So...fandom...
Let me see if I can get this straight in my mind, apparently characters like Teyla and Ronon are being sidelined in fics and placed in lower positions in AUs because we are all being racist?
Forgive me but...I don't get this. I understand if people feel insulted by the role the characters appear to be playing, but what if it fits with the characterisation? And what do we mean by 'lower position'? In society? In terms of time spent on said character in the AU? In relation to other characters?
So, in the_red_den, I made Teyla an assassin and Ronon the doorman of the bar. Well, technically, I have placed Ronon in a lower social position than the others. But as I have made Carson the barman, does that mean I'm discriminating against him as well?
I made Ronon the doorman because that's the role I thought he fitted best. In the show, he is a strong and loyal warrior who would protect Atlantis no matter what. That's exactly what he's doing in the fic.
I am also not the first to admit that he does not feature much in 'Scum of the Galaxy', but then neither does McKay. I have a direct sequel for 'Scum of the Galaxy' in my head where the main characters are Ronon and Teyla. In Ronon's backstory, which I haven't got to yet, he holds a very high position. I just haven't got that far yet.
So, Ronon has a lower social position, and both he and Teyla haven't featured much in 'Scum of the Galaxy', so...does that make me a racist? Am I intentionally sidelining these characters because of their colour? I don't feel I am, I'm still developing all the characters stories in order to fit everything together.
Maybe I'm just over analysing things, or I've missed the boat completely. But quite simply, I really don't get what is going on here. Are these complaints being based on what is happening in every, single AU in the Atlantis fandom, or is it a few tarnishing the many? Because if it's the second one, a lot of people are going to get accused unnecessarily, as I have already seen today.
So...thoughts?
Forgive me but...I don't get this. I understand if people feel insulted by the role the characters appear to be playing, but what if it fits with the characterisation? And what do we mean by 'lower position'? In society? In terms of time spent on said character in the AU? In relation to other characters?
So, in the_red_den, I made Teyla an assassin and Ronon the doorman of the bar. Well, technically, I have placed Ronon in a lower social position than the others. But as I have made Carson the barman, does that mean I'm discriminating against him as well?
I made Ronon the doorman because that's the role I thought he fitted best. In the show, he is a strong and loyal warrior who would protect Atlantis no matter what. That's exactly what he's doing in the fic.
I am also not the first to admit that he does not feature much in 'Scum of the Galaxy', but then neither does McKay. I have a direct sequel for 'Scum of the Galaxy' in my head where the main characters are Ronon and Teyla. In Ronon's backstory, which I haven't got to yet, he holds a very high position. I just haven't got that far yet.
So, Ronon has a lower social position, and both he and Teyla haven't featured much in 'Scum of the Galaxy', so...does that make me a racist? Am I intentionally sidelining these characters because of their colour? I don't feel I am, I'm still developing all the characters stories in order to fit everything together.
Maybe I'm just over analysing things, or I've missed the boat completely. But quite simply, I really don't get what is going on here. Are these complaints being based on what is happening in every, single AU in the Atlantis fandom, or is it a few tarnishing the many? Because if it's the second one, a lot of people are going to get accused unnecessarily, as I have already seen today.
So...thoughts?