characters like me

[rm]

Dear New Fandom:

Hey, we all like an awesome new show! Awesome! It's nice to meet you.

Among a whole bunch of other things, I'm a queer person, and this means a few things. Let's talk about them for a little bit, okay?

1. It is not unreasonable for me to want to see a character whose experiences are similar to mine on shows that I like.

2. It is reasonable for me to judge how watchable I find a show based on whether I can relate to and/or believe in the characters and their world. While queerness isn't the only item that matters in this regard, it is a critical one.

3. When I say I want a queer character on a TV show, in a book, or in a film, that has nothing to do with wanting to write slash -- even if I am, in fact, a queer person who is also a slash reader and writer.

4. Being able to slash characters is not an acceptable or adequate replacement for actual, canonically queer characters.

5. Neither is "maybe the characters whose personal lives we don't know anything about are gay." Yes, they provide and opportunity for the show writers, but they aren't good enough in terms of representation as they stand now.

6. When I talk about wanting to see queer characters, please do not assume that automatically means men. Also do not assume I mean gay or lesbian over bisexual, or that I would not welcome a trans character. When I say queer, I mean queer in all its QUILTBAG-y diversity.

7. Wanting to see queer characters on TV isn't about titillation or political correctness for me.

8. So when I talk about this, don't, by the way, put words in my mouth. I've been queer a long time. I've also been a fan a long time. And I've also been ranting about media and entertainment for a long time, because that's what I do both for fun and while wearing some of my professional hats. Let the queer people speak for themselves.

So when you say things that make me feel the need to say these things? To me, it seems like you're having a hard time imagining all the possibilities for love, romance, and fucking out there, or what it's like to live in a world where your stories aren't on TV or the big screen most of the time beyond a wink, a nod, and, if you're lucky, some too-often oddly heteronormative fanfiction.

I know you love our awesome show. I love our awesome show too! I just wish it would have more of a place for me. So when you tell me I'm unreasonable for wanting our awesome show to be even more awesome? Well, I get sad and angry. And I wonder why you think that.

Why do you?

Best,

RM

Comments

[sunhawk.livejournal.com]

Boo to them!! Sorry you have to even say this stuff deary :/

[chaos-by-design.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that all makes sense.

I for one would LOVE to see a bisexual character who isn't a sex maniac or someone who sleeps around indiscriminately or a villain.

And who doesn't die.

[sahiya.livejournal.com]

Lemme guess (just based on what I know about your new-ish fandoms): Covert Affairs?

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Check out the most recent post in the main comm and my attempt to have a conversation in comments.

[n-decisive.livejournal.com]

<3

Curious...which show?

[rm.livejournal.com]

Covert Affairs.

[iballs2entrails.livejournal.com]

I also would adore to see that.

[feyandstrange.livejournal.com]

QUILTBAG?

When I was with Anything That Moves, we invented FABGLITTER - Fetish, Allies, Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Intersexed, Transgendered, Transsexual, Engendering Revolution. Always liked that.

And worth noting that obvious sex-linked stuff aside, most of this applies to other under-represented groups.

[lilacsigil.livejournal.com]

4. YES. I'm sad that has to be said, but it does. Over and over.

Also, as a queer quilter, I love seeing QUILTBAG being used!

[sahiya.livejournal.com]

I don't actually watch the show, much less follow the comms, but I am intrigued enough to go find it.

[karnythia.livejournal.com]

I feel like I could sub race for orientation and have this post apply to me and fandom.

[n-decisive.livejournal.com]

Ah. I thought about that, but there are a few new ones that have started this week, so I didn't want to assume.

The way I look at things, television should match the statistics. If one in ten are queer, then by the time I've been introduced to ten players of note, I'll be expecting someone who isn't het to show up soon. I know not everyone is out, so there's leeway to be had, but I don't recall a single instance in the entire season of Covert Affairs, and that's just off to me.

[karnythia.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry. I gave up on fandom this year and it seems to make the shows enjoyable again. I know, not a solution but sometimes giving yourself that space could be a good thing.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yup, absolutely. I'm working on only speaking for my direct experience right now, but it's like look at race and sexuality in White Collar vs. Covert Affairs. They both have problems, but wow, White Collar is working really hard and doing a pretty damn good job on many fronts. Covert Affairs, not so much.

Never heard FABGLITTER before. Love it.

[sahiya.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes. So I see.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I'm very close to deciding I'm not wasting my time with this show's fandom outside of my friends and this journal space.

[feyandstrange.livejournal.com]

FOr years I've wanted to script a romantic comedy in which the lead romantic problem was standard het people having the usual stupid romance relationship issues, but the "best friend" characters were bisexual polyamorists in a sane, stable relationship that functioned very well and supported a couple of really well-adjusted cute kids.

"But Best Friend, I'm sure he's still got the hots for his ex, who is all sexier than me and I'm jealous!"

"Well, do you think he could handle a triad? Oops, sorry. Wait, the ex is a hot available chick? Have you considered hitting on her instead? Oh, wait, right, sorry. Look, maybe you should just *talk* about it with him."

"No, I'm going to hatch a wacky romance plan involving stalking and manipulative behavior instead, I think. Communication is hard!"

"I suppose I could hit on him for you if it would help, but I really shouldn't condone your wacky het behaviors."

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yeah. The show is really weak on racial diversity too, no matter how awesome Jai is.

[emily-shore.livejournal.com]

And I gave up on shows that have fandoms. That works too.

[n-decisive.livejournal.com]

Agreed. No matter how awesome, or how hot.

Speaking of hot, is it just me, or do they tend to have a "look" for the women of the show? Annie's lovely, but not really my type and I'd love to see a more realistic expression of womanhood on the show.

The more I think about it, the whiter that show is. :(

[karnythia.livejournal.com]

I don't want to do that. Well, I did it with Who, but that was a special set of fuckery.

[lefaym.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry that people are being such douches.

For a long time now, I've had trouble suspending disbelief when I encounter works of fiction in which every character is explicitly or implicity heterosexual, especially when those works focus on a broad ensemble of characters.

[rm.livejournal.com]

The show is ridiculously white. There's not even much "white ethnic" (i.e., people with my coloring or curly hair). Everyone is so P&G. The idea that only people who are "all-American" looking can disguise themselves in many roles is sickening.

[karnythia.livejournal.com]

Yeah that was why I skipped it entirely.

[marcmagus]

I love this, and encourage you to actually do it.