I love this post b/c it is so very achingly true. Homosexual characters get the shaft (or don't depending on what they really want). And is it just me or ar there only two lesbians ever mentioned? If so, it's understandable that they're dating each other. After all, if they're out looking for Ms Right they might 'contaminate' the rest of the dating pool. (Not that the female members of the dating pool ever seem to hit the double digits.)
And men get raped left, right, and center but no one bats an eyelash. (I skipped most of whatever-book-London-is-in but I did catch that scene. I felt an overwhelming urge to follow London into the bathroom to tell him all those things you're supposed to tell a rape victim - it's not your fault, let's call the police, you didn't bring it on yourself even with the addiction, etc. Then build an ark for the poor abused but occasionally excellent characters and sail away with them. We'd leave Anita on the mainland to try to hold the world-ending flood back with the force of her 'personality.')
Even more than Anita's inability to see/hear/experience a "NO!" I find JC's inability to defend either himself or anyone else even more troubling. B/c with his background of catamite and party favor and whipping boy, combined with the pressing NEED of the ardeur, he'd have to be all kinds of deliciously screwed up. (The incubus thing could have rocked if it weren't a magical STD. I'd love that concept in a more competent writer's hands.) And if he were even remotely healthy mentally/spiritually/emotionally the sanctity of "NO!" would be of paramount importance to him. But he can't say 'no' to Anita - not in their unequal relationship and not on behalf of her victims. Hell, he can't even say no to visitors. (And I'll leave untouched what I REALLY want to say about that and character development and character continuity. Seriously.) (I'll also shut up about what he should have been looking for in a Human Servant. Sheer power isn't everything.)
I love Asher (and his rage!) but the JC/Asher/Julianna relationship concerns me. To summarize my wild theories Asher did one of four things - picked Julianna as a game piece ONLY to keep JC since Asher was gay and JC was bi w/ strong leanings towards women, took Julianna b/c JC loved her and she was his strongest rival for JC thus securing an eternal link with JC, picked Julianna since they would all be mature enough for Asher/Julianna to be friends while Asher/JC and Julianna/JC were lovers, or Asher and JC are bi but with their strongest leanings in opposite directions so he went out to find a woman that they would both love and be attracted to who would be strong and mature enough to fulfill both of their needs as well as to communicate what she in turn needed from each of them(this last would be the hardest). Honestly, only options three and four could possibly end happily - or in centuries long mourning and misery. (Although JC with performance problems w/o a girl has interesting shades of angst and humor in it. I'd love it if it was done correctly - especially if he really did love Asher.)
(And JC must be all flavors of fantastic in bed, his looks completely aside. I mean, everyone has had his cookies several times and they all want to possess the bakery. And centuries don't seem to dull the urge to keep the baker.)
I can't comment on Richard since I have many, many delightfully screwed up theories on Richard/Anita. To summarize I'm thinking he's a Phillip replacement and she's very carefully blind.
That thing with the college lesbian was just hurtful and unnecessary. I've been on the straight side of that equation and there's no need to get all weird and paranoid. (And I'm all about hugs and sharing beds in hotel rooms and whatever.) She should just be gracefully flattered if some poor lesbian shows an interest in her. (After all, in that universe lesbians are like unicorns!)
At the end of the day, it says something unpleasant about you when you're comparing possible sexual partners with Star Trek red shirts. Really, really unpleasant.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2009-01-11 09:29 am (UTC)And men get raped left, right, and center but no one bats an eyelash. (I skipped most of whatever-book-London-is-in but I did catch that scene. I felt an overwhelming urge to follow London into the bathroom to tell him all those things you're supposed to tell a rape victim - it's not your fault, let's call the police, you didn't bring it on yourself even with the addiction, etc. Then build an ark for the poor abused but occasionally excellent characters and sail away with them. We'd leave Anita on the mainland to try to hold the world-ending flood back with the force of her 'personality.')
Even more than Anita's inability to see/hear/experience a "NO!" I find JC's inability to defend either himself or anyone else even more troubling. B/c with his background of catamite and party favor and whipping boy, combined with the pressing NEED of the ardeur, he'd have to be all kinds of deliciously screwed up. (The incubus thing could have rocked if it weren't a magical STD. I'd love that concept in a more competent writer's hands.) And if he were even remotely healthy mentally/spiritually/emotionally the sanctity of "NO!" would be of paramount importance to him. But he can't say 'no' to Anita - not in their unequal relationship and not on behalf of her victims. Hell, he can't even say no to visitors. (And I'll leave untouched what I REALLY want to say about that and character development and character continuity. Seriously.) (I'll also shut up about what he should have been looking for in a Human Servant. Sheer power isn't everything.)
I love Asher (and his rage!) but the JC/Asher/Julianna relationship concerns me. To summarize my wild theories Asher did one of four things - picked Julianna as a game piece ONLY to keep JC since Asher was gay and JC was bi w/ strong leanings towards women, took Julianna b/c JC loved her and she was his strongest rival for JC thus securing an eternal link with JC, picked Julianna since they would all be mature enough for Asher/Julianna to be friends while Asher/JC and Julianna/JC were lovers, or Asher and JC are bi but with their strongest leanings in opposite directions so he went out to find a woman that they would both love and be attracted to who would be strong and mature enough to fulfill both of their needs as well as to communicate what she in turn needed from each of them(this last would be the hardest). Honestly, only options three and four could possibly end happily - or in centuries long mourning and misery. (Although JC with performance problems w/o a girl has interesting shades of angst and humor in it. I'd love it if it was done correctly - especially if he really did love Asher.)
(And JC must be all flavors of fantastic in bed, his looks completely aside. I mean, everyone has had his cookies several times and they all want to possess the bakery. And centuries don't seem to dull the urge to keep the baker.)
I can't comment on Richard since I have many, many delightfully screwed up theories on Richard/Anita. To summarize I'm thinking he's a Phillip replacement and she's very carefully blind.
That thing with the college lesbian was just hurtful and unnecessary. I've been on the straight side of that equation and there's no need to get all weird and paranoid. (And I'm all about hugs and sharing beds in hotel rooms and whatever.) She should just be gracefully flattered if some poor lesbian shows an interest in her. (After all, in that universe lesbians are like unicorns!)
At the end of the day, it says something unpleasant about you when you're comparing possible sexual partners with Star Trek red shirts. Really, really unpleasant.
So yeah. I mostly agree with your thoughts.