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timepiececlockIs it possible to have a straightforward discussion of the validity of slash as a character ship (not a fandom ship), without having people get upset?
Sometimes I'd like to sit down with yaoi (slash) fans of Gundam Wing and debate with them why Heero and Duo are not gay, but Quatre and Trowa might be. Or with Highlander, why I do think Methos did it with Byron, but not with Duncan. Or the canon-based exptrapolation of Spike/Angel versus Spike/Xander-- or, if one were so inclined, why none of those work and everyone is straight unless explicitly and irrevicably stated otherwise, or vice versa.
But it seems that slash discussions between people who disagree on whether a slash pairing is valid as a "conventional" couple instead of an unconvention/fandom-based one, always go badly-- and then no one ever really gets to hear the other side's reasons.
Is it just that it's an argument best had in person, where you can read each other's expressions and not take offense so easily?
Do people censor themselves and not try to talk about it, for fear of starting an unintended argument?
Is there a way to say "I don't believe in your ship, you don't believe in mine, let's talk about it and explore why" without the conversation eventually getting bitter?
Do slash fans and het fans even want to have discussion and debate about it?
Or is it like putting Pro-Life-ers in a room with Pro-choice-ers and telling them to talk about only abortion: there will be blood and vitriol no matter how good your intentions?
Sometimes I'd like to sit down with yaoi (slash) fans of Gundam Wing and debate with them why Heero and Duo are not gay, but Quatre and Trowa might be. Or with Highlander, why I do think Methos did it with Byron, but not with Duncan. Or the canon-based exptrapolation of Spike/Angel versus Spike/Xander-- or, if one were so inclined, why none of those work and everyone is straight unless explicitly and irrevicably stated otherwise, or vice versa.
But it seems that slash discussions between people who disagree on whether a slash pairing is valid as a "conventional" couple instead of an unconvention/fandom-based one, always go badly-- and then no one ever really gets to hear the other side's reasons.
Is it just that it's an argument best had in person, where you can read each other's expressions and not take offense so easily?
Do people censor themselves and not try to talk about it, for fear of starting an unintended argument?
Is there a way to say "I don't believe in your ship, you don't believe in mine, let's talk about it and explore why" without the conversation eventually getting bitter?
Do slash fans and het fans even want to have discussion and debate about it?
Or is it like putting Pro-Life-ers in a room with Pro-choice-ers and telling them to talk about only abortion: there will be blood and vitriol no matter how good your intentions?
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Date: 2003-10-04 07:11 pm (UTC)I didn't even know that S/R was considered a popular slash pair until I started joining that fandom. Then I was like, "Ok, sure, we know so little about them and we haven't been told anything either way, so that's fine." Some of the other slash pairings I've come across in HP, especially H/D, I basically read the same as Hermione/Draco--- Draco is so fanon by the time you get to the point of romancing a good-guy, that of course his sexuality is up for grabs too. But then, I tend to like fanon-Draco.
Perhaps ultimately it must be determined before hand that neither is really attempting to change the other's mind, and that it's not a personal attack.
Yeah, that's a good idea. that's what someoen else said too-- work out the rules and boundaries before the conversation, and the accidental insults will hopefully be less.