Very small rant

[leethet]

Because it's entirely likely that I'm just cranky (although I've felt like this in other similar circumstances). In visiting the latest  crack_vanrec, which, yes, was cute, this?

I do believe that was every slash fic in a nutshell right there. *wipes hands* yup.

Like I said, maybe I'm just cranky, because as a rule I'm not bothered by mild humor at the expense of my writing (and others'), but it's sure not very pleasant to hear that all our hard work can be summed up so cheaply. I always figured the journey, and reaching the expected destination, were why readers were there in the first place. I could be wrong on that - it could be just me.

Comments

[mara-snh.livejournal.com]

Oh honey, I thought that cartoon had all the subtle wit of (insert name of your favorite unsubtle witless comic -- I can't think of any because I never pay attention to them).

[leethet.livejournal.com]

You know, I hate to be, even momentarily, one of those people so dim or so full of myself that I can't take a joke at the expense of "my" genre, as it were, but I just found myself thinking "if it's all so shallow and obvious and predictable, it's remarkable anyone reads it, and pardon us for spending countless hours trying to write well in what is, let's face it, genre fiction." Sigh. I mean, it really wasn't even the comic (they are, as you observe, rarely subtle, and this one was cute); it was more the tag line. And I do suppose, as azdak says above, that it was a joke spoken by someone who actually does read and love the genre. I guess I just don't like to see the hard work the many good writers do treated as if it were the lamest of crapfic, simply because we do generally end up at the same destination. It seems so dismissive, like "all slash is simplistic crap."

I think I'm just cranky. :-)

[mara-snh.livejournal.com]

Well, the cartoonist's response to my post over there (q.v.) reminded me of why I bailed out of UNCLE when I did. I'm afraid there's too much defensive superciliousness in that fandom -- although, happily, there are some spectacular exceptions, which is why I keep in touch now and then. But I'm afraid their worst never fails to bring out the worst in me. Life's too short for that.

[leethet.livejournal.com]

See, and now I'm actually irritated, so I had to go comment over there. I know it'll result in "why don't you have a sense of humor," completely overlooking that the artist was fairly rude and dismissive of your comments and that one person's joke is another person's insult ... adding fuel to a fire I'm really not that interested in stoking, but sometimes I can't stay silent.

[mara-snh.livejournal.com]

A very nice comment that was. I wonder why this person doesn't see that "I do believe that was every slash fic in a nutshell right there. *wipes hands* yup" doesn't constitute accusing every slash fic of the cliché illustrated by her parody. I mean, prima facie, and all that.

*wipes hands*

Gaahh.