Well, *of course* we need to heartily discuss every nuance of the origins and definitions of slash!
| Meta | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Well, *of course* we need to heartily discuss every nuance of the origins and definitions of slash! |
| Creator: | |
| Date(s): | November 19, 1993 |
| Medium: | online |
| Fandom: | multi, mentions Wiseguy, The Professionals, Star Trek: TOS |
| Topic: | |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Well, *of course* we need to heartily discuss every nuance of the origins and definitions of slash! is a 1993 essay on Virgule-L.
It is quoted on Fanlore anonymously with permission.
A similar essay is Slash Origins: YOU'RE ALL WRONG!.
For additional context, see Timeline of Slash Meta and Slash Meta, as well as and A Meta Essays, List Surveys and Notable Discussions on Virgule-L.
Some Topics Discussed
- "traditional slash" and "plain, blue-label generic slash"
- why slash?
- live and let live
From the Essay
Well, *of course* we need to heartily discuss every nuance of the origins and definitions of slash! Stop analysing? Us? Nah. The sun'll freeze over before slash fans stop picking at things...
I came to the conclusion a long time ago that the only accurate definition of slash was that belonging to each individual, but I still have tremendous fun poking and prodding at the question.
Can't remember how many people have made pretty much the same comment, but I remember [D] talking about how slash is growing, expanding and becoming fuzzy round the edges. For my own ease of reference, I refer to 'traditional slash' and plain, blue-label generic 'slash', neither one being better than the other, and each one having ascendancy over the other depending on what I feel like reading at the time.
For me, traditional slash deals less with 'real world' situations, sexuality issues, sexual politics, practicalities, and the characters are usually a lot nicer to each other (they can sometime s even be really decent, nurturing and supportive! A real shock to the system, I can tell you...).
Traditional slash also tends to be more romantic, and almost exclusively happy-ending (happy-endinged?). I don't perceive any differences in reference to how closely the writer cleaves to the source material, and I don't use the labels chronologically (some of Jane of Australia and Ellis Ward's most recent stuff is 'traditional', and some old Sebastian and K/S is far from traditional). As with every other label, I use them to suit my whim of the moment...
And yes, I'm going to say it again: for all I lambast things like The Terranova Situation and Harlequin Airs, I'm still glad they're out there (and not in my closet. Ouch, ouch, stop slapping me across the wrist! I can't help being a bitch--I'm niceness impaired), even though I'll never touch either one with so much as a bargepole ever again. Listen, if I like watersports, other people are entitled to be kinky enough to like a sweet, smiling, gently caring Roger LeCocko (and if you've read TS, you'll know why I've changed his spelling...).