![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rynling(1) The False Equivalency of Representation
Even if a fanfic has hundreds of thousands of views and thousands of kudos, it is never going to achieve the same level of cultural impact as big-budget mainstream media. No matter how much wholesome fic you write about Finn, it is not going to be the same as John Boyega’s face on every movie screen everywhere in the world.
(2) The False Equivalency of “They’re Just Fictional Characters”
Because “positive representation” isn’t really a valid concern with fanwork (although, in a collective sense, it absolutely can be, but that’s a different conversation), it doesn’t matter whether your fic or art is about Naruto kissing Sakura or Naruto kissing Sasuke. In fact, those three names are probably nothing more than nonsense words to 99.999% of people on this earth. It also doesn’t matter if you, as some rando on the internet, get off (for whatever reason) on the idea of Sasuke forcing himself on Naruto, Sakura, or both at the same time. They’re just fictional characters, and it does not matter to the broader culture. What does matter is if systemic structures of inequality and discrimination are uncritically reproduced in the fictional texts embraced by fandom without commentary. It’s therefore a false equivalency to put “I don’t like this m/m ship” on the same level of critique as “I don’t like how the source text marginalizes female characters.”
(3) The False Equivalency of GO OUTSIDE
Saying “I don’t like a particular m/m ship” is not only fine, it’s par for the course in fandom. Saying “I don’t like how the source text marginalizes female characters” is also fine, and we could probably use more of that sort of thing in fandom, to be honest. Someone writing about the details of their disappointment regarding a work of fiction is also fine. It’s okay to not like things! What is not okay is sending death and rape threats, accusing people of pedophilia, finding someone’s personal information and threatening to contact their family or employer, and doing things like creating a [username]gokillyourself account on AO3 in order to leave comments containing concrete instructions on how to commit suicide. It is a very clear false equivalency to suggest that expressing a negative opinion about a fictional character is “just as bad” as harassing an actual human being.
Even if a fanfic has hundreds of thousands of views and thousands of kudos, it is never going to achieve the same level of cultural impact as big-budget mainstream media. No matter how much wholesome fic you write about Finn, it is not going to be the same as John Boyega’s face on every movie screen everywhere in the world.
(2) The False Equivalency of “They’re Just Fictional Characters”
Because “positive representation” isn’t really a valid concern with fanwork (although, in a collective sense, it absolutely can be, but that’s a different conversation), it doesn’t matter whether your fic or art is about Naruto kissing Sakura or Naruto kissing Sasuke. In fact, those three names are probably nothing more than nonsense words to 99.999% of people on this earth. It also doesn’t matter if you, as some rando on the internet, get off (for whatever reason) on the idea of Sasuke forcing himself on Naruto, Sakura, or both at the same time. They’re just fictional characters, and it does not matter to the broader culture. What does matter is if systemic structures of inequality and discrimination are uncritically reproduced in the fictional texts embraced by fandom without commentary. It’s therefore a false equivalency to put “I don’t like this m/m ship” on the same level of critique as “I don’t like how the source text marginalizes female characters.”
(3) The False Equivalency of GO OUTSIDE
Saying “I don’t like a particular m/m ship” is not only fine, it’s par for the course in fandom. Saying “I don’t like how the source text marginalizes female characters” is also fine, and we could probably use more of that sort of thing in fandom, to be honest. Someone writing about the details of their disappointment regarding a work of fiction is also fine. It’s okay to not like things! What is not okay is sending death and rape threats, accusing people of pedophilia, finding someone’s personal information and threatening to contact their family or employer, and doing things like creating a [username]gokillyourself account on AO3 in order to leave comments containing concrete instructions on how to commit suicide. It is a very clear false equivalency to suggest that expressing a negative opinion about a fictional character is “just as bad” as harassing an actual human being.
no subject
Date: 2019-02-23 07:42 pm (UTC)Especially #2 like damn. I swear I've had to explain that to at least one person per year when it comes to fandoms and fics and stuff. Piggybacking off of that, it also floors me how often I've been met with "you're homophobic" if I happen to not like a particular M/M ship. Not even just recently, but in the past decade. Shipping does not equate to being an ally. I guess most people missed the memo on that :\
no subject
Date: 2019-02-24 07:58 pm (UTC)It's funny, defending gross BL porn as an expression of queer sexuality is a hill I'm willing to die on, but I'm not actually a fan of most m/m ships. I think I've gotten to a point where I'm just not interested in a story that doesn't have any compelling female characters, I guess?
At the same time, I despise the idea that all f/f relationships are supposed to be "pure," like. Well, what she said: http://smallswingshoes.tumblr.com/post/158010358049/hi-i-wanted-to-address-an-ask-you-answered-a-few
So I have a theory. I have no evidence that isn't anecdotal, but here goes. I genuinely think that, back in the LiveJournal days of yore, it was easier to "ship and let ship" because the platform was set up to allow for a division of space between social justice conversations and fandom shenanigans. You could be a hardcore intersectional queer activist on your main journal but then write all sorts of disgusting porn on your fandom kinkmeme of choice, anonymously if need be. It's like,
And that was okay, you know?
But then Tumblr, and Tumblr, therefore Tumblr.
no subject
Date: 2019-02-26 08:17 pm (UTC)I've been seeing that with F/F ships too. The needing to be "pure" part. On one hand, yes, I'd really love to see more positive queer examples anywhere like I need damn air to survive. BUT. Just give me delicious villain/villain setups. Or villain/heroine. Something dark with layers. Like a chocolate ganache cake I can eat on my kitchen floor at 3am.
Note to self, maybe write these kinds of things seeing that NO ONE ELSE ISThe best Tumblr was able to do was the sideblog things, but then female-presenting nipples were Not Okay, so here we are lol I do miss the LJ days of being able to separate things like that. Now I'm just... too exhausted to give a crap. If people can't handle me at my smuttiest, then they don't deserve me at my fluffiest.
no subject
Date: 2019-02-24 08:04 pm (UTC)I mean honestly, as someone who thinks Bowser is eminently fuckable, I'm not in any position to judge anyone's sexuality.
no subject
Date: 2019-02-26 08:10 pm (UTC)