On the Attraction of Boys' Love and Androgyny
Originally posted @ IJ as part of Meta-Friday on March 20, 2008.
Disclaimer: This is my own observations on androgyny and the Japanese genre of Boys' Love ( Read more... )
Disclaimer: This is my own observations on androgyny and the Japanese genre of Boys' Love ( Read more... )
That's one thing that bothers me about this perceived androgyny/freedom in BL: people can take it too far and we get into a situation that's similar to the common Western view that many lesbians are "gay until the penis comes." People are too insecure to view their idols/characters as available because that would imply competition, and you can't compete against someone of another gender (in this line of thinking) because it's all apples and oranges. Thus, if another person came along (say, the fan) that person wouldn't be gay/bi anymore (would never have been in the first place) and would be available for all the Mary Sue fantasies in the fan's mind.
I've gotten on a bit of a tangent so here's an example:
Basic yaoi, typical seme/uke typecasting. They're both men, but one of them is effeminate and thus their suitor can't be gay since he's not really sleeping with a man. But that's a pretty discriminative line of thinking, you know? It doesn't speak of respecting and caring for one's partner to the point where orientation doesn't factor in to the equation, it speaks of being so insecure about the relationship that one has to completely degrade their partner in order to save face.
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The label of sexuality is usually based on the gender of attraction. I always thought it was plausible to still maintain the same label of sexuality even if you find one anomaly because it still doesn't change attraction as a whole. whether anyone saying it out of defense or honesty is difficult to determine, but that's why it's so effective as a defense.
Typecasting is unfortunate, but it's a good reflection of human nature. Most of the yaoi fans I see are not particularly interested in reality or actually knowing what being gay is all about. The appeal of yaoi is the way it so effectively offers something different and sensational without being threatening by forcing an unpleasant agenda. It really has nothing to do with respect, and it has more to do with finding a representation of men that benefits the reader in some sort of way.
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Escapism plays a huge role in yaoi culture, and I get that, but it just irks me a little that perpetuating hurtful stereotypes is seen as part in package. I'm not asking for writers and authors to change, as it's their prerogative to create what they will, but I do think that the audience could use a major shot of media literacy; it's fine so long as they are aware it's not real life. As you said, many fans aren't interested in knowing the specifics in reality, but it'd be really nice if everyone was aware they exist.
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the audience could use a major shot of media literacy; it's fine so long as they are aware it's not real life.
That's true for just about any media =/
Sadly...probably not gonna happen for most people. I mean, I know people living and working in the U.S. who still think Americans are like the ones they watch in Judge Judy what the @#$%*%?!
People just blindly believe what they see on TV/movies, sheesh. I wonder if it'll take society another five centuries to realize they can't blindly trust what they see (just like they finally learn to not blindly trust everything in print)
I was a bit surprised myself when I came here and discovered that not all American teenagers are disrespectful to their parents, haha.
On the other end of stereotypes, there's also the "everyone is happy and all is well in the world." I think Rowling belongs to that group; She just seems too flippant about the whole gay Grindeldore thing. (She said gays in Wizarding culture = gays in our world. What, you mean like being beaten to death, except by spells? How quaint and magically delightful.)
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I know it's not likely to happen, but widespread rational thought and media literacy is a pipe dream of mine.
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And if you never ventured into Nifty.org, DON'T. Let's see, it's like a few of cursescar's H/D fantasy sex, taken to the extreme.
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Hmm...on one hand I can see how it supposedly make the person "special" because they're an exception...on the other hand I can see your point.
I guess a tame comparison would be: "Yeah, I don't usually dig brunettes, but I'm attracted to you anyway." It only makes the other person paranoid/jealous and dye their hair blond or smth.
the common Western view that many lesbians are "gay until the penis comes."
lol, no I don't know this, do share.
Basic yaoi, typical seme/uke typecasting. They're both men, but one of them is effeminate and thus their suitor can't be gay since he's not really sleeping with a man.
*nods*
I think in the case of people sleeping with transvestite prostitutes, they justify their actions because they're still the one inserting their penis into someone else's orifice.
being so insecure about the relationship that one has to completely degrade their partner in order to save face.
Uh-huh.
Except if the partner has always proudly identified himself as a "queen" or "wife" or whatever. Eh, so complicated. Labels and words change significance depending on who say them D:
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