F*ck Your Conspiracy

Meta
Title:	F*ck Your Conspiracy
Creator:	Evith Winter Grey
Date(s):	June 24, 2014
Medium:	online
Fandom:	BBC Sherlock
Topic:	The Johnlock Conspiracy
External Links:	http://www.wintergrey.ca:80/2014/06/24/fck-your-conspiracy/ (defunct), archive link
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F*ck Your Conspiracy is a 2014 meta by Evith Winter Grey. It critiques The Johnlock Conspiracy, and discusses queer representation and homophobia in the show Sherlock and in its fandom.

It was originally published to Evith Winter Grey's Wordpress site, wintergrey.ca, and was later removed. The essay remains archived on The Wayback Machine.

Topics Discussed

• The Johnlock Conspiracy and its inherent homophobia
• Queer representation and erasure in media
• The fetishization of same-sex relationships implied in the idea that Johnlock is intended as a big "plot twist"
• The biphobia and misogyny inherent in wanting to erase the character of Mary Morstan and her relationship with John (or make it a smokescreen/cover)

Excerpts

So apparently I’m going to do this twice in one day. Lemme make this quick because I have work to do.

If “The Johnlock Conspiracy” is real, it is terrible and you should quit watching the show.

This is not about whether or not you can write Johnlock. It is not about Johnlock being bad. It is not about the signs not being there.

It is about the plain fact that if you give a shit about queer people and queer representation, the idea that The Johnlock Conspiracy is real should offend your sensibilities to the point that you no longer support the show. If you believe it’s true and you still love the show, then just own that you don’t care about the points I’m about to make below—points about how this whole TJLC business is all hinged on homophobia, erasure, and fetishism.

instead of queer representation, instead of demanding good queer representation, you’re revelling in a theory that requires over a hundred people to steadfastly and very publicly deny the very notion that being queer is normal and possible while carrying out a conspiracy of closeting and subtext that hinges on homophobia and fetishizing queerness for appeal—all for a big reveal at the end to satisfy some kind of romantic itch you want scratched.

it means that you’re celebrating a man using a woman… for what?… and you’re going to be thrilled when she’s out of the picture so your faves can bang. Again, that’s gross. It’s gross in any context but in this one—that the relationship with Mary is a distraction and a smokescreen—it’s really gross.

I don’t care what the real intent is on the show. I don’t care what you write. I love gay fanfic. I love gay love stories. I’m as queer as they come. But if “The Johnlock Conspiracy” is real, if you even think it’s real, you should be looking very closely at what you’re celebrating. Because you’re not celebrating queerness, or queer people. Not even close.