Comments on: Slash and Teh Magick Testicles of Perspicacity

By: Susan

Susan — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:29:38 +0000

This was hilarious. Pompous and patronizing (the
interview), but hilarious (the interview and your
commentary). I had tears in my eyes, trying to
stifle my laughs.

” . . . because I couldn’t see any reason why any
woman would ever want to read or write slash.”
Er, why do so many men like to view female on
female porn?

I’m a married, straight, middle-aged woman who
started reading fanfic — primarily but not
exclusively slash — just a few months ago. I’m
practically a virgin to the stuff. The really
explicit material still makes me embarrassed. I’m
still in the dark regarding a few of the acronyms/
abbreviations in use in the fandom I’ve been
reading. I read my first lesbian encounter just
yesterday. I haven’t touched kink. I’m currently
writing my first [G-rated] slash story. And even
with this *very* limited exposure to slash, and
even though I fit Symons’ stereotypes, I could
have refuted damn near every assertion he makes.

I knew about Watson and Holmes long before I was
even aware of the existence of slash. Geez.

By: Mishell Baker

Mishell Baker — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:55:43 +0000

If I hear one more person make blatantly sexist remarks in pseudo-academic language I think I’ll start punching faces. I get furious enough when I hear ignorant laypeople saying stuff like “What do women want?” or “Women are so mysterious!” as though I could be thrown into the same category as Valerie Solanas, Britney Spears, and Mother Teresa. To read a self-proclaimed academic blithely basing his “conclusions” on the assumption there is even such a thing as “female sexuality” makes my eyes bleed with rage. As much as I hate ignorance, I’d rather a person be ignorant and humble than partially-educated and smug as all flying hell.

By: Nina

Nina — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:39:46 +0000

“This is the most bizarre pairing I could find. Can you imagine it? Holmes and Watson?!”

*SNORFLES OUT COFFEE*

Thank you. This made my morning.

One theory I have about slash is that by divorcing itself from the harmful homophobia of our society, it presents a safe space for female and male writers/readers to explore male sexuality in all its variegated forms. But let’s not bother to touch on that idea, because THEN we might end up having to do some kind of COMPLEX exploration. (!!)