I Took the One Less Travelled By

[ladylade]

Notes: This is a "trying to sort out my feelings pretending to be an essay" essay, but I think, as far as the Teen Wolf fandom goes, all of the needs to be said. Basically, a roughly 2600 word essay on the pros and cons of Sterek becoming canon vs. the pros and cons of Sterek not becoming canon. (Outcome: odds heavily in favor of Sterek becoming

Comments

Hi there

[gatekeeper1324]

This is neat thanks for sharing your thoughts and essay! I loved it. I think that Sterek being canonised would be a far fetched. I do think that if it went canonised however that it would be partially a choice of Jeff Davis and the viewers who like Sterek. I don't think that Davis realised what he was bringing to the table when he created the Derek, Stiles relationship. Unless he decided to be covert about getting a normal gay relationship on TV.

TTYAL,

ED.

Re: Hi there

[ladylade]

Thank you!

I, as well, unfortunately think that Sterek being canonized would be far-fetched. And I agree that Jeff Davis didn't realized what he was bringing to the table with Stiles-Derek, but that's kind of the point, you know? Screen writers are so heavily entrenched in the heteronormative, whether because producers demand it because "it sells" or because they don't realize what they're doing. And it shows that Jeff Davis doesn't understand the deeper issue at hand when he says things like not understanding why girls find two guys together so hot.

[kumquatweekend]

*applause*

Yes, what you said.

[ladylade]

Thank you!

[doodlesinsand]

Your bit about normalizing gay couples at the end--I feel very hesitant about the idea of Derek/Stiles becoming canon, largely because I think back to other couples I've shipped and how the realization/solidification of that relationship was completely unsatisfactory and left the whole thing floundering (I'm thinking especially about Danny/Lindsey from csi:ny). And then you said that, and I realised that I'm hesitant because I'm comparing them to straight couples represented in the media, which made me wonder "how many other people are doing this?And the sad realization is "probably not many." Because there are all sorts of social barriers and blinders in place that you have to sift through and get past before you can think about a gay couple with the emphasis on "couple" rather than "gay", no matter how well-meaning or non-prejudiced you are, unless you're already involved in fandom or otherwise exposed to a wide variety of LGBT couples and ideas and lenses on a semi-regular basis. And why is it that very few people have this

[ladylade]

I can understand the whole unsatisfactory thing in regards to couples getting together, because sometimes it is. We're told that the greatest conflict, the most exciting part of a relationship, is the build up to the relationship being cemented. And it's true in a way, but mostly because afterwards we find that domestic spats are kind of boring. Though I do think that if they canonize Sterek and write it correctly, the boys have enough issues between the two of them that their relationship will take work, and it'll be the kind of work that translates very well onto the screen, the kind that will keep us happy with the progression of their relationship

[green_grrl]

(I came stalking your journal after reading the hilarious dog collar fic, and found this awesome meta

[ladylade]

First off, I am so sorry this reply is so late! School and work have been sucking my soul out of my body.

Second, it's a really important point about networks editing the shit out of screen-plays, so thanks for bringing that up. I think it's a really good point to remember (and which I had vaguely in mind when I wrote this but didn't consider more carefully for some reason), that authorship is definitely censored. However, as you've pointed out, MTV seems pretty chill about letting Jeff take the reins and do his thang, which is why Teen Wolf is definitely pretty non-heteronormative, all things considered (specifically, I'm thinking of the way that Danny is written/treated and the fact that Scott just gets happy when he's sent a drink from a gay guy).

So ya, I see what you mean, and I'm hoping that if Jeff decides not to write Sterek, he won't go down the super!queer-baiting track like Supernatural does.

[green_grrl]

Hopefully he'll at least continue to treat "gay" moments well (the drink, the gay bar in general, Stiles befriending the drag queens, Scott dancing with Danny, Danny in general). So far actual homosexuality hasn't been played for "laugh at the queers" but just general situation comedy, laugh with the gays, who are all cool. Specifically tossing Derek and Stiles together in "don't they look like a couple" situations if they're not going to be a couple would just suck, though.

( Also, your icon cracks me up every time!)

[ladylade]

Jeff's been pretty solid about that, and I think he's specifically said that he wanted to have a non-heteronormative world, which he's definitely created. But the "don't they look like a couple" sucks balls. I'm trying to watch Hawaii Five-0 in my spare time, and a main character literally asked, "So how long have you two been married?" and I almost punched the screen. (It does not help that the only coworker Danny consistently calls "babe" is Steve.)

(I actually created this journal specifically because I was filling A-Team kink meme prompts, and I just had to make it!)

[cupcakegirla]

This was a great essay to read. I only recently started to watch Teen Wolf and part of my friend's educating me in the story/show/what's-so-great-about-it was a detailed squee about Sterek and how awesome it is. I recently finished watching the first season and started on season 2, and I can totally see what you're saying here. Your essay was very well written. In fact it almost reads like an American Studies, or Gender Studies, or even Queer Studies essay on the topic. All it needed was some source notes and notations for the examples from the text. So yes, very well done. I really enjoyed it

[ladylade]

Thank you! I'm an English major, so it means a lot to me that my essay actually sounds semi-professional

[cupcakegirla]

At this point it's sort of a lose/lose/lose situation

[ladylade]

And as much as we're ragging on Jeff, I think he realizes that it's a losing situation too. Although I can handle people tuning in just because there's a gay couple, mostly because I think that Jeff would do a great job of writing Sterek as a couple, rather than as a gay couple.

Thanks!