dear slash writer;
I stopped reading at; In my infinite wisdom I’ve learned to never argue with a PMSing woman. It usually always ends in tears, and I tossed the PDF.
There’s so much good slash out there that doesn’t bash women, I’ll never notice the loss.
No love,
me.
See, if it was in-character for someone in the story to say that, it would be okay. But in addition to staying away from stories with gratuitous female-character-bashing, I try to stay away from stories where character is completely disregarded.
And in this case it was a case of author’s intent. Because a quick skim of the rest of the page showed me that the (elaborated on) supporting character’s PMS-inspired tantrum (and yes, “tantrum” is the word the writer used) is what moves the boys into position to be slashed.
Yup, that’s typical.
See, if it was in-character for someone in the story to say that, it would be okay. But in addition to staying away from stories with gratuitous female-character-bashing, I try to stay away from stories where character is completely disregarded.
And in this case it was a case of author’s intent. Because a quick skim of the rest of the page showed me that the (elaborated on) supporting character’s PMS-inspired tantrum (and yes, “tantrum” is the word the writer used) is what moves the boys into position to be slashed.
Yup, that’s typical.
See, if it was in-character for someone in the story to say that, it would be okay. But in addition to staying away from stories with gratuitous female-character-bashing, I try to stay away from stories where character is completely disregarded.
And in this case it was a case of author’s intent. Because a quick skim of the rest of the page showed me that the (elaborated on) supporting character’s PMS-inspired tantrum (and yes, “tantrum” is the word the writer used) is what moves the boys into position to be slashed.
Yup, that’s typical.
See, and I find that arguing with a PMS woman leads to bloodshed. Actually, arguing with anyone who’s having a particularly bad or hormonal day leads to bloodshed. You should see sixteen year old boys. They have no control over their emotions at all. Poke the wrong button and oh holy hell. But yet, people have so much trouble just admitting that human being are animals, and as such, influenced greatly by our bodies. I don’t get it.
Well, as a very general rule (with many exceptions thank gawd) women are not going to get fair treatment from slash writers anyway. So I tend to approach with caution and leap back at the slightest warning.
I’ve yet to read a fan fic that mercilessly mocks sixteen year old boys for their hormonal swings– or uses a man’s evol hormonal pissyness as a plot device for getting two men into bed with each other.
I’ve never read slash fic that pats two women on the back for walking away from a man’s bad mood. I’ve never read slash fic that gleefully goes into detail about some man’s monthly tantrum in that “we all know how this goes” jocular language.
You will rarely read slash fic that points out that a woman might have a legitimate reason for her anger, regardless of her hormones.
PMS is much too easy, that’s all, and it gets used in such facile ways. If I don’t think a writer has the skill to treat it, or if by the second sentence it’s obvious that she’s just indulging herself– I’m outtie.
Yeah, I really don’t get vilifying women. In Sentinel, I tend to think of Caro as being a high-powered woman who was too much like Jim to make a marriage work because neither of them is good at compromise. Yet people make her a bitch. I tend to think of Naomi as being very counterculture and eccentric, and people make her an abuser. Nope, I really don’t get it. I like my girl characters. I like my guy characters. I’ve even been known, on occasion, to put a girl with a guy (*gasp of horror*)
I remember, (this will turn out to be a compliment, so bear with me) you wrote something where Xander and Buffy are arguing, and you describe her as turning into “cranky premenstrual slayer” and back to caring friend a couple of times in a row– BUT. You did not blame her or make fun of her for her temper, and you did not imply that she had no reason for her anger.
And you are one of the people who DO write men at the mercy of their hormones, and not in exclusively sexual ways.
And I remember your Caro being shown as a very strong person. Because I have no idea of Sentinal except from your writing, I had no idea that Naomi might be portrayed as an abuser. When you write her, she’s Blair’s grounding influence– in her own way.
See, and I find that arguing with a PMS woman leads to bloodshed. Actually, arguing with anyone who’s having a particularly bad or hormonal day leads to bloodshed. You should see sixteen year old boys. They have no control over their emotions at all. Poke the wrong button and oh holy hell. But yet, people have so much trouble just admitting that human being are animals, and as such, influenced greatly by our bodies. I don’t get it.
Well, as a very general rule (with many exceptions thank gawd) women are not going to get fair treatment from slash writers anyway. So I tend to approach with caution and leap back at the slightest warning.
I’ve yet to read a fan fic that mercilessly mocks sixteen year old boys for their hormonal swings– or uses a man’s evol hormonal pissyness as a plot device for getting two men into bed with each other.
I’ve never read slash fic that pats two women on the back for walking away from a man’s bad mood. I’ve never read slash fic that gleefully goes into detail about some man’s monthly tantrum in that “we all know how this goes” jocular language.
You will rarely read slash fic that points out that a woman might have a legitimate reason for her anger, regardless of her hormones.
PMS is much too easy, that’s all, and it gets used in such facile ways. If I don’t think a writer has the skill to treat it, or if by the second sentence it’s obvious that she’s just indulging herself– I’m outtie.
Yeah, I really don’t get vilifying women. In Sentinel, I tend to think of Caro as being a high-powered woman who was too much like Jim to make a marriage work because neither of them is good at compromise. Yet people make her a bitch. I tend to think of Naomi as being very counterculture and eccentric, and people make her an abuser. Nope, I really don’t get it. I like my girl characters. I like my guy characters. I’ve even been known, on occasion, to put a girl with a guy (*gasp of horror*)
I remember, (this will turn out to be a compliment, so bear with me) you wrote something where Xander and Buffy are arguing, and you describe her as turning into “cranky premenstrual slayer” and back to caring friend a couple of times in a row– BUT. You did not blame her or make fun of her for her temper, and you did not imply that she had no reason for her anger.
And you are one of the people who DO write men at the mercy of their hormones, and not in exclusively sexual ways.
And I remember your Caro being shown as a very strong person. Because I have no idea of Sentinal except from your writing, I had no idea that Naomi might be portrayed as an abuser. When you write her, she’s Blair’s grounding influence– in her own way.
See, and I find that arguing with a PMS woman leads to bloodshed. Actually, arguing with anyone who’s having a particularly bad or hormonal day leads to bloodshed. You should see sixteen year old boys. They have no control over their emotions at all. Poke the wrong button and oh holy hell. But yet, people have so much trouble just admitting that human being are animals, and as such, influenced greatly by our bodies. I don’t get it.
Well, as a very general rule (with many exceptions thank gawd) women are not going to get fair treatment from slash writers anyway. So I tend to approach with caution and leap back at the slightest warning.
I’ve yet to read a fan fic that mercilessly mocks sixteen year old boys for their hormonal swings– or uses a man’s evol hormonal pissyness as a plot device for getting two men into bed with each other.
I’ve never read slash fic that pats two women on the back for walking away from a man’s bad mood. I’ve never read slash fic that gleefully goes into detail about some man’s monthly tantrum in that “we all know how this goes” jocular language.
You will rarely read slash fic that points out that a woman might have a legitimate reason for her anger, regardless of her hormones.
PMS is much too easy, that’s all, and it gets used in such facile ways. If I don’t think a writer has the skill to treat it, or if by the second sentence it’s obvious that she’s just indulging herself– I’m outtie.
Yeah, I really don’t get vilifying women. In Sentinel, I tend to think of Caro as being a high-powered woman who was too much like Jim to make a marriage work because neither of them is good at compromise. Yet people make her a bitch. I tend to think of Naomi as being very counterculture and eccentric, and people make her an abuser. Nope, I really don’t get it. I like my girl characters. I like my guy characters. I’ve even been known, on occasion, to put a girl with a guy (*gasp of horror*)
I remember, (this will turn out to be a compliment, so bear with me) you wrote something where Xander and Buffy are arguing, and you describe her as turning into “cranky premenstrual slayer” and back to caring friend a couple of times in a row– BUT. You did not blame her or make fun of her for her temper, and you did not imply that she had no reason for her anger.
And you are one of the people who DO write men at the mercy of their hormones, and not in exclusively sexual ways.
And I remember your Caro being shown as a very strong person. Because I have no idea of Sentinal except from your writing, I had no idea that Naomi might be portrayed as an abuser. When you write her, she’s Blair’s grounding influence– in her own way.
Amen to this. I hate the idea that gender relations are some kind of zero-sum game, so if you’re glorifying women you have to denigrate men, and if you’re glorifying men you have to treat women like crap. I’m sure that’s not the conscious model misogynist slashers are working from, but just ’cause it’s not conscious doesn’t mean one is not doing it.
Needless to say, we’re not running that kind of nonsense in Syzygy.
Amen to this. I hate the idea that gender relations are some kind of zero-sum game, so if you’re glorifying women you have to denigrate men, and if you’re glorifying men you have to treat women like crap. I’m sure that’s not the conscious model misogynist slashers are working from, but just ’cause it’s not conscious doesn’t mean one is not doing it.
Needless to say, we’re not running that kind of nonsense in Syzygy.
Amen to this. I hate the idea that gender relations are some kind of zero-sum game, so if you’re glorifying women you have to denigrate men, and if you’re glorifying men you have to treat women like crap. I’m sure that’s not the conscious model misogynist slashers are working from, but just ’cause it’s not conscious doesn’t mean one is not doing it.
Needless to say, we’re not running that kind of nonsense in Syzygy.