OOO! I look forward to reading these.

And I don't know minisinoo personally, but she's an AMAZING writer! Years ago I stumbled upon a novel length X-Men fic by her that consumed me for DAYS. And I had no clue about or interest in that fandom at all! In fact, it led me to the movies, wherein... I was sorely disappointed. LOL!

She was also very gracious to me when I sent her a gushing feedback note. I wish I still had our exchanges. She seems like a fascinating person in general.

Edited at 2008-12-20 01:42 am (UTC)

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Ha, I believe that may be the fic she uses as an example in her article; I have it bookmarked to read later, because a dark Logan & Scott fic appeals to me. *g*

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The description of male romantic friendship rather reminds me of the wikipedia entry for "bromance." It would seem that to an extent the concept is making a comeback under a different name. Which would be a good thing, I think.

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Because I happily read both gen and slash (or het) about the same characters, and don't see that the relationships I'm interested in are any better, deeper or more interesting if they're sexualised... or, any better, deeper or more interesting if they're not sexualised :) It's still the same two fascinating people, after all.

But I'm an 'umble sort, and always think the reason for the swathes of erotica (both het and slash) about characters who don't actually get any on screen is 'umbly simple. Most readers like and want romance (there is a good reason why romance, even the poor stuff, is the biggest seller per se in published fiction, why women's magazines pretty much insist on it, and why even non-romance is these days expected to include it). Even with free fanfic, the market makes the mare go...



Edited at 2008-12-20 05:58 am (UTC)

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Well, I don't think romance is a problem, certainly. But nowadays it often comes with an insistence that any intense relationship must be erotic in nature--and that's insulting and upsetting to those of us who are interested in and/or participate in intense, loving platonic relationships.

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Oh, I'm sure that supply-and-demand has a lot to do with the production of both het and slash.

That's not really what either of those essays are about, though. They're more (at least the first one is) about how our society came to be interested in sexual relationships almost exclusively, and how that differs from older cultural perspectives. That's what I'm thrilled to see explored, since it's the obsession with sexual love that I object to.

(And the subject matter is why I used my friendship icon rather than my Gen Pride icon. *g*)

Edited at 2008-12-20 06:13 am (UTC)

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Thanks for pointing these out. I may have to bookmark them for re-reading when I'm feeling cranky. :D

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Do. :)

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Interesting... thanx for the links.

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Kitty Woldow wrote an essay about smarm which I am not enough awake to find the link but you might be interested in too.

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I believe I have read that essay! (My first online fandom was The Sentinel, so I know Kitty's work well.)

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I liked both of these very much. Thanks!

My current feeling about this is that a lot of people are missing out on a lot of beauty by ignoring intense friendships. Just yesterday, my roommie Amy (we've lived together for four and a half years, been friends for nine) and I were saying to each other that we need to hang out more, that we never see each other, that we miss each other, and a lot of other things that I'm sure your average eavesdropper would have said, "Oo, lesbian!" to. And I would shake my head and say, "You don't know what you're missing."

On the other end of the scale, I introduced someone to my friend Jeff, who I was practically raised with, and later she told me, "You treat him like he's your brother." Jeff and I think the same way, we have a lot of the same interests (I got him started on LotR), and we get along very well - and he dated and married Kim, not me.

There are just so many different shades of relationships, so many ways that they can go that have nothing to do with erotic love. I think it's sad that sex is what so many people default to. It's like they're not paying any attention to the reality around them, where there's a wonderful variety of options out there. I mean, I love dark chocolate, but not to the exclusion of, y'know, cheese and hamburgers and apples and peppernuts, or even milk chocolate. Someday I might find my Dark Chocolate. Until then...

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Yes, indeed, to all of that. :)

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Am marking this for perusal later.

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Whether you write gen or het or slash, these are both worth reading, I think. Very interesting perspectives.

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