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

[kel-reiley.livejournal.com]

i don't like his general dismissive tone about fans, as if all of them are exactly the same - we're not just a bunch of heads attached to one body - but i repsect what he's done for gay/lesbian/queer content in media since QaF hit 10 years ago

and even though i didn't like it, this is the story he wanted to tell and he told it

[cleverthylacine]

I think he was a much better writer for QaF than for anything SFnal. :/ He really likes mundane problems and family drama and parent issues and all of that stuff I'd rather not have quite so much of in Dr Who.

[kel-reiley.livejournal.com]

true
and he's all about the angsty drama
not the joy or the wonder (which is what i like about my sci-fi *pouty face*)

[pineapplechild (from livejournal.com)]

sorry, fly by commenting, but I just found the short, abridged and yet articulate version of why I don't like RTD's writing-- it's that lack of wonder. The wonder is what I love about Dr. Who. (And yeah, TW is not DW, but that's a large part of why I don't watch TW, not like I watch DW.)

[kel-reiley.livejournal.com]

in the 1st couple episodes it started out with... not joy (hello, murders and suicides!) but at least gwen was amazed to begin with and in awe and... dammit there was just so much potential with this show that it never, not even in CoE, quite lived up to

*sadface*

i vote we do a remake in ten years
y/y?