(no subject)
So, it's been a while since Meridith's made a fool of herself in public.
For our final project in expository writing, we have to find an issue that we're interested in and write a speech about it. I've decided to pick one that I'm relatively sure won't be taken. My issue will be (and this is only the first thing that popped into my head, feel free to pick at it) "Does yaoi/shounen-ai/BL have a positive or negative effect on its audience with regards to shaping their views on homosexuality?" I, of course, am of the opinion that it has a negative effect as I believe that the vast majority of BL titles a) encourage a heteronormative view on homosexual relationships, b) fetishize homosexuality, and c) have a prevasive theme of rape=love, which, while not specific to BL, is still quite common and I think it's a Very Bad Thing. All this, combined with BL being presented as the pinnacle of romance specifically to an audience of teenage girls and young women, cannot be anything good.
I've decided that I'm not going to go into the issue of self-hated towards women within fandom because I only have five minutes.
Now, I happen to know that some of you lovely people on my flist have opinions on this subject, and I'd really love to hear them! Whether you think I'm right and you have a more edumacated ideas that you'd like to write down here, or you think I'm wrong and you have your own opinions as to why, I'd love to hear them! I'm trying to get as many different viewpoints as I can. I do request that you write in plain English and sign your comment with your real name (and, if you have any academic/fandom credentials you wouldn't mind sharing) so that I can credit you properly. If you are uncomfortable with giving me your full name on LJ, please shoot me an e-mail with your comment.
In addition, if you have any essays you want to point me to so that I can have more material to work with, please link them. I will love you forever.
For our final project in expository writing, we have to find an issue that we're interested in and write a speech about it. I've decided to pick one that I'm relatively sure won't be taken. My issue will be (and this is only the first thing that popped into my head, feel free to pick at it) "Does yaoi/shounen-ai/BL have a positive or negative effect on its audience with regards to shaping their views on homosexuality?" I, of course, am of the opinion that it has a negative effect as I believe that the vast majority of BL titles a) encourage a heteronormative view on homosexual relationships, b) fetishize homosexuality, and c) have a prevasive theme of rape=love, which, while not specific to BL, is still quite common and I think it's a Very Bad Thing. All this, combined with BL being presented as the pinnacle of romance specifically to an audience of teenage girls and young women, cannot be anything good.
I've decided that I'm not going to go into the issue of self-hated towards women within fandom because I only have five minutes.
Now, I happen to know that some of you lovely people on my flist have opinions on this subject, and I'd really love to hear them! Whether you think I'm right and you have a more edumacated ideas that you'd like to write down here, or you think I'm wrong and you have your own opinions as to why, I'd love to hear them! I'm trying to get as many different viewpoints as I can. I do request that you write in plain English and sign your comment with your real name (and, if you have any academic/fandom credentials you wouldn't mind sharing) so that I can credit you properly. If you are uncomfortable with giving me your full name on LJ, please shoot me an e-mail with your comment.
In addition, if you have any essays you want to point me to so that I can have more material to work with, please link them. I will love you forever.