depending on a person's definition.

I didn't write my poll very well -- I should have had separate questions for book-based fandoms and other media-based fandoms. Because for something like Supernatural, where there was no book originally, but now there's Supernatural: Origins describing the years before the show, and I'm curious to know what people think of that. Is just the show canon? Or does the comic contribute as well?