In a message dated 3/18/01 2:54:39 AM Eastern Standard Time, huh@ccm.net writes:
<< I'd be entirely surprised if any of the main actors failed to know slash existed- and of course slash has been covered in the press as well. >>
Most actors and actresses nowadays are aware of the existence of both adult hetero and slash art and fanfic on the web (as well as elsewhere). They generally ignore it as part of the down side of celebrity. For one thing, celebrity itself is an adaptation of the human process for selecting a mate, albeit an unattainable one. When one falls in love with a celebrity, the chemical process of 'love' has been triggered toward an individual one wants to mate and bond with for purposes of procreation. Fanfic, fan art or any other sort of fantasy that satisfies that unattainable bond is inevitable, and has existed since that burly 'head of the tribe' first rose to prominence. It only took on the odd characteristics that we know it for now since popular media made it possible for many women to know about one exceptionally good-looking or talented man (and vice versa for a female celebrity and many men).
No one seems to be immune, whether we label it something harmless like a 'crush' or worry that it's reached a dangerous obsession.
Bill Hupe used to agent and sell thousands of fanzine titles out of a central location, here in the US. One of this best regular customers was an actress who had been popular herself on DR. WHO. The woman had standing instructions with Bill to set aside any fanzines fitting a certain category of 'Slash' , and she would periodically write a big check and have them all shipped to her.
Isn't anyone here aware of 'boy-band' fanfic on the web? Thousands of teens, unable to realistically have a relationship with the boy groups they idolize, are writing and posting adult fanfic and slash about groups like N' Synch and the others. The groups are well aware of it, and seem to use it as a guage of their popularity. If there was something that was going to be done about this kind of thing, it would have been done a long time ago.
Leah