Comments | ladycallie: Mini meta on shipping and slash, and of course, Buffy.

ladycallie

Mini meta on shipping and slash, and of course, Buffy.

Oct 19, 2010 01:36

I’ve been having an enlightening conversation with gabriel_le about shipping and slash and I’d like to share my thoughts. As always, feedback is ♥

( Come on, let's get this gay show on the gay road! )

meta me more, btvs, adventures of a fangirl, lesbian

Comments 7

southoffebruary October 19 2010, 07:20:29 UTC

In my mind, I've always associated the word slash with fic that has straight characters being paired with someone of the same sex. And a ship as any kind of couple that *actually* exists, like Tara/Willow, Brian/Justin, John/Aeryn.

I was actually kind of disturbed the other day when I read a statement saying "Brian and Justin are my favourite slash pairing" I was like O_o and I though "but they're a couple, they're not forced together by crazy fanfic writers who want to see slash everywhere."

But then again, I'm sure my thinking is flawed, because technically, gay characters who arent together on a show or even have any kind of UST/subtext would be slash when someone pairs them in fanfic.

ladycallie October 19 2010, 22:40:32 UTC

See, I will argue that gay characters can not be slash because they are out, and slash is when straight characters go gay for play (not for actually becoming bi or gay). But then how would you label a fic if you pair a gay character with a straight one? I'm not sure.

gabriel_le October 19 2010, 11:36:35 UTC

how established do the characters have to be? If there's known chemistry that's never been consummated in a date/sex - is that still shipping? An example is season 2 of True Blood between Sookie and Eric.

Also, how explicit does the story have to be? Can you write about why one couple is in a relationship, or does it have to be a romantic/intimate story to count as shipping?

Yes, I am anal and like to have full understanding of things. =)

ladycallie October 19 2010, 22:30:37 UTC

By established do you mean how much screen time they have? I think the characters can be the leads or that one guy in that one episode that sat on the bleachers. Shipping is a personal thing --- do you want the characters to have a simple relationship or a complex one? Casual date or all night sexathon? Here's where canon supported pairings (Sookie and Eric as a good example because they aren't together, yet the show has shown us their attraction (and more in the books)) have it easier since the show pairs them together, establishing the pairing and their romance. If you ship say Tara and Fred (I just read a fic with that pairing), you obviously have to show their relationship to the degree you want.

And yes (though my GF will argue), shipping has to be romantic in nature. How explicit is up to you and the characters.

Shipping is a slang word derived from 'relationships' that generally means people who support certain relationships in fanfiction. It is a common joke to say that you "sail" on a certain ship.

(The comment has been removed)

ladycallie October 19 2010, 22:31:14 UTC

Credit hor. I happened to have it with her first. :P

ewanspotter October 20 2010, 05:39:23 UTC

I guess I never looked too deeply into the term "slash"... but I always believe that it originated in the sense of, say, Tony / Steve. The / being a slash, obviously. Not really all that different from saying I "ship" so and so, only it had a gay overtone. But I guess other meanings have since been hoisted onto it. I've never really thought of whether or not "slash" was simply a made-up couple (ie, too previously straight characters getting it on) or a canon relationship. Hmm. But I guess you're right in that slash, in so far as I've read it, it wasn't actually canon. Although I argue against that for like Sherlock Holmes but whatever.

However, I think ship applies to it all, whether canon or not. You ship it. Doesn't matter if it's a canon relationship.

valyssia December 30 2010, 05:42:56 UTC

I largely agree with you, but would be inclined myself to believe that only one of the characters in a 'slash' pairing need be heterosexual in canon. That's probably just me quibbling.

I view my preferred 'ship Buffy/ Willow as 'slash' because a special set of circumstances or a radical change in the character's self-image would have to occur to facilitate the relationship. That is unless the author of the piece just said 'presto, you're a couple' with no thought at all. That happens. The result is typically PWP.

I disagree with the comment someone made about the term 'ship. 'Ship is simply an abbreviation of relationship.