Discussion Perception of Slash

Hello all,

I am writing a paper on Star Wars and cult fandom and would like to get an insight into the views of Star Wars fans on the the fan fiction genre of 'Slash' (Star Wars erotica).

1. Do you you feel it tarnishes Star Wars?
2. Do you think it ruins the reputations of Star Wars fans?
3. Do you approve or disapprove of its creation?
4. Do you accept it as Star Wars fan-fiction?
5. Why do you believe that fans write 'slash' stories?

Many thanks.

 

1. Do you you feel it tarnishes Star Wars? No, but it is not necessarily something I would want to read. Especially Palpatine/(anyone).
2. Do you think it ruins the reputations of Star Wars fans? No.
3. Do you approve or disapprove of its creation? Don't care. If I don't like it I don't read it.
4. Do you accept it as Star Wars fan-fiction? What is there to accept? It is fiction written about a fandom.
5. Why do you believe that fans write 'slash' stories? Because they find it erotic.

By the way, not all Star Wars Erotica is slash. Slash usually refers to same gender sexual encounters, like Luke and Han or Palpatine and Anakin. There are Star Wars erotica writers who would never consider writing slash. There is a big difference. Usually the normal erotica fanfics are love stories such as steamy Luke and Mara hot sexual encounters. Slash could be a love story, but often it is mixed in with more unsavory things like domination, bondage or rape...especially when you throw Palpatine in with Anakin or Luke or Han.

 

1. 
   
   Only when it is written poorly.
   
   
   Nope.
   
   
   If I don't like the pairing, I don't read it. Slash I tend to avoid simply because most of it is horribly written.
   
   
   Yes. It's fiction written by fans, what else would it be?
   
   
   Erotica, most probably lack that element in their lives or desire the ideal relationship. The rest write it because it's erotic, like Jedi_Lover said. Slash, on the other hand, it's taboo, it's different and people tend to be drawn toward things we, as a culture, disapprove of. Otherwise I really don't know why fans write slash. I've only written it for challenges to broaden my writing or because someone requested it, but otherwise I don't. I don't like it very much.

Tapatalk Signature
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Use the light switch, Luke. Trust your feelings!

 

I want to be clear on this, do you want opinions about Star Wars Erotica, or about Star Wars slash? Star Wars Erotica usually contains a canon couple (Han/Leia, Luke/Mara, etc), or a character and an opposite sex OC. Slash refers to two canon characters of the same sex that are not in a cannon relationship (Luke/Han).

If you are referring to SW Erotica:

1. Do you you feel it tarnishes Star Wars? No. While the movies and books are far from "romances" many do contain a lot of romance in them.
2. Do you think it ruins the reputations of Star Wars fans? No, as long as it is tastefully written and the characters are in character.
3. Do you approve or disapprove of its creation? Neither really. Like JL said, if I don't like it I don't read it. But as long as it is tasteful, I think it's fine.
4. Do you accept it as Star Wars fan-fiction? Yes.
5. Why do you believe that fans write 'slash' stories? Why does anyone write erotic stories? Its fun.

If you are referring to Slash as in homosexual relations between cannon characters

1. Do you you feel it tarnishes Star Wars? Only if it's written poorly and ignores all reference material on the character.
2. Do you think it ruins the reputations of Star Wars fans? No. People are aware that it's only a small section of fandom that writes these kinds of stories.
3. Do you approve or disapprove of its creation? The majority of the stuff that is out there I do disapprove of, simply because it is so out of character and poorly written.
4. Do you accept it as Star Wars fan-fiction? Since its written by a fan, it classifies as fan-fiction.
5. Why do you believe that fans write 'slash' stories? Its taboo and people are often interested in that sort of thing. Some people just want to experiment with the well-known characters.

 

Hi! As others have pointed out, I think you have your terminology messed up. Not all erotica is slash, and not all slash is erotica... they have nothing to do with each other. Slash, otherwise known as slash fiction, originally was a non-canon paring of two males, (as in a canon same sex relationship was not slash), but now has come to mean a same sex pairing be it male or female. Slash can be erotic, or not just as male/female parings can be erotic or not.

With this in mind, I've answered your questions for both.

Slash (As in non-canon same sex romantic pairings)

Do you you feel it tarnishes Star Wars?
Not at all, just as it doesn't tarnish any other fandom. There are of course people who don't like it, and they are free to not read it. I don't even know why a same-sex pairing would tarnish anything, especially this day in age. It never hurt Star Trek which is considered 'the birth of slash' and that was years and years ago when people who were in romantic relationships with people of their sex were much less excepted than they are now. Fanfic has always been a fringe activity, and most likely always will be, the majority of the fans - be them causal or hardcore- of Star Wars pay no attention to fanfiction.

Do you think it ruins the reputations of Star Wars fans?
No and for the reasons above. I challenge you to find any fandom that doesn't have a large 'slash' following and in my experience, Star Wars has much less than many other fandoms.

Do you approve or disapprove of its creation?
I think saying one disapproves of slash is saying you disprove of people in a same-sex relationship, (which I know some do) so my answer would be a most emphatic I approve. (I would approve even if it didn't directly effect my view of people in any kind of relationship). There are fandoms in which I read slash and there are some that I tend not to. I tend not to read SW slash (again, with the definition of canon characters that have not been shown to be in a SSR), not because I don't approve, but just because I don't find the relationships as interesting as I do others.

Do you accept it as Star Wars fan-fiction?
Of course! I think even people who don't approve of slash or don't like to read/write it at all would almost have to accept it. Fanfiction by its definition is "for stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator." (Wikipedia). Even if you don't like it, it doesn't mean that a fan didn't write a piece of fiction based on the works of someone else.

Why do you believe that fans write 'slash' stories?
Many reasons. Because they find the relationship between those two or more characters to be interesting. Because they saw something in canon that indicated to them there was something deeper. Because they find it apealing. Because it makes them happy. Because they hope to have more acceptance for people who are in same-sex relationships in real-life. Because they are exploring themselves. Pick any one of these and they could apply, though I'm sure there are many more.


FYI: this site doesn't allow slash or same-sex relationships (unless very vague and between non-canon characters) because the owner of the site doesn't allow it.


Erotica

Do you you feel it tarnishes Star Wars?
Not at all. A large number of Star Wars fans are adults and sometimes adults like to read something a little more steamy. (I could go into a little bit of the psychology of it, but that might be a little much for these forums).

Do you think it ruins the reputations of Star Wars fans?
Nope. Erotica is pretty prevalent in fandom, I think you'd be hard pressed to find a fandom that doesn't have it... even things that were written as childrens books have erotic fanfiction. Again, fanfic is a fringe thing, most people don't even think about it. (I do think what little reputation fanfic has is mostly an incorrect one, but I don't think slash or erotic stories did that.)

Do you approve or disapprove of its creation?
Approve. I'm an adult and if I want to read something a little more adult about characters I already love thanks to the canon, I turn to fanfiction.

Do you accept it as Star Wars fan-fiction?
Yep, mostly for the same reasons when I answered this question above.

Why do you believe that fans write 'slash' stories?
Again, I could go a little into the psychology, but I don't think I should here. I'm not a psychologist, so I'm by no means an expert but I've taken several classes discussed erotica and how men and women react. But mostly because as I said above, sometimes adults like that kind of thing.

 

Why didn't someone holler/tag me? Star Wars EROTICA, (including same sex relationships) is one of my [Obi-wan voice]'specee-al -lities'[/Obi-Wan Voice]

That being said, I'll take the same approach as the wonderful writers above me, and do it as two separate questions:

On Slash itself, as the definition here at TF.N...

1. Do you you feel it tarnishes Star Wars?

'Tarnishes' is in the eye of the beholder, that being said, I think there is more 'profic' without slash that is a larger disservice to Star Wars, and writing in general.
2. Do you think it ruins the reputations of Star Wars fans?
No, to each their own, but I won't write 'classic slash' (IE Luke/Han) ever, out of deference to George Lucas's wishes that Luke et all are not homosexual
3. Do you approve or disapprove of its creation?
It's not my place to approve or dissaprove of anyone's writing or reading choices.

4. Do you accept it as Star Wars fan-fiction?
Odd question, but of course I do.

5. Why do you believe that fans write 'slash' stories?

Stealing MavJade's answer, because it's spot on perfect:

Many reasons. Because they find the relationship between those two or more characters to be interesting. Because they saw something in canon that indicated to them there was something deeper. Because they find it apealing. Because it makes them happy. Because they hope to have more acceptance for people who are in same-sex relationships in real-life. Because they are exploring themselves. Pick any one of these and they could apply, though I'm sure there are many more.


On Erotica:

Same questions:

1) Absolutely not

2) My reputation was ruined long before I started writing erotica.

3) I write it, and from what I've been told, I write it very well. What do YOU think?

4) I started writing Erotica because I was tired of the then puritanical 'kissing is as close to sex as is allowed because sex is dirty and wrong' mentality that permeated the boards during the early part of the Prequal Era, and I found that I liked writing in general, and writing 'erotica' wasn't the same as writing porn. Indeed, I found that writing TRULY EROTIC stories is a LOT harder, especially if you don't want to resort to childish and vulgar words, and write anatomy lessons. After all, real erotica is in the biggest sex organ of all, the brain. I recently wrote a piece that's posted over at fan fiction.net (as only the opening and closing paragraphs could be posted here!) called 'Wordless' where Luke makes love to his OC (original character) wife. There's a lot of 'Roman Fingers' and 'Russian Hands' and I think the word 'breast' is mentioned a couple times, but over all, it's mostly about sight, and touch, and love... it's about as pornographic as this entire thread. There's a big difference between 'Slash' and 'Erotica' and 'Pornography', and ultimately, you can only combine two of those words in any one work...

 

1. Do you you feel it tarnishes Star Wars? No.
2. Do you think it ruins the reputations of Star Wars fans? No.
3. Do you approve or disapprove of its creation? Neither.
4. Do you accept it as Star Wars fan-fiction? Yes.
5. Why do you believe that fans write 'slash' stories? Because they like it.

 

My answers to these questions are based on the premise that "Slash" means taking same sex characters and writing them as having either a romantic involvement with each other or at least a one-night stand when nothing in the official canon universe has those two together or even showing homosexual tendencies.

Not really, because: 1) I think most sane people will know that anything that written as a fan fiction is not 'real' SW, and 2) Just about every fandom has their slash fic writers (Star Trek's Kirk/Spock, Picard/Riker, Janeway/Seven; Harry Potter's Harry/Draco or Harry/Ron; and Twilight probably has Edward/Jacob slash fics out there).

Only in the eyes of narrow minded bigots who like to bunch everyone into groups. Unfortunately those narrow minded bigots tend to be the loudest, therefore the most heard.

To each his own. It's not something I would read or write (though I have started a story with two gay OC's), but everyone has the right to their own take on things. As long as when they post something like that (which would not be on these boards, but other sites) they make it clear it is slash so it would not be read by accident, I don't really care what others do.

Only as an AU, since it would have to be to be 'slash'.

Honestly, I think many of them have a wish fulfillment thing going on, and instead of creating their own characters, they take the lazy way out and put two already fleshed out characters together.

NOTE: Like others have already stated, slash and erotica are two different things. If you wish to get answers about what we think about erotica fan fics, you should ask questions specifically for that as well.

 

1. Do you you feel it tarnishes Star Wars? No. Not even poorly written fic can tarnish Star Wars.
2. Do you think it ruins the reputations of Star Wars fans? Stupid fans ruin the reputations of smart Star Wars fans. This applies as much on the opinion of slash as in other fandom related matters.
3. Do you approve or disapprove of its creation? If the fiction in question doesn't involve topics best left unspoken, then I approve of its creation.
4. Do you accept it as Star Wars fan-fiction? Of course. If it's fan fiction about Star Wars, then it's Star Wars fan fiction.
5. Why do you believe that fans write 'slash' stories? Obvious answer: Because they want to see certain characters having sex. Less obvious answer: Because they see something on screen or read it in a book that occurs between two characters which "inspires" them to imagine a same sex relationship. Many times this comes solely from the imaginations of the writers ("Wincest" from the Supernatural fandom ). Some times it comes from the interaction between the actors in the movie/TV show that suggests the possibility of a deeper-than-deep relationship (the whatever-you-want-to-call-it relationship between Horatio and Archie in the Horatio Hornblower fandom).

 

I'd divide mine up, but my responses would be the same for most of the questions regardless of terminology.

• Do you you feel it tarnishes Star Wars? Not in the least. To each their own.
• Do you think it ruins the reputations of Star Wars fans? Not in the least. To each their own.
• Do you approve or disapprove of its creation? Again, to each their own. I've dabbled in slash (both as erotica and as same-sex pairings), but I haven't shared anything that I've written of that nature. That's for my "private collection."
• Do you accept it as Star Wars fan-fiction? Yes. It's fiction written by a SW fan, thus "SW fan fiction."
• Why do you believe that fans write 'slash' stories? The author wants to see their characters having sex. It's the same reason why there's hentai. It's "taboo" and exciting to them. This is a territory that mainstream has yet to enter, so it's up to the fans to go there. And they go there in droves. And if it's written well, everyone has a good time. If it's written poorly... I at least hope the author had a good time!

 

Just want to say thank you to everyone for your time and responses to my questions. Has been most helpful, especially those you have corrected me on some terminologies and definitions of 'Slash'.

Thanks again!

 

As long as its Palpatine/Chewbacca.

 

I don't know what you would call anything with the droids. Really, I could make a reasonable case for R2D2 being female.

 

Well, it is canon that Guri was used for her more... intimate functions. And honestly, it wouldn't surprise me that some enterprising corporations make programming packages and "special parts" for your droids...

 

And from this post on, we go from what was a thoughtful conversation into the "Creepy side of the Force...."

 

TrakNar. Would those be vibro or sonic parts?

 

Depends on the customer!

 

1. Do you think it tarnishes Star Wars? Fanart and fanfics are pretty much the sole reason why I join any fandom. I’m in fandoms like Naruto and Legend of Korra where shippers go by all rights insane and even they aren't tarnished by their fandoms in my mind but rather made more interesting by the creativity. Star Wars is incredibly tame by comparison.
2. Do you think it ruins the reputations of Star Wars fans? For me it bolsters it. Especially with pairings that I think will never work, I get converted because someone writes it well. Now I ship Hondo/Cade Bane thanks to some people on DA lol.
3. Approve/Disapprove: Wholeheartedly approve. Sometimes it annoys me to see completely out of character portrayals, it just makes me wonder why not write new characters? That’s the only time I would disapprove.
4. Do you accept it as star wars fanfiction? I have read plenty of epic slash but I think if I were to be honest, on a whole fanfics have a lot better chance of having high quality being gen, because you’re not obligated to focus on one relationship or write out other characters for the sake of a romance. (Many slash fics don’t do this, it’s just slash and het has a higher incidence of failure than gen fics)
5. Why do you believe star wars fans write slash stories? I believe people do it because they love the characters same as any other fanfic.

Also I agree on the subject of pairing Anakin with anyone else but Padme. I feel like that would negate the twins existence somehow lol

 

What do you mean by slash? My definition and the definition of slash in general (which you will find on theforce.net) is same sex pairings, not just erotica, so I am going to answer the questions based on slash being same sex pairings.

Do you you feel it tarnishes Star Wars?

It depends on the way it is written and if it has a plot or not. You also have to consider that Star Wars is originally aimed at children and although there are a lot of adult fans now (I mean, most of the adult fans have been SW fans all our lives, and I myself am one of them), you must consider what impact you could have on children who come across it. I am not opposed to people writing same sex pairings, as long as it's content is kept at PG-13, if that is even possible. I also don't think it is a problem if authors want to have LGBT characters in their stories.

Do you think it ruins the reputations of Star Wars fans?

It could ruin the reputation of an individual fan if they write slash stories. Sadly, there is a lot of prejudice out there and even if the content is mild, it could attract the wrong kind of attention. It shouldn't but when you consider that people in real life who are LGBT are bullied and attacked both verbally and physically, I think a fan writing a slash story, or even a story with LGBT characters in them, are likely to get trolled or shunned if they post in the "wrong" forum. (By that I mean one where trolling is ignored or the where rules aren't enforced to stop things like that from happening). A lot of forums and websites have rules which state that you cannot post slash stories/or you can't submit them. Is that because the site needs to follow a TOS/protection for children, or is it prejudice?

Do you approve or disapprove of its creation?

I don't have a problem with it if it is well written. However, you must consider when writing canon characters, if they are LGBT in canon. If they aren't, then I don't think that slash stories with them as the main characters as LGBT should be written. If the characters are original, then it is up to the author to write them as they want to write them. I wish there was more fiction out there that everyone could enjoy with LGBT characters and that it wasn't just a closed community. If that was the case, then I think mild slash would get more acceptance.

Do you accept it as Star Wars fan-fiction?

If the story is well written and isn't just an excuse for porn, then why not?

Why do you believe that fans write 'slash' stories?

Science fiction has in the past, been a good way of exploring topics which could be considered controversial, and often where a group of people for what ever reason, are considered different to what is considered "normal" for most of the population and suffer oppression because of it. I think writers use science fiction to give these people a voice and to attempt to allow people to see things from their perspective. Stories where "realistic" animals are speaking characters, for example, often do the same thing for animals to address issues of animal welfare or environmental issues and science fiction does the same thing for people. Quite a lot of science fiction authors are or were socialists and slash stories, when written properly, could be seen in the same vein.

There is a problem, I think, where some writers might use slash stories to shock or disgust their readers, or to make fun of LGBT people. I may be wrong, but this is the impression I get when people use canon characters as LGBT people in stories and if that's the case then it is wrong to write them and is the main reason I tend to avoid reading Slash.

 

The problem with Star Wars erotica of any kind is there is so much of it that it makes it difficult to find anything else to the point I want to my own board.