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....

[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]

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.

[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.

[accioslash.livejournal.com]

Heh. No, I imagine it isn't the first, but, dude! Newsweek?! And I think I'm showing my age, but there are still a larger number of staunch die-hard K/S fen from back in the day who refuse to allow any of the early stuff to be archived on-line so they don't lose track of their ability to distribute it.

I ran into this because a few years back I contacted a few old friends to see what they thought of the idea of creating an archive because I didn't want to see any slash history lost as we oldies up and died. And discovered that, seriously, they are still organized enough that they don't need an on-line archive. To say that I was impressed would be an understatement. That's not to say there aren't K/S zines available on-line, but a surprising amount of the early work is available only in zine format and can be borrowed from the K/S lending library. Including (omg) one of my earliest 'zines. Gah! *suddenly wishes they were perhaps a bit less well organized*

[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" :)

[alafaye]

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

[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]

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

[libby-drew.livejournal.com]

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

PENIS

[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*

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

Also cuteness. cuteness helps, too.

;)

[alafaye]

For the fluff fans xD

(Unashamed to say I'm one of them : )

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

!!!

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

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

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

welcome back, darling.

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

hee! I meant cuteness in the hot little bodies of those we get naked and shove in the Room of Requirement.

Though cuteness in the fic is perfectly acceptable as well. ;)

[libby-drew.livejournal.com]

There's something about "raise you a cock" that made me cackle like a hyena. NO idea what.

*hugs* It's good to be back.

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

Oh you are an old K/Ser??? EEEeee! You must be salivating for Friday. :D

I'm proud to say I have no idea what zine is, but the concept of a fanfiction based fandom being run without archives is fascinating.

Including (omg) one of my earliest 'zines. Gah!

hahahaha! there is a Mary-sue het fic floating around wiht my name on it that I REALLY need to find and destroy one of these days.

[empress-jae.livejournal.com]

i think fandom would EXPLODE if Newsweek linked to that! :D

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

double entendres are most fun when they are unintential. ;)

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

Cal would explode if Newsweek linked to that, taking all of fandom with her. :D

[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.

[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. :)

[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...