Fanfics with slash & sex...I don't get it

[ER <ression@hotmail.com>]

"bel" wrote -

> IMO, this is leading up to making a point that every person might 
find something different to get offended by. Personally, I would be 
very offended if JKR would write the Slytherins (any of them) as 
smokers, or as addicted to drugs, or alcoholics. It just doesn't add 
up.

Strange, if you'd asked me I'd have said that was just _their_ sort 
of thing! You're a Slytherin fan, right?

>And another thing that would offend me is if Blaize turned out to be 
a girl. (there are many other things, but these are just my 
conceptions of the characters, and I would go on reading the series 
regardless, just cos I like it :)).

Blaize???


> I agree. Warnings are in place, to avoid something that ickles you. 
Nothing wrong with that.

I agree too!

>>JK's books are designed to be read by children and I think 
the "violence" is pantomime stuff.

> No it isn't! The violence there is very real.

I guess this is just a question of how one reads it. Maybe I'm just 
jaded, but to me there are no _nasty_ death scenes or maimings in the 
book. Harry gets stabbed with a basilisks fang or whatever and hey-
presto there's a ruddy bird on his shoulder giving CPR :) But 
obviously everybody reacts differently. I think "Heidi Tandy" said 
earlier that when they brought Cedric's body back, that made her cry. 
This is simply something I can't understand :( But, I still love the 
books!

>*gags, spluttering her tea all over the keyboard*
Excuse me?? "big deal"? "Who cared about him?"??? Maybe the "little 
we did know was ... popped into GoF just to make him slightly less of 
a minor-character when he did get killed" but he *did* get  killed. 
And he was harmless. And his death was pointless and stupid. And 
ruthless.

Not sure it was pointless, JK probably put it there for a reason, 
it's just that it didn't give me goosebumps. Honest.

>If you feel "big-deal" and "who cares about him" in regards to 
Cedric, how do you feel about the Riddle's Gardener, Frank? was he 
insubstantial and meaningless too?

I know nothing of him, so I can't really comment. But his death 
didn't upset me. Did it move you? I'm sure you must think I'm a 
heartless old bastard, but, really, I'm not :) It just that none of 
these death scenes has anything to grab at me inner vitals.

> Maybe except History of Magic ;).

Yeah, you're right there. Goblin Revolutions must be about as 
interesting as the Corn Laws, especially at age 14 or so. A little 
like being made to read Jane Eyre at that age too! And this just 
reminds of something I thought of once (sad or what) - do the 
Hogwarts' pupils have English or Maths lessons? Or are they just 
expect to write literate yard-long essays without any teaching on the 
subject of grammar and wotnot?

 
>We have no way of knowing that [re bullying]. What about the 
Marauders tormenting Snape? 
or Draco and his cronies tormenting Neville?

I'd argue (again) that it's not sustained, and that an occasional bit 
of roughing up is all part of learning to cope with life and some of 
the unpleasant people that populate it, but I suppose we just don't 
know. And I suppose on those grounds, now I think about it, that 
might mean that there is bullying since there would be in a real 
school. Strange in a way that JK hasn't tackled this more, her being 
an ex-school-teacher and all that. But (he suddenly thinks), she 
didn't to upset some of her younger readers who are being bullied?


>Well, just the fact that it's *fanfic* makes it non-canon, doesn't 
it? No one but JKR can write exactly what JKR has in mind. Everything 
else is just personal interpretation, even TCTMNBN.

Taken to the nth-degree, no doubt, but I think more generally people 
can abide by what canon is available and try and write the characters 
as in-character as they can. Perhaps we need a FanFriction category!

> I never lost a good night's sleep.

Give it twenty years or so ...

> But now I'm determined to write a fic exploring that particular 
ship [Harry/Neville] *g*)

Do let us now when you're finished. Just tag a "warning" on the 
front ;)


ER