Brief meta-ish thoughts

[mab_browne]

You lot know me and my impressions about fandom. One impression I have of TS fandom, versus other fandoms that I’ve read reasonably widely in, is that TS contains an awful lot of rape and childhood sexual abuse stories. I’m going to stick with that as an impression because ::sing-song voice:: I have a theory

Comments

[snycock]

I do agree with you that isolation being a major theme in TS may contribute to the preponderance of rape and sexual abuse fics. Also, for both characters, the experience of being raised (essentially) by single parents. Not that people from homes with both parents can't be raped and/or abused, but I think the lack of one parent, for both Jim and Blair, gives them a kind of vulnerability that may often manifest in rape/abuse fics. The same could be said, I guess, of Supernatural (I've only started watching with Season Two, and I'm a little behind right now).

I don't know to what extent this holds true for Supernatural ('cause I tend to avoid wincest), but I think another factor may be the need to create a context in slash fic for Jim and Blair being gay, or at least bisexual. With violence against gays still being fairly predominant in society, a rape scenario (maybe more so than an abuse one) provides a helpful and easy device for revealing the characters' sexuality.

I have wondered, on occasion, if, now that I've got the slash-colored glasses on, thanks to TS, I'll just tend to see everything as potential slash (except that I don't see that in Supernatural). I have noted an increasing tendency to be delighted by slashy plot turns (I've been watching a fair amount of Doctor Who, and The Unit had a great one a few weeks ago).

I certainly would believe that Supernatural pulls for dark fic, given the production values and the essential storyline, but I'm not so sure that the same can be said of TS, at least, of the canon. Angsty at times, sure, but not dark like Supernatural, I think.

My two cents, anyway...*g*

Jen

[mab_browne]

The vulnerability of children with single parents is also underlined because however you call it, even with the best intentions, Jim's father failed him. And a whole heap of people like to assume that Naomi failed Blair, although frankly she can't have been that bad because Blair generally strikes me as pretty together.

I'm not sure that I'm entirely getting my head around what you mean by rape scenario identifying sexuality. Or at least maybe I do, if you mean a story where, for example, a gaybashing or similar is part of the convenient revelation to get those apparently hetero boys together. Elucidation? Because in many ways, I find a rape/abuse story can be a barrier because an unfortunate number of writers descend into the 'fuck it better' situation, which just doesn't work for me.

[snycock]

if you mean a story where, for example, a gaybashing or similar is part of the convenient revelation to get those apparently hetero boys together.

Yeah, that's exactly what I meant, and I guess, in my head, I was including attempted rape as well as physical assault. I'm with you on the "fuck it better" scenario, though...don't like those at all.

lesser of two

[mazal_]

"The vulnerability of children with single parents is also underlined because however you call it, even with the best intentions, Jim's father failed him. And a whole heap of people like to assume that Naomi failed Blair, although frankly she can't have been that bad because Blair generally strikes me as pretty together."

You're making two excellent points here.

One is the idea of vulnerability of the single-parent-raised child; even in RL, this, sadly, is something that far too few people recognize.

The other is that Naomi is (at least IMHO) too often villified in fic, with people assuming the worst about her. Obviously, she has her faults -- especially being alternately self-absorbed and over-controlling (which actually I think is good characterization for a person of her demographic of being a Jewish hippie single mom). I apparently and admittedly have a more charitable view of her than most. But I think the proof is, as you say, that Blair, ultimately, is far less psychologically damaged than Jim.

Re: lesser of two

[mab_browne]

Much as I'd like to soundly slap both Naomi and William on occasion, I've never really subscribed to the 'OMG they're evil' theory myself, and I'm not entirely immune to Naomi's charm. However mistaken their actions, they both do what they do to try to protect their kids.