----- Original Message ----- From: Betty Ragan ragan@sdc.org
Neil Faulkner wrote:
But to make a flat assertion that we are here 'just' to be fans and
'just'
to have fun, goes directly against the grain of the common mode of fan discourse that *is* primarily focussed on the source, namely the
citation of
evidence from canon to support or deny a speculative proposition
regarding
ambiguities within the canon. I can't help but see some irony here,
this
statement coming as it does from one who has accused others of trying to 'control' the Lyst and the nature of the discussion that takes place
within
it, or suggested that they should even go elsewhere to pursue their
debate.
In fairness to Dana here, though, I don't think she's saying that she objects to other people engaging in that kind of discourse.
(Correct me
if I'm wrong, Dana, please!) It's just that she doesn't want to be pushed into that kind of discourse (or taken to task for not engaging in it) when it's not what she's interested in doing. Which seems perfectly reasonable to me.
Look, nobody's forcing her! As has been pointed out earlier, if you don't want to debate the canonicity of slash (or whatever), then don't.
In my perception, one thing that does seem to be happening here is that the pro-slashers are being... Well, I almost wanted to use the word "attacked," but that's too emotionally laden and probably not entirely accurate. Let's say "pressured" by the anti-slashers to *prove* that there is a homosexual subtext within canon. And the response of most of them has been "I'm not interested in doing that," but that doesn't seem to be considered an acceptable response by many.
I feel I'm being a little bit misrepresented here (not much, I hasten to add), so I'm going to clarify a bit: as I said at the outset of the thread, I have no problem with people going off and writing slash as an exercise in fantasy, masturbation, whatever. I think three or four people have come on here and said "Oh, who cares if slash is canon! I like it." Again, fair enough, and welcome to it.
But some people on this lyst have been trying to claim a canonical basis for slash. Which is, I think you'll agree, awfully difficult if not actually impossible to do. And I must say that I do find it a bit annoying that some people (not you, Betty, but I'm sure you've seen the posts) have come on and said "slash is canon," and then when I said "prove it!" they've gone on to say "Oh, who cares if it's canon!" Which, to paraphrase something I saw in a post on the porn thread, is basically just moving the goalposts.
If you don't care if slash is canon, then I support you to the hilt, and I will defend to the death your right to go off and write/read your AU/total fantasy stories. If you claim that slash *is* canon, though, I'm going to come on this lyst and demand proof. And if there's none to be found, I think that proves the point made by myself, Shane, Wilson Fisk, Cheryl and (to some extent) Neil, that it just ain't there.
Oh, and as I've also said, I'm not anti-slash. I've read and enjoyed some slash stories; I've not enjoyed others but hey, tastes differ. But I'm decidedly anti-retconning.
Fiona
The Posthumous Memoirs of Secretary Rontane Available for public perusal at http://nyder.r67.net
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