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it's nothing like a question that can be answered in one word
Environments are in read-only for mass updates. I wish I could explain what that actually is, because it's deceivingly nothing like what those words mean according to the dictionary, but I really can't. I know it's a mass, and it's an update, and while yes, it is, no, it's really not. And it sucks.
However, this rare morning, it gives me a short, brilliant moment to surf friendsfriends.
Sarah T on the lower numbers of John/Ronon in SGA.
Actually, I've kind of vaguely wondered about that, but--the thing is, my first fandom was Star Trek and I came out of that physically incapable of not having a header (though sometimes I break conditioning and remove it) and a taste for random internet drama. I also came out of it unable to believe Kirk was heterosexual and it would still be a year before I stared blankly at my first slash OTP (Pyro/Iceman, in case you were curious).
(Sidenote: I was on there watching or posting actively 1999 -2001--wow. Just. Yeah. This is why flamewars rarely scare me and why I don't often participate; I know some fandoms have been far wankier for far longer and with greater populations and drama, but I'm not sure any fandom post-usenet can hit that same deeply terrifying intensity where there were no prisoners taken and occasionally you realized the ground was being sown with salt. Deeply awesome. Even when you had no idea what Treksmut university was and kept freaking out every time your inbox pinged.)
Right. Moving on. The OTP even in Voyager was Kirk/Spock. I mean, that's an exaggeration, but not much of one. ASCEM(L) was like, KS Central. And I know this because I didnt' read slash and contextually knew at the time the plotlines to three of the winning GO stories.
Now, my question--are there any fandoms who have had more than one major pairing of the same type at the same time? As in, more than one major slash and more than one major het?
Since Trek, I've never been involved in a fandom that did, so I'm curious. And I'm not sure my memories of Trek are accurate, as this was 1999/2000 and I spent about half that time going, oh my God this is the best thing in the world! And um, writing Paris/Seven post-Paris/Torres breakup porn. Because I didn't like Seven and that's how I deal with dislike. It felt like Janeway/Chakotay and Paris/Torres had similiarly strong followings, though J/C was a bit older and larger, and Chakotay/Paris and Paris/Kim seemed relatively even (in retrospect, the locked archives actually skew it even more; I never even *knew* about some of them before Smallville).
I'd ask what everyone thinks influences a pairing to be written, but the answers will be, invariably:
a.) Lots of feedback! OR Feedback doesn't matter! Etc. Etc. Etc.
b.) BNFs! OR BNFs turn me off pairings! Etc. Etc. Etc.
c.) Big Pairings are sheep! OR Rare pairing are boring! Etc. Etc. Wait, didn't we do this recently?
d.) Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. (insert here)
I always wondered if it was just a moment of fannish--unity, if you will, like when a mob forms. Like, remember when you went to cheer at a football game and suddenly in the third quarter and while you've never been the perkiest cheerleader and kinda quiet, you're suddenly filled with bloodlust and helping to lead the crowd in screaming BEAT THE WATERPIGS and lost your voice for a day? (They were hippos. Yes, we got in some much trouble for that one. So very much worth it.) (My algebra teacher was louder than all of us together, though.)(I don't miss being a cheerleader. I do, however, miss controlling crowds with five inches of thigh and some belled shoes. Seriously. I still marvel at that.)
Yes, I'm going to be this incoherent all day; I had no sleep. Also trying to get my John/Ronon recs together, since I kind of think I should feedback the authors and then give the fic their own page.
However, this rare morning, it gives me a short, brilliant moment to surf friendsfriends.
Sarah T on the lower numbers of John/Ronon in SGA.
Actually, I've kind of vaguely wondered about that, but--the thing is, my first fandom was Star Trek and I came out of that physically incapable of not having a header (though sometimes I break conditioning and remove it) and a taste for random internet drama. I also came out of it unable to believe Kirk was heterosexual and it would still be a year before I stared blankly at my first slash OTP (Pyro/Iceman, in case you were curious).
(Sidenote: I was on there watching or posting actively 1999 -2001--wow. Just. Yeah. This is why flamewars rarely scare me and why I don't often participate; I know some fandoms have been far wankier for far longer and with greater populations and drama, but I'm not sure any fandom post-usenet can hit that same deeply terrifying intensity where there were no prisoners taken and occasionally you realized the ground was being sown with salt. Deeply awesome. Even when you had no idea what Treksmut university was and kept freaking out every time your inbox pinged.)
Right. Moving on. The OTP even in Voyager was Kirk/Spock. I mean, that's an exaggeration, but not much of one. ASCEM(L) was like, KS Central. And I know this because I didnt' read slash and contextually knew at the time the plotlines to three of the winning GO stories.
Now, my question--are there any fandoms who have had more than one major pairing of the same type at the same time? As in, more than one major slash and more than one major het?
Since Trek, I've never been involved in a fandom that did, so I'm curious. And I'm not sure my memories of Trek are accurate, as this was 1999/2000 and I spent about half that time going, oh my God this is the best thing in the world! And um, writing Paris/Seven post-Paris/Torres breakup porn. Because I didn't like Seven and that's how I deal with dislike. It felt like Janeway/Chakotay and Paris/Torres had similiarly strong followings, though J/C was a bit older and larger, and Chakotay/Paris and Paris/Kim seemed relatively even (in retrospect, the locked archives actually skew it even more; I never even *knew* about some of them before Smallville).
I'd ask what everyone thinks influences a pairing to be written, but the answers will be, invariably:
a.) Lots of feedback! OR Feedback doesn't matter! Etc. Etc. Etc.
b.) BNFs! OR BNFs turn me off pairings! Etc. Etc. Etc.
c.) Big Pairings are sheep! OR Rare pairing are boring! Etc. Etc. Wait, didn't we do this recently?
d.) Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. (insert here)
I always wondered if it was just a moment of fannish--unity, if you will, like when a mob forms. Like, remember when you went to cheer at a football game and suddenly in the third quarter and while you've never been the perkiest cheerleader and kinda quiet, you're suddenly filled with bloodlust and helping to lead the crowd in screaming BEAT THE WATERPIGS and lost your voice for a day? (They were hippos. Yes, we got in some much trouble for that one. So very much worth it.) (My algebra teacher was louder than all of us together, though.)(I don't miss being a cheerleader. I do, however, miss controlling crowds with five inches of thigh and some belled shoes. Seriously. I still marvel at that.)
Yes, I'm going to be this incoherent all day; I had no sleep. Also trying to get my John/Ronon recs together, since I kind of think I should feedback the authors and then give the fic their own page.
no subject
The popularity of one main pairing depends on lots of factors that again may vary from fandom to fandom, but off the top of my head, I can think of a few:
1. Inherent conflict or greatly differing position.
Skeptic + believer, Vampire + Vampire Slayer, vampire + human, "good" one + "bad" one, spy + assassin or civilian, Earth astronaut + alien warrior woman, in general scientist + soldier. This is admittedly a huge, perhaps the biggest one for me...but not only me, given a look at the majority of my previous and current fandoms. *g*
2. Identification
Simple enough, the ability of a character, casting choice, or dynamic to evoke feelings of Yes, That Is/Could/TOTALLY SHOULD! be me. I debated whether to put this after the Attraction level, but frankly, I think this may matter even more. Certainly a lot of SGA fiction reflects an, uh, somewhat strong empathy with Rodney.
3. Attraction
Kinda self-explanatory, although I think this one is somewhat over-estimated as a reason for writing. Not, mind you, for reading or fanning a show, necessarily, but creative output in the fiction realms has to be fueled by more than this, I feel. For all the complaints that people "just like JM's abs" or that Supernatural is "just about teh pretty," I think not many authors are motivated only by their personal reaction to character A and/or B.
These also underline why I don't do the John/Ronon thing--that pairing pings neither 1 nor 2, and 3 alone has never been a reason for me to write. TV is full of pretty people; I want differences, delightful contrasts, opportunities to explore and ultimate bridge gaps, and I think I already tl;dr'ed about this in your LJ? John/Rodney pings 'em all on all sides (although the Rodney attraction is subdued and my John identification stronger than the Rodney one), and of course, although that is arguably a sub-set of #1, I crave banter and dialogue like whoa. Neither John nor Ronon are quippy, talkative people by nature, and as a dialogue writer who thrives on verbal sparring, I just don't feel any incentive.
no subject
1.) I'm not sure the inherent conflict, for me, does very much. Maybe Clark/Lex burned it out of me, but a pairing where I'm *not* having to fight against everything is a plus. As to say, Rodney and John didn't ping that way for me--they pinged as similar.
2.) *nods* I can see that. You have to be simpatico on some level with a character to even start.
3.) Hmm. For me, John/Ronon pings completely not here number four, two people who are extremely compatible. And canon is--well, actually *really* good at giving a lot of potential in them.
Dialog, though, is yes, a huge problem. *sighs* Such a problem.
no subject
And oh, yeah, #4 (compatibility) is definitely a factor--perhaps it's just that I hang in fandoms where this isn't stressed so much because of my own preferences: I don't even do vampire/vampire; the whole Spike/Angel thing was not me, same for witch/witch in the shape of Willow/Tara, and same for spy/spy when there was no Terrible Obstacle Between Syd & Vaughn any more.
I just think the journey is the destination--making two different-from-the-outset characters meet is vastly more interesting to me than making two already-alike characters be...even more compatible. Sorry for being so in-your-face unenthusiastic about your John/Ronon! I shall go away now and study again. & ;-)
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Oh yeah, as I said, this list is by no means exhaustive.
Also, of course, #1 and your #5 (best friends turned lovers) are by no means mutually exclusive; certainly the above codes for Mulder/Scully, John/Rodney, and arguably John Crichton/Aeryn Sun would fall under that. Differences, even fundamental ones, don't mean there is no friendship, after all.
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