Lois picspam #5: The Clark's Sexuality Edition
This post comes with a disclaimer: this reading is entirely subjective and tongue-in-cheek. As always, this area is open to interpretation. But it's fun to speculate...
Clark's sexuality is ... interesting. Even if you don't accept the slash reading of the show, it's hard to ignore the fact that Clark is a little scared of girls. While he pines after Lana romantically, their (non)relationship is strikingly chaste for the first four seasons. And Clark remains awkward at best in response to other women, even if they're friends...
Though he's compliant enough if they have something in common and they take the lead (and especially if there's RedK involved).
But while Clark's awkward with his female friends expressing interest or affection, he has no problem expressing affection for Lex.
He's definitely seen as a conquest, more often than a conqueror...
And he's more than comfortable with phallic objects (this cap is never going to get old!).
When faced with a group of horny, obsessed fangirls... Clark hides. (Well fangirls are scary, right?)
And so we find him pinned up against a closet. A very PINK closet. Oh, Smallville, how I heart your visual metaphors. *giggle* But what exactly is in that closet? Well, the answer to that is either very simple or very complex depending on your point of view. Numerous essays have been written on the secrets of Clark's sexuality if you want to take the complex path...
or I could just remind you that it was Lois.
You see, Lois messes with Clark's sexuality. He's not used to responding to someone who he doesn't already have a close emotional connection to--most of his partners or potential partners trigger Clark's interest in one of the following ways:
- they share outsider status with him (Alicia's the perfect example)
- they express adoration or intense admiration for him (Lana, Chloe, Lex, etc.)
- they show that they accept him (tapping into his desire to be 'normal').
Lois may be an outsider, but she's not internally tortured about this--and she certainly doesn't obviously adore Clark; she's constantly teasing him. To begin with, they really don't like each other.
And yet his reaction to this...
is this.
From any other straight male 18 year old, you'd think 'normal red-blooded guy', but this is Clark, and his blood isn't normal.
Of course, when they recognise each other, Clark freaks. That's Lois?!
This is his worst nightmare!
Because the thing about Lois is that she doesn't back away from confrontation, and public embarrassment is as nothing to her, if she's on a mission. And she is. She has a murder to solve in this case.
Lois's idea of keeping up appearances is to climb right onto Clark's lap. Oh, the terror! Hee!
Lois is rather demanding. She won't let Clark off the hook--and again, he's not exactly used to that. She insists that he fulfil his side of the bargain by pretending to pay her for services.
He may be uncomfortable with this, but Lois is totally matter-of-fact.
Oh, the anxiety! Poor Clark! ;-)
A season later, Clark and Lois's relationship has developed. They now acknowledge that beneath the snark there is a friendship, even if there are still clear limitations to that. Those limitations generally don't include Lois stroking Clark's palm.
But he's quite happy, if a little embarrassed about the unexpected attention.
And he lets her do this.
What's most notable is that while Lois is under the influence of RedK already, Clark is not. And while he does flee, he also doesn't put up much of a fight. In fact he seems to be fleeing because he knows he's not putting up much of a flight.
When Lois pulls the old back-him-against-a-wall trick, it's all over...
This is not Clark's usual OHNOES!GIRLS face.
An aroused Clark is a pretty Clark.
Lois thinks so too.
Although he does insist on doing it in front of another man's secret closet... but I've already written about that.
When Clark's on RedK, he's all business.
Red!K does bring out the predator in Clark.
It's unusual to see Lois so submissive too.
The only thing that could distract him at this point in time is Lex Lana... Lexana. Still, it took the big guns. ;-)
Joking aside, I think Lois does in some ways represent a more mature sexual interest for Clark than anything we've seen previously. His relationship with Lana was hyper-idealised. It was sweet and romantic but based on an unsustainable illusion, which makes it the perfect 'first love' story. But Lois challenges Clark in a way that Lana doesn't, and she (*cough*) stimulates him in a different way as well. Their friendship will not crumble beneath the weight of secrecy, lies and obsession, as happened with Lex. Their future is that of complementary forces--Clark's physical strength balanced by Lois's forceful personality, creating an environment in which they can both take the lead in the relationship at different times.
Clark's sexuality is ... interesting. Even if you don't accept the slash reading of the show, it's hard to ignore the fact that Clark is a little scared of girls. While he pines after Lana romantically, their (non)relationship is strikingly chaste for the first four seasons. And Clark remains awkward at best in response to other women, even if they're friends...
Though he's compliant enough if they have something in common and they take the lead (and especially if there's RedK involved).
But while Clark's awkward with his female friends expressing interest or affection, he has no problem expressing affection for Lex.
He's definitely seen as a conquest, more often than a conqueror...
And he's more than comfortable with phallic objects (this cap is never going to get old!).
When faced with a group of horny, obsessed fangirls... Clark hides. (Well fangirls are scary, right?)
And so we find him pinned up against a closet. A very PINK closet. Oh, Smallville, how I heart your visual metaphors. *giggle* But what exactly is in that closet? Well, the answer to that is either very simple or very complex depending on your point of view. Numerous essays have been written on the secrets of Clark's sexuality if you want to take the complex path...
or I could just remind you that it was Lois.
You see, Lois messes with Clark's sexuality. He's not used to responding to someone who he doesn't already have a close emotional connection to--most of his partners or potential partners trigger Clark's interest in one of the following ways:
- they share outsider status with him (Alicia's the perfect example)
- they express adoration or intense admiration for him (Lana, Chloe, Lex, etc.)
- they show that they accept him (tapping into his desire to be 'normal').
Lois may be an outsider, but she's not internally tortured about this--and she certainly doesn't obviously adore Clark; she's constantly teasing him. To begin with, they really don't like each other.
And yet his reaction to this...
is this.
From any other straight male 18 year old, you'd think 'normal red-blooded guy', but this is Clark, and his blood isn't normal.
Of course, when they recognise each other, Clark freaks. That's Lois?!
This is his worst nightmare!
Because the thing about Lois is that she doesn't back away from confrontation, and public embarrassment is as nothing to her, if she's on a mission. And she is. She has a murder to solve in this case.
Lois's idea of keeping up appearances is to climb right onto Clark's lap. Oh, the terror! Hee!
Lois is rather demanding. She won't let Clark off the hook--and again, he's not exactly used to that. She insists that he fulfil his side of the bargain by pretending to pay her for services.
He may be uncomfortable with this, but Lois is totally matter-of-fact.
Oh, the anxiety! Poor Clark! ;-)
A season later, Clark and Lois's relationship has developed. They now acknowledge that beneath the snark there is a friendship, even if there are still clear limitations to that. Those limitations generally don't include Lois stroking Clark's palm.
But he's quite happy, if a little embarrassed about the unexpected attention.
And he lets her do this.
What's most notable is that while Lois is under the influence of RedK already, Clark is not. And while he does flee, he also doesn't put up much of a fight. In fact he seems to be fleeing because he knows he's not putting up much of a flight.
When Lois pulls the old back-him-against-a-wall trick, it's all over...
This is not Clark's usual OHNOES!GIRLS face.
An aroused Clark is a pretty Clark.
Lois thinks so too.
Although he does insist on doing it in front of another man's secret closet... but I've already written about that.
When Clark's on RedK, he's all business.
Red!K does bring out the predator in Clark.
It's unusual to see Lois so submissive too.
The only thing that could distract him at this point in time is Lex Lana... Lexana. Still, it took the big guns. ;-)
Joking aside, I think Lois does in some ways represent a more mature sexual interest for Clark than anything we've seen previously. His relationship with Lana was hyper-idealised. It was sweet and romantic but based on an unsustainable illusion, which makes it the perfect 'first love' story. But Lois challenges Clark in a way that Lana doesn't, and she (*cough*) stimulates him in a different way as well. Their friendship will not crumble beneath the weight of secrecy, lies and obsession, as happened with Lex. Their future is that of complementary forces--Clark's physical strength balanced by Lois's forceful personality, creating an environment in which they can both take the lead in the relationship at different times.