Asexuality and Fandom
- "Ace" redirects here. You may be looking for Doctor Who companion Ace McShane.
| Trope · Genre | |
|---|---|
| Synonyms: | ace |
| Related: | asexuality |
| See Also: | asexual_fandom, Fictosexuality |
| Tropes · Slash Tropes · Tropes by Fandom | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
According to AVEN, "An asexual is someone who does not experience sexual attraction,"[1] although asexuals may define asexuality differently.[2] Sometimes fictosexuals are considered ace, since they are only attracted to fictional characters and not real people.
In fanworks, an asexual or "ace" character or relationship usually does not display much or any interest in sexual sensations. Fanworks that include asexuality range from rare to more prevalent depending on the fandom.
Ace Characters
Human characters specifically stated to be ace are rare. Ace headcanons are common in some fandoms. Sometimes, distinguishing between a common fanon headcanon and deliberate ace-coding can be difficult. Characters commonly perceived as ace include:
Archie Comics: Since the comics began, Jughead Jones was never a huge fan of women. The joke has been that he is in a relationship with food. Some fans feel that he was clearly coded as gay in the older comics, however in the 2016 issue Jughead #4 it is stated that he is asexual. In the CW show Riverdale, Jughead appears to be heterosexual. Jughead's orientation is a topic of much discourse in fandom.[3]
Assassin's Creed: Many fans have expressed the headcanon that Ratonhnhaké:ton ("Connor") is on the asexual/aromantic spectrum.[4][5][6][7]
The Big Bang Theory: Sheldon Cooper is often cited as an example of a character who is asexual in canon.[8]
Bojack Horseman: Todd Chavez is an openly asexual character.[9]
Critical Role: Caduceus Clay is an aro-ace character from Campaign 2. In-game in episode 114, An Open Window, Caduceus says that sex is "not really for him"; Talesin later confirmed on Twitter that Caduceus was also aromantic in addition to the fact that Caduceus was planned as ace from character creation [10][11]. The revelation was especially meaningful to fans as it took place during Asexual Awareness Week.
Dishonored: Head writer Harvey Smith confirmed on Twitter that the assassin Daud (antagonist of the first game and protagonist of the DLCs) is asexual. An in-game book says that "sex had never interested him".[12]
Doctor Who: Especially fans of the classic series often viewed the Doctor as being asexual. Some fans were therefore dismayed by the 'shippy vibes included in the newer series.
Dreaming of Sunshine: The main character Nara Shikako is canonically aromantic and asexual, although the author, Silver Queen, has said she doesn't mind people shipping Shikako in their recursive fanfiction.[13]
Good Omens: Crowley and Aziraphale, as well as other celestial beings, are often interpreted as asexual (and possibly aromantic), due to a line in the book which describes angels as "sexless unless they really feel like making an effort". Some fans consider this an asexual relationship, while others use "making an effort" as a euphemism for sex. After the TV series was released, many fans expressed joy at a positive portrayal of asexuality, although others wished the relationship had been made explicitly romantic. Co-author and showrunner Neil Gaiman has expressed support for many possible interpretations, including asexual and aromantic ones. [14]
Leverage: Some fans think that Parker is ace.
Mass Effect: The salarians in general are considered to be an asexual race,[15] but the most prominent example of the salarians' asexuality within fandom is the character of Mordin Solus. While he eventually sees Commander Shepard as a good friend, he politely turns down any notion of a relationship with them -if they are not in a romance with another character at the time-, but adds that if he were to "try human", he would "try" Shepard (interestingly enough, he says this to both male and female Shepards).[16]
Les Misérables: Enjolras is often interpreted as being asexual, due to Hugo's description of him in the Brick.[17] However, Enjolras's sexuality is not clearly defined in any canon and is mainly understood through interpreting Classical allusions, and is accordingly one of the most commonly debated issues in the Les Mis fandom.
Mob Psycho 100: Shigeo and Reigen are commonly percieved as ace, especially Reigen due to a line where he asks Dimple if love requires sexual desire. This caused discourse on tumblr.
Monk: Adrian Monk has been interpreted as asexual by some fans, due to various factors in canon including a dialogue which indicates he and his wife never had intercourse.[18]
One Piece: Monkey D. Luffy is sometimes thought to be asexual.
Sherlock Holmes fandoms: The character of Sherlock Holmes is sometimes seen as being asexual.[19]
- Some writers like exploring what this means for his possible romance with Watson. Holmes/Watson or Sherlock/John fic where Holmes and Watson first get together and Holmes is asexual and Watson is not often has some element of angst as they negotiate their romantic relationship. John is often portrayed as missing sex and many stories end in a compromise where their relationship has some consensual sexual element. One common plot in Sherlock BBC fanwork ends with Sherlock convincing a reluctant John that he is comfortable participating in some sexual activity with John.
- Sherlock Holmes's brother, Mycroft, is also sometimes characterized as asexual and other characters rarely.
SpongeBob SquarePants: In 2005, the We Are Family Foundation released a music video featuring more than 100 well-known children's characters, to promote diversity and tolerance. Multiple conservative groups were offended and attacked Spongebob in particular, alleging that the cartoon series depicted SpongeBob and Patrick in a gay relationship. Creator Stephen Hillenburg made a statement in response that "We never intended them to be gay. I consider them to be almost asexual."[20] Many fans embraced this as canon.[21]
Stargate Atlantis: In SGA fic, the character of John Sheppard has multiple times been written as asexual.[22] This may in part be due to the fanon trope that he is touch-averse.
Trigun: Vash the Stampede has romantic storylines in canon but is often perceived as asexual.
Discourse and Meta
Ace fans sometimes interact with fanworks differently than allo (non-ace) fans do. This has led to meta about canon and fanon, as well as discourse over headcanons and other aspects of fandom. Common discourse topics on tumblr include headcanoning characters of color and autistic or otherwise disabled characters as ace.
Ace Characters and Sex in Fanwork
Some fans have expressed concern over the prevalence of ace characters, for whom sex is not a focus, being depicted having sex in fanwork. One fan writes this is perhaps an effect of allo people writing ace characters as well as a problem with the constraints of the romance genre in general:
Well, seeing as how 99% of the population is sexual, that's their frame of reference and they may have a hard time breaking out of that. Sadly, gen fic is pretty rare, and I've noticed that there are certain tropes for fics that involve romantic relationships. Unfortunately all of these tropes assume that romance invariably leads to sex, even if said sex isn't shown in the fic. It becomes an expectation of the genre (if fanfic can be classified as a genre), and a lot of people can't figure out how to work around that expectation. It becomes easier to figure out a reason why the ace character has to have sex than to go against the archetype of how romantic relationships in fictions are Supposed to Be.[23]
The pattern of ace characters altruistically entering into sexual relationships in fanwork is also criticized by other fans.
. . . the narrative of "I'm not sexual, I just like giving you handjobs" is one I can't relate to. It tires me to read stories about "ace" characters without seeing evidence that their relationship to sex actually differs from sexual people. It's not unthinkable for me that some aces would want to have sex, for a host of reasons, but I'm tired of the "magic, selfless ace, who just wants to please" trope. I'd love to read the "magic, selfless sexual, who just wants to please" trope, now; I think it's time to write some of that.[24]
Depictions of asexuality can be idealistic when it comes to the willingness of all ace characters to engage in sexual activity:
Honestly, I think the balance of ase-in-porn!fic vs. ace-no-porn!fic should be considered on a character by character, fandom by fandom basis. In some, it will definitely be more probable than others due to canonical characterization…. At the same time, I also admit to concern that all of the sex fic and happy endings will create a misconception that all asexuals will always be able and willing to compromise and that doing so is no big deal.[25]
Overall there is a lack of variety in relationship patterns in fanwork, especially involving asexuals:
[The "magic self-less ace" trope] can create unrealistic expectations of relationship dynamics that are difficult to pursue in real life. Doesn't mean it shouldn't be written, but too much would be troublesome. Eh, what we really need is a good bouquet of different fic types, so they can be compared and contrasted for possible usefulness as role models.[26]
On the other hand, fic about ace characters having sex can be a way for ace fans to explore their sexuality.
In addition, as one fan writes, the focus on discussing whether or not ace characters can have sex can distract from discussions on other ways writers can create harmful portrayals of ace people.
Most of the discussion of whether allo people can write ace characters all comes down to the same debate over and over: are you allowed to write ace people having sex or not? With responses ranging from “No, never!” to “Yes, always!” with rarely any nuance. But the fact is that there are just as many ways to insensitively write an asexual character in the most G-rated fics, and I never see any discussion on that. So I’m starting one myself!https://dathen.tumblr.com/post/632990155613093888/it-feels-a-little-weird-to-start-off-ace-awareness [27]
Asexuality and Other Marginalized Identities
Headcanoning characters as both asexual and other marginalized identities can be a sensitive topic, out of a desire to avoid the stereotype of desexualising a group. This is especially common with headcanoning disabled characters as ace, or as both disabled and ace.
On the topic of headcanoning Oswald Cobblepot from Gotham as asexual, one fan writes:
there is a history in media of desexualizing disabled people. we are infantilized, over and over again, our sexuality stripped away from us.jewishgarygreen on tumblr [28]disabled people can be sexual. many are. many also are met with “well how does that work,” or “does it work” (obviously that one applies to people with visible physical disabilities).
so i just would like to ask you to be thoughtful about headcanoning a physically disabled character as asexual, since media strips away not only our desirability, but our own desires as well. people who are visibly physically disabled are a fetish or undesirable in equal measures, and are often not allowed to want.
However, marginalized ace fans exist, and many of them criticize this trend of avoiding writing ace characters that share a commonly desexualized identity. They argue that execution matters, and that it is important to represent the intersections of various identities.
In response to an unspecified post, one neurodivergent ace fan writes:
I want to keep this post fandom nonspecific since this is an issue EVERYWHERE I went, but the character in question for the “you can’t headcanon him as anything but white or it’s desexualization” accusation I saw (ironically written by a white person) a) is an adult, b) has confidently set boundaries for sexual activity, c) is unabashedly portrayed as receiving romantic interest & desire for the entire course of the show, and d) is the main character and almost always centered in fanworks. It’s practically a checklist for why the above wouldn’t apply. But with this lazy, harmful approach of “asexuality can’t be combined with any other marginalized identity,” it still gets the “problematic” label slapped on it. And let me tell you, the asexual PoC in the discords I’m in were NOT happy with that post telling them “just :) think about why this is wrong :))”dathen on tumblr[29]
Tagging on AO3
Tagging on Archive of Our Own is always a somewhat contentious topic. An user on the anon meme fail_fandomanon asked, "Nonnies, Character A is asexual but not aromantic. Should I use Character A/Character B or Character A & Character B in the relationship tag?"[30] which got a good spread of responses:
That's very obviously /. -1 on the tagging Asexual A. Unless the fic is about them being ace, there's no need for the tag.
-1, I wouldn't tag Asexuality unless it was a fic about exploring a character's asexuality, but tagging identity headcanons helps both people who share the headcanon to find it, and people who are strictly into different headcanons to avoid it.
ayrt
I feel like it's like tagging for trans character when nothing in the fic really tells you the character is trans other than the absence of evidence of them being cis. It's like tagging mentioned ships with their relationship tags. False advertisement especially when nobody would know the character is ace without the tags saying it.
ayrt If that tag is the only way you'd know, and the only indication is they don't fuck, then yeah I wouldn't bother tagging it. Since the author thought it was important enough to mention in the initial question, I was assuming it was brought up in the fic, which I would tag for. Fics I would tag with Asexuality as trope in addition to the character tag would be things like character introspection about their sexuality or relationship negotiation between ace character and non-ace partner.
I disagree about not tagging with Asexual Character. This is how the "Asexual Character" tag becomes nothing but regurgitated issuefic product, if the only fics that use the tag are ones where it's all navel-gazing about asexuality. People complain about that all the time, but it won't change until people start posting fics that are just about asexual characters living their lives, while being asexual.
There's a middle ground between "this is thoroughly issuefic" and "you wouldn't know if I hadn't tagged it."
Example Fanworks
BTS:
Actually, this is a good thing. It finally gives him time to focus on his giant crush on Min Yoongi. Min Yoongi who dates one person after another, who probably has more sex in a month than Jimin could bear having in his whole life.
But that's okay. Because Park Jimin isn't broken. He just hasn't found the right person yet. Right?He did not expect to be hit by a car.
It’s going well.Communities & Resources
- asexual_fandom on Dreamwidth
- asex_sherlock
- asexy_who
- BTAce & Aro Spring Fest, a fandom-specific fic exchange
Meta & Discussion
- Ramp-Up Essay/Meta/Q&A Session/Rec-List on Asexuality (& Kink) for Kink Bingo, 2011. (Archived version)
- Ramp Up Essay: Being a Kinky Ace for Kink Bingo, 2011. (Archived version)
- Asexuality and Femslash, 2011. (Archived version)
- Asexuality in Fandom linkspam, at Asexual Agenda blog, 2017. (Archived version)
- Navigating Fandom As an Asexual on Medium.com, 2018. (Archived version)
- Writing fic as an aroace or aro/ace fic (or with an aspec element to it) it is really frustrating..., 2019. (Archived version)
- Shipping While Aspec, "this blog is a safe place for all arospec & acespec folks to rant about the woes of fandom shipping while aspec."
References
- ^ "Asexual Information and Perspectives". Retrieved 30 March 2011.
- ^ lavvyan. "This entry is brought to you". Retrieved 30 March 2011.
- ^ Tumblr thread, 2017
- ^ "Asexual Connor".
- ^ "Connor/any, asexual relationship, fluff".
- ^ "Connor was, in my headcanons, grey-aromatic asexual".
- ^ "Today's Queer Headcanon of the Day is: Connor Kenway is asexual and aromantic".
- ^ At one point Penny asks Leonard "What is Sheldon's deal?" and clarifies that she means his sexuality; Leonard replies that as far as any of Sheldon's friends know, "he has no deal." A later episode has Sheldon declaring that he is "quite aware of the way humans usually reproduce" but if he and his friend Amy were ever to have children, it would happen "in a lab with petri dishes."
- ^ Sammy Nickalls (September 8, 2017). "Todd Chavez Is TV's First Out-and-Proud Asexual Icon". Retrieved July 24, 2018.
- ^ Tweet from CritRoleStats, Archived version, Nov 10 2020 (accessed April 3 2021)
- ^ {{{title}}}, Archived version Nov 12 2020 (accessed April 3 2021)
- ^ "Dishonored wikia".
- ^ Silver Queen, response to an anonymous ask on dosbysilverqueen.tumblr.com. Posted 20 August 2016. (Accessed 27 July 2018.)
- ^ Neil Gaiman response about queer labels on twitter. Posted 8 June 2019. (Accessed 29 December 2019.)
- ^ "Due to their method of reproduction, salarians have no concept of romantic love, sexual attraction, or the biological impulses and social rituals that complicate other species' lives. Male-female relationships are rare (due to the scarcity of females) and more akin to human friendship. Sexuality is strictly for the purpose of reproduction." - Mass Effect codex entry on salarians
- ^ Female Shepard and Male Shepard conversations with Mordin.
- ^ Enjolras’ sexuality in The Brick, one of the most clearly articulated interpretations of the canon that reaches the conclusion that Enjolras is asexual.
- ^ https://prudence2019.tumblr.com/post/183126649919/stardust-and-serotonin-so-theres-a-monk
- ^ For example, see BBC Sherlock's sexuality.
- ^ Stephen M. Silverman (28 January 2005). "SpongeBob Asexual, Not Gay: Creator". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- ^ cas (January 20, 2017). "fishing time". fishing time. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
- ^ For example, see Asexual_fandom's delicious tags for SGA (Accessed 31 March 2011)
- ^ "Comment to "Writing Asexuals in Sex Scenes"".
- ^ "Comment to "Writing Asexuals in Sex Scenes"".
- ^ "Comment to "Writing Asexuals in Sex Scenes"".
- ^ "Thoughts," reply to Calvinahobbes's comment to "Writing Asexuals in Sex Scenes" by Ysabetwordsmith
- ^ https://dathen.tumblr.com/post/632990155613093888/it-feels-a-little-weird-to-start-off-ace-awareness
- ^ Tumblr post by jewishgarygreen. i do want to say something about oswald and ace headcanons, Jan 28, 2018. Archived from the original on March 21, 2021.
- ^ Tumblr post by dathen. Saw a truly vile taker earlier so I have to write about the differences between asexuality and desexualization or I WILL explode on a molecular level., July 30, 2020. Archived from the original on March 21, 2021.
- ^ Nonnie in Post 1025's Ask meme thread. 2019-02-04
