the break from fandom, it is not going so well...

[meganbmoore]

Ok, seriously, how can women NOT be interested in women in fiction, or view them as irrelevant, or only there to complement the guys?  I mean, seriously, HOW???

I don't mean liking every female character ever, or always being more interested in the female, I just mean approaching fiction with the idea that the female is less important than the male.

It seems to me that it should be the reverse...but then again, I shouldn't be surprised, as so much of fandom revolves around the ideathat it's good or more interesting to take the role of the female and give it to a male instead(yes, if you slash a canonically, heterosexually paired character with another male, you ARE robbing the female of part of her role in the story and giving it to a male.  Period.)

No, I do not dislike you or not respect you or automatically think less of you if you aren't interested in female characters or slash canonically paired males(the f-list would be much smaller if I did.)  But I also can't remotely with your viewpoint when you're coming at something with either one.

(ok, I must ask:  is there something in the world's water supply the last few weeks?  I keep seeing more and more rants...not that I'm one to talk.) 

ETA: No, not directed at anyone specifically (I don't post rants directed to specific people if I know them) but on comments in various rants I've read the last week or so.

Comments

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I can get into something without a male, and something without a female...but without a female is a LOT harder.

Same here.

Zuko only wins because he lets me say "high strung, emotastic angstmuffin" and be proud of it.

Plus, he's such a plot-moving force. I mean, he wants the Avatar, and he's going to do damn near anything in his power to get that, and instead of whining about about he's doing this for his mother, or he's going to win 'his own way' he's sneaking into Fire Nation fortresses and driving his ship through storms and sneaking into the North Pole.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Wait wait wait...are you dissing my Kougaiji there? It's not his fault that his psychotic step-mother holds his mother and sister's lives over his head...plus, Zuko WANTS to achieve his goal...Kougaiji doesn't and actually pretty much opposes it...he just doesn't have a choice.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes I am.

I would like him a great deal more if once - just once - he had pounded Goku without being brainwashed. As it is, I am much, much for into his subordinates than him.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

The thing about Kougaiji is that he's a guy stuck in a bad situation...if he had his way, he'd be on Sanzo's side, but that would get his mother killed, not to mention that it's very obvious that his good behavior is the only thing that keeps Lirin, Yaone and Doku safe from her. He doesn't pound Goku because he doesn't WANT to, any more than Goku wants to pound him, but if he doesn't put up at least a token effort, he loses everything. If it were just about him, he'd say screw it and leave, but instead it's not about him but about everyone he cares about.

He and Zuko are going at the same goal for completely different reasons. Zuko is more focused on it and does a better job because it's what he WANTS...capturing the Avatar is how he can regain his place and his honor. Kougaiji, however DOESN'T want it, and that's why he puts so little effort into it and is the world's worst "bad guy"...it's a role that directly opposes his real wants and desires, but one that he has no choice but to play. With Zuko, it's all about him. With Kougaiji, it's all about everyone he cares about.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

This is all true, but for various reason, I just find Zuko so much more compelling than Kougaiji.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I find them equally compelling, really, though if forced, I'd probably choose Kougaiji. Most character types have about a 50/50 success rate with me (and many times the assumption that I'd like a character/story because I liked another of that type has led to my reading/watching something I hated) but that character type almost always works for me.