sundries

[rm]

Child brides in Afghanistan.

At least ten people have been killed as Israeli fires on ships intended to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza. There is, I think a temptation in the US to ignore what goes on with Israel because it's a big awkward mess for us as a national politically and emotionally, but this is Very Bad and Very Significant and we should be paying attention. And, eventhough I just linked you to the New York Times, if you do follow this, you should be reading the BBC and Al-Jezeera as well.

So there's this contest that John Scalzi and Wil Wheaton have put together to raise funds for the Lupus Alliance for America. If you follow the link you'll see the contest is to write fanfiction based on a picture, and the winner gets $$ and it published. Anything is allowed -- except slash. I have to wonder if they meant (the perfectly reasonable) "anything is allowed expect explicit sex" in a (sort of annoying) misunderstanding of what slash generally means, or if a couple of guys volunteering themselves to be the subject of RPF to benefit charity really went and said "you can write anything about us you want as regards to a picture in which one of us in an orc and the other is riding a flying unicorn kitten, except icky icky homosexuality." Charity Good. Situation kinda uncomfortable even if it is about a hideous painting that... well, go to the link. Thanks for penguineggs for the heads up. Also, scalzi comments below.

In case you were unclear, as some people on the thread are: slash is not inherently porn and queer content is not inherently about sex.

TERROR: My XXX-flavour vitamin water has special packaging to promote Eclipse, the latest movie in the Twilight series. I am full of shame.

Last night on Angel and Buffy:

Mental institution episode on Buffy -- on one hand, trite device; on the other hand, well-executed. Also effectively has some interesting meta thoughts about judging response to stories. Demon summoned with digeridoo? kinda offensive. But you know, it's Buffy and you get used to it.

Also? Xander left Anya. Glad that that wasn't really Xander's future we were seeing, but the whole thing felt forced and not like it had enough arc and the episode didn't know what it wanted to be. Didn't hate it. Didn't love it. Curious to see what Anya will choose, as that choice seems critical to whatever the message the show is or isn't trying to have.

On Angel Gunn needed Wesley's help to save Fred and Wesley gives that speech about he forced himself to live so he could see his friends and explain what he'd done. Oh the burning, burning hate there. Time eight billion and seventy three where my reaction to Angel is to find deaths on Torchwood merciful.

There are a couple of "people need help" things going on out there, but I'm waiting to post until tomorrow when people are back on the Internet.

Comments

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

I agree the "No slash, plz" thing being icky.

That said, it is sanctioned RPF and I can understand wanting to make rules about what they want or don't want written about themselves.

The "ew, gay cooties" way they phrased it was problematic, though.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yup. The issue is phrasing, lack of clarity and the implication that all queer content is explicitly sexual.

Also, glad I'm not being irrational here. I left what I hope was a clear and civil comment about it on the post itself, but who knows.

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

Someone posted:
# Mrs Jeff Rubinoffon 31 May 2010 at 11:34 am

I hardly think that “please don’t send me porn of myself” is homophobic.


To which I replied:
@MrsJeffRobinson: Slash isn’t inherently pornographic.

Writing a story about Orc!Scalzi and Wil shopping for china for their summer home would be just as much “slash” as an explicit sex scene between them.

Not wanting the latter is perfectly reasonable, not wanting the former is homophobic.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I just saw that. You're awesome. I could seriously use the unikitten when shopping. That would scare the crap outta people.

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

::facepalm::

So close, and yet, so far...

#
# Mrs Jeff Rubinoffon 31 May 2010 at 12:04 pm

Scalzorc and Wil shopping for china would make for one really dull story. Especially compared to the picture prompt.

But seriously, I don’t think it’s unreasonable for someone to say “I don’t want to read about myself in a romantic relationship with this person” either, graphic sex or no. Not everything needs a love interest.

[rm.livejournal.com]

It's a good thing I'm on a deadline today, or this would somehow, FREAKISHLY, consume my ENTIRE DAY.

YAY!

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

#
# John Scalzion 31 May 2010 at 12:41 pm

I personally have no problem with romantic content. It’s explicit sex we’d like to avoid.

Re: YAY!

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yup, saw that. Excellent and good. I'd really be a lot happier (in large part so I don't have to keep reading about this on my f-list all week) if he changes the phrasing up in the initial rules post thought.

[penguineggs.livejournal.com]

Well, even if someone thought all queer content is explicitly sexual they couldn't possibly think all non-queer content is non-sexual - say for example unikitten is female (as it might well be), would explicit unikitten sex with added bonus horn action be permitted? On current guidelines, it would seem so.

[Edited clumsily to remove ambiguous and potentially offensive use of generic 'you'.]

[rm.livejournal.com]

Also, what if I want to slash the clown sweater and the unikitten?

[scalzi.livejournal.com]

That's assuming the Unicorn Pegasus Kitten is male, isn't it? Not to mention the clown sweater!

We specified "slash" because Wil and I are each male and didn't assume (silly us) that people would possibly add additional characters to the mix outside of the picture, so a general "hey, no explicit sex pls kthnxbye" would not be necessary. Our bad.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Thank you for taking my "I think I know what you meant but ooopsie" in the spirit it was intended. Since you're basically sanctioning RPF about you, you of course get to set the rules.

But, seriously, since it was not what was intended, you'll get more of fandom to play and be aware of the charity effort (okay, not like you and Wil need help making the Internet hear you, but let's pretend) if you change "slash" to a slightly longer and less potentially incendiary rules clarification that doesn't look like you're judging the habits of fandom or queer people.

[melebeth]

What _is_ the definition of slash? As someone who pretty much only reads fan fiction that you write or you point me to, and who is thus woefully uninformed about the genre, I always thought it was taking two characters from a universe and having them have sex. I.e. my impression had just always been that slash implies an explicit sexual element not that it implies a same-sex sexual element.

[rm.livejournal.com]

The meaning of slash is up for debate.

It may mean any of the following things:

- creating a relationship between two same-sex characters who are not canonically in a relationship (historical meaning)
- any fanfic about any queer relationship, canonical or not (probably most current usage)
- creating a relationship between two characters who are not canonically in a relationship. (a usage some people argue for, but isn't the dominant one).

Some people also assume it only refers to explicit sex.

While the current meaning of slash is unclear (evolving term and evolving canons have confused it), the connotation of queer content is strong, hence the way this all gets awkward.

[melebeth]

*nod*

Thanks.

You know, if language simply refused to evolve we'd save ourselves SO much grief. :)

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

I thought your response to the apparent "ew icky gay ppls" tone of the post was extremely measured and polite. More likely to be taken well than the things my wife and I were shouting at each other.

The fact that Wheaton's involved made me assume that my interpretation of the tone was correct, since I haven't read his blog since he hopped on the anti-furry bandwagon. I'm glad that Scalzi and Wheaton had, apparently, simply completely gotten the whole idea wrong.

[sevendayloan.livejournal.com]

The demon was summoned with a digeridoo because the actor who plays Andrew, Tom Lenk, knows how to play one. To be honest, I'm not seeing it as any more offensive than calling a demon with an oboe. And I don't feel like it in any way ties together evil magic and Aboriginal culture, given that the digeridoo is played by enthusiasts all around the world.

That aside, these are two of my favorite episodes of Buffy, and I particularly loved Hell's Bells. Of course, Anya being a favorite character, I think that I'd love this episode regardless of what happened in it. I'm pretty sure I just saw, "Ooh, Anya! Oh, tragedy!" and stopped there. Perhaps a rewatch is in order...

About the slash thing, I'm glad to see that it was a misunderstanding, and I hope that Scalzi and Wheaton will change the rules to make things clear. :)

[chris-walsh.livejournal.com]

the digeridoo is played by enthusiasts all around the world.

Reminds me of the quiet joy I felt seeing a busker in downtown Portland, OR playing one.

[sevendayloan.livejournal.com]

That's so cool. Somehow the combination of buskers (awesome) and digeridoos (awesome) is making me smile like a lunatic.

[elisi]

Thanks for the links.

Also? Xander left Anya. Glad that that wasn't really Xander's future we were seeing, but the whole thing felt forced and not like it had enough arc and the episode didn't know what it wanted to be.
Here is the single best meta on the episode that I've ever read, in case you'd like something more substantial. (Yes it's my journal, but I didn't write it.) That said, I think the episode kinda fails when you need an essay to explain why it's brilliant.

Wesley gives that speech about he forced himself to live so he could see his friends and explain what he'd done. Oh the burning, burning hate there.
Oh Lord yes, that speech. Actually the whole, awful situation is just one giant ball of angst. (Which of course means that I love it, even as my heart breaks for everyone.)

Time eight billion and seventy three where my reaction to Angel is to find deaths on Torchwood merciful.
Heh. See Ianto's death hit me harder than any Jossverse one, but I wasn't surprised in the least, cause Joss taught me that a writer will always, always go for maximum pain...

[laughingacademy.livejournal.com]

Good on you re: the Scalzi/Wheaton fanfic challenge. (No change in the challenge wording -- yet. Fingers crossed!)

FYI, it looks like Metropolis is still running at Film Forum. "Held over for a limited time only!" Showings at 1:30, 4:30 and 7:30.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Scalzi has clarified favorably in comments there, btw, but the main problematic wording does remain.

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

Ooh, 'ta on the Metropolis heads-up!

[laughingacademy.livejournal.com]

I've been to two screenings and both were very well attended, so I figure Film Forum is going to ride this pony for as long as it can.

[smirnoffmule.livejournal.com]

Time eight billion and seventy three where my reaction to Angel is to find deaths on Torchwood merciful.

Oh my god yes.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Glad I am not alone in this.

[smirnoffmule.livejournal.com]

I'll be really interested to hear your thoughts once you've watched it all... but yeah, I don't think you'll be changing your mind on that issue. Much as I love the show, for me as a fan, Angel is Joss at his absolute cruelest. Even including Wash, whose death I hated, but which was at least fast.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I've yet to find anything Whedon has done as reading as cruel (including Wash's death, which I do personally emotionally hate). I realize with what's coming up on Angel and Tara's immanent death on Buffy, I might soon be changing my mind, although I may also not be wired to interpret acts of creators as deliberately cruel to characters or audiences -- I'm not sure.

[smirnoffmule.livejournal.com]

I'm not really wired that way either (and certainly don't tend to interpret creator acts as being aimed negatively at audiences in that way), but even so... and I'm totally stuck in terms of clarifying without being spoilery. Like I said, will be interested to hear what you make of it, and especially how it fits in with your work on the subject.

[heron61.livejournal.com]

Demon summoned with digeridoo? kinda offensive. But you know, it's Buffy and you get used to it.

That's Buffy for you - better wrt gender than 95% of current TV, and full of much racefail.

[marita-c.livejournal.com]

The last thing these ships intended to do was bring humanitarian aid to Gaza. But, unfortunately, the IDF is run by a bunch of incompetent morons who decided to use force instead of brains to resolve this matter, which is exactly what the organizers of this demonstration hoped for.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

I doubt they hoped 19 people were going to be murdered and wounded.
If you're saying that the aim of the flotilla was to put a spot light on the siege, then yes, you're right. However, The 10,000 tonnes of food, medical supplies, clothes and things that fall under humanitarian aid kind of contradicts your statement about it being the last thing on these people's minds.

Israel is considered one of the most competent armies in the world. The US, UK and various other European countries drill with them for that reason. Them not considering the fact that self-defense turns violent is a mistake on their part and it's quite telling that so many people are willing to blame the victims in this incident.

Re: Flotilla/Israel incident

[ravenskye8.livejournal.com]

Additional information you won't find in anti-Israel biased news sources:

http://www.honestreporting.com/articles/45884734/critiques/new/Special_Alert_Flotilla_Battle_Unleashes_Anti-Israel_Wave.asp

[sethg]

Interesting commentary from an Israeli newspaper on the flotilla incident: “Hamas, and no less, Iran and Hezbollah, learned early on that Israel's own embargo against Hamas-ruled Gaza was the most sophisticated and powerful weapon they could have deployed against the Jewish state. Here in Israel, we have still yet to learn the lesson: We are no longer defending Israel. We are now defending the siege. The siege itself is becoming Israel's Vietnam.”

[rm.livejournal.com]

Extremely interesting. Thank you.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

What depresses me and angers me so about the attack on those innocents on the flotilla is we will get some tutting and thern... nothing. Israel will be able to spin it - because the US that gives so much to Israel will swallow it/ignore it. And then the next attempt to bring aid can face the same horrendous thing. This is horrendous and it cannot be ignored



On Scalzi/Wheaton. They should have said "no explicit sex" not "no slash". The former is perfectly understandable, the second sounds very "ewww, get the nasty gay away"

[supertailz.livejournal.com]

They haven't actually gotten rid of the word slash, but they have edited to add pretty much exactly what Scalzi mentioned in comments/replied to you. Basically "explicit sex bad, queer content a-ok!"

[rm.livejournal.com]

Ah good... I stopped checking in on whether it had been edited after Scalzi was reasonable both in comments here and there but it seemed unlikely that editing was going to happen.