UR DOING IT WRONG

[ifyouweremine]

This is a response to a Swedish newspaper article about Star Trek slash. I have some problems with it and my reply was a bit too large for the comment box.

Comments

[ifyouweremine]

The article actually is supposed to be positive--the writer self-identifies as a slasher ("Whilst a conservative fraction of the slashers (including me) are disgruntled about Spock's love affair with the female officer Uhura") and includes recs at the end of the article; she seems like she's really trying to tell people about what slash is and show them it's a good thing, she just did a shit job of it.

Also: OMGLOLLLLL! THERE REALLY IS AN ICON OF MERLIN RIDING A SPARKLY UNICORN THROUGH A FIELD, HOLY SHIT LMFAO!! THANKS FOR LINKING ME TO THAT, IT NEEDS TO BE IN MY LIST OF USERPICS, LIKE, NAO. ^____^ <333

unicorn

[lilian_cho]

I actually saw one with real sparkles on it!

Saw it on the comment section of this fan who wrote Bradley-was-raised-by-ponies, IIRC.

ANYWAY.

[bibliofilen]

In the seventies there was a male movement in Sweden to change the masculine role, allowing for childcare, emotions and so on and rejecting macho ideals. These men became derogatorely known as velour-men because of the image of them dressing in soft velour overalls or pants + sweater and being meek.

http://pensionaren.pro.se/archive/1000/bilder/8_06_60_talsmode_Manchester_Pressensbild.jpg

Today it is basically used for a soft man, who probably believes in feminism and might drink herbal tea or be a vegetarian. Not everyone thinks that is bad.

[calicokat]

I basically agree with all you've said here, man. I'm not ashamed of my subculture...but someone is wrong on the internet.

[ifyouweremine]

I'm sort of appalled that somebody writing for a NEWSPAPER didn't feel the need to fact-check anything. She's from the Stephen Colbert "these-are-the-facts-I-feel-in-my-heart" school of journalism, LMAO!

[queen_insane]

Don't get me wrong, I love porny slash, but it's misleading to imply that all slash is porn.

THISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS while yes a lot of slash is porn and some of it really, really, really, really badly written porn (seriously guys if you can't write it don't please?) (I'm not going to argue that) there is some slash that is not porn.

How do I know this? Why I try to write porn but then cannot as I am lazy/not in the mood to porn. Therefore I whole hardily agree with this comment. And what you said.

[ifyouweremine]

Exactly! Slash is simply a relationship between a man and another man, just as het is a relationship between a man and a woman. Whether that relationship is expressed explicitly or not is up to the author, not a qualifier for what constitutes the genre of slash or het.

Anybody who's been around me for more than three seconds knows I love porny slash like whoa, but I find it insulting when people say that's all slash is or imply that liking gay porn is somehow repugnant (both of which this article--not through deliberate intent, but through its clumsy phrasing--seems to imply).

In short: YES, THIS. LOL ^___~

[bigmamag]

Totally agree 100% here. I'm sure she's trying to do a good thing, but it's grossly misrepresenting us. Just look at Merlin fandom and tell me that slash is not known. Hell, merlinxarthur is the most active pairing community in Merlin fandom! I mean I can understand maybe SPN with Sam/Dean, but god, most everyone who is into Star Trek fandom at all knows about Kirk/Spock

[ifyouweremine]

YES YES YES, WHAT YOU SAID! #SMISHES#

I mean, anyone who's ever glanced at a fandom newsletter knows what het, gen, and slash are--if you don't know what those are you're either the newest newbie who ever newbied or nestled in a little hermit-like nook of fandom within a bubble and enveloped in ignorance blankets. THEY'RE BASIC TERMS. PEOPLE LEARN THEM, LIKE, THE FIRST WEEK.

I honestly can't see how an established fandomer (by that I mean someone who's been in fandom for at least a few months and interacts socially and/or artistically with fandom) could not know what slash was, especially if they're in a fandom like Star Trek where Kirk/Spock has such a huge presence. Even if it's not your ship, you at least know it exists

[bigmamag]

YES YES. Especially at #2 again. Fandom's whole purpose is to make up what we want and to do what we believe and see. Slash didn't start by someone going, "hey you know what...there needs to be more cock in Star Trek! Let's have Kirk and Spock bang each other because there are no homosexuals in the media. But boy howdy, when we get a movie with a quirky gay bff to a straight couple, our mission to slash is over." Hell no, that's stupid. Fans looked at the subtext of Kirk and Spock and said wow, I really would like to read/write/share stories where they really do have a relationship and we can see it played out in text. It's a matter of having an interest and connecting with others, with taking ideas and stories and feelings inside of you and sharing them and finding out that others see it too.

This is not just slash, this is anything you see in a movie/tv show/book that you love. In the Harry Potter fandom, I loved Harry/Luna. This is not the main pairing. But I wanted it to be a pairing and to this day I can give you

[ifyouweremine]

Fandom's whole purpose is to make up what we want and to do what we believe and see. Slash didn't start by someone going, "hey you know what...there needs to be more cock in Star Trek! Let's have Kirk and Spock bang each other because there are no homosexuals in the media. But boy howdy, when we get a movie with a quirky gay bff to a straight couple, our mission to slash is over."
THIS!!! LOL, well-said!

ALSO YOUR BARBIE ANALOGY IS GIVING ME INSIGHT TO MYSELF THAT I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT. LMAO, I totally loved Barbies as a kid! Huh, I hadn't consciously linked that childhood affinity for directing pretend lives to my love for fanfic, but it makes so much sense now. WIN

And thanks for the link, wheee! I just listened to Timothy's audition song, now I think I'll track down the title song. Thank you! <333

[starcrossedgirl]

Completely agree with you on every count. Would've hoped for a little more from an article written about slash that's actually, finally written by a slasher. :/

[ifyouweremine]

I'll admit it was pretty damn ballsy to come out as a slasher and actually rec homoerotic fics in a national newspaper, but, damn, the article itself was riddled with factual errors and misrepresented what slash was by only focusing on its NC-17 side and making it seem like fandom's dirty little secret. FAIL

[starcrossedgirl]

Yeah, precisely. I mean, hell, me? I tend towards the NC-17 side of things myself as a general rule, because I just like me some pron in my slash

[starcrossedgirl]

"story pics" should obviously be "story picks"

*fails at being awake this morning*