Yes ladies and gentlemen here I go again. I really am an opinionated little git aren't I? Anyway, on with the day's ranting.
A little while back a member of one of the LotR slash lists I am part of met Sir Ian. Naturally a little jealousy was felt from the masses but that was to be expected. Then we learn that not only did she meet Sir Ian, but she spoke of the sacred doctrine that is slash to him. This sent the list and slash community into an immediate, melodramatic uproar.
I can understand that some people grew wary. Fan fiction is a shade of gray as far as copy writes are concerned, and we can all recall what happened to the Anne Rice fandoms. It is a good idea to take precautions like issuing disclaimers and warnings so as not to offend anyone.
What I could not understand the bitter hatred and attacks on the poor girl who started the debate. In fact it made me a little ill to read some of the violent words that went out against her. Surely these people saw how bloody hypocritical they were being. They write slash in claims of an open mind and a way to express themselves openly. Then they turn around and complain about someone speaking their mind.
I thought this debate had blown over and subsided. The woman in question no longer posts to the lists, but has kept writing and updates privately. For that I am thankful. She is a good writer and I'd hate to see someone stop doing something they love because of misdirected anger.
Then I came across a lovely article on SlashCity. And I have had enough of this nonsense. It is entitled Common Sense and Fannish Safety. Because I'm tired of this subject and upset about the way this article lashes out at our girl, I shall be commenting throughout. The article is done in Italics.
I really, really don't wish to offend anyone who is a member, or single anyone out. And I don't want anyone to mistake this as a slap on the cyber-wrist... but something needs to be said.
Well, you both singled someone out and offended, so this paragraph is null.
I have not heard of any SlashCity member doing something like this, but I think that a general reminder and heads-up is definitely in order.
If there is one thing we absolutely, positively cannot allow, it's for site members to approach celebs or anyone associated with slashed source material, and point them in the direction of slash sites and/or RPS sites.
What if they ask for it first?
Yes, someone in a fandom that has boomed lately has actually approached a very high-profile star and explained to him in gleeful detail all about slash and RPS. And there are actually fans out there who support her actions and see nothing wrong with what she did.
She had the strength to say what she did and be proud. I believe that takes courage my friend. She did not go to Tolkien enterprises and tell them where the slash was. Though I can guarantee you that they already know. She simply asked Ian if he was interested, and he was, so she told him her own site. It did not endanger anyone else. I'm sure that if Sir McKellen was offended he would have told her and she would have desisted out of respect.
But let me make it clear: what she has done has broken every fannish rule in the fucking book. She has endangered us all. You do NOT hand TPTB a frickin' roadmap to fannish circles. What we do is for ourselves and other like-minded fans. People not involved in fannish circles do not have the same perspectives we do. They don't HAVE to. It's naive, dimwitted and completely self-serving to take it upon oneself to introduce TPTB to our fannish endeavors on behalf of all of the rest of us. Whether or not that celeb might actually find it amusing is not the point. It is not up to any one fan to take that chance for all of us. Without our consent, this person has made herself a representative of the rest of us. In case it isn't obvious, that has me seeing red. She does not represent me, my tastes, my opinions, or anyone else who operates on our server.
Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and opinions in the world. That is in essence what makes it so interesting, and our differences make us human. No, I do not expect everyone to tolerate or like slash. But I do expect everyone to show some respect to others concerning their tastes. I can understand that it's hard to know if someone will appreciate slash. But if you don't ask, then I think the lists would be mighty barren, don't you? All of the lists and sites have members because someone told someone else about them. Just because a person is not in a fannish circle does not mean they don't enjoy it. They could simply not know.
Of course she doesn't represent you as an individual. Nor do you represent the entire fandom in your own opinion here. She had no intention of speaking for all us slash writers. She was simply excited and spoke for herself.
In any event... We operate with the understanding that we have the freedom to enjoy the source materials (tv shows, movies, etc) in our own way as long as our pursuits do not negatively impact that very source material.
Agreed. Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing.
The last thing LotR fandom needs is a big, ugly headline about the weirdo fans who write sex stories about the ACTORS who perform in the films. That's negative impact, and it's the kind of thing that puts everyone in fandom in jeopardy.
Slash fan fiction has been around for years. There have been radio specials about what inspires people to write it and the close nit communities it creates online. Those who are not interested have a tendency to ignore it. LotR slash has also been around much longer than the movie. TPTB is aware of its existence and has chosen to let it slide. But, by constantly pointing fingers and screaming at one another all you do is draw attention to it. I also find this bickering irksome as it is in effect destroying the community that I have grown fond of.
We have a clause in our SlashCity ToS that specifically states that members are not to deliberately draw the attention of those not already in fannish circles. We specifically state one example as deliberately submitting url's to search engines. We didn't think there would be anyone brain-damaged enough to deliberately draw the attention of a well-known actor, so we didn't add that in there.
All good precautions and I agree with not shoving it in the public eye. As slash does contain mature content it is a good idea to protect it. But I must say that if they (the actors) want to find the slash. They will. In fact�they already have.
I'm confident, though, that our little community's membership is bright enough to know that already. I'm breathing a huge sigh of relief lately that the... person... responsible for my cautionary post was not a SlashCity member. I like to think that collectively we are a pretty level-headed bunch.
So let me wrap this up with a general piece of advice... if you have a site likely to be linked from the 'Twat of the Week', you might want to think about whether you have some damage control to do.
Harsh.
Again, I don't at all blame any member of this server for what this other person has done, and I am genuinely sorry if some of you feel picked on over this. It's not my intention. But as we are a collective of individuals and sites with common interests, we owe it to each other to continue to watch each other's backs. And I strongly feel that if we are not aware of situations such as this, it makes that task all the more difficult. So as unpleasant as the topic might be, it is very necessary for the well-being of all our sites and fannish endeavors.
Yes, the slash community is a wonderful place to find support and like minds. I have made some very close friends through these groups. All, of which I love and cheer on, even when they do something silly in the spur of the moment. This community is one of respect, inspiration and open-mindedness-except apparently when you show pride in it and wish to share.
I understand that you can't always predict how people will react. But I believe most of you are getting a bit carried away with this. As I have had some experience with celebrities and slash content. For the most part they were amused�in fact two have written their own fan fiction after being introduced. So not all people are out to get us.
Thanks much for your cooperation and understanding.
Hopefully this will be put to rest now and we can get back to writing. Since that is the true heart of this debate, is it not?
-Jules