She's Being Thinky Again!

[kriadydragon]

So my BIL andI were talking about TV shows and movies, and it lead into an interesting discussion on how media uses the label of "mature" these days. So, apparently, there's giong to be another Star Trek series. I don't know the details since I didn't read the article. But my BIL was talking about how the person who wrote the article - which was an

Comments

[black_raven135]

CONCUR...and in ff it too often means slash...
I don't read it and it burns me up that they just assume, incorrectly, if
I will read mature, then I have to accept it......

[kriadydragon]

Heh, funny you should mention this. I made a fic request and guess what I got, all slash fic. Even though I stated in my request: Gen (no pairings).

(And, okay, I usually just try to brush it off when this happens but this time it really annoyed me, because it always happens every time I make a fic request. Either people aren't reading the request entirely or they're ignoring the "no pairings" part. Whatever the case, it's actually starting to really frustrate me. What part of no pairings don't they understand!

Sorry to vent, it just really got to me).

[black_raven135]

It is why I mentioned it as it is exactly what happened to me...
Much earlier when I offered to beta for SGA Big Bang...and was
very clear of what I would not beta, including slash, I received numerous requests..
e.g. "Can't you just look past that part?"
I finally pulled my request...by that time had one anyway..the moderator's nose was out of joint that I had done so...I told her I had made myself clear and was
TIRED of being badgered by individuals who apparently could not read..

[bratfarrar]

I've had this happen in reverse: clearly stated I'll write *gen* fiction, but every request has a m/m pairing attached to it. (Which I then stick my tongue out at and subvert the heck out of.)

[ninja007]

I'm wondering if the same person who's idea that is, is the same person behind Stargate Universe or BSG. I don't like dark and gritty. I RETIRED from dark and gritty.

What I loved about Star Trek was the hope for the future and people getting along; of rational overcoming irrational.

[kriadydragon]

Hopefully whoever's doing the series knows to stick with what's worked and not try to make it the next BSG. I would think a franchise that's lasted this long without being dark and gritty should prove that dark and gritty isn't the be all, end all mode of storytelling.

[ninja007]

Unfortunately, the people who make the shows only can hear that the critics LOVED BSG, because of its dark, edginess. As soon as the critics said that, I shook my head and knew we were going to get a lot of those types of shows. Like the producers of SGU, who thought that if they made a series like that, then the critics would give them a high five as well. Yes, copying always works, doesn't it?

*shakes head*

[imbecamiel]

Yesss, very much this. And it seems to me it does really have that associated implication that things that are hopeful, clean, or not incredibly edgy by modern standards are therefore... immature, in a sense. Like, it's okay if you enjoy those things I guess, but not enjoying or gravitating toward some of those "mature" elements (i.e. super grimdark, filled with sex, gory) is a sign of underdeveloped taste, or just a general refusal to consider more serious aspects of life.

It's not that the gritty stuff can't be good and useful to a story. But... just... yeah. Maturity =/= "Mature content."

[kriadydragon]

I think what's ironic is that we have so many examples of popular, well-made works that aren't these deep, dark, dreary things and yet there's still this attitude that if it doesn't have sex and violence then it's not "grown up." I'm pretty sure that if you stuffed sex and heavy violence in a show like, say, Dr. Who, the vast majority of people would be up in arms about it.

[timespirt]

That is why they almost always put themes after the word mature. One person's Idea of mature themes is different from another person's Idea of mature themes.

[kriadydragon]

Exactly.