Why does ho-yay come with a warning 0.0?
For a little while, there has been something that has been niggling me. Namely, the fact that warnings are often given for fics that contain yaoi or yuri pairings. Or rather, 'BL' or 'yuri' as a warning in itself.
I just don't get why it is that fanfic writers have got to put warnings pointing out that a fic features a gay pairing. It's not offensive, disturbing or triggery. And if a reader is uninterested in BL/yuri pairings then they can simply press the return button, and most will do so. If they don't, and instead feel the need to post abuse or angry 'offended' comments on the review then that is homphobic trollery, and that is their own problem, and they were probably looking out for opportunties to do so in the first place. I mean, I know a lot of the time the warning of 'yaoi' can be used to indicate that a fic is sexually explicit, but then that warning should just simply fall under 'sex references'.
And more than just a simple warning pointing out that a fic contains a gay pairing (for those who may not be interested in it), the reason for my finally posting about this comes after browsing through a fanfic archive and seeing a fanfic with the following description: 'Warnings: This fic includes rape, suicide, drug use, yaoi'. Unintentionally or not, yaoi is being warned about alongside serious and potentially disturbing triggers like rape and suicide. That bothered me. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not in any way trying to say that this fic writers are homophobic - they are certainly not and I certainly do not think there is any deliberately unpleasant element use of these warnings by the authors; it is more the case that it is something that is simply evident of wider held attitudes towards homosexuality in modern society. As accepted as it may now be, it is still something treated with a degree of taboo. It is a 'not in front of the children' topic. As much as most people are 'tolerant' of it, it is something still treated as an uncomfortable subject by a lot of people, and there is still the idea that such people's uncomfortable feelings towards it need to be respected and treated with a degree of sensitivity. You wouldn't warn people of the fact that a fic contained a het couple. So why should people have to warn people of the fact that a fic contains a gay couple?
About a year back, I can remember a conversation I had with a friend over on her blog. The friend, who was bisexual herself, had posted a review for an anime series, but had warned in the cut that the anime 'depicted lesbian relationships'. On my comment I pointed out that she shouldn't have to feel that she should have to warn people that a series contained yuri, and she agreed with me, but said she felt she had to post a warning in order to prevent (homophobic) comments from people who may be 'upset' by the reviews or series contents.
I think a lot of the time it is similar reasoning that means that a lot of fanfic writers feel they need to warn potential readers that their fic contains a gay or lesbian pairing. People post a 'yuri' warning on their fic so that homophobes have no ground to complain over having 'had no warning' and having thus been 'offended' and 'upset' (or as I've seen one person put it, having had her 'morals upset') by the fics content. I can understand that fanfic writers must sometimes really worry about the possibility of receiving homophobic comments, and sometimes feel very pressurised to provide warnings, but at the the same time, it can also double as pandering to homophobes.
So I'm posting this, not really as a wank as such, but more as a general question: do you think that warnings should need to be given to fics containing gay or lesbian pairings? I'm not really arguing particuarly strongly for either side; I'm just interested to hear other people's opinion on the matter, particually from fanfic authors themselves.
And while this is my main wank, there is just one other thing I'd like to get off my chest. And that is the ludicrous amounts of Hetalia references made on youtube videos. Which have ABSOLUTELY NO relation to Hetalia whatsoever. I'm not pooping on people's fun or bashing people's fangirling, and I know that sometimes you do come across something that reminds you of a fandom or a particular character, but the sheer level of these references, plus how utterly unrelated these videos are to the series is ridiculous and mortifying. Much like with the warnings thing, this is something that has been bothering me for ages, but I'm finally posting about after coming across the final straw. Namely a music video for a Hatsune Miku song, where I'm not kidding; atleast 60% of the comments posted were referencing Hetalia. Honestly about 60% of the comments referenced Hetalia, with the other 40% of the comments generally either telling these people to shut up or bemusedly asking 'what the hell is hetalia?'. And who can blame them? And the hugely significant link that means that apparently 95% of passing Hetalia fans can't help but reference the series? The fact that Miku is depicted wearing a stylised army uniform. Seriously. Uniform = major Hetalia reference. I mean, seriously.
As much as I hate to say it, thanks to a small minority of obnoxious fangirls/boys, Hetalia is rapidly becoming one of the most hated manga fandoms on the internet. Their behaviour is annoying, childish and obsessive, and while they only make up a tiny percentage of the fandom, it is their behaviour which the fandom seems to be judged by. I'm sick of being embaressed by members of my fandom. That includes people who pull those disgusting stunts, like that infamous 'nazi-salute' con photo or that disgusting gas-chambers referencing Lithuania cosplay photo, as well. Please, don't do things embaress or ashame us, or which annoy or offend people outside the fandom (or inside the fandom, for that matter). Common sense, restraint and respect are pretty basic things, which we should all take in to account.
I just don't get why it is that fanfic writers have got to put warnings pointing out that a fic features a gay pairing. It's not offensive, disturbing or triggery. And if a reader is uninterested in BL/yuri pairings then they can simply press the return button, and most will do so. If they don't, and instead feel the need to post abuse or angry 'offended' comments on the review then that is homphobic trollery, and that is their own problem, and they were probably looking out for opportunties to do so in the first place. I mean, I know a lot of the time the warning of 'yaoi' can be used to indicate that a fic is sexually explicit, but then that warning should just simply fall under 'sex references'.
And more than just a simple warning pointing out that a fic contains a gay pairing (for those who may not be interested in it), the reason for my finally posting about this comes after browsing through a fanfic archive and seeing a fanfic with the following description: 'Warnings: This fic includes rape, suicide, drug use, yaoi'. Unintentionally or not, yaoi is being warned about alongside serious and potentially disturbing triggers like rape and suicide. That bothered me. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not in any way trying to say that this fic writers are homophobic - they are certainly not and I certainly do not think there is any deliberately unpleasant element use of these warnings by the authors; it is more the case that it is something that is simply evident of wider held attitudes towards homosexuality in modern society. As accepted as it may now be, it is still something treated with a degree of taboo. It is a 'not in front of the children' topic. As much as most people are 'tolerant' of it, it is something still treated as an uncomfortable subject by a lot of people, and there is still the idea that such people's uncomfortable feelings towards it need to be respected and treated with a degree of sensitivity. You wouldn't warn people of the fact that a fic contained a het couple. So why should people have to warn people of the fact that a fic contains a gay couple?
About a year back, I can remember a conversation I had with a friend over on her blog. The friend, who was bisexual herself, had posted a review for an anime series, but had warned in the cut that the anime 'depicted lesbian relationships'. On my comment I pointed out that she shouldn't have to feel that she should have to warn people that a series contained yuri, and she agreed with me, but said she felt she had to post a warning in order to prevent (homophobic) comments from people who may be 'upset' by the reviews or series contents.
I think a lot of the time it is similar reasoning that means that a lot of fanfic writers feel they need to warn potential readers that their fic contains a gay or lesbian pairing. People post a 'yuri' warning on their fic so that homophobes have no ground to complain over having 'had no warning' and having thus been 'offended' and 'upset' (or as I've seen one person put it, having had her 'morals upset') by the fics content. I can understand that fanfic writers must sometimes really worry about the possibility of receiving homophobic comments, and sometimes feel very pressurised to provide warnings, but at the the same time, it can also double as pandering to homophobes.
So I'm posting this, not really as a wank as such, but more as a general question: do you think that warnings should need to be given to fics containing gay or lesbian pairings? I'm not really arguing particuarly strongly for either side; I'm just interested to hear other people's opinion on the matter, particually from fanfic authors themselves.
And while this is my main wank, there is just one other thing I'd like to get off my chest. And that is the ludicrous amounts of Hetalia references made on youtube videos. Which have ABSOLUTELY NO relation to Hetalia whatsoever. I'm not pooping on people's fun or bashing people's fangirling, and I know that sometimes you do come across something that reminds you of a fandom or a particular character, but the sheer level of these references, plus how utterly unrelated these videos are to the series is ridiculous and mortifying. Much like with the warnings thing, this is something that has been bothering me for ages, but I'm finally posting about after coming across the final straw. Namely a music video for a Hatsune Miku song, where I'm not kidding; atleast 60% of the comments posted were referencing Hetalia. Honestly about 60% of the comments referenced Hetalia, with the other 40% of the comments generally either telling these people to shut up or bemusedly asking 'what the hell is hetalia?'. And who can blame them? And the hugely significant link that means that apparently 95% of passing Hetalia fans can't help but reference the series? The fact that Miku is depicted wearing a stylised army uniform. Seriously. Uniform = major Hetalia reference. I mean, seriously.
As much as I hate to say it, thanks to a small minority of obnoxious fangirls/boys, Hetalia is rapidly becoming one of the most hated manga fandoms on the internet. Their behaviour is annoying, childish and obsessive, and while they only make up a tiny percentage of the fandom, it is their behaviour which the fandom seems to be judged by. I'm sick of being embaressed by members of my fandom. That includes people who pull those disgusting stunts, like that infamous 'nazi-salute' con photo or that disgusting gas-chambers referencing Lithuania cosplay photo, as well. Please, don't do things embaress or ashame us, or which annoy or offend people outside the fandom (or inside the fandom, for that matter). Common sense, restraint and respect are pretty basic things, which we should all take in to account.