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[magnetic_pole]

There's an interesting discussion going on right now at happydork's journal, Why am I not writing the stories I say I want to read? I know, I know, we've discussed this a hundred times already: why does fandom decry the lack of women and characters of color in our fic* and then turn around and focus on the attractive young white men? But this is a thoughtful post, with some very interesting comments, particularly on the ways in which fandom reinforces the perception of white men as our common denominator. (Note to self: my own thoughts are here.) Thanks, Sophie, for pointing me in the direction of this discussion!

* I was about to type "fic and art and vids," but then it occurs to me--thinking purely anecdotally--that art might be less skewed toward the white dudes than fic or vids. Or not? Something to think about.

Comments

[kelly_chambliss]

I generally think such issues are more rather than less complex than they first appear, but as I read post after post of I-don't-really-want-to-write-about-two-hot-white-guys-but. . . . I can't help thinking it's all a bit disingenuous. Not that any of the reasoning is necessarily false; it's just that it seems like a good-reason-versus-real-reason sort of situation. The "good reasons" are "hypocrisy (maybe). . .laziness. . .reinforced into the cultural pattern. . .self-discovery. . .self-concealment. . .Don't-Get-It-Wrong. . .we-subvert-the-patriarchy-by-being-queer-women-writing-slash. . .etc." And these reasons are not untrue. But the "real reasons," it seems to me, aren't too difficult to discern: people write what they want to write...because it pleases them, comforts them, satisfies them, makes them hot, excites them. And what I'm hearing is that white-boy-slash writers are getting that pleasure/comfort/excitement from white-boy-slash -- regardless of what they think they "ought" to be writing. They write it because they want to.

I'm not judging here...not saying this is a good or bad thing. I think it's just a thing. I'm not sure it needs any elaborate justification or excuse or explanation. It is what it is: slash for fun and hotness. Why not? It's not what turns me on, but so what? Many things that DO turn me on are no doubt equally indefensible in a social-justice or gender-equality sense. White-boy slash probably doesn't make the world a better place, but so what? Does it make the world a worse place? It might, but I'm not sure quite how. Is it hypocrisy? I don't think so -- at least not in the usual sense of the word. Here is where the complexity comes in: writing slash obviously serves some sort of psychological need for the people who write it. It benefits them in some way (somewhat differently for each person, probably), and it doesn't seem to be doing overt harm, so I say -- don't agonize. Just write what you want to write. Enjoy it for what it is. Don't expect it to be what it's not. And work for justice some other way.

If I'm being horribly offensive, Maggie dear, do tell me, and I'll delete this. I don't mean to be. And maybe it's too easy for me, a person not particularly moved by two-hot-white-boys, to be dismissive of the anxiety. I don't mean to be that, either. If I'm the one being disingenuous, tell me.

Okay, I'll shut up now, lest I become even more annoying.

[magnetic_pole]

No, no, I've heard you on this issue before, Kelly, and I'm in agreement with you, on the whole. Folks like what they like, and they read and write what they read and write, and "ought" doesn't have much to do with it. But I also think that that spark of desire to read or write Harry/Draco, for example, is culturally developed and not a unquestioned "given" in the equation, and by talking about our habits and preferences and desires, we have the opportunity to change and expand fannish culture. It's an uphill battle; we start with genre shows or movies or books that tend not to question the social order very much (when they're not actively reinforcing power structures), and then we compound the problem by congregating around popular things and things we know others like. Part of the reason Harry/Draco is so popular may be an unquenchable, innate desire to watch two hot white dudes get it on (or whatever, not my cup of tea), but that's not the only reason for their popularity. To the extent that our lack of diversity comes from insecurity writing about women, minor characters, characters of color, or various characters who are perceived to raise "issues" in fic for whatever reason, talking can only help.

I'm not saying that Minerva/Hooch is ever going to rival Harry/Draco, but it can always be more popular than it is. Part of my desire to read and write that pairing is the joy of encountering other folks who read and write it, and that's one of the engines driving fandom.

That said, I tend not to enjoy explicit fic of any sort, or overt romance, really, and so I always feel like I'm missing out on some of underlying logic of fandom.

So, yes, I'm with you on the "ought," but I do think that fandom learns and grows (indeed, quite a few people seem to be here to explore their sexuality or talk about gender or identity politics) and we may need practice at coming up with themes and characters that actually help us develop in those directions. M.

[kelly_chambliss]

by talking about our habits and preferences and desires, we have the opportunity to change and expand fannish culture.

Oh, I definitely agree here. I don't want to come across as denying the value of these sorts of inquiries. I'm always the one insisting to my students -- "it's never 'just' entertainment; it's never 'just' that you 'happen' to like something; there's always something constructed or learned about such things."

But it seems to me sometime that in these sorts of discussions as the one linked to, some people (not all) are doing two things: they're analyzing, and they sometimes seem to be saying, "please tell me it's all right to write this/like this/want this." And to the latter, I think people should be assured that it's fine.

But yes, I agree that we're not dealing with "innate" desires here and that it's very important to question where those desires come from, how they are created, and how they function culturally. I really don't want to discourage discussion! I just don't want people to think that they need to feel guilty for what they enjoy reading. (Not to say, of course, that I think there are no potential problems with what people like -- I'm still a bit conflicted about that. . .)