Playing God with canon
Is it just me? I really haven't been around LJ all that long, but it's like a vicious cycle as it always comes back to a question of sexuality and who is right and who is wrong and ne'er the twain shall meet. *headdesk* I'm sure this has been discussed, debated and galvanized from -- hell -- from the beginning of time, but it's been on my mind for days, and new instances keep cropping up all over the place. Pardon me while I vent about common fucking sense.
A hug and a joint Christmas present does not mean that Remus and Sirius are gay!
Well, no, it doesn't, but it doesn't mean they aren't either, does it?
James is straight! He's in love with and marries Lily! It's canon!
Yes, James is in love with Lily and they get married and have a child together, and for all intents and purposes, live happily for a few short years together. However, I'd like for someone to point out to me the exact passage that discusses the merits of James' sexual preferences in every stage of his life. (or Remus' or Sirius' or Snape's or Hermione's or Dumbledore's for that matter)
When I was growing up, if asked, I would have said that about 99.9% of the people I knew were straight. I'd never believed that being gay was a bad thing, just that it was a different thing, and one that I wasn't really exposed to on a conscious level. My existence was rather sheltered. I grew up in white-bread, middle-class suburbia. Race was hardly an issue in my school because we had so few minorities, and those that we did have were all from affluent middle class families. Poverty didn't touch me, racial issues didn't touch me, and only in a few extreme cases or a mild sense did religious slurs permeate my existence. (I'm Jewish) The people who used my religious affiliations against me were people I didn't like and who didn't like me for other reasons, and it was used more as a trump card - an afterthought.
It wasn't until the latter part of my high school years - when I was able to roam further away, go into Manhattan, and really see the world around me that I really took notice of various social issues. Oh, I always knew they existed, but like I said, they didn't touch me. It was also about that time when I found out that a couple of friends of mine were gay. And it came as a shock, not because it was wrong or deviant and "oh my god how could you!", but because both had dated women before - other friends of mine, in fact, and one of these guys had had quite a string of ex-girlfriends in his wake. When we talked about it and I asked about his dating habits before, he told me that he liked women, but he was never satisfied - never happy. It always felt like something was missing. Then one night he was at a club, and he met another guy, and for the first time, it felt right, and he realized that he preferred men to women. Not that it was an easy realization, especially considering society's 'norms', but it was a truth.
I have no personal experience in this type of 'epiphany', but it really started opening my eyes to a lot of things that I had previously been unaware of. Namely that just because I perceive people to be straight does not mean that they are. I like men, however, unless I told you that I'm straight, how would you know that I hadn't had relationships with other women during the course of my life or perhaps wanted to? I haven't, but how would you know?
Over the years, I've discovered many people I thought were 'straight' have indeed 'dabbled' in bi-sexuality. Others who I thought were straight are actually homosexual. Some are outspoken about it, some are secretive about it, and others I sometimes make poorly educated guesses about. Because regardless of the stereotypical flamboyant gay lifestyle we see plastered all over the media, not all gay men have limp wrists, are stylish, love to shop and (re)decorate or speak with either a lisp or a sing-song voice. And not all lesbians are 'butch'. And really, what the hell does it matter anyway? (Unless, of course, it's a guy that I want to seduce date *g*) You're supposed to like (or dislike) people because of who they are, not because of who they sleep with, what color their skin is, which God they pray to (or not), what car they drive or what foods they like to eat.
I got a little carried away. Sorry. So, back to sexuality interpretations in fandom. The reason I elaborated on my own upbringing is because we all colour our interpretations with our own experiences and perceptions. I'm certainly no different, and I spent the first 16 years of my life in a bubble. When we come across people who don't think or look at things in the same way we do, we either oppose them (politely or with vitriol) or we listen and expand our own perceptions in a "Hmm, I never thought of it that way" manner. That doesn't mean we have to flock to their banner - we still might not agree - but a little understanding and open-mindedness goes a long way. (I'd probably still be in my bubble - a spoilt, Republican, affluent Jewish girl (probably married to a nice Jewish boy that my parents forced me to choose) with a penchant for shopping and aversion to blow jobs, if I hadn't 'expanded my horizons' so to speak. It's a nightmarish thought!) From a fandom perspective regarding all of this crap I've been spouting, for me, personally, I really don't get all of the Snape shipping love. I don't. And I have no qualms admitting it. However, just because it doesn't float my boat, doesn't mean that I can't appreciate people who do love it. Maybe one day I'll see the appeal, but it's not this day. (And I've said this before but, one day I've got to look up some meta and discussion about that because I really am curious!) Ok. Back to my original train of thought...
In the HP fandom especially, the only person we have any inkling about regarding sexuality is Harry, and even that is up for interpretation because the way the books are structured and written, we're seeing things from Harry's perspective, but it's not a biographical perspective either. What we see are only those things that have relevance to the plot of the stories in some way. Yes, Harry had a crush on Cho and kissed her. Yes, Harry noticed Bill's appearance and thought he was cool. Yes, Harry thought Cedric was a good looking guy and was slightly jealous of him. Yes, Harry has noticed Hermione's appearance on several occasions, and he's also taken note of Draco's appearance, Remus' appearance, Tonks' appearance and Hagrid's and Dumbledore's, too. But in the same sense that we don't know when Harry takes a shower or goes to the loo, we really don't know very many personal aspects of his life. It's just not part of the story printed on the pages of the book, and therefore it's open to interpretation.
As a contrast, if any of you are familiar with Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books, the perceptions, views and feelings about sexuality for the two main characters, Claire and Jamie (female and male) are literally spelled out over the course of the books. We know that both of them are straight because they have to deal with issues of homosexuality - in the context of rape and torturous abuse from one man, and in coming to terms with another male acquaintance turned friend whose predilections for men (and Jamie himself) force Jamie to come to terms with his own prejudices and feelings. Sexuality is a part of the plot, and is explicitly (and implicitly) addressed on many occasions. (And I'd just like to point out that Lord John is one of my favorite characters, but I digress.)
Most fandoms do not have it spelled out so clearly. Especially in Harry Potter fandom. And even then, people take pleasure in exploring situations where ostensibly straight characters are bi- or homo-sexual. It's fandom. It's their right to explore what they want. That's part of what fandom is. Exploring what-ifs while either deviating wildly from canon or trying to stick as close to canon as possible, and all of those grey areas in between. Sometimes people write characters as gay (or bi) because they think "Eww, het!", but more often than not, it's not about being anti-het (or anti-gen) at all, but rather because they find the intricacies of whatever slash ship to be interesting or exciting. (Or 'teh hot!') Either way, I'm not looking to dissect people's motivations. That's a personal choice.
We're all opinionated, and obviously some more than others. And there's nothing wrong with that. It keeps fandoms alive and interesting by sparking discussions and essays and fanfic. It may be your opinion that Remus and Sirius are totally gay and have been shagging since their fourth year, or that they're just really good friends and nothing more, or that James is absolutely straight, or that Ginny is sleeping around, or that Snape is secretly boinking everyone, male and female, and hiding behind his snarky, hateful veneer. Hell, there was a recent 'discussion' (and I use that term loosely because the person who started this debate is extremely closed-minded) that Remus and Sirius weren't even friends at all and only tolerated each other because of James.
But please. Unless it's printed directly in the text or directly quoted from the author (and even in the case of the latter, some people choose to ignore it, which is their right), don't go around playing God with what is or isn't canon, or with fandom itself. And stop sucking the fun out of fandom. If you think Harry is straight, don't read fics where he's paired with another male. It's really that simple. Agree to disagree and go on, because there's never going to be a 100% consensus on anything. Fandom really is big enough for everyone. Opinions are fabulous and everyone is entitled to their own... until you closed-minded-ly try to impose and force them on everyone else. And then, well, then you will likely be mocked and jeered from one corner of the fandom to the other. (I may be nice, but I never said I was that nice.)
Of course, we won't say anything about my attempts to force an open-minded purview on anyone...
*deep breath* Okay. I feel better now.
A hug and a joint Christmas present does not mean that Remus and Sirius are gay!
Well, no, it doesn't, but it doesn't mean they aren't either, does it?
James is straight! He's in love with and marries Lily! It's canon!
Yes, James is in love with Lily and they get married and have a child together, and for all intents and purposes, live happily for a few short years together. However, I'd like for someone to point out to me the exact passage that discusses the merits of James' sexual preferences in every stage of his life. (or Remus' or Sirius' or Snape's or Hermione's or Dumbledore's for that matter)
When I was growing up, if asked, I would have said that about 99.9% of the people I knew were straight. I'd never believed that being gay was a bad thing, just that it was a different thing, and one that I wasn't really exposed to on a conscious level. My existence was rather sheltered. I grew up in white-bread, middle-class suburbia. Race was hardly an issue in my school because we had so few minorities, and those that we did have were all from affluent middle class families. Poverty didn't touch me, racial issues didn't touch me, and only in a few extreme cases or a mild sense did religious slurs permeate my existence. (I'm Jewish) The people who used my religious affiliations against me were people I didn't like and who didn't like me for other reasons, and it was used more as a trump card - an afterthought.
It wasn't until the latter part of my high school years - when I was able to roam further away, go into Manhattan, and really see the world around me that I really took notice of various social issues. Oh, I always knew they existed, but like I said, they didn't touch me. It was also about that time when I found out that a couple of friends of mine were gay. And it came as a shock, not because it was wrong or deviant and "oh my god how could you!", but because both had dated women before - other friends of mine, in fact, and one of these guys had had quite a string of ex-girlfriends in his wake. When we talked about it and I asked about his dating habits before, he told me that he liked women, but he was never satisfied - never happy. It always felt like something was missing. Then one night he was at a club, and he met another guy, and for the first time, it felt right, and he realized that he preferred men to women. Not that it was an easy realization, especially considering society's 'norms', but it was a truth.
I have no personal experience in this type of 'epiphany', but it really started opening my eyes to a lot of things that I had previously been unaware of. Namely that just because I perceive people to be straight does not mean that they are. I like men, however, unless I told you that I'm straight, how would you know that I hadn't had relationships with other women during the course of my life or perhaps wanted to? I haven't, but how would you know?
Over the years, I've discovered many people I thought were 'straight' have indeed 'dabbled' in bi-sexuality. Others who I thought were straight are actually homosexual. Some are outspoken about it, some are secretive about it, and others I sometimes make poorly educated guesses about. Because regardless of the stereotypical flamboyant gay lifestyle we see plastered all over the media, not all gay men have limp wrists, are stylish, love to shop and (re)decorate or speak with either a lisp or a sing-song voice. And not all lesbians are 'butch'. And really, what the hell does it matter anyway? (Unless, of course, it's a guy that I want to seduce date *g*) You're supposed to like (or dislike) people because of who they are, not because of who they sleep with, what color their skin is, which God they pray to (or not), what car they drive or what foods they like to eat.
I got a little carried away. Sorry. So, back to sexuality interpretations in fandom. The reason I elaborated on my own upbringing is because we all colour our interpretations with our own experiences and perceptions. I'm certainly no different, and I spent the first 16 years of my life in a bubble. When we come across people who don't think or look at things in the same way we do, we either oppose them (politely or with vitriol) or we listen and expand our own perceptions in a "Hmm, I never thought of it that way" manner. That doesn't mean we have to flock to their banner - we still might not agree - but a little understanding and open-mindedness goes a long way. (I'd probably still be in my bubble - a spoilt, Republican, affluent Jewish girl (probably married to a nice Jewish boy that my parents forced me to choose) with a penchant for shopping and aversion to blow jobs, if I hadn't 'expanded my horizons' so to speak. It's a nightmarish thought!) From a fandom perspective regarding all of this crap I've been spouting, for me, personally, I really don't get all of the Snape shipping love. I don't. And I have no qualms admitting it. However, just because it doesn't float my boat, doesn't mean that I can't appreciate people who do love it. Maybe one day I'll see the appeal, but it's not this day. (And I've said this before but, one day I've got to look up some meta and discussion about that because I really am curious!) Ok. Back to my original train of thought...
In the HP fandom especially, the only person we have any inkling about regarding sexuality is Harry, and even that is up for interpretation because the way the books are structured and written, we're seeing things from Harry's perspective, but it's not a biographical perspective either. What we see are only those things that have relevance to the plot of the stories in some way. Yes, Harry had a crush on Cho and kissed her. Yes, Harry noticed Bill's appearance and thought he was cool. Yes, Harry thought Cedric was a good looking guy and was slightly jealous of him. Yes, Harry has noticed Hermione's appearance on several occasions, and he's also taken note of Draco's appearance, Remus' appearance, Tonks' appearance and Hagrid's and Dumbledore's, too. But in the same sense that we don't know when Harry takes a shower or goes to the loo, we really don't know very many personal aspects of his life. It's just not part of the story printed on the pages of the book, and therefore it's open to interpretation.
As a contrast, if any of you are familiar with Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books, the perceptions, views and feelings about sexuality for the two main characters, Claire and Jamie (female and male) are literally spelled out over the course of the books. We know that both of them are straight because they have to deal with issues of homosexuality - in the context of rape and torturous abuse from one man, and in coming to terms with another male acquaintance turned friend whose predilections for men (and Jamie himself) force Jamie to come to terms with his own prejudices and feelings. Sexuality is a part of the plot, and is explicitly (and implicitly) addressed on many occasions. (And I'd just like to point out that Lord John is one of my favorite characters, but I digress.)
Most fandoms do not have it spelled out so clearly. Especially in Harry Potter fandom. And even then, people take pleasure in exploring situations where ostensibly straight characters are bi- or homo-sexual. It's fandom. It's their right to explore what they want. That's part of what fandom is. Exploring what-ifs while either deviating wildly from canon or trying to stick as close to canon as possible, and all of those grey areas in between. Sometimes people write characters as gay (or bi) because they think "Eww, het!", but more often than not, it's not about being anti-het (or anti-gen) at all, but rather because they find the intricacies of whatever slash ship to be interesting or exciting. (Or 'teh hot!') Either way, I'm not looking to dissect people's motivations. That's a personal choice.
We're all opinionated, and obviously some more than others. And there's nothing wrong with that. It keeps fandoms alive and interesting by sparking discussions and essays and fanfic. It may be your opinion that Remus and Sirius are totally gay and have been shagging since their fourth year, or that they're just really good friends and nothing more, or that James is absolutely straight, or that Ginny is sleeping around, or that Snape is secretly boinking everyone, male and female, and hiding behind his snarky, hateful veneer. Hell, there was a recent 'discussion' (and I use that term loosely because the person who started this debate is extremely closed-minded) that Remus and Sirius weren't even friends at all and only tolerated each other because of James.
But please. Unless it's printed directly in the text or directly quoted from the author (and even in the case of the latter, some people choose to ignore it, which is their right), don't go around playing God with what is or isn't canon, or with fandom itself. And stop sucking the fun out of fandom. If you think Harry is straight, don't read fics where he's paired with another male. It's really that simple. Agree to disagree and go on, because there's never going to be a 100% consensus on anything. Fandom really is big enough for everyone. Opinions are fabulous and everyone is entitled to their own... until you closed-minded-ly try to impose and force them on everyone else. And then, well, then you will likely be mocked and jeered from one corner of the fandom to the other. (I may be nice, but I never said I was that nice.)
Of course, we won't say anything about my attempts to force an open-minded purview on anyone...
*deep breath* Okay. I feel better now.