Icky Slash

[erda_3]

I keep seeing posts where people complain about, or outright sneer at, slash that falls into heteronormative tropes, where one of the guys is feminized and treated exactly like we object to women being treated.

Comments

unnecessarily lengthy post boiling down to 'ita'

[zelempa]

Yes. Definitely. I myself have made the complaint that a guy in a story is acting 'too girly,' by which I usually mean he seems to be experiencing feelings in a way that I think is more common to women than men (although "traditionally feminine" sensitivity/romanticness/insecurity/what have you is totally canonical for certain characters). But when it comes to specific external activities such as liking to be dominated or taking a keen interest in fashion or whatever, I actually prefer to read about male characters enjoying that than female. For a girl it's stereotypical, and for a guy it's unexpected and interesting and clearly something he's interested in for itself and not just because he's supposed to be

Re: unnecessarily lengthy post boiling down to 'ita'

[erda_3]

Yes, I know EXACTLY what you mean. I hate the feeling that I am allowing myself to be oppressed when I want to do typical woman stuff, as well as the assumption that guy stuff is innately superior.

I've always been attracted to people who defy gender expectations.

[gaffsie]

I agree, to a point. I don't have a problem with feminizing characters so much as writing characters painfully OOC. Writing - for instance - John Sheppard as a crossdressing submissive bottom is a-okay with me; it's when they turn him weak and weepy that I have a problem, because that goes against everything he is.

[erda_3]

Right, I don't like the weepy Sheppard either, but my point is more that if someone does like a weepy Sheppard, we shouldn't read into that any judgment about them. It is just another kink that some people have, and doesn't mean they are stupid or bad feminists or whatever. They may well realize it is ridiculous and out of character, yet still enjoy reading it. I mean maybe they are bad feminists or whatever, but it doesn't follow from their fic preferences.

[sasha_feather]

Well said.

[erda_3]

Thanks cause I wasn't sure my point was coming through.

[salixbabylon]

OOoh, nice thinky thoughts. I appreciate this POV, sicne I have often scorned girly-men in slash fics. I appreciate seeing it from another side. Thank you. :)

[erda_3]

There are a lot of things I don't like in fic, but what I do like is the freedom to explore.

[mesmerized_mia]

Good point, very well explained.
To me it feels different, reading about a man surrendering control instead of a woman. The "aftermath" is what makes that difference.

"A man can be a total bottom in bed, can love candles and pretty things, and generally do all sorts of things we think of as female, but the second he stops doing those things, puts his guy self back on and heads out into the world, he reclaims all of his power and privilege."

<-- I loved that and I completely agree.

[erda_3]

To me it feels different, reading about a man surrendering control instead of a woman.

Yes, exactly.