Teen Wolf wank and more thoughts on fandom/slash

[mf_luder_xf]

Right after I made my last post concerning the article suggesting we push for certain ships to be canon, Tyler Posey of Teen Wolf comes out and says Sterek is a “bizarre, weird, twisted thing”. To me, aptly on point with my comments in that, Posey and his character have often been overlooked in favor of Sterek. I get that he probably feels a little annoyed with Sterek fandom.

I find his comments entirely indicative of this pushing for a pairing. So in that sense, I understand him lashing out. I don't suddenly hate Tyler for making his comments. It is to me, exactly like Michael Shanks expressing disgust at the pairing of Daniel and Jack. I don't think either actor is particularly, specifically homophobic.

In the immediate wake of Posey's comments, I saw a FLURRY of support Sterek posts (on tumblr), often by Destiel fans who were commiserating with the Sterek shippers because of the whole WB guy who made his anti-Destiel and anti-bisexual Dean comments on twitter. And a few TW blogs I follow pointed out the problematic issues of Posey's comments. I, personally, am more of the second type of post mindset than the first. I, at least, don't need commiseration.

However, in the last few days, all I'm seeing are posts to support Tyler in the wake of these words. And while I don't dislike Posey as a person suddenly (and I certainly don't dislike Scott, I love Scott) and again, I would never shove Sterek in his or the show's face, I'm sorry, but I just can't support him in this. And I don't understand the massive movement to support Tyler because of his words when he's calling Sterek - and frankly, on a broad level, fandom itself - bizarre and twisted. I will NEVER support someone in those comments. I don't support Michael Shank's disgust and I won't support Tyler's, not when both call something I enjoy (whether its the pairing itself or slash generally) to be disgusting. You don't have to get why I want to sit around and read stories about two particular characters having sex and you can think it's weird in your head as much as you want, but that's like someone saying "sitting around watching football all Sunday? What a horrible, twisted thing to do. You're a loser for liking this". Like, don't rain on my parade because it's not something you like to do or even something you don't "understand". The pairing isn't hurting someone.

I don't care if Sterek shippers have caused you problems; it's individuals who are the problem, not the ship itself. I do not like being called twisted because I like something when I have never once not supported you.

And so no, I WON'T support Posey in this particular situation. I don't think he needs a bunch of letters telling him "you poor boy, I'm so sorry they picked on you, mean Sterek shippers!" He needs to be told to NOT COMMENT if he can't say anything nice.

Likewise, fans, interviewers and such should fucking STOP ASKING him about it. Stop throwing your ship in the face of these people because THIS IS WHAT WE GET. Do you LIKE being told how gross you are? Is that the goal so you can have righteous indignation?

But even if I understand it, I will not support it and neither should anyone else who supports fandom as a thing.

Comments

[twisting-vine-x.livejournal.com]

Random response is random, but - yes, this. Exactly.

He hurts a lot of people, some fans are young and don't have the shoulders for this kind of comments, i saw a tweet where the girl wanted to cut herself because she couldn't support his comment.

This is a show called Teen Wolf, for crying out loud. For all that the show's finally gaining credibility, it started out as an often corny (though always adorable ♥) show that was largely about teenagers; and I'd bet there are a lot of incredibly young Sterek shippers in this fandom. Probably many of whom are not straight, and who are embracing Sterek and Teen Wolf fandom as a place to explore non-heteronormative ideas and relationships; and to have the show's main actor refer to a gay relationship as bizarre and weird and twisted? Even if he wasn't going for homophobia (and I honestly don't think he was - I mean, looking at his super affectionate and open relationship with Dylan, I just can't get my head around the idea of Posey being actively homophobic), that's exactly how it came across; and my heart's breaking for anyone in this fandom who was hurt, but it would be especially awful for people who are young and have had their up-til-now queer-friendly portion of the internet turned into a homophobic warzone.

ETA: In another way see how offended Holland was, like if she was eating a lemon and Tyler Hoechlin was a gentleman, he supports sterek so much.

Holland's reaction was a thing of beauty. And Hoechlin is a gift to this fandom and this planet, I swear. He's just always so sweet and supportive and all-around-accepting and ugh. So much respect for that man. ♥