Preaching to the Choir

[lls_mutant]

Okay, everyone on this f-list is either R/S tolerant, or a flat-out R/S shipper, I think. Otherwise, you probably wouldn't be here. So, as the title says, I'm preaching to the choir, but I need to get it out.

You know how there are things you know you shouldn't look at, but you do anyway? Yeah, I've still been kind of watching the fandom. There are a lot of interesting things in HBP that bear discussing, so fandom- although overwhelming- isn't utterly terrifying. The Snape debates are entertaining (I still can't decide which way I fall- I'm eagerly awaiting the rest of the Leaky Cauldron/Mugglenet interview!), and there's always the possibility that DD MEANT for Snape to kill him, but that doesn't mean Snape meant for it to help Dumbledore. Anyway.

What's bugging me is the reaction to the Remus/Tonks ship.

I don't mind people being happy about it. Not at all. After all, if you aren't a R/S shipper- and even if you are- it's really, really nice that Remus FINALLY gets a little happiness. And I hated the hospital scene for a multitude of reasons that have solely to do with Tonks, but that's my opinion, and last time I checked no one was legally bound to agree with it. But do so many people have to keep slipping in snarky little comments about "that'll show those R/S shippers!"?

I can TOTALLY handle it on V.E.N.O.M. on FAP. (In fact, the CS R/S thread has been remarkably quiet.) Same with in any thread dedicated to the R/T ship. But it pops up in places like the HPfGU group, and comments on HBP, and that sort of thing. And while I know that some of our shippers have made some enemies, it irks me that people are really willing to paint us all with the same brush.

Not only that... I've seen countless people say "I'm not homophobic for not seeing R/S!" And they're right... in that not seeing Remus/Sirius does not make you homophobic. The text can honestly be read either way. Now, I haven't done a study yet, but it seems like a lot of the people who said that not seeing R/S doesn't make them homophobic are finding great joy in sticking it to the R/S shippers. Like I said, this is NOT an allegation, and I hesitate to even write it because there's a lot of non-R/S shippers out there that agree that R/T came out of the blue and wasn't that well written, and that Tonks's behavior at the end of the book was sickening. There's also a lot of Harry Potter readers that don't care, because Remus/Sirius wasn't their focus. And there's a lot of R/T shippers that DO like the pairing, are happy with how it came about, and are NOT rubbing it in the faces of R/S shippers because they're acting like adults. So what I'm saying is a gut feeling, and nothing more.

What bothers me- and throughadoor (right name? I forget) nailed this perfectly is this: I feel like I'm expected to be embarrassed or repentent or sorry about loving R/S and not liking R/T. I'm being told they're JKR's characters, and she is Goddess, and if she wants to write it that way, she can. Well, I'm NOT sorry I love R/S, or that I'm not crazy about R/T. Sure, she's got the right to write it any way she wants, but I've got the right to say "that didn't work for me." Given that I'm willing to say I LOVED the rest of the book, and this didn't ruin HBP for me, or the Harry Potter series, I don't see why it's such a big deal that I thought she hashed up one of her minor subplots, but there you go.

I'm also not sure I'd ever actually want to see a full background on Remus. I don't know, because by the time it came out it would probably be 4-5 years from now, at least, and I will have moved so far on I might not care so much. But I like being able to imagine him my way. Meh.



Anyway, as a reminder to myself and what's going on in ficland, here's what still needs to be written:

1.) Fic for femgenficthon. Definitely still staying with Hermione, as the girls pretty much sucked in this one and my theme is secrets anyway.
2.) Fic for the HP_synergy challenge. I think this will be a Remus/Sirius post-POA adventure story, with shipping undertones.
3.) Chapter 10 of Accidentally In Love. I've got SO much to work with now. Actually, the great thing is that HBP revived my interest in writing this, and I feel ready to tear Remus and Sirius apart. I have some truly, truly EVIL ideas. Hehehehehehhehehehehehe. The only thing here is that the Regulus thing I was supposed to work on is getting meshed into AiL. I might remix it later and do it from Regulus's point of view (very likely, if I have time!), but it will totally fit.
4.) The Remus/Harry's Patronus story. I went back and reread it and wasn't as happy with the text as I thought, but I still love the idea and basics I've got. I think the Snape working with Remus and being a DE spy will fit into here, as well. Going to be totally gen, because I've decided outside of AiL, I really need to write more genfic.
5.) Moody-Caradoc in their younger days. Can I just say that's utterly untouched by canon? Nenenene.
6.) I might actually do that AU Kat wants me to do and write Remus/Alphard. No promises, but we'll see.
7.) Sirius and Aunt Marge. That needs to be written.
8.) Oooh! Lost Years Remus fic for the Wolfstar Lost Years challenge. And since HBP said NOTHING about the Lost Years, I can still use my idea. Which is good, because I love my idea with all my heart :)

Am I missing anything?

Comments

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

Interesting.

You're right that we were canonically likely. I still maintain we're canon-compliant (just change Remus to bi, there, instead of gay), but you're right about that. Certainly more compliant than the others you list- or even Harry and Ron.

the point about homophobia and not being comfortable with slash makes me somewhat sad. I agree with what you say, but I also think that slash gets a bad rep because of the PWPs out there. (Of course, there's tons of het PWPs as well.) I converted a lot of people to slash because I eased them into it, and even now, I rarely write raunchy. I know non-slashers who read prankstersguide, because the slash isn't really sexual and detailed.

And I fully agree with you that our ship isn't behaving that well, either, as a whole. I've seen some disgruntled shippers calling JKR homophobic, and I don't agree with that at all. If she was truly homophobic and wanted to sink us totally, she could. But she left us alone. I'll be interested to see if she says about it in the Leaky/Mugglenet interview (although I have more faith in the interviewers than to waste too much time on shipping questions!!!!!)

And you're right about good readers and bad readers, of course. Just sometimes it's nice to vent :)