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Fan Faction & LGBT Sexuality

Discussion in 'Entertainment and Technology' started by BiPenguin, Nov 9, 2013.

  1. BiPenguin

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    Having children who are into fan fiction, this is old news to me but I came across this article and thought I would share it.

     
  2. Argentwing

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    Personally, I love slash fiction XD but not for the same reason that I love original creations. Problem is, for me at least, fanfic where a character's gayness is important to the story is mostly softcore erotica. I like it for its shameless escapism, allowing the reader to picture just how sweet/hot/wish-fulfilling a scene is.

    The stuck-up literary critic in me says that the plot and other contributions of such stories are still mostly chaff. Original fiction tended towards "domineering alpha males" because they are movers. A character is functionally powerless if LGBT orientation is one of their most important attributes. Not to mention there is so much more to real people than whom they like to bone. I know I brag too much about a character I wrote who is teetering on the brink of Mary Sue-ness anyway, but I imagine her as being a Kinsey 1 or 2 bisexual. It will likely never become relevant to the plot, and a one-off line if brought up at all.

    So I don't think ambiguously gay/gender-bending male leads are a "sweeping craze" in modern literature; as appealing and lasting as I think they are, they will likely remain a guilty pleasure.
     
    #2 Argentwing, Nov 9, 2013
    Last edited: Nov 9, 2013
  3. Dragonbait

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    First, I have to say that just because it's a published book doesn't make it literature. Now that I've established that, I will say that while it very well may not be a "sweeping craze in modern literature" it has all the makings of one in all expressions of pop-culture. Whether the written word, social media, meme, comic books, manga, pop-art, music, television and movies, we're seeing it more and more every day.

    The character portrayal of Sherlock in the current tv show is renowned for his gender-f*ckery, pop-music like Same Love, hell, even a character in the Percy Jackson series all bring LGBQT issues into focus. And I think that with each new entry into the pop-culture market, another chunk of the barrier falls. Is gay culture going to take over the world? No. But I think the lines will continue to become far less rigid, then hazy, then maybe it will be as accepted as unblinkingly as just another variance in tastes and no longer a deviance in nature.
     
  4. An Gentleman

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    FANFICTION IS NOT A GOOD MEDIUM FOR WISH-FULFILLMENT. People are there to read stuff about fictional stuff they like! But it is mostly targeted to girls, which makes much of it sappy bullshit. I hope girls don't actually enjoy that angsty romance crud... That's a sign of the apocalypse. There needs to be fanfiction for guys! Manfiction. I'd think of a portmanteau for LGBTs too, but I can't think of anything catchy enough.
    Weird non sequiturs aside, I think the main problem with fanfiction is that there's a lot of poorly written crap with gratuitous fail yaoi/yuri and gratuitous out-of-character moments. Not a good impression of real gay people.
     
  5. RainbowVomiter

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    Hey. :tantrum: Fluff is awesome. :lol:
     
  6. GeeLee

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    Fan fiction is evil because it gave birth to 50 Shades of Grey.
     
  7. stocking

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    This is such old news fanfiction writing as been going along for years I'm even writing a lesbian fanfic right now
    I write yuri but based on anime may characters I don't write for yaoi i'm not really good with that gene and i don't like it as much as yuri
     
    #7 stocking, Nov 23, 2013
    Last edited: Nov 23, 2013
  8. Argentwing

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    That's not exactly fair I think. You can have a wonderful story in an existing universe that happens to fulfill wishes, yet is entertaining for other reasons. Obviously "wish-fulfillment" may be a euphemism for "gratuitously seeing two random (hot) characters giving in to their latent sexual desires for each other" but that is not at all restricted to gay writers. There is probably a proportionately larger amount of fiction written for straight fantasies also.

    I believe it's called Sturgeon's Law, what applies to fanfic as well: "90% of everything is crap." So no matter what the subject material, fanfic readers must do the job that professional publishers execute for a living by sifting through all the garbage to find the great pieces.
     
  9. An Gentleman

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    Oh, man. Sturgeon's Law is strong with fanfic. And, yeah, you're right- it isn't restricted to gay writers. So I find it a little strange that most fanfic writers are girls. Specifically, teenage, white, straight girls, which seems like an overly narrow category of people to me.
    And I can see how wish fulfillment stories can also be good ones, but sometimes it seems like a waste of perfectly good ideas. Too many romances, not enough other stuff, IMO. Am I implying romance is bad? No, it's just that romance is just not my thing.
     
  10. Linthras

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    I second this.
    Almost all yaoi or gay fanfiction is written by (straight) women. Not that women are incapable of writing gay fanfiction, but it seems most that do can't write it convincingly or attractive for (gay) male readers.
     
  11. stocking

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    Why don't you guys be the first and write a gay fanfic and show them how to do it the right way it might encourage more gay guys to write fanfiction for gay guys
     
  12. Linthras

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    Several reasons:
    A. I don't have the time.
    B. I'm not gay so I'm not sure whether I could accurately portray gay people. (And before you ask how I can criticise other writers: because even I know that gay relationships don't all consist of a girly emotional guy and a internalised homophobic jock)


    I might try my hand at writing an LGBT story at some time, but right now I'm to busy with Uni and trying to find a job.
     
  13. stocking

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    You don't have to rush it take your time and if you don't have time why don't you point on one of the fanfiction forum but like in away that doesn't criticize other writers . I don't write gay fanfiction but even i know that it isn't always girly emotional guy . Good luck (*hug*)
     
  14. Linthras

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    Like I said, I probably will.

    I am sorry but I don't understand what you're trying say here. :icon_redf

    Not always, just ridiculously often.
     
  15. stocking

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    I meant give reviews on those fanfictions and give people a new insight on things