I haven’t read much of it but I’ve always been fascinated by the existence of slash fiction, and the fact that it’s predominantly written by women. (For those who don’t know, slash fiction is a form of fan fiction that puts canonically straight characters in homosexual situations – love affairs, sex, etc.)
Now, recently, I’ve been reading a few essays (such as this one) which talk about how slash fiction has a feminist agenda – by subverting traditional ‘male’ roles and the traditional male ‘buddy’ relationship and by using a male character as a mask in which to explore more ‘female’ subjects.
I know that other people (particular the creators of the characters) consider slash to be merely titillation, or worse – demeaning characters by focusing on their sexual nature.
So what do you reckon? Is slash just gusset-typing material, or is it something more?
I read some slash stories once (mostly out of curiosity), and I feel their graphic nature and the fact that they’re clearly focused on eroticism seem to rule out any “hidden agenda”, or at least the possibility that this agenda is the story’s primary goal.
On the other hand, while I know plenty of men who find descriptions of lesbian acts exciting (I’m not entirely revolted by it myself), I’ve never met a woman who was turned on by the idea of two men engaging in sexual acts, as they say, and I do believe we’re talking about a minority of women here.
As to “demeaning characters by focusing on their sexual nature”, I assume you’re merely implying some sort of a parody of popular fictional characters (the entire cast of Lord of the Rings seems to be very popular nowadays): focusing on sexual nature? I suppose, would be a way to do that. Still, all this does not explain why slash writers are predominantly women, and not homosexual men.
As I said, in reading the very few slash stories that I have, I did not have the impression that they served any other function than to sexually excite the reader. But that’s just based on a very small sample.
Joanna Russ wrote a great essay on K/S fic: “Pornography By Women For Women, With Love.” Magic Mommas, Trembling Sisters, Puritans and Perverts: Feminist Essays. Trumansburg, New York: The Crossing Press, 1985
Don’t underestimate the importance of slash fiction being titillation produced for and by women or it being demeaning to the characters involved. There are feminist theories that say all porn is a way to men to degrade women. Try analyzing slash in light of that.
Others say that women are not really titillated by fictional sex, especially pictures of it. Try to explain all the slash illustrations without women being aroused by pictures.
Slash is not easy to explain under many social/psychological theories. It tends to hook into aspects fo the female psyche that many have said don’t exist. It isn’t like a romance novel where you can dismiss the sexual aspect and focus on the romance or other aspects.
Also troubling is how it can be arousing to even lesbians. Find me a social/psychological that explains that one neatly.
I’m a slash writer. In fact, I just attended a convention this past weekend where we were talking about this.
Basically, no, I don’t think slash writing is a specifically feminist act. It can be for some people, I suppose. For most of us, it’s just a desire to see two guys you really find hot getting it on together.
Yeah, that’s what I find interesting. There was a thread a while ago in which someone asked whether women found male gay sex a turn-on. The general consensus was ‘no’. On the other hand, while they’re probably a minority, there is reams and reams of slash fiction written by women out there. I’d like to know what makes slash fiction a turn-on, and the image of gay sex (without specific characters) not.
I can only speak for myself on this. For me, it is the specific characters; they have to interest me enough to prompt me to write about them. It’s about the two characters I’m slashing, who they are and how they relate to each other. It’s not just a matter of body parts–nice though those may be, they really aren’t enough to sustain a long-term interest. I wouldn’t say abstract sex is a turn-off exactly, just that if it involves no one I care about, I don’t particularly want to see it or read about it.
I know a lot of ladies who like slash, just like I know a lot of guys who like watching 2 women together. I think there are probably women out there who would like erotica and slash if they were exposed to it. I know that what stuff is available is a lot more underground and hard to find than erotic stuff for men… I suppose even in 2003 society tells women they aren’t supposed to have “those” needs.
For the men, I think the attraction of watching 2 women together its a mix of looking in on something forbidden (kind of like a peeping tom) plus maybe imagining themselves walking into that situation and being a participant. Like I said, I THINK this is the attraction for many men… if I’m wrong please feel free to correct me.
Slash is really different. You’re interested in the characters involved - I have little desire to read even a well written slash story about 2 characters I’m not invested in emotionally. But I’ll trudge thru lots of stuff to find a good one about characters I do like. Slash is all about the emotions - well, not all of course, but a lot more about them than the minimal/non existent plotline of the majority of erotic stuff aimed toward men. I guess that’s a difference… women like to be a voyeur to sex with emotion, men like to look in on sex with little or none. Maybe men wish their real life sex came with less emotion attached, and women wished theirs came with more? I’m generalizing like crazy, of course, just coming up with little theories to think on.
Anyone who wants to post links to well done stuff, go ahead…
A good friend of mine is a big slash fan and former slash writer, and she tells me she is continually amused by the attempts of some to intellectualize slash. “No man ever had to write an essay to justify wanting to see two chicks goin’ at it. It’s just porn! It’s not about subverting the dominant paradigm, it’s about hot guys!”
Ooooh, I loves me some slash. I only read BtVS fanfic, so I tend to read Spike/Angel, Spike/Xander, Spike/ any other hot male that happens to be on either show. I love gay sex, I tihnk it is quite hot. Probably for the same reason guys like lesbian sex.
Guy A is hot. Guy B is hot. Thus, sex between Guy A and Guy B would indeed, be hot.
Miss Mapp nailed it on the head. I write slash just because I get a thrill of pairing up two gorgeous guys (Aragorn & Legolas) who normally would not be together that way.
Here’s a link to my stories posted at FF.net (slash and gen):
Hi, my name is Dragonblink, and I’m a woman (mostly). There, now you’ve met one. But alas, possibly only one.
The idea of two men engaged in such things turns me on as much as the idea of two women or a man and a woman. Man, there was a thread on this and I missed it?
You know I opened this thread thinking it was going to be about Slasher movies and all and what do I find?
They say you learn something new everyday, but I had already learned my quota this morning. I’m just gonna slip out of here now, continue on with what you were talking about.
I’m not sure if it’s been mentioned, but if it has, let my post stand as reinforcement.
NOT ALL SLASH IS SEX OR EROTICISM
I’ve both read and written many, MANY fictions that could easily be rated PG, and only that high due to the “controversial” concept of homosexuality. Most of what I write are “friendship fics” that have hints of romance in them. I have not ventured into any sort of explicit relationships in any fandom. I’m not saying it doesn’t exist–as you’ve seen, it certainly does. I’m merely saying that not ALL of it is “porn.”
Nextly, NOT ALL SLASH IS M/M
I have seen, though not dabbled in, femslash. It does exist, and under the same circumstances already mentioned. It, too, comes in varying shades, from friendship fics to the more explicit.
You think you’ve never met a woman turned on by the idea. Surely you aren’t privy to the sexual fantasies of every woman you know! I don’t doubt that women who enjoy watching or reading about a little guy-on-guy action are in the minority, but there are a surprisingly large number of them considering that the porn industry has done essentially nothing to encourage them and that in our culture gay men and their sex lives are commonly regarded as something rather…icky.
About 250 people attended the convention I was at this weekend, mostly women. I know there are larger meetings, like Escapades out in California. And, yeah, slash is not something I generally talk about with straight guys in real life, since the usual reaction is going to be “ick!”–so why bother?
Regarding the porn industry; I’ve always felt that there is no real industry for this audience, which is why we have to do it all ourselves.
I was replying to the comment about all slash not being m/m.
I think the reason why there is more m/m is because there are more male characters to work with, so to speak. There are quite few shows with a sufficiant amount of main female chars to run proper slash on. Exceptions are, for example, ER and Buffy. If you want X-Files f/f slash, then you have to go crossover otherwise you have Scully getting it on with Mulders mom…
I am not a big slash fan, but I occasionally pig out, I think mainly due to lack of that sort of content in the mainstream arena.
Mmmmm ER hotties… *wanders off to see if there is any Abby/Jing-Mei
