I didn't way anything about it last night because I was too upset and probably wouldn't have been able to do more than rant on the stupidity of the species as a whole. And, really, it's not something to make that big a fuss over. Even if what the person's veiled meaning definitely is.
Anyway, last night I was going through ff.net as usual, feeding my fan fic addiction. One of the things I came across wasn't a fic, but an abusive and slightly homophobic rant. They were saying people should quit writing fan fic about a certain pairing, and that they're sick of seeing slash each time they look for stories about those particular characters. They called those of us that supported the pairing stupid, that we should stick to canon, and if we wanted to write/read romance so badly, we should stick them with original characters.
The rant's gone now. *<3's the "report abuse" button* But it pissed me off for so many different reasons. Skipping over the homophobia for now (although I don't know how someone can say "quit making them fagots" and then claim to not be homophobic in the least is quite beyond me),I would first like to say that if you don't like a story, you don't have to read it. Usually, it's pretty clear in the summery that a fic will be slash. If it doesn't have a slash warning, it will have a pairing warning which you should be smart enough to figure out "Oh, this is slash!" and can go right on your merry way without clicking it. If it's not clear in the summery, it will be in the author's notes and you can hit the back button. Just because a fic is there doesn't mean you've go to read it, after all. You can search for Mary Sue fics if you want (and, yes, most original character romances are blatant Mary Sue fics). You do NOT have the right to demand people to quit writing something just because you don't like it. How would you feel if someone didn't like the kind of fics you did and demanded everyone quit righting them?
Secondly, do not call people stupid for holding a different opinion. Last I checked, we were all individuals who were made to like different things, not uniform productions who are thrown away as factory rejects for not being exactly the same as the rest. Not everyone has to like what you like, hate what you hate. Also, just because we interpet subtext for something friendly to be something romantic doesn't mean we've got an IQ lower than that of a chewed up sneaker.
Okay, so canon doesn't support it. But it doesn't negate it, either. And even if it did, what does it matter? This is fan fiction we're writing, not a script for a new episode, the plot for a new book, or the little bubbles of a new comic. We're doing this for fun, not trying to get it entered into the canon, so it being slightly different doesn't matter. Hell, that doesn't stop the script writers of most shows and movies, anyway. So why should it bother us in the slightest? Yeah, canon's nice, but it's something to base the story on, not laws that have to be strictly applied to or else. There's also subtext, which many people like exploring in fics, be it of a romantic nature or otherwise. Isn't that what fics are for?
Finally, making derogatory comments and saying you don't like reading fics about homosexuality does NOT mix at all with saying you have nothing against gay people and that you hope the rant didn't turn out homophobic. Give us some credit here! People who aren't homophobic don't usually use the words you did. There are other reasons for not liking a pairing or slash in general, but the way you put the whole thing was clearly homophobic. The world doesn't revolve around your prejudices, dear, and the sooner you realize that, the better.
I just needed to let off some steam, guys. This has been bugging me since I read it.
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