Thoughts: Sexuality in Slash

[ada_farrow]

Okay, I just got to thinking about a little tick I have about slash fics. I always get a little put-off when an author writes certain characters as gay or, more conveniently, bisexual as if they needed it to serve their slashy ends. The thing is, you don't. The Big Steal by halfdutch and yahtzee63's Making Do are two of my favorite slash stories that don't do this

Comments

[philomel]

I don't know. Certainly, context plays a big part in Lost slash (or any fanfic, of course). But I came into this fandom having already been very involved in the LOTR RPS fandom. In that fandom, it's perfectly acceptable to portray the characters as gay or bi, regardless of their real life counterparts. In fact, it's almost preferable, as depicting their relationship (or one night stand) as a fluke does read as someone serving their own slashy ends. Generally, in such cases, the men involved were drinking too much or getting high. In the end, the intoxication seems like a flimsy excuse, and therefore the entire story reads as a dismissive representation of sexualities.

But that just might be a difference between the two fandoms (another topic for another day). In LOTR RPS, you don't have the more malleable circumstances that you do in Lost's island setting, although there are other factors that parallel what you mentioned: e.g. highly intense film set, disproportionate number of men to women, people being thrown together in somewhat

[ada_farrow]

I can see how it makes more sense for RPS. It would be hard to write slash for actors any other way. I can't attest to much about RPS as I'm easily squicked by it. :-/ It's a fine line. I may have read two. (Viggo/Orlando, Johnny/Orlando; also a Dom/Evangeline) If there's any good Lost RPS you can rec, it would be appreciated as an attempt to broaden my horizons.

[philomel]

I actually haven't read very much Lost RPS, and most of that has been Dom-centric (surprise *grins*). Here's a PG-rated one that's pretty light on pairing, has more of a gen. feel: "Not Quite New Zealand." And one of the best Dom/Evangeline fics I've read, R-rated: "Sugar."

[ada_farrow]

Thankyouthanks! Excellent recs! I think the Dom POV makes them more familiar. Both were sexy and well-written. ^__^

[halfdutch]

Excellent food for thought. (And thanks for the kind words!) I agree "Making Do" is one of the best explorations of why a straight man would sleep with another guy. Lost as a floating Oz makes sense. There are way more men than women. And most of the men are so damn pretty! I think a lot of guys in less extreme circumstances (just bored? just horny?) will experiment with other guys but still never self-identify as gay. I liked how in "Making Do," Jack still thinks of himself as (mostly) straight, despite bedding down nightly with Boone and even being in love with him

[ada_farrow]

I dunno, for some reason I can't see Sawyer as gay/bi. Well, I guess if you think of him as a pleasure-chaser then it works out. Part of the reason I like Sawyer/Jack and Sawyer/Sayid is that I feel like Sawyer is such a ladies' man, but his strong emotional connection to either one of these guys turns into an attraction, which may or may not be exclusively physical. That's another little thing I like about your fic: the physical attraction with an absence of emotional attraction (or is there?!?!!!?x1000)

I actually read a Jack/Charlie that was...um...okay. (But I can't remember if it was one of those fics that I was afraid to read the content of so I just skipped to the slashy parts...ugh.)

Well, Jack Sparrow, puh-leez. Not only is he rayher flamboyant, but he's a frickin' sailor. He's as flaming as they get. ~_^

[foxxcub]

Wow, I was just thinking about this today! Weird...

I agree completely, which is why my one slash centered around booze, lol! Dutch does a great job of getting the guys together without mind-altering influences; she always has the most creative setups. I just can't bring myself to just throw 'em together, y'know? Which is your point in the end, no? Forcing the slasheyness just does not good slash make. It's kinda like Skate fic for me; if the first few paragraphs are le crap, I can't keep going, epecially if there's sex involved. *gags*

I don't think Sawyer's gay/bi, are you kidding me?! He's teh manly sex ;D But I do buy him a) wanting to experiment and b) being so damn horny that he can't help himself. And like dutch, I don't want him on the bottom. De nada. BUT, I also don't like Jack always being the "omg, I can't do this" guy and Sawyer being the "oh yes you can, little man" guy all the time--hence the creation of Ballsy!Jack, hee! Again, those are my slash ticks.

RPS. *sigh* I don't think I can do LOTR boy sex. cmere1 rec'd me one