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March 1992

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Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
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Sun, 8 Mar 1992 03:01:43 -0500
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>I'd like to know who came up with the idea that the authors, who
>are usually women, must be lesbians? What a bizarre thought!
>
>                                        Sue
 
Good Point!  It was this in that newspaper article that I wanted to
question originally, before I got caught on my scholarly digression.  No
attack at all on M. Bunster here (I thank him for bringing this interesting
topic up!), just (if anyone in particular) the newspaper:  It seems that
the mention of these women's sexuality was an attempt at
marginalization--as if lesbianism is in any way marginal or even unusual!
These assumptions are more than the normal play of identity politics.  It
strikes me that this sort of tacit association of sexual practices with
these fan writings is an attempt to slot the whole phonomenon as merely
some strange, and slightly distasteful, erotic game--thus avoiding the more
in-your-face political implications of this conscious "fixing" of Star Trek
(by altering and highlighting the unquestioned heterosexism implicit in the
series).
 
In short, fan writing is a complex practice, not only worthy of serious
attention by the thoughtful, but--importantly--they are fun to read.
 
Here at Williams College, I have a few of these (slash) zines lying around
my room.  Often people will walk in and pick one up and start reading.
Never has anyone derided a magazine as pornography (making the issue of the
authors' sexualities somewhat irrelevant)--usually they are impressed by
the stories and style and ask to borrow them...
 
sorry for the length of this post...
 
Elrod Ax.
 
a.k.a.    Jeremiah (Jem) Borenstein Chaim Axelrod
AOL       Elrod Ax / JeremiahA2
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USMail  Jem Axelrod  63 North St.  Williamstown MA 01267  U.S.A.
MaBell  413 458.9508

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