thanks for mentioning the book and some of the stuff in it!
I'm glad to know that neither of the guys really cares about slash. I think it is respectful to keep our fan products out of the faces of the actors, who are making a very different product than legally can't be seen to be interacting with fan products. (Several years ago my little boy wrote a cute Supernatural story that I sent to Vancouver as kind of a "look how cool you guys are, you inspired my little boy to write a fun story" idea -- but postcards are acceptable while stories get returned very politely by WB Legal!) But it's also good to know that neither Jared nor Jensen is actively offended by slash or fanfic in general, since there are some creators/actors who have been.
I think a lot of the "shame" of being a slash fan is what we fear the response would be from "straight" fans and colleagues. It's kind of a closet we build for ourselves. I don't really know what my friends would think about some of the explicit fic I have posted on the internetz... much less some of the incredibly explicit stuff I have read here and there (I am very curious about kinks and so I read a lot of stuff that I would never touch in RL).
I've always tried to make the internet and my experience of fandom as Woman Positive as I can. There is a certain amount of internalized misogyny among women friends, particularly in terms of how women characters are so heavily critiqued for being not enough this or too much that, or simply for taking screen time away from Our Boys while at the same time being reamed for being two-dimensional. Yeah, I have feelings about that. But I also think that there is a certain cultural element in fandom that suggests that secrecy = survival. There used to be an element that fanwork was okay as long as everybody could pretend it didn't exist -- but if networks found out about it they would be compelled to Shut Us Down. A few of my friends have actually received Cease and Desist notices -- so it's not an entirely groundless fear.
I guess all this is just to say -- does the book address fears that have some grounds? like -- "I have to keep my fanworks secret in order to protect myself from cease and desist orders." "I have to keep secret because I am much kinkier online than I appear to my friends at church and on the PTA." "I don't want to appear like I have Internet Addiction or that I waste my time and money." (Obvs. this one is more about perception of to what degree a person's fannishness dominates their life and/or a value judgement of how resources "should" be attributed)
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2012-04-09 09:30 am (UTC)I'm glad to know that neither of the guys really cares about slash. I think it is respectful to keep our fan products out of the faces of the actors, who are making a very different product than legally can't be seen to be interacting with fan products. (Several years ago my little boy wrote a cute Supernatural story that I sent to Vancouver as kind of a "look how cool you guys are, you inspired my little boy to write a fun story" idea -- but postcards are acceptable while stories get returned very politely by WB Legal!) But it's also good to know that neither Jared nor Jensen is actively offended by slash or fanfic in general, since there are some creators/actors who have been.
I think a lot of the "shame" of being a slash fan is what we fear the response would be from "straight" fans and colleagues. It's kind of a closet we build for ourselves. I don't really know what my friends would think about some of the explicit fic I have posted on the internetz... much less some of the incredibly explicit stuff I have read here and there (I am very curious about kinks and so I read a lot of stuff that I would never touch in RL).
I've always tried to make the internet and my experience of fandom as Woman Positive as I can. There is a certain amount of internalized misogyny among women friends, particularly in terms of how women characters are so heavily critiqued for being not enough this or too much that, or simply for taking screen time away from Our Boys while at the same time being reamed for being two-dimensional. Yeah, I have feelings about that. But I also think that there is a certain cultural element in fandom that suggests that secrecy = survival. There used to be an element that fanwork was okay as long as everybody could pretend it didn't exist -- but if networks found out about it they would be compelled to Shut Us Down. A few of my friends have actually received Cease and Desist notices -- so it's not an entirely groundless fear.
I guess all this is just to say -- does the book address fears that have some grounds? like --
"I have to keep my fanworks secret in order to protect myself from cease and desist orders."
"I have to keep secret because I am much kinkier online than I appear to my friends at church and on the PTA."
"I don't want to appear like I have Internet Addiction or that I waste my time and money." (Obvs. this one is more about perception of to what degree a person's fannishness dominates their life and/or a value judgement of how resources "should" be attributed)
anyways, thanks for sharing!