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There's been lots of very cool and interesting meta going around about gender in fanfic and why various people find it sexist to refer to a character as 'feminised' when what they mean is 'this man has been magically transformed into a quivering bowl of pink fluffy dessert topping with a sex drive.'
(Yes, that's my entirely biased take. Anyone who is still coming here for unbiased commentary on life is badly confused...)
What we have here, I think, is a terminology problem. One wishes to avoid being sexist, clearly. (One DOES, right? Right? One does in THIS journal, I assure thee.) But at the same time, one wishes to take exception, in no uncertain terms, to the characterisation being presented. FIRMLY. Confusion results, unecessary acrimony reigns.
So I have a proposal, modest, but I think perhaps apt. We need a more precise and useful term.
Therefore:
Henceforth, when such a character is encountered in fic or elsewhere, we shall not say 'YOU MADE HIM ALL FEMININE!" (girly, into a woman, etc etc etc)
Instead, recognising that women are in fact not dessert toppings, and in fact many of us have nerves of steel, muscles of leather, and all the delicate sensibility of a car tire, and to avoid people responding to comments of "YOU MADE HIM LIKE A WOMAN!" with "So, you mean, more like Lizzie Borden, or Golda Meir?" we shall instead exclaim:
BAD SQUISHIE! BAD BAD SQUISHIE!
... I knew watching Finding Nemo on the bus to North Bay was going to come in handy eventually.
Right. Who's with me?
ETA: You, my wonderful friendslist, have set a new record for "shortest time from politics to perving."
I love you all *glomps* And as always, We Blame Sam.
(Yes, that's my entirely biased take. Anyone who is still coming here for unbiased commentary on life is badly confused...)
What we have here, I think, is a terminology problem. One wishes to avoid being sexist, clearly. (One DOES, right? Right? One does in THIS journal, I assure thee.) But at the same time, one wishes to take exception, in no uncertain terms, to the characterisation being presented. FIRMLY. Confusion results, unecessary acrimony reigns.
So I have a proposal, modest, but I think perhaps apt. We need a more precise and useful term.
Therefore:
Henceforth, when such a character is encountered in fic or elsewhere, we shall not say 'YOU MADE HIM ALL FEMININE!" (girly, into a woman, etc etc etc)
Instead, recognising that women are in fact not dessert toppings, and in fact many of us have nerves of steel, muscles of leather, and all the delicate sensibility of a car tire, and to avoid people responding to comments of "YOU MADE HIM LIKE A WOMAN!" with "So, you mean, more like Lizzie Borden, or Golda Meir?" we shall instead exclaim:
BAD SQUISHIE! BAD BAD SQUISHIE!
... I knew watching Finding Nemo on the bus to North Bay was going to come in handy eventually.
Right. Who's with me?
ETA: You, my wonderful friendslist, have set a new record for "shortest time from politics to perving."
I love you all *glomps* And as always, We Blame Sam.
