and on another subject, but related to queer fetishization

[rm]

http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/07/backlash-shmacklash-thats-torchwood-creator-russell-t-davies-reaction-to-the-outcry-over-the-death-of-gareth-david-lloyds.html#

I know many people in fandom are pissed about this interview.

But you know what? I fucking love it, because what I do think he's taking aim at in the thing about "go watch Supernatural" and the paragraph that follows on from there, I think he's talking about the fetishizaton of gay characters by parts of the audience and some of the nasty pop-psychology out there from people who really haven't walked even an inch in anyone's big gay shoes. Now sure, those people aren't all of fandom, and no one likes to be lumped in with clueless people they really disagree with, but so it goes.

For me, it's hat tip to RTD time. I don't always agree with his writing choices or his thoughts on writing, but I largely loved CoE, and am writing both Ianto is dead and Ianto isn't dead stuff, and think his remarks on this theme are right fucking on.

(and for the record, I don't think Ianto was fridged either. Jack's ongoing lovers are going to die, and, while he works for Torchwood, probably young and violently. If we expect to see omnisexual Jack having relationships with men, we have to expect those men to meet nasty ends in service to the dilemma of Jack's existence).

(and for the additional record, we can disagree and respect each other, because this is, among other things, about how we care about stories, and that's fucking lovely)

Comments

[svollga.livejournal.com]

I agree AND disagree with you at the same time. On the one hand, I absolutely love RTD for having the balls to say things like this (and to do it while he's on a thin ice, because he stopped being the Doctor Who God, left BBC UK and moved to LA, where I suppose he'll face a lot of challenges w hich I suppose was the point of moving). I also like that he, being a fan himself, does NOT indulge every fan's fantazy in his works, out of solidarity. And yes, talking about the fetishizaton of gay characters.
On the other hand, I don't like the fact the he seems to include a significant part of the fandom in this category. The man who talks in his works and in his own words so often of 'people and their labels', now puts a label on a large and very varying group. I understand that he has more things to do than follow whatever is going online, but still, this dismissive attitude makes me somewhat uncomfortable.
I also don't like that he himself moves the question to the sphere of sexualizing the relationship. It wasn't sex we wanted to see, we had our fair share of janto sexing on screen, thank you very much. It was the development of this difficult and beautiful relationship.

P.S.: You know, you give me just the right thinking material. I'm writing comments to your posts, and then I go and copy them to my own journal because I've expressed just the very thoughts/feelings I've had all day but couldn't put into words.