Slash and Fanfic (was: Responses to assaults on my parenting)

[Haggridd <jkusalavagemd@yahoo.com>]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "gwendolyngrace 
<gwendolyngrace at y...>" <gwendolyngrace at y...> wrote:
> Hi, all.
Hello,

Without being patronising, let me say that you have made some 
interesting points, some of which have affected how I look at the 
issues before us.  I am still mulling things over; I don't know how I 
will feel at the end.  I do not want to refute what you say, but I 
would like to raise some counter-questions to the ones you pose:
> 
> Well, I have a few questions.
> 
> 1. If you truly fear that exposure to others' interpretations of 
> their HP will sully the image you have of your HP, then why are you 
> even reading fanfic? Why are you here on any of the HPFGU lists? 
> 
> When I choose to write a fanfic, I'm not forcing you to accept my 
> view; I'm sharing it with you. The same could be said for the 
> creative teams who worked on the film versions of books one and two-
-
> they are NOT the same as the books, but they are an opportunity to 
> see what many *other* people see in the books. There are lots of 
> people on the HPFGU group of lists who feel that exposure to the 
> films would have too great an impact on their internal pictures--so 
> they didn't go see it. 
> 
> It seems to me that if your idea of who and what the characters are 
> is that fragile, fanfic is not for you.
> 

Counter-question #1:  If you write fiction that is so antithetical to 
the stories as written by the author, why do you want to write 
"fan" fiction in the first place? Write about Jim and Joe and Dilbert 
and Bobby Sue instead.



> 
> So this leads me to question 2:
> 
> 2. Why is the *orientation* of the characters such a sticking point 
> for some people? If nothing else were "altered" except the 
> orientation of a character, why should that make a difference? 
> 

I'll snip your example of Fred.  I don't have a counter-question 
other than to ask why a writer would want to create a character with 
such a life-defining characteristic, one which profoundly affects 
outlook, philosophy and behavior, and have the character act, think, 
want, love, precisely the same as if he/she did not have this life-
defining characteristic.?  What would be the point?
If your thesis is that there is absolutely no difference in these 
attributes between gay persons and straight persons, I can only say 
that perhaps the writewr needs some more exposure to life before 
attempting this character.


> I'm still firmly in agreement that people have the right to read 
what 
> they like as well as the right to not read what they don't like. 
And 
> not liking slash--well, no, that doesn't make you a homophobe. 
> 

> 
> Again, look at question one: If your impression of canon is so 
> fragile that the barest reference to an image of a character that 
is 
> unlike yours would cause irreparable damage, why are you reading 
any 
> fanfic at all? If even a glimpse of the *summary* would tarnish 
your 
> images, then how do you go about picking *any* fic to read without 
> risking your mental pictures?
> 
Gwen (If I may address you so) By exaggerating the previously stated 
objections-- among those some of my own-- you are setting up straw 
men of your own here and knocking them down. They're your straw men, 
knocking them down makes no point.   
> 


> 
> 
> Now, Slut!Ginny does happen to make my stomach queasy. I just don't 
> think she'd suddenly turn all sexpot on us.



Actually, I think that this Slut!Ginny story is equally departing 
from JKR's stories, and I would not find such a story edifying or 
enjoyable.  Counter-question:  Why should this story not carry 
content lables as well as the slash?

 But neither does it fill 
> my head with an unclean, foul-looking image of the Ginster that I 
> feel would taint my impressions of her every time I read the scene 
> where she stumbles down to the breakfast table in her nightgown, 
eeps 
> in surprise to see Harry, and runs back out. If anything, the image 
> is so incompatible with what I think to be the case that I simply 
> don't connect them.
> 

Nicely written image, but still a strawman.
> So again, I ask:
> 
> 1. If you truly fear that exposure to others' interpretations of 
> their HP will sully the image you have of your HP, then why are you 
> even reading fanfic? 
> 
> 2. If nothing else were "altered" except the orientation of a 
> character, why should that make such a difference? Are you telling 
> me, are you honestly telling me, that you would love these 
characters 
> *less* if they turned out to be gay?
> 
> 
See above counterquestions, please.

Haggridd
> Gwen