Comments | artemisrampant: I guess it's not surprising that I'm theorizing about slash, is it?

artemisrampant

I guess it's not surprising that I'm theorizing about slash, is it?

Feb 26, 2010 19:17

I was having a conversation on facebook with a guy I met at camp. Some background - recently, he has been convinced to read the Shoebox Project. So every once in a while, he's been putting up amusing quotes as his status. Also, he is straight.

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slash, discussion tiemz, everybody in the world is gay

Comments 22

lyricalecho February 27 2010, 02:27:11 UTC

I think my own... latent bicuriosity, as it were, preepmts me from giving an answer as a TOTALLY STRAIGHT FEMALE, but I think a lot of it is kind of the social stigma that guys showing affection for each other is less okay than girls showing affection for each other, and I guess an extension of that is that girls would feel less awkward with yuri than guys would with yaoi? But I guess our whole group is kind of down with slash as a rule, so in order to get a completely scientific answer you would probably have to find a totally straight female who hasn't been exposed to the internet to the degree that we have.

Also, ICONLOVE. <333

artemisrampant February 27 2010, 02:41:41 UTC

See, these were my thoughts as well, but I don't know. I just...don't understand guys, I guess. Deep down, would they read this stuff if not for the social implications? Or is there something about guys that makes them just less likely to be okay with slash? HOW DOES I UNDERSTAND BOYZ?

A totally straight female with little exposure to the internet. Huh. Not sure where to find one of those, or at least one who I could ask this question without crawling into a hole before they could answer.

lyricalecho February 27 2010, 02:56:41 UTC

I mean... I assume it's not a *genetic* thing, like guys are programmed to be EW SLASH GROSS or something, but it's such a deeply-ingrained thing for a lot of people that I think it would be hard to separate the social implications.

And MAN GUYS I KNOW RITE. :B Today Hannah asked me if I had ever had an actual crush on a non-fictional guy that I know and that is my age, and... I had to say no. And then she was like WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF A BOY ASKED YOU OUT ON A DATE and I was like I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA. Oh god, the idea is kind of frightening. XD

artemisrampant February 27 2010, 03:11:59 UTC

...Man, that's a frightening concept. And I know that guys should really not be this scary and confusing, come on brain, but I just do not know how to deal with it. In fact, I have a history on not knowing how to deal with it.

I feel kind of bad for our little sisters. XD They have absolutely no voice of reason or experience to look to. They just have...us.

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suedeauxnim February 27 2010, 08:14:42 UTC

Well, I don't find it awkward, but I have a damn high tolerance for awkwardness even at the worst of times, and I am likewise probably not the straightest of females. But I can hazard a few guesses ( ... )

artemisrampant February 27 2010, 16:16:53 UTC

That's a very good point, actually. It's way more likely to hear a girl say 'oh my god, she's so pretty' than to hear a guy admit that about another guy. But then, I have trouble believing that guys really find the male form disgusting. I think that most likely goes back to the whole social stigma thing.

(Oh, and I just figured out what your username means about two seconds ago. XD I R SMRT.)

suedeauxnim February 27 2010, 18:25:02 UTC

I think you're right. I'm sure most guys have an idea of what makes a man handsome, and could probably (at gunpoint, maybe) list some people who meet that idea. Also, for whatever reason, I think a lot of the time guys equate "She's pretty/He's handsome" with "I would like to have sex with her/him," and this makes discussing these things a little awkward.

the_binksdance February 28 2010, 02:57:35 UTC

Hmmmm. See I'm not as crazy about slash as the rest of you. It's not that I'm against it, or that it disgusts me, because there are a few gay pairings I like....it's just that I think it's a preferance thing. You know? Like some people prefer slash; I prefer het. But I'm not afraid of slash or anything, otherwise I mind as well just remove myelf from fandom period, because there's basically no escaping it. XD ( ... )

artemisrampant February 28 2010, 03:46:51 UTC

See, I'm wondering if the fact that women are the more bisexual gender, as you put it, is a biological thing, or a social thing. Sometimes I think that all these gender stereotypes we make must have some basic root truth, even if they've been exaggerated beyond what they should be. But then, it seems bizarre that one gender would be so open, and the other so easily turned off. I can't think of any natural reason why that difference would crop up. *shrugs*

But then again, we are dealing with sexuality here, and whether you're straight or gay, everyone views sexuality (especially their own) differently.

Now THAT is a very good point.

skepticeddie June 7 2010, 22:15:12 UTC

As a lesbian, my gut reactions to slash (especially femmeslash) are basically irrelevant. I think femmeslash (when well done) is one of the most amazing things on earth and I think trad-gay-slash is absofrigginlutely ADORABLE ( ... )

artemisrampant June 7 2010, 23:12:01 UTC

I love the idea of gender neutrality. I have to agree with you - it's society more than anything else. I don't want to discount the fact that there are basic mental differences between males and females in less developed species, but I do think that humans have evolved long enough that we're just following these roles because that's what we're used to ( ... )

skepticeddie June 7 2010, 23:29:50 UTC

Precisely. As a species, we've evolved not only to the point where we can alter our environment, but to where we can control and change the way we think and act, if we're brave enough or the need is great enough.

Moral of basically EVERY story: society is annoying.

That is an extremely valid and interesting point. I like the way you think.

I think I may also be more picky about my femmeslash pairings, as a female AND a lesbian to boot. I can imagine slash quite easily, without knowing much about a character, but for femmeslash I feel the need to know more about a girl before I can slash her well. It may also be that I role play my femmeslash, putting myself in the character's place, and making sure the relationship is realistic to me and feels right. That may also add to the scarcity. (Plus, sometimes I get jealous, as evidenced by my Doctor Who femmeslash brainwave, which involves bringing ME into the story in order to slash Rose)

artemisrampant June 8 2010, 00:04:29 UTC

Heh, I've been tempted to slash myself into stories, but I'm always too terrified of Mary Sue syndrome. I think I'm a good enough writer to avoid that, but fandom prejudice runs deep. Specifically Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Don't know how much you know about that...but generally, I think Willow and Oz are meant to be, so if Oz ever comes back, hell, I'll take Tara. <333

skepticeddie June 8 2010, 00:54:19 UTC

Fair point. There are certainly couples I would not dare interfere with. However, the 10th Doctor and Rose are not such a couple. And Rose is fun and very very cute. As evidenced here: http://iaith.tapetrade.net/doctorwho/images/rose1.jpg. :D

artemisrampant June 8 2010, 01:02:47 UTC

Hee, yeah, Rose is pretty adorable.

Tara, though. Man. <3
http://www.gaelick.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/willow_tara.jpg
She's the one on the left, Willow's on the right. Willow is fantastic and I love her, but I have SUCH a crush on Tara, you have no idea. I love her little smirk in that picture.

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