A Short QAF Essay this week
So this piece was inspired by fandom_wank. In particular - B/J versus B/M on fandom_wank. (And B/J versus B/M AGAIN on f_w *.) It lead me to wonder:
WHY THE QUEER AS FOLK FANDOM IS SO WANKTASTIC
Part 1: Canon Love
I always think it's amusing to talk to people in other fandoms, especially other slash fandoms, about Queer as Folk and its fans. Because other fandoms just don't get us. Why we're so attached to these characters, why we're so willing to fight for our favored pairing, why - on occasion - we do fight over these pairings. People in these other slash fandoms will tell you - they've never seen anything like the Queer as Folk fandom. The open animosity, the outright hatred people will develop toward each other. The stalking, the bitterness, the name calling. It doesn't happen in most fandoms. Even in the ones that have multiple ship possibilities. In other fandoms, the fans seem to have realized that not everyone will agree on which characters should be together. And that's okay.
I think that most fans of Queer as Folk would agree with at least half of that ideal. It's true - we don't all agree on which characters should be together on the show. But for some reason in the QaF fandom - that's not okay.
It's not as though I'm an innocent bystander in the negative aspects of our fandom. I'm probably just as snarky and anti-ship as the next person. If not more snarky and anti-ship. So this isn't an essay on why I think we should all get along. (Although angie_aiken has written an essay along those lines if that's what you're looking to read.)
I'm writing this essay because I think I've come to a realization over why we, the Queer as Folk fandom as a whole, is more wanktastic than the average fandom.
It all comes down to canon.
- In the Harry Potter fandom, whether you think Harry/Draco should be together or if you'd prefer Harry/Ron:
- In the Lost fandom, whether you think Sawyer/Jack should be together or if you'd rather Sawyer/Sayid:
- In the O.C. fandom, whether you think Seth/Zach should be together or if you'd like Seth/Ryan:
All these fandoms and more, all these pairings and more, have something in common:
They're most likely never going to happen in canon. The possibility of these ships coming to fruition are extremely slim to none. There's not going to be any butt sex in Orange County, the island or at Hogwarts. Sorry, sad to say it, but it's not happening.
These fandoms, these pairings - they're all based on fantasy. On subtext.
And that's where Queer as Folk is different from almost every other slash fandom in existence - we have actual text to base our ships on.
So whereas other fans in other fandoms can just say, "To each his own" and move on with their lives, it's harder to do that in the QaF fandom. Because we all have pairings that we love that have an actual basis in canon. So instead of saying, "To each his own" - we say, "This is the one true pairing and look - I have proof!"
*
Michael: But there is no always, there's only now, that's all we have. Isn't that what you're always telling me?
Ben: That's what I'm always telling you.
Michael: So... then... I don't care what anyone else says or feels, I just care how I feel
Brian: Wait, you didn't let me finish. It'll all seem like a distant memory except for you. Because no matter where I go or who I'm with. I'll always love you.
Michael: Bullshit.
Brian: It's not bullshit.
Justin: This was the best night of my life.
Brian: Even if it was ridiculously romantic.
*
We're so busy proving our ships in this fandom and offering factual evidence from the episodes that it renders us incapable of accepting other points of view. So if someone tells you that they don't like the couple you ship or that they don't understand why you ship them - the only thing you're thinking is, "Is this person blind? Stupid? Delusional? Didn't they see this episode or hear that statement? How can they not get it?"
It's a downward spiral from there. Because the more you try to explain to someone why you love your pairing and they don't get it - the more frustrated you become. Until finally it devolves into, "My ship is #1 and anyone who doesn't like it, can kiss my butt."
We fight because we care. Because we see greatness in this show and in these characters' relationships. And if there wasn't a chance for all of these pairings to potentially be realized on the show, would the fans be as emotionally involved in ships? Would the B/J fans be as angry at B/M fans (and vice versa) if each ship didn't see the possibility in the other ship ending the show together? Would we be as bitter if we didn't see these opposing ships as the only thing standing between our pairing and total happiness? Personally, I don't think so.
The first part of a Queer as Folk fandom wanks starts with - "I love my ship and I want them to win out because there's so much basis in canon for their love." And because you know that you're right about the true love of this pairing - if someone disagrees with you, and you're even the least bit hot-tempered, it can only lead to name calling, shipper wars, and fandom wank at large. Because we have to prove our point.
And on that note - B/M Forever!
What? I couldn't resist. ;)
~The End~
* Thanks to bonobochick for the link to the 2nd wank. :D
Thanks for reading. Comments, questions welcomed as always.
- Roxie
WHY THE QUEER AS FOLK FANDOM IS SO WANKTASTIC
Part 1: Canon Love
I always think it's amusing to talk to people in other fandoms, especially other slash fandoms, about Queer as Folk and its fans. Because other fandoms just don't get us. Why we're so attached to these characters, why we're so willing to fight for our favored pairing, why - on occasion - we do fight over these pairings. People in these other slash fandoms will tell you - they've never seen anything like the Queer as Folk fandom. The open animosity, the outright hatred people will develop toward each other. The stalking, the bitterness, the name calling. It doesn't happen in most fandoms. Even in the ones that have multiple ship possibilities. In other fandoms, the fans seem to have realized that not everyone will agree on which characters should be together. And that's okay.
I think that most fans of Queer as Folk would agree with at least half of that ideal. It's true - we don't all agree on which characters should be together on the show. But for some reason in the QaF fandom - that's not okay.
It's not as though I'm an innocent bystander in the negative aspects of our fandom. I'm probably just as snarky and anti-ship as the next person. If not more snarky and anti-ship. So this isn't an essay on why I think we should all get along. (Although angie_aiken has written an essay along those lines if that's what you're looking to read.)
I'm writing this essay because I think I've come to a realization over why we, the Queer as Folk fandom as a whole, is more wanktastic than the average fandom.
It all comes down to canon.
- In the Harry Potter fandom, whether you think Harry/Draco should be together or if you'd prefer Harry/Ron:
- In the Lost fandom, whether you think Sawyer/Jack should be together or if you'd rather Sawyer/Sayid:
- In the O.C. fandom, whether you think Seth/Zach should be together or if you'd like Seth/Ryan:
All these fandoms and more, all these pairings and more, have something in common:
They're most likely never going to happen in canon. The possibility of these ships coming to fruition are extremely slim to none. There's not going to be any butt sex in Orange County, the island or at Hogwarts. Sorry, sad to say it, but it's not happening.
These fandoms, these pairings - they're all based on fantasy. On subtext.
And that's where Queer as Folk is different from almost every other slash fandom in existence - we have actual text to base our ships on.
So whereas other fans in other fandoms can just say, "To each his own" and move on with their lives, it's harder to do that in the QaF fandom. Because we all have pairings that we love that have an actual basis in canon. So instead of saying, "To each his own" - we say, "This is the one true pairing and look - I have proof!"
*
Michael: But there is no always, there's only now, that's all we have. Isn't that what you're always telling me?
Ben: That's what I'm always telling you.
Michael: So... then... I don't care what anyone else says or feels, I just care how I feel
Brian: Wait, you didn't let me finish. It'll all seem like a distant memory except for you. Because no matter where I go or who I'm with. I'll always love you.
Michael: Bullshit.
Brian: It's not bullshit.
Justin: This was the best night of my life.
Brian: Even if it was ridiculously romantic.
*
We're so busy proving our ships in this fandom and offering factual evidence from the episodes that it renders us incapable of accepting other points of view. So if someone tells you that they don't like the couple you ship or that they don't understand why you ship them - the only thing you're thinking is, "Is this person blind? Stupid? Delusional? Didn't they see this episode or hear that statement? How can they not get it?"
It's a downward spiral from there. Because the more you try to explain to someone why you love your pairing and they don't get it - the more frustrated you become. Until finally it devolves into, "My ship is #1 and anyone who doesn't like it, can kiss my butt."
We fight because we care. Because we see greatness in this show and in these characters' relationships. And if there wasn't a chance for all of these pairings to potentially be realized on the show, would the fans be as emotionally involved in ships? Would the B/J fans be as angry at B/M fans (and vice versa) if each ship didn't see the possibility in the other ship ending the show together? Would we be as bitter if we didn't see these opposing ships as the only thing standing between our pairing and total happiness? Personally, I don't think so.
The first part of a Queer as Folk fandom wanks starts with - "I love my ship and I want them to win out because there's so much basis in canon for their love." And because you know that you're right about the true love of this pairing - if someone disagrees with you, and you're even the least bit hot-tempered, it can only lead to name calling, shipper wars, and fandom wank at large. Because we have to prove our point.
And on that note - B/M Forever!
What? I couldn't resist. ;)
~The End~
* Thanks to bonobochick for the link to the 2nd wank. :D
Thanks for reading. Comments, questions welcomed as always.
- Roxie