The Grandfather of all slash: Kirk/Spock makes the news

[marguerite_26]

Newsweek attempts to answer the age old questions:

What the hell is Slash? and Where the hell did it come from?

I'm rather impressed at the accuracy of the article.

Where No Man Has Gone Before

*snort*

quote:
Some stories—including many tales centering around "pon farr," the overpowering Vulcan mating impulse introduced in the episode "Amok Time"—are almost unbelievably explicit, but most are primarily about the creation and maintenance of a romantic relationship.

I have this wicked desire to see what exactly makes something "unbelievably explicit". *g*

Thanks to romaine24 for the link!!! *twirls you*

Comments

[accioslash.livejournal.com]

OMG! I know those people. And, OMG, they linked to a slash archive. Not sure how I feel about that. *wibbles* I think I may have preferred to be under the radar. Though times have changed....

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

Well, this isn't the first article I've seen. I remember a couple years ago there was a pretty indepth article (far more than this one) about Xena and Buffy fanfic writers and what drove women to write slash.

It was not on on-line paper, though. So no easy linkies to archive, just names.

[stellamoon.livejournal.com]

LOL! I knew you'd have something to say on this subject, when I saw it!!

Ha. It sounds funny to have "slash" explained.

I truly wish I could see that movie with you on Friday! But I gotta take various teenagers, and i'm sure that will be a great time, too.

[fourth_rose]

Wow, someone was really fast on the uptake here! And like you, I'm dead curious about what would constitute an "unbelievable" level of explicitness ;))

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

I know... 40 years!!! We just decided tht you guys might like to hear about it now. :D

*seriously wants to slash young!kirk and young!spock in unbelievably explicit ways*

[vaysh11.livejournal.com]

I am quite taken with the quote about Roddenberry knowing a good thing when he saw one ;-). Thanks for pointing me towards that article, Maggie.

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

Hee! Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy/Firefly/Dollhouse) was for giving an interview that went something like:

Interviewer: and what you think your fans should spend their time on now that your series is over?

Joss: Write Fanfic!!!

I ♥ Joss.

ps: the link came from rom, I just didn't want to splash your name all over the post. :D

[raitala.livejournal.com]

That's was an interesting article. I remember reading one a while ago in which a reporter went to a HP slash con and, whilst trying to give a balanced report, could stop the 'OMG these people are WEIRDOS' creeping through. This one was much more balanced.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the "unbelievably explicit" fic the reporter sampled would have most of us just nod and go "Yup, that's P0rn" :)

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

Hee! There's a fanfic out there that basically has that plot! Harry and Draco as journists who go undercover to a HP convension. It was surprisingly poignant.

I believe my sister might have use the term "unbelievably explicit" when she stumbled on a the Admin Series. *cough*

[potteresque_ire]

Naw, I think we'd be all like ... this is so mild. Daily Deviant won't take it :D

I think Slash is something people either get or not get. I'm not sure I'd ever be motivated to provide a logical explanation to its appeal - because I'm not sure that there is a logical basis to it.

And I I have to, I'd say it has much more to do with the branch of creativity the readers and writers had had and/or embraced than their view on sex and romance. Of the people I've met here, the latter differs widely, but the one thing that is for sure, that unites us is our ability and love to use a fictional world and characters built up in media as a foundation of a hypothetical world, and build something upon it by more or less following the guidelines that are provided by canon. It's ... rather like building a hypothesis upon a hypothesis, and many people do not find appeal in even the first hypothesis alone. It doesn't mean they're wrong or less in any way, it's just ... their thinking is wired differently. :)

[doyle_sb4.livejournal.com]

A journalist once interviewed me and a friend about this fanfic stuff, and despite being visibly baffled and out of his depth wrote quite a balanced article... which his paper ran underneath a large photo of two female cosplayers in full Klingon garb, with nothing to indicate that this wasn't a photo of the people being interviewed.

[alafaye]

Where there is innuendo and a spark...there are slash fans xD

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

Also cuteness. cuteness helps, too.

;)

[empress-jae.livejournal.com]

I have this wicked desire to see what exactly makes something "unbelievably explicit".

unbelievably explicit: *see Mudhoney Trilogy ;)

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

!!!

Now if Newsweek linked to that... THAT would be news!

[potteresque_ire]

Strangely ... I never think of Mudhoney Trilogy is "explicit" .... because I tend to associate that adjective with sex acts, and those three stories always mean much deeper to me. I see it as a character and psychological study more than anything else...

[libby-drew.livejournal.com]

I have this wicked desire to see what exactly makes something "unbelievably explicit".

PENIS

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

Bah! I'll see your PENIS and raise you a COCK.

welcome back, darling.

[romaine24.livejournal.com]

yay!!! For posting. I know some folks might be a bit freaked but for my own reasons it's awesome to see it come out of the closet and that the history is given without the journalist feeling like they have to justify why women write it. Now I only hope slashers comment on the article. :). Hugs.

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

YAY!!! for sending the link! I didn't splash your name all over my post just in case you didn't want that. May I credit you for the link?

And yes, it's nice to be recognized as a legitimate way of expressing your appreciation for the fandom. :D

While I'm not sure it's true that most are primarily about the creation and maintenance of a romantic relationship, because of the sheer number of pwp's out there... it's nice that the article implies we aren't just out for titillation.

[symetric.livejournal.com]

Wow, they catch on so fast. How many years did it take them now?

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

40

[stellamoon.livejournal.com]

please to be bringing on the unbelievably explicit K/S!!!!

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

Hee! Once I see the movie, I would totally read that pairing. :D

Or you know... maybe look up a classic.

[ravenqueen55.livejournal.com]

I actually liked that article. It was totally non-judgmental, which I think is awesome!

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

It was really well done. And a lot of the comments had very intelligent additions.

[pingrid.livejournal.com]

"Stories are often rated on a scale (G to NC-17) by the author at the very beginning so fans of strictly romantic K/S don't accidentally encounter jarring pornography."

What do they mean, "jarring" pornograpy? I don't understand this concept! :D

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

"jarring" pornograpy?

A wee little bit of alien tentacle sex and people get prudish. :)