Signal Boost

[fox1013]

I'm still getting caught up on the epic fail of a J2 fic using the Haiti tragedy as backgroundI want to say smart things, like detailing the many ways in which it is unfortunate or the many ways in which I'm super-proud of fandom and its reaction for once, but everything I could possibly say has already been said better than I could do it.

Comments

[slybrunette]

Oh wow, yet another reason I'm glad I'm not in that fandom. Damn.

But you're right, most of the fandom actually made sense and behaved themselves for once. Apparently when things get serious, the bullshit stops.

Thanks for posting this; I'm glad to know what's going on so I'm not confused when everyone and their brother starts talking about it.

[fox1013]

I can't even blame it too much on SPN fandom; it's mostly just the way that as humanity exists, the odds for fuck-ups come closer and closer to one. (It's the part of calculus that actually could have helped me in real life! :D? :D?)

In any case, I'm glad this is helpful.

[nicole_anell]

"Why aren't these characters in a relationship?" or "Why aren't these characters getting more screentime?" or "Why don't we have a definitive answer for what would happen if the apocalypse hit at four AM while these characters were in Wal-Mart buying Oreos?"

You just described fic #3,897,200 that would've been a Better Idea than this one.

[fox1013]

What can I say? I just have a genius sense of those things.

[preciosatt]

As a POC I'm so tired of people who look like me being relegated to plot devices or sidekicks in fic. I'm also tired of having to comfort the wailing author as she proceeds to make the fact that she displayed some racist tendencies and got caught all about her.

[fox1013]

Ack, I hope it didn't seem like I was saying anyone in fandom is obligated to help the author through her ~time of crisis~ here. You're completely right; that isn't your (or anyone's, really) responsibility. I've noticed that white fans (myself included!) seem to be making the mistake of asking fans who are also POC to show us how to be better allies, which is unfair. Fandom's at that weird place right now where people are learning to be allies and frequently kind of suck at it- myself, again, obviously included.

And yes, definitely, on the plot device/sidekick thing. I'm constantly amazed when new, fantastic characters are introduced and given awesome things to work with and fandom... completely ignores them in favor of the first two white dudes they can find.

(NOT THAT I'M STILL WAITING FOR HEROES FIC ABOUT HOW DL ISN'T DEAD OR ANYTHING. JUST, YOU KNOW. IN GENERAL.)

[joran]

GIP.

Word to all of this. I'm glad I can consistently find non-wank and thoughtful analysis in your journal. I don't have much of an opinion of my own, beyond, "Oh...dear" but maybe I should. I frequently use fic to address and fix social problems.

I just tend to stick with, "No, THIS is what a healthy lesbian relationship should look like. The hands go HERE."

Sometimes I think I'm helping issues like class stratification merely by bringing them up in stories.

Um, in summary, nice post, thank you for posting it. :)

[fox1013]

I'm always torn between "I have nothing smart to add to all of this" and "is silence essentially condoning what happened?"

Fic is the best possible teacher. <3

[jheaton]

It seems to me that the problem with the fic is that it (judging from the excerpts) was lousy. I think it would not be hard for a writer who didn't, you know, suck to write a J2 fic set in the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake, or at Ground Zero on 9/11, or any other setting.

[fox1013]

I don't know, I think they would need to be pretty exceptional.

But on the other hand, if the fic could have been without the blatant racism, it might have helped.