...and the writers respond?

[bironic]

After cruising a few LJ communities and reading some of those fandom articles, I've had a little essay brewing in the back of my head about whether and how certain television shows, such as 'Boston Legal' and 'House' (okay, because those are the only two shows I watch), are airing comments intended as direct responses to fan discussion, specifically that of slashers. I just have to share tonight's clincher.



Scene: Chase is about to be peer-reviewed for possible malpractice. Stacy is arguing with House, trying to figure out what he's leaving out of the story.

Stacy: What are you hiding?
House: I'm gay. [beat] Oh wait, that's not what you were asking. [strikes a thoughtful pose] Does explain a lot, though -- no girlfriend, always hanging around Wilson, obsession with sneakers...


FYI in the beginning of the episode House and Wilson were playing some sort of made-up (and we assume, private to the pair of them) game involving flipping coins across the desk over a paper clip-chain net strung between two pencils. Wilson scored one off House, who soon rebutted by flipping the coin in his face after cracking a joke about oral sex. Someone's already posted photos.

Comments

[catilinarian.livejournal.com]

I know I've repeated this often enough when it comes to the blatantly slashy dialogue of "Horatio Hornblower", but - they must know. They MUST know!

I've actually heard a rumour that at least one House writer has confessed to hanging out at televisionwithoutpity.com, where the reviews have always been keen to point out any potential House/Wilson. Regardless, you'd think the creators of a popular TV show would at least occasionally (if not infected by J.M. Strazinsky's paranoia that it would lead to his being accused of plagerising a plot idea off some discussion list if he admitted to reading them) take a peek to see what their fans are chatting about, and it's pretty hard to miss the slash discussions if you take even a cursory look at House fandom.

I think an equally interesting question (apologies in advance if I'm spoiling your paper!) is, what would it MEAN about media and society if the writers of mainstream TV shows were inserting lines to make the slashers happy? Would it mean that the sexual role of women in society and the arts is shifting from that of the object (whether it's in male-oriented porn, Harlequin romances, or chaste romantic storylines on mainstream shows) to that of the potential SUBJECT (actor/observer)? Would it signal some kind of recognition that women might like looking at pretty men, especially with other pretty men? (I know that doesn't seem like an earth-shattering idea, but considering that the creators of Queer as Folk US were apparently startled at the strength of its female following...)

Frankly, if I were a TV writer bent only on garnering ratings, I'd work in as many slashy undertones as possible. They'll make the show wildly popular in certain sectors of the audience, but they'll go straight over everyone else's head (and thus not attract the wrath of anti-gay groups). Which is actually a little cowardly, now that I write it down (copping out of writing actual gay characters), but pretty logical nonetheless.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

I've actually heard a rumour that at least one House writer has confessed to hanging out at televisionwithoutpity.com

Do you recall where you heard that and whether there's any proof?

Regardless, you'd think the creators of a popular TV show would at least occasionally [snip] take a peek to see what their fans are chatting about

You would, and that's part of the point of what I've been mulling over -- if and how one can tell whether the writers are doing it consciously or only continuing in the same vein that stemmed all the slashy talk, just by watching the show. There's an essay in one of the BtVS books I'm going to bring up that addresses Joss Whedon's incorporation of, response to and counterattack against fan discussion.

Interesting point about the possibility of using slashy undertones to attract straight women while avoiding antagonizing homophobe viewers -- I hadn't thought of that.

I'm going to save the rest for that post...

[catilinarian.livejournal.com]

I do remember where I heard it - over on Copperbadge's journal, in the discussion of this week's "Sam's Three Things About House". And one fine day, I will memorise how to make those little person icons for someone's LJ username, so I can put them in comments and be all down with my bad self. Regrettably, I don't think the actual proof was provided; an interview was mentioned, but I don't believe enough details were given to track it down. (Incidentally, Sam claims his interest in tracking down whatever fan sites may be informing the writers of House is that he wants to hang around said sites being witty until they give him a job writing for the show. :))

Very much looking forward to the paper!

[bironic.livejournal.com]

Ha, not so much "paper" as "post," but I'll strive to please.

I thought it might have been Sam's LJ; he's been saying for weeks that he wants to stalk the writers to get a jobn and teach them about plot arcs. I'll check those comments; when I read that post, there weren't very many responses yet.

[bironic.livejournal.com]

jobn, job, whatever.