A brief aside...

[graculus]

Blair Sandburg is not, by any stretch of the imagination, 'exotic'.

Likewise Daniel Jackson is not 'willowy' or 'frail' or anything similar. At no point in the show's run (or even in the movie) could he be accurately described that way.

Ditto for Ezra Standish.

And let's not get started on the whole subject of competent, self-sufficient individuals bursting into tears at the slightest opportunity (be it running out of coffee, stubbing their toe, their favourite pot plant dying...).

Doesn't reading something like that just make you want to go "Have you actually *seen* the show?"?

Comments

[innocent-lex.livejournal.com]

"Blair Sandburg is not, by any stretch of the imagination, 'exotic'."

Are you sure? I mean, what about his... no. How about... nope. And his... er, no. Okay, fine. He's damn sexy, though.

"Likewise Daniel Jackson is not 'willowy' or 'frail' or anything similar."

I can make him willowy if I press that "resize screen" button on my remote. Of course, everyone else gets willowy too, but still. He is Is IS!

;-P

Oh, and can we add "young archaeologist" to the list of things Daniel is not. He was 30 in the movie. He's 38/39 now. He and Sam could well be called middle-aged.

Of course, watching some of the most recent Stargate episodes makes me want to ask the *show*'s writers if they've seen the show, let alone the poor deluded fic writers.

[innocent-lex.livejournal.com]

PS. I don't know what an Ezra Standish is, but I'll take your word that you're correct on this subject.

[graculus.livejournal.com]

Though my dictionary does define exotic as 'having a strange or bizarre allure, beauty or quality', so perhaps I'm wrong! ;)

Oh, and can we add "young archaeologist" to the list of things Daniel is not. He was 30 in the movie. He's 38/39 now. He and Sam could well be called middle-aged.

Dare you to go post on a certain forum about how Sam is 'middle-aged'... ;)

[graculus.livejournal.com]

http://www.brigittab.com/Biopictures/Ezra4.jpg

[atdelphi.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I mean, can't anyone just be handsome anymore? Shouldn't the canonical things that made an author love a character be the traits that show up in the actual story?

I don't even want to get into what they've done to Snape.

[innocent-lex.livejournal.com]

It's a cowboy. He's neither exotic nor waif-like. Can't tell if he's pretty, though, but I'm sure Scribe will know

[graculus.livejournal.com]

I think my personal favourite was the story where Snape was really handsome but used a glamour to make him unappealing because, as we all know, nobody could possibly love someone who's ugly...

[innocent-lex.livejournal.com]

I think someone already has. And she is. She certainly looks it, these days, too. But that's okay - it adds realism. Perhaps it also explains her mid-life crisis.

[atdelphi.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes - why can't Snape have greasy hair and bad teeth? In the words of the immortal Ani DiFranco - You don't have to be a supermodel to do the animal thing :-P

My favourite is the story where Snape is supposedly turned into a 'hermaphrodite' (although his penis is never mentioned,) grows D-cup breasts, allows himself to be raped thrice daily, and spends most of the intermittent hours curled up in a small ball, weeping. I mean...that's not Snape. At least let the poor fellow keep his penis!

[innocent-lex.livejournal.com]

That is incredibly disturbing. Sure, people can write whatever the heck they want, but it's still disturbing.

[graculus.livejournal.com]

He gets to be the neurotic insecure one, mentally berating himself for being unloveable and/or running away because his one true love [insert name here] could never love someone as rascally and unworthy as he is...

[graculus.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes - why can't Snape have greasy hair and bad teeth?

For the same reason, I guess, that Harry always has a six-pack and Quidditch-toned muscles (whatever those are - I wouldn't think that clamping your legs round a thin piece of wood would give you all that impressive upper body development, myself).

Nobody is allowed to be ordinary in fic.

[graculus.livejournal.com]

The disturbing thing is that they're so very very serious about all of it.

[innocent-lex.livejournal.com]

Ooh, Blair does that running away thing a lot in slash, and gets treated like a child. Do you think these two were seperated at birth? Any cross-over slash fic where they get to have sympathy sex with one another because they'll never be good enough for their respective twu wuvs?

[graculus.livejournal.com]

Furthermore, Snape *allows* people to do things to him he doesn't want? Personally I'm with your scenario on that one (the Snape/Filch slave fic you posted the other day).

They'd wake up with important bits missing from their anatomy. If they woke up.

[graculus.livejournal.com]

Not as much as there probably ought to be, because he's not one of the OTP of Doom of that fandom.

[innocent-lex.livejournal.com]

Which fandom is it? Pretty Cowboys Of Lurve, perhaps?

[graculus.livejournal.com]

Close enough. Magnificent 7.

[innocent-lex.livejournal.com]

You're forgetting all that time Harry spends hanging off his broomstick when he's been attacked by some enemy.

[innocent-lex.livejournal.com]

Isn't that a really old film?

[graculus.livejournal.com]

And a short-lived (22 episodes) tv series of the late 1990's.

[temaris.livejournal.com]

Sure they are. You just have to rebuild their psyche, redesign their bodies, give them an abusive and/or miserable and/or lonely childhood, and then spindle and mutilate to taste. Add water, stir, leave in a warm place to fester for at least twenty four hours, and...

Tada!

Hmm.

Doesn't look much like the originals any more. But that's okay. It's only *fiction*.

[graculus.livejournal.com]

I knew I was doing something wrong! ;)

[erika-sanely.livejournal.com]

What annoys me the most in Mag7 fandom - no wait - what's in my top 10 of things that annoy me in Mag7 fandom - is the fact there's a heap of writers people who type words together to try to make sentences that boast about the fact that they've never seen the show!

And you forgot about that Ezra is covered from head to toe in scarts from his evil Uncle. Even though it's canon that his body is loverly and toned and smooth (Hey! How many other characters walk down the Main Street in only a tablecloth!?)

[graculus.livejournal.com]

Well, actually *watching the show* would take away time they could be spending on their deathless prose that essentially just has a bunch of folks with the same names as the actual tv show but no other characteristics in common. And that would be bad.

[temaris.livejournal.com]

sadly, 'deathless' is the right word.

The sooner it died, the better.

[graculus.livejournal.com]

Your just been mean becuz yu dont right as good as they duzz. ;)

[pinkdormouse.livejournal.com]

And the one I was ranting about today: writing misanthropic characters (or those who only respect persons they consider to be their 'equals') as misogynistic. Notably Sands, since '...Mexico' is my main fandom right now. Post-movie he might very well be distrustful of any woman who tries to get close to him (for very understandable reasons) but there's no evidence at all that pre-movie he discriminates positively or negatively on gender-based grounds.

Gina

[xochiquetzl]

Ewwwwww. That sounds like a seriously me-unfriendly fic.

There does seem to be an attitude in some places that, you know, ONLY SLASH THE PRETTY! It's sometimes combined with a butch/femme dynamic that mimics bad bodice-rippers.

I mean, okay. It's porn. I can see people wanting to read porn about people they find attractive. OTOH, one of the things I enjoy about written porn as opposed to movie porn is the more realistic body types/physical appearances. People without silicone boobs need luv, too! ;)

[thenightsfall]

Oh, he's pretty and his eyes are definitely exotic, but no, no, no, not waif-like a'tall. I provide evidence. :points to icon:

More like a gentleman gambler/con man/sometimes lawkeeper than a cowboy, though I suppose he might have used that cover in a con at some point...

Why, yes, I am an Ezra-phile, as a matter of fact. Bet you couldn't tell. :g:

[thenightsfall]

Amen!

Of course, sometimes the word choices going in the other direction are questionable, too. Once read Ezra described as "squat." Yeah. That's a sexy image. Oy.

Some authors obviously haven't read the definitions of some of the words they use. And some authors really seem to have the need for a big man/little man physical dynamic, regardless if the actual appearances of the characters support it.

Doesn't reading something like that just make you want to go "Have you actually *seen* the show?"?

What really scares me is when such fics are applauded for their great characterizations. Makes me wonder if readers really have such lowered expectations when it comes to their fanfic. Or, if I'm in the Twilight Zone.

[graculus.livejournal.com]

Gimli is squat, Ezra is just right. ;)

Some authors obviously haven't read the definitions of some of the words they use.

That much is immediately apparent, particularly when homophones appear.

And some authors really seem to have the need for a big man/little man physical dynamic, regardless if the actual appearances of the characters support it.

You know, sometimes I'm quite glad Ezra isn't a part of the OTP of Doom, or things could be much worse!

What really scares me is when such fics are applauded for their great characterizations. Makes me wonder if readers really have such lowered expectations when it comes to their fanfic. Or, if I'm in the Twilight Zone.

Some people have the mindset, it seems, Fic = Good. Regardless of its quality or characterisation. Or they're just easily led. Or they believe the fanon over the canon, who knows?

[blktauna.livejournal.com]

oh yes!

[blktauna.livejournal.com]

Doesn't reading something like that just make you want to go "Have you actually *seen* the show?"?

frequently.

[graculus.livejournal.com]

I was about to say that, at least for some fandoms, people have the excuse of not being able to get hold of the source material easily but then I remember the people who *have* seen it and still write that way... ;)

[atdelphi.livejournal.com]

They'd wake up with important bits missing from their anatomy. If they woke up.

*grin* Precisely. This is the guy who kept himself from being killed both by the Ministry and by Voldemort. Who's not afraid to throw a tantrum at the slightest affront, who apparently lives for revenge. And yet some writers seem to enjoy turning him into a pushover. Go figure.

[atdelphi.livejournal.com]

Ewwwwww. That sounds like a seriously me-unfriendly fic.

Er, yeah. But to be honest, it's not the content that gets to me..it's that everyone in it is so damned out of character. *cough* That, and the fact that despite not even being edited for spelling and grammar, it gets gushing praise.

There does seem to be an attitude in some places that, you know, ONLY SLASH THE PRETTY!

The odd thing about Snape is that people seem perfectly content for him to be not-pretty, so long as he's slashed with someone who is. Even when these someones are people he's none too fond of in canon - Harry, Lupin, Black. But when he's written with equally un-pretty characters - Dumbledore, Filch, Hagrid - people give you the hairy eyeball.

Personally, I like giving the average, unattractive, interesting joes some attention too :-P

[thenightsfall]

Definitely, in Mag7 fic which is more rife with fanon than a lot of fandoms, the fanon has usurped the canon in many readers' minds. Fanfic Vin is a good example of that. Canon Vin is a lot less squeaky clean - literally and figuratively - than Fanon Vin.

Yeah, sometimes I think readers will forgive just about anything as long as the plotline is entertaining and the characters have the right names, at least. But, sadly, storytelling and good writing aren't necessarily the same thing.

[xochiquetzl]

It's very sad. Fics are never labelled, "Warning: Appalllingly bad characterization!" Mainly because, well, if the author knew the characterization in a story was appallingly bad, they wouldn't post it. Occasionally you do see, "unbeat'ed cuz im a sucki riter NEway LOL!"

*resists urge to mock "unbeat'ed" by offloading rant randomly to own journal*

Um. Where was I? :) Oh, yeah. Again, that's a nice thing about fic--people are attractive for reasons other than, say, "He looked in the mirror and admired his broad chest, his flashing blue eyes, his perfect teeth!" Oy. Like, you know, because they're interesting.

Also, I like Snape/Hagrid, so nyah. ;)

[graculus.livejournal.com]

But he's not evil, he's just Misunderstood! ;)

[erynn999.livejournal.com]

Personally, I like giving the average, unattractive, interesting joes some attention too :-P

Like, oh, Frohike slash?

*evil grin*

[atdelphi.livejournal.com]

Yes!

Oh, I love Frohike slash. Especially Frohike/Langly. But Frohike/Byers is all right too. Mind you, the best is Frohike/Langley/Byers :-P

Geek Love!