Day 8: On Homosexuality and Warnings

[wook77]

Another thinkythought post that I found on my thumbdrive.

On Homosexuality and WarningsI'm not at all certain that this is going to make much sense as it's more a ramble and thinkythoughts than anything clearly outlined and written in a logical fashion (Spock, I am not). That being said - here goes

Comments

[fitzette]

Wow. I've totally never thought of it that way. I've actually always thought of it as a warning that hey, here be boys being adorable but they're not technically doing things to each other, so don't get your hopes up. Never as a PRE-GAY BE HERE. I guess that's just naivety on my part.

But yes, here, have these WORD cookies I baked just for you. Warning for slash bothers me immensely. If I list a M/M pairing and you're too stupid to realize the story contains slash, you're too stupid for me too worry about offending you.

[wook77]

That's when I would say that you would list it as Pairing: Kirk, McCoy instead of with the slash. Or, I would say list it as Kirk/McCoy with a low rating and I'll know that there's no buttsexx0rs going on.

I see the pre-slash warning a lot on the "anything goes" comms more than the slash comms. That's why it really flagged in my head. Plus, I've never seen a warning/enticement for "pre-het" out there. They could very well exist and then, lulz on me.

The warning for slash is what really fucking annoys me. I did it when I first got into fandom and I want to slap the fuck outta my n00b self.

why hello there coding!fail. so nice to see you again! D:

[fitzette]

*nods*

in Merlin, there are a few fics I've seen that have higher ratings for violence, you know sword fights and what not, but not for romantic entanglements and such, and sometimes pre-slash is used with those. I guess that's what I'm thinking of? Because otherwise it's just stupid.

oh, html, my old foe. (I waited to reply so you could edit. That's how I roll. :))

[wook77]

Maybe it's the way that I'd word it, then. IDK (see, thinkythoughts and not rational meta). I'd look at the way that the pairing is listed. If it's rated r for violence rather than pre-slash, that's how I'd list it - "Rated R for violence" rather than putting "pre-slash".

Just my thoughts :D

[fitzette]

*nods* Yes, this.

[mijan]

Actually, although they don't seem to do this anymore, old-school Trek fics used the ampersand to denote friendship/buddy/BFF relationships the same way they'd use a "/" for slash. I wish people would re-adopt that convention, because it's so... well... LOGICAL.

Kirk/McCoy = homosexual pairing (regardless of fic rating)

Kirk&McCoy = non-romantic close friends

I really like that. Seems clear to me.

[kaalee]

This.

[fitzette]

*drive by snog*

[inspiredlife]

I totally see the warning the same way as you, fitzette. It's like a disclaimer for me, the avid slash fan.

But, wook, you've totally hit the nail on the head. It's offensive, not to mention redundant. What do people think m/m means? in other words, props to you for saying what i'm thinking!

[wook77]

To me, idk. I see the rating working in tandem with the pairing. If I see a pg-13 fic with a m/m pairing, I'm going to figure there's no sex in it. I'm going to figure there's no penetration with an r rating.

If there's an r-rating, then warn for the content that the rating references rather than the content that it doesn't. So if a fic is rated R for violence, put that if you want to tell someone that there is no sex happening in the fic.

[wook77]

Also, also, I'm probably reading your comment wrong so feel free to correct me.

I'm reading your comment to mean that you equate slash with sex due to the context and wording. So when you say "avid slash fan" you mean that a fic has to have sex in it to be slash. Is this a correct reading or no?

[inspiredlife]

Yeah, sorry for the confusion. Proof-reading comments is generally a good idea as people can't read my mind

[wook77]

Hee, I figured it was reading comprehension fail on my part :D

Hee! Yeah, that's what I'm saying - putting it in your summary is a better deal for me. I'll know if the summary says "but in life, there aren't happy endings" that they don't get together. I'd rather not have to have the sexuality bashed in my face as if it's something to be disclaimed rather than explored.

I'm a "complete header dammit" person, though so maybe most of this is stemming from that. I hate fics that don't have a rating and a pairing listed. I hate fics that don't tell me what the fic is about or whatever. Write a complete, thought-out header and you won't need to warn about the sexuality.

IDK if I'm making much sense.

[tripperfunster]

IAWTC I see it more as a warning that NO SEX0RS HERE. And depending on mood, I might pass it by, because, yeah, there's great buddy fic out there, but when I want smexing, I WANT SMEXING.

I see (and give) het as a warning, since most of my flist is into slash, I don't see it as homophobic if slash is given as a warning, if someone's flist is into het.

Technically, I suppose both should be in the summary or pairings, instead of a WARNING per se, but meh.