Introduction and Warning to "When Universes
Collide"
I was twenty-two years old
when Starsky and Hutch originally aired on ABC. At first, I was drawn to the
show by the two gorgeous men that portrayed them, but it was the relationship
that kept me coming back week after week. Through the four years that I watched
them, I never thought of them as being anything but two heterosexual males that
shared a very special friendship.
It wasn't until 1998, when I
connected to the Internet that I was introduced to slash. Before then, I had
never heard the terms "fan fiction", "Gen" or
"slash", so when I accidentally clicked into a slash fan fiction
site, I was shocked. How could anyone think that they had taken their
relationship to that level? It went against everything I had believed in about
those two handsome detectives.
Now, I've come to accept
slash as simply another "universe". Whether or not I agree with their
point of view doesn't mean they are wrong and I'm right. Each author puts a
part of her or his soul into their story, whether that story is Gen, AU, a
crossover, missing scene, or slash. I have no problem with intelligent
discussions about Gen versus slash, but to attack a writer simply because their
interpretation of the characters is different than someone else's is
unforgivable. I've seen lists torn apart by flame wars over this subject, and I
am sickened by the hatred and condemnation that I've seen aimed at slash
authors.
Do I believe that it was the
producer's intention to portray them as gay when the show aired in 1975? No, I
do not. How did I miss all of the homoerotic overtones in the original series?
The answer to that one is easy: I wasn't looking for it. Does that mean that I
have the right to tell someone else what they should believe? No, it certainly
does not. My opinion is just that: mine. I would never presume to force that
opinion on others, any more than I would allow them to force their opinion on
me.
I've been an avid reader
since I was old enough to hold a book by myself. When I'm not on the 'net,
reading fan fiction, you can find me at our local library, or one of the two
bookstores in my area, searching for something to read. In all the times I've
been to those places, I've never seen anyone standing toe to toe, or nose to
nose, shouting obscenities at each other simply because their choice of reading
material is different. I only wish that some
of the attitudes I have found in this fandom could be as mature, or as
tolerant.
My good friend, and beta
reader, Sonja van Schalm, told me when she read this story that the line
between Gen and slash had blurred for me, and perhaps she is right. Although I
am most comfortable in the Gen universe, I hope that I am open-minded enough to
accept the interpretations of others.
The last show of the
original series, Sweet Revenge, was aired on
Now for the warning: This
story depicts a male/male relationship
between Starsky and Hutch in parts. It is also a death story. If either subject makes you uncomfortable, I strongly
urge you not to read it. However, if you do read it, I hope it gives you
something to think about.
Pat L.
March, 2004
Click on
this link to get to the story: When
Universes Collide
Back to "A Walk on
the Dark Side" Index Back to FanFic2