O Captain, My Captain (Janeway)

[metatxt]

I'm on a serious fic bender and I don't want out. It happened a couple times before - BSG (the smoldering hot steady) and Alex/Olivia SVU fic (the compulsive insane fling). I have read many many many other fandoms on a semi-consistent basis. I still read quite a bit, usually at AO3 or via Femslash Today

Comments

[looklikemine]

"I think after BSG 4.5* this is a particularly winsome quality: the ability to watch without fear of losing what makes the show yours." yes yes yes. I'm wondering if this is only really possible to do if you're watching a show that has already ended? like, did people watch Xena and Voyager while it was airing with FEELINGS OF TRUST? (ASK YOUR TIMEMACHINE) though I guess people felt their trust was shattered with the finale of Xena? I have no idea what my point is.

also this may signal the fundamental differences in our EROTICIZING or whatever--it's a little bit of what we talked about when we were walking around after dinner--when I think of the stability/dependability of Janeway and Xena, I still connect that with something parental rather than gendered.

ALSO FIC PLS

[metatxt]

I wondered about that too! Is it only because the show is over? Admittedly, that does offer some comfort as canon bears no threat to my fanons. And I also think that there are stabilizing forces that I can appreciate now that audiences back then may not have recognized as comfort because they were not as threatened by the alternatives (extreme characterization issues, character deaths, etc

[looklikemine]

did you hear what happened in the xena message boards after "friend in need"? fans were really angry that xena died, especially in such a brutal way, and a lot of them started speaking very hatefully about Lucy Lawless and Rob Tapert. I need to find documentation and I forget where I even read about this, but I know it was a big thing. and even now with fan videos and some fanfiction there will be FIN warnings, like "this fanvid contains material from FIN" or something like that. it's a little crazy. but I think you're right in that the response was to engage more with the fandom rather than to withdraw.

ehhh now I'm re-considering my argument about how I eroticize--gendering is what allows me to connect to parental aspects I desire too, maybe just in a different way. I haven't thought about it much, or, like, what specific kind of gendering it is that that draws me in. because I'm certainly not just like "OH THIS PERSON ACTS LIKE A PARENT THEREFORE I AM INTO IT."

LOL FAIR HAVEN

[metatxt]

I totally did not know about the Xena fall-out! I knew that fandom was really divided about FIN enough to provide warnings, but I had no idea that their anger was so directed at Lucy Lawless and Rob Tapert! From what I gathered the escalating queering provided some sort of buffer, but maybe that only happened once initial feelings cooled down and people rejecting FIN entirely.

I really do not know that much about that era's Xena fandom other than what I find in the small amount of fic I have been reading and tumblr. I will be sure to keep an eye out for any of the feelings/rage/wank as I continue this fannish archeological project.

Yeah, I can't say I've given it a ton of thought, but on the flip side, I also know there are times when I can recognize parental aspects I desire in people whose gendering makes that type of dynamic inaccessible for me. This conversation makes me want to have this more clearly sorted out.

Also, I totally want to meet the person who is like, "OH THIS PERSON ACTS LIKE A PARENT THEREFORE I AM INTO IT."