Genderswaps in Fanfic - Looking For A Femslash Perspective
I'm specifically curious about the femslasher's perspective, but, even if you're not a femslasher, please feel free to hop in and tell me how you feel. Because, well, I'm curious. My one caveat is that, no matter what your opinion is, that you be respectful of others when commenting. (I don't think that's going to be a problem, but I state it as a Just In Case kind of thing.)
BTW, this is a public post. I know I friendslock a lot of things, but I'm hoping to solicit opinions off f_t.
Is everyone familiar with the fandom cliche of the genderswap? In case not, there are several iterations:
1. One or both characters (usually in a relationship) have their gender changed from male to female. This is either permanent or temporary. For example, John Crichton is on an off-world mission, and Random Misfiring Peacekeeper Technology has changed him from a man to a woman.
2. One or both characters has, in contrast with canon, been born and has always been female. For example, Meredith Rodney McKay is, in fact, a girl, has always been a girl, and, in fact, is totally comfortable with this fact.
3. Sometimes combined with the bodyswap, so that two characters have changed bodies. For example, Mulder and Scully encounter a creature of the week with Weird Powers, and wake up the next morning in each other's bodies.
I'm aware that #1 and #2 have been applied to female characters in fanfic, but, let's face it, this is not that common. In SGA, I've read five stories that involve female-to-male genderswap. I'll allow that there are probably more out there, but given that the SGA genderswap comm name is sga_genderfuck, I don't browse it that often due to NWS issues.
(abyssinia4077, can we please not talk about the eye-bleedy horror that Sam/Janet story was? I don't think it counts due to the sheer awfulness of the writing that was involved.)
Some people, who are on my friendslist, think that this is a wonderful way to explore gender and sexuality. Some other people, who are also on my friendslist, think that this is a way to remove the female characters from a story while painting a thin veneer of not having done so on there.
I AM NOT SAYING ONE OR THE OTHER VIEWPOINT IS CORRECT. OKAY? Because this isn't about me taking sides, or supporting one point of view over the other. I'm just really damn curious what The Fannish Intarwebs thing of the whole thing. It's about me wondering this: How do you feel that this genre falls on the spectrum of genre, specifically, with regards to femslash?
Does it count as femslash if Dean Winchester wakes up one morning as a girl and gets it on with Jo Harvelle? Or is it het?
What about if John Sheppard and Evan Lorne are (and have always been) Jonna Sheppard and Evelyn Lorne, and they're in a relationship? Is it femslash, or is it slash?
How about if Galinda and Elphaba wake up in the middle of Wicked and discover they've become boys due to the Weird Wondrousness of Oz? (I mean, jeez, don't even get me started on the canon gender-messed-uppiness that Ozma must feel. *loves Ozma*) What do Galinda and Elphaba do upon waking up as boys? (Aside from snipe at each other until they find common ground.)
Or is the entire genre a whole different thing entirely, with weird and nebulous definitions that don't quite fit anywhere else, and so you can't actually call it anything specific?
ETA: I have both read and written genderswap fic. Just so you know. (The allure of making John Sheppard deal with PMS was undeniable, okay? I should really finish that one and post it.)
BTW, this is a public post. I know I friendslock a lot of things, but I'm hoping to solicit opinions off f_t.
Is everyone familiar with the fandom cliche of the genderswap? In case not, there are several iterations:
1. One or both characters (usually in a relationship) have their gender changed from male to female. This is either permanent or temporary. For example, John Crichton is on an off-world mission, and Random Misfiring Peacekeeper Technology has changed him from a man to a woman.
2. One or both characters has, in contrast with canon, been born and has always been female. For example, Meredith Rodney McKay is, in fact, a girl, has always been a girl, and, in fact, is totally comfortable with this fact.
3. Sometimes combined with the bodyswap, so that two characters have changed bodies. For example, Mulder and Scully encounter a creature of the week with Weird Powers, and wake up the next morning in each other's bodies.
I'm aware that #1 and #2 have been applied to female characters in fanfic, but, let's face it, this is not that common. In SGA, I've read five stories that involve female-to-male genderswap. I'll allow that there are probably more out there, but given that the SGA genderswap comm name is sga_genderfuck, I don't browse it that often due to NWS issues.
(abyssinia4077, can we please not talk about the eye-bleedy horror that Sam/Janet story was? I don't think it counts due to the sheer awfulness of the writing that was involved.)
Some people, who are on my friendslist, think that this is a wonderful way to explore gender and sexuality. Some other people, who are also on my friendslist, think that this is a way to remove the female characters from a story while painting a thin veneer of not having done so on there.
I AM NOT SAYING ONE OR THE OTHER VIEWPOINT IS CORRECT. OKAY? Because this isn't about me taking sides, or supporting one point of view over the other. I'm just really damn curious what The Fannish Intarwebs thing of the whole thing. It's about me wondering this: How do you feel that this genre falls on the spectrum of genre, specifically, with regards to femslash?
Does it count as femslash if Dean Winchester wakes up one morning as a girl and gets it on with Jo Harvelle? Or is it het?
What about if John Sheppard and Evan Lorne are (and have always been) Jonna Sheppard and Evelyn Lorne, and they're in a relationship? Is it femslash, or is it slash?
How about if Galinda and Elphaba wake up in the middle of Wicked and discover they've become boys due to the Weird Wondrousness of Oz? (I mean, jeez, don't even get me started on the canon gender-messed-uppiness that Ozma must feel. *loves Ozma*) What do Galinda and Elphaba do upon waking up as boys? (Aside from snipe at each other until they find common ground.)
Or is the entire genre a whole different thing entirely, with weird and nebulous definitions that don't quite fit anywhere else, and so you can't actually call it anything specific?
ETA: I have both read and written genderswap fic. Just so you know. (The allure of making John Sheppard deal with PMS was undeniable, okay? I should really finish that one and post it.)