Pairing Meta: The Appeal of Snake/Otacon from a Male Perspective
Whilst I am still working on my second story (thanks to Khronos_Keeper and Imre_Nico for agreeing to be my beta-buddies), I decided to do something I promised to do for a long time: an essay about Snake/Otacon slash from a male perspective. I managed to write this pretty quickly, so if you need clarification/elaboration/etc, feel free to ask.
Essay posted after the cut. Comments are welcomed.
The Appeal of Snake/Otacon Slash From a Male Perspective
by OutOfMySystem87
They say "write what you know." Since I know a lot about academic writing, I'm writing this. The objective of this article is to explain the appeal of Snake/Otacon to males. Since I, the author, happen to be a bisexual male, I feel at least partly qualified to analyze the issue.
Slash Fiction does not have to be ipso-facto sexual. It can easily be romantic, even platonically, without necessarily being sexual. Thus, even a completely heterosexual male can enjoy some Snake/Otacon slash. I wish to posit that the male demographic of the Metal Gear Solid games all find at least some appeal in Snake and Otacon's relationship. The question becomes, "why"?
First, as stated before, it is quite plausible and noncontradictory to the canon that Snake and Otacon's relationship is a completely platonic bromance with no fucking (as much as we all hate to admit it, but the same logic applies that Snake and Otacon having regular sex is equally noncontradictory to the canon). An example of this perspective can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wswS4m53pgA (of course the question of video sincerity comes into the equation, lets just assume its sincere to the song's lyrics). Thus, the appeal of their relationship as depicted in the canon is not strictly sexual in nature. So, let's look at this appeal, and why the males that play Metal Gear Solid games are equally likely to find appeal in their relationship as the females that do.
However, in order to explain why they like it, we have to establish a background context. This context is a phenomenon that I wish to call "The Emasculation of the Apollonian."
The Emasculation of the Apollonian
Since we are discussing male MGS fans here, the question becomes "why would they, specifically, find some appeal in Snake and Otacon's relationship?" Let's look at the subjects: what type of males play the Metal Gear Solid games? First, the MGS series is a niche series. It is not insanely popular amongst huge segments of the general population. Additionally, it is not a brainless action game, rather it is presented in a cinematic way where characters discuss complex ideas quite regularly. These factors lead at least some support to the tentative hypothesis that most male MGS fans are more intelligent than average, and probably enthusiastic hardcore gamers. In short, it is likely that many of them are 'nerds.'
One of the greatest issues in a nerd's life is confronting the fact that they, as intellectuals and those whose proficiencies are often non-physical, defy the gender norms. Many radical feminist (note the 'radical') scholars claim that reason and the intellect are in fact "male" in nature, but if this were true, why aren't intelligent men treated by their peers as men? It is clear that regardless of radical feminism's scorning of reason as male, males do not see reason (or the intellect, the mind) as the essential characteristic of men. So, what do men see as the essential characteristic of men? The answer is physical prowess, composed essentially of physical strength, stamina and resistance to physical pain. Hence the fact that team sports and their associated pack-animal behavior become the hallmark of traditional masculinity. In short, the Apollonian, the mental, the rational, has been culturally emasculated.
Why has the Apollonian been emasculated? This is a difficult question to answer. One potential answer is that physical strength was, throughout most of human history, the most culturally obvious way we generated wealth and safety. After the Industrial Revolution, engineering strength and intellectual prowess usurped this position, but we still have kept the biases of the past. Another answer is that philosophy has, ever since the German Idealists, been in revolt against reason and enlightenment ideals generally, thus de-glorifying the mind. There are probably many other plausible theories, as well.
Why has this phenomenon been, for the most part, ignored by radical feminist scholars? The author would suggest this is partly due to the fact that radical feminists fight against reason for political reasons. Philosophically, reason is the basis of enlightenment philosophy, and enlightenment philosophy supports the political position of Classical Liberalism. Radical feminists, being against Classical Liberalism (which they usually call "Capitalism," but includes both social and economic Liberalism, i.e. free minds and free markets), thus must argue against enlightenment philosophy generally. They do this by defining "the enemy" as "male." Since reason is one of their philosophical targets, it gets called "male" irrespective of the fact that human culture disagrees (as does human nature, since women can be just as rational as men).
Irrespective of this, the Emasculation of the Apollonian is a painful thing for the male nerd to confront. He has to live in a culture that regards him as a lesser man than those that bully him. Even though yes, he may eventually reject his culture's values and craft his own, the process of freeing oneself from cultural constraints requires phenomenal mental independence and spiritual courage, to stand against one's 'peers,' and against one's society. The pressure that men face to conform to gender roles is not to be underestimated. Although feminism has freed women from these roles, for the most part (in the West, at least), the same freedom has not been granted to men. As Dr. Warren Farrell, former board member of the National Organization for Women, argues, men suffer from gender roles that are "bisexist" rather than technically patriarchal. Men police the gender roles amongst themselves with brutal efficiency, casting doubts upon the sexual tastes of anyone that dares defy the will of the pack.
Solving The Problem
And thus, the male nerd, if he is not one of those rare few that do possess the strength to resist the pack, needs to find some way to prove to himself (at least) that he is in fact a man. Many use competitive video gaming as a way to do this. However, another way to do this is to live vicariously through another man, one that does fit the classical gender roles: Solid Snake. The male nerd, if he likes MGS, can indeed prove himself worthy by being, through the magic of video games, transformed into the heroic, invisible, unstoppable super-soldier we all know and love.
This explains, at least to some degree, the fanboy outcry against Raiden. [Commence Sarcasm] So what if he acted tough, look at those hips! I bet he cries pretty bishie tears too! [End Sarcasm] Raiden denied the fanboys a way to vicariously prove their masculinity, indeed it re-enforced their own feelings of inadequacy by making their character inferior to Snake, and thus it made 'them' live in Snake's shadow.
Irrespective of this, the situation is easy to explain in MGS terms: a legion of Otacon's are role-playing as Snake. It is pretty obvious that Otacon is basically the player-insert character; he was designed to look like a western Hideo Kojima and thus is not a raging muscular hulk, he is physically realistic in terms of his capabilities, and his strengths lie in his intellect. He is uncomfortable in social situations (and nervous around hot women like Sniper Wolf), and his entertainment preferences aren't mainstream. This sounds very, very much like many, if not most, MGS fanboys (and possibly quite a few MGS fangirls).
Snake and Otacon as Archetypal Reconciliation
This allows a possible theory as to why Snake and Otacon's on-screen relationship is so appealing to men (not all men will like all speculations as to what happens off-screen, however). In essence, they are Otacon, the men of the mind, and Snake is the avatar of the traditionally manly. The man of the mind and the man of muscles. Archetypes, in the minds of the players. Archetypes that the player is used to seeing in conflict, with one brutally reigning over the defeated, humiliated, emasculated other. And yet, in the context of MGS, this does not happen. Rather, we see the exact opposite occur. Over the course of MGS, Snake grows to respect and even admire Otacon (especially in the Meryl Dies ending). Even in the Meryl ending, we see this quite explicitly. Quoting from the game script of The Twin Snakes,
"Otacon : I'm through regretting the past... Life isn't all about loss, y'know...
Snake : ........
Otacon : Snake, I'm a complete person now. I've found a reason to live.
Snake : Good. Don't die on me.
Otacon : Same to you. Take care of Meryl, okay.
Snake : I will...
Otacon : Okay I gotta go. I promise I'll do something about your escape route.
Snake : Thanks.
Otacon : "Thanks"... oh, that sounds nice.
Snake : ...I believe in you."
So, how do you think Otacon felt when Snake said thanks? Remember the tone of voice? Do you not think the fanboys would have felt the same way? Would not even the most devoutly anti-Slash homophobic fanboy feel a deep heartwarming at hearing Snake say to his representative "I believe in you?" Essentially, we get a reconciliation of the archetypes. The nerd fanboy is told, essentially, he is not weak and pathetic, he is not less of a man, that he is worthy of respect, that his intellect is indeed a value. This, indeed, "sounds nice," especially to someone that has suffered alienation, ostracism and cruelty for not living up to the "brainless brute" idol of traditional masculinity.
Conclusion
For those men that do not measure up to traditional 'masculinity,' Snake/Otacon provides them with a glimpse of the fact that traditional 'masculinity' is not an unquestionable ideal. It shows them that their character traits are virtues as well. And thus, they find an appeal in their friendship, irrespective of whether or not they suspect their friendship has a sexual component.
If anyone wishes to discuss my theory they are more than welcome.
Essay posted after the cut. Comments are welcomed.
The Appeal of Snake/Otacon Slash From a Male Perspective
by OutOfMySystem87
They say "write what you know." Since I know a lot about academic writing, I'm writing this. The objective of this article is to explain the appeal of Snake/Otacon to males. Since I, the author, happen to be a bisexual male, I feel at least partly qualified to analyze the issue.
Slash Fiction does not have to be ipso-facto sexual. It can easily be romantic, even platonically, without necessarily being sexual. Thus, even a completely heterosexual male can enjoy some Snake/Otacon slash. I wish to posit that the male demographic of the Metal Gear Solid games all find at least some appeal in Snake and Otacon's relationship. The question becomes, "why"?
First, as stated before, it is quite plausible and noncontradictory to the canon that Snake and Otacon's relationship is a completely platonic bromance with no fucking (as much as we all hate to admit it, but the same logic applies that Snake and Otacon having regular sex is equally noncontradictory to the canon). An example of this perspective can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wswS4m53pgA (of course the question of video sincerity comes into the equation, lets just assume its sincere to the song's lyrics). Thus, the appeal of their relationship as depicted in the canon is not strictly sexual in nature. So, let's look at this appeal, and why the males that play Metal Gear Solid games are equally likely to find appeal in their relationship as the females that do.
However, in order to explain why they like it, we have to establish a background context. This context is a phenomenon that I wish to call "The Emasculation of the Apollonian."
The Emasculation of the Apollonian
Since we are discussing male MGS fans here, the question becomes "why would they, specifically, find some appeal in Snake and Otacon's relationship?" Let's look at the subjects: what type of males play the Metal Gear Solid games? First, the MGS series is a niche series. It is not insanely popular amongst huge segments of the general population. Additionally, it is not a brainless action game, rather it is presented in a cinematic way where characters discuss complex ideas quite regularly. These factors lead at least some support to the tentative hypothesis that most male MGS fans are more intelligent than average, and probably enthusiastic hardcore gamers. In short, it is likely that many of them are 'nerds.'
One of the greatest issues in a nerd's life is confronting the fact that they, as intellectuals and those whose proficiencies are often non-physical, defy the gender norms. Many radical feminist (note the 'radical') scholars claim that reason and the intellect are in fact "male" in nature, but if this were true, why aren't intelligent men treated by their peers as men? It is clear that regardless of radical feminism's scorning of reason as male, males do not see reason (or the intellect, the mind) as the essential characteristic of men. So, what do men see as the essential characteristic of men? The answer is physical prowess, composed essentially of physical strength, stamina and resistance to physical pain. Hence the fact that team sports and their associated pack-animal behavior become the hallmark of traditional masculinity. In short, the Apollonian, the mental, the rational, has been culturally emasculated.
Why has the Apollonian been emasculated? This is a difficult question to answer. One potential answer is that physical strength was, throughout most of human history, the most culturally obvious way we generated wealth and safety. After the Industrial Revolution, engineering strength and intellectual prowess usurped this position, but we still have kept the biases of the past. Another answer is that philosophy has, ever since the German Idealists, been in revolt against reason and enlightenment ideals generally, thus de-glorifying the mind. There are probably many other plausible theories, as well.
Why has this phenomenon been, for the most part, ignored by radical feminist scholars? The author would suggest this is partly due to the fact that radical feminists fight against reason for political reasons. Philosophically, reason is the basis of enlightenment philosophy, and enlightenment philosophy supports the political position of Classical Liberalism. Radical feminists, being against Classical Liberalism (which they usually call "Capitalism," but includes both social and economic Liberalism, i.e. free minds and free markets), thus must argue against enlightenment philosophy generally. They do this by defining "the enemy" as "male." Since reason is one of their philosophical targets, it gets called "male" irrespective of the fact that human culture disagrees (as does human nature, since women can be just as rational as men).
Irrespective of this, the Emasculation of the Apollonian is a painful thing for the male nerd to confront. He has to live in a culture that regards him as a lesser man than those that bully him. Even though yes, he may eventually reject his culture's values and craft his own, the process of freeing oneself from cultural constraints requires phenomenal mental independence and spiritual courage, to stand against one's 'peers,' and against one's society. The pressure that men face to conform to gender roles is not to be underestimated. Although feminism has freed women from these roles, for the most part (in the West, at least), the same freedom has not been granted to men. As Dr. Warren Farrell, former board member of the National Organization for Women, argues, men suffer from gender roles that are "bisexist" rather than technically patriarchal. Men police the gender roles amongst themselves with brutal efficiency, casting doubts upon the sexual tastes of anyone that dares defy the will of the pack.
Solving The Problem
And thus, the male nerd, if he is not one of those rare few that do possess the strength to resist the pack, needs to find some way to prove to himself (at least) that he is in fact a man. Many use competitive video gaming as a way to do this. However, another way to do this is to live vicariously through another man, one that does fit the classical gender roles: Solid Snake. The male nerd, if he likes MGS, can indeed prove himself worthy by being, through the magic of video games, transformed into the heroic, invisible, unstoppable super-soldier we all know and love.
This explains, at least to some degree, the fanboy outcry against Raiden. [Commence Sarcasm] So what if he acted tough, look at those hips! I bet he cries pretty bishie tears too! [End Sarcasm] Raiden denied the fanboys a way to vicariously prove their masculinity, indeed it re-enforced their own feelings of inadequacy by making their character inferior to Snake, and thus it made 'them' live in Snake's shadow.
Irrespective of this, the situation is easy to explain in MGS terms: a legion of Otacon's are role-playing as Snake. It is pretty obvious that Otacon is basically the player-insert character; he was designed to look like a western Hideo Kojima and thus is not a raging muscular hulk, he is physically realistic in terms of his capabilities, and his strengths lie in his intellect. He is uncomfortable in social situations (and nervous around hot women like Sniper Wolf), and his entertainment preferences aren't mainstream. This sounds very, very much like many, if not most, MGS fanboys (and possibly quite a few MGS fangirls).
Snake and Otacon as Archetypal Reconciliation
This allows a possible theory as to why Snake and Otacon's on-screen relationship is so appealing to men (not all men will like all speculations as to what happens off-screen, however). In essence, they are Otacon, the men of the mind, and Snake is the avatar of the traditionally manly. The man of the mind and the man of muscles. Archetypes, in the minds of the players. Archetypes that the player is used to seeing in conflict, with one brutally reigning over the defeated, humiliated, emasculated other. And yet, in the context of MGS, this does not happen. Rather, we see the exact opposite occur. Over the course of MGS, Snake grows to respect and even admire Otacon (especially in the Meryl Dies ending). Even in the Meryl ending, we see this quite explicitly. Quoting from the game script of The Twin Snakes,
"Otacon : I'm through regretting the past... Life isn't all about loss, y'know...
Snake : ........
Otacon : Snake, I'm a complete person now. I've found a reason to live.
Snake : Good. Don't die on me.
Otacon : Same to you. Take care of Meryl, okay.
Snake : I will...
Otacon : Okay I gotta go. I promise I'll do something about your escape route.
Snake : Thanks.
Otacon : "Thanks"... oh, that sounds nice.
Snake : ...I believe in you."
So, how do you think Otacon felt when Snake said thanks? Remember the tone of voice? Do you not think the fanboys would have felt the same way? Would not even the most devoutly anti-Slash homophobic fanboy feel a deep heartwarming at hearing Snake say to his representative "I believe in you?" Essentially, we get a reconciliation of the archetypes. The nerd fanboy is told, essentially, he is not weak and pathetic, he is not less of a man, that he is worthy of respect, that his intellect is indeed a value. This, indeed, "sounds nice," especially to someone that has suffered alienation, ostracism and cruelty for not living up to the "brainless brute" idol of traditional masculinity.
Conclusion
For those men that do not measure up to traditional 'masculinity,' Snake/Otacon provides them with a glimpse of the fact that traditional 'masculinity' is not an unquestionable ideal. It shows them that their character traits are virtues as well. And thus, they find an appeal in their friendship, irrespective of whether or not they suspect their friendship has a sexual component.
If anyone wishes to discuss my theory they are more than welcome.