moonshayde (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
moonshayde) wrote2006-08-01 08:17 am
moonshayde) wrote2006-08-01 08:17 am
Entry tags:
Is It UST?
This isn't exactly meta, per se, but delves into some meta issues within the context of fanfic and writing. You can apply this to many fandoms, but I will be using SG-1 to illustrate my points.
I find UST (unresolved sexual tension) to be a term/phrase that is often misused and can be dangerous when labeling writing. Conversely, it can be helpful. So...what do you do?
UST has a foundation in the inherent chemistry between two characters, three characters, an ensemble cast, etc. Chemistry in general is the heart of most engrossing tv and writing. Without chemistry, the characters fall flat and we are less emotionally involved in their actions.
The thing with chemistry is that it can be interpreted and read in a number of ways, one of which is UST. While I am not saying that all chemistry translates into UST, all UST has its roots in chemistry.
Apparently, this can create a problem in the fanfic world. Someone who likes gen will tend to turn their backs on UST and label it a form of ship/slash. Or a fic that may have UST between Sam/Jack may be dismissed because of a dislike for that pairing.
However, there is a chance that the UST in the fic is not actually UST at all, and just chemistry. Could we be turning our backs on outstanding fiction because we perceive UST in a fic when really there's not? Are we dismissing fic that has amazing chemistry between characters because it's labeled as UST, but that UST can be read as either sexual or not? And are we, as writers, boxing ourselves into a corner when writing a fic that has chemistry between characters that could be read either way?
I'm a fan of labels. Really. I don't want to open a fic and get a surprise pairing inside. I don't want to read a fic that I thought was gen and find that it's really a Jack/Daniel slash fic in disguise or fic where Sam and Daniel are secretly angsting over their feelings for each other. Not when I tuned in for a gen fic. What I'm trying to say is, are we limiting ourselves with UST?
I would say the main draw to the show that many of us share is the amazing chemistry between the cast. Whether that cast for you consists of an original cast -- say Jack, Daniel, Sam and Teal'c -- or a change in cast -- say Jack, Sam, Teal'c, and Jonas. It could be Cameron, Sam, Teal'c, Vala, and Daniel. Landry. Hammond. Janet. Whatever. It's the chemistry between the characters added to a decent plot.
Whether your pairing is canon or not is irrelevant. There is no denying that in most shows there is chemistry between most of the characters. In the case of SG-1, I would argue there is chemistry between all of the characters. I really don't think you can deny the chemistry between Sam and Jack -- some may not see it as sexual chemistry, but there is some kind of chemistry between them, whatever it is. There is chemistry between Jack and Daniel, whatever it is. The same for Jack and Teal'c. Daniel and Teal'c. Sam and Daniel. Sam and Teal'c. And so on and so forth.
The show has given us several examples of chemistry. You can look to Need for Jack's caring for Daniel. You can look to The Fifth Race for Daniel's caring for Jack. Singularity is a good example for Daniel supporting Sam. Holiday can show Sam's caring for Daniel. Foothold is a nice example of Teal'c protecting Sam. Death Knell has a nice supportive scene at the end with Jack caring for Sam. Cor-ai had a passionate Jack fighting for Teal'c (along with the others). The list just doesn't end.
Chemistry isn't all hugs and cuddles, either. Chemistry takes on the form of anger, tension, need, conflict, pain, hurt, separation...the list goes on. We've had examples of this through a show like SG-1 between all the characters.
However, the former examples that I listed, the ones that show deep caring, commitment and love, are more often than not the examples people cite as showing UST. (Though, chemistry that involves feelings of anger, betrayal, sadness, pain, etc can also show UST.) The key is that we can read these scenes any number of ways. Some slashers feel the scenes in Need and The Fifth Race indicate UST and a sexual/romantic love between Jack and Daniel. While, at the same time, some people see Death Knell as Sam/Jack ship. Holiday is one of the eps trumped by the Sam/Daniel people. Foothold for the Sam/Teal'c crew. Yet, someone who does not support that pairing can just as easily see those scenes as friendship.
With such a spectrum and fluidity in the show itself, it's not unusual to find that in fanfic, too. When I read a fic, I expect there to be caring between all the characters, like I see on the show. I expect to see that spark, that chemistry between the characters, reflected in their own unique bonds.
For some, that is not the goal. Not all fic should reflect this attitude. If you are writing a slash fic about a perceived sexual relationship between Daniel and Teal'c, then you might not necessarily need Sam and Jack in your fic. If your fic only concentrates on two characters, one character, a side character...things change. Maybe you don't like a certain character and don't want to read fic that has that character in it. Or maybe your interest is solely in a pairing. Plus, there are times maybe that's all we want to read and think, "Oh, I'm in the mood for some Cam/Sam today..." It's a different dynamic. I'm not really speaking to those kinds of fics here.
But in a standard, teamesque type of story, where all the characters play a role, you're undeniably going to hit that chemistry that is present if it's a well-written story. That chemistry is going to slip into the conversations and actions between Jack and Daniel, Jack and Sam, Jack and Teal'c, etc.
Here's the problem. If an author wants you to know, yes read this chemistry as sexual, a label is slapped on that says UST. If a writer doesn't feel it is sexual, no label of UST. However, some writers don't like to be bound by an either/or attitude and are open to people interpreting their characters' chemistry as platonic or sexual. To slap a label saying UST doesn't reflect the nature of the story.
And yes, I am one of those people ;)
However, by labeling a story gen -- a story that tries to show chemistry between all the characters -- you run the risk of an outcry in the fandom over mislabeling. Some people will say that you're trying to sneak ship or slash into gen story. And sometimes people do, both consciously and subconsciously. But I think it's fair to say that there are a lot of writers out there that are open to people walking away with whatever view they want. If someone reads a story of mine that is gen and walks out of it thinking, "wow I saw something between Daniel and Teal'c" and I never intended that in the first place, I'm okay with that. And it has happened. I'm okay with people seeing ship when it's not there, slash when it's not there. And frankly, I try to write my gen in a way where people can see whatever they want, just like we do in the show.
But like I said, there's always a risk. You can't please everyone. And there will always be someone that doesn't agree with your views. There are fics where this doesn't apply -- full out ship and slash, for example. Also, there are times when a definite UST label is needed and others when gen is more than appropriate. It's a fine line, though.
My concern is that we might be missing some very good fic out there. Fic that might be perceived as Sam/Jack, but really just has some great chemistry between the characters and has a great plot. Or, a fic that might be perceived as Jack/Daniel which actually is just a story that can be read either way, again with a great plot. And that goes for Sam/Daniel, Daniel/Janet, Cameron/Teal'c, Jonas/Sam, even interactions between minor characters and original characters...you name the combination.
I wonder what are your thoughts on this? Again, I used SG-1 as an example but it can be applied to any show, despite whether the show contains canon pairings or not.
I find UST (unresolved sexual tension) to be a term/phrase that is often misused and can be dangerous when labeling writing. Conversely, it can be helpful. So...what do you do?
UST has a foundation in the inherent chemistry between two characters, three characters, an ensemble cast, etc. Chemistry in general is the heart of most engrossing tv and writing. Without chemistry, the characters fall flat and we are less emotionally involved in their actions.
The thing with chemistry is that it can be interpreted and read in a number of ways, one of which is UST. While I am not saying that all chemistry translates into UST, all UST has its roots in chemistry.
Apparently, this can create a problem in the fanfic world. Someone who likes gen will tend to turn their backs on UST and label it a form of ship/slash. Or a fic that may have UST between Sam/Jack may be dismissed because of a dislike for that pairing.
However, there is a chance that the UST in the fic is not actually UST at all, and just chemistry. Could we be turning our backs on outstanding fiction because we perceive UST in a fic when really there's not? Are we dismissing fic that has amazing chemistry between characters because it's labeled as UST, but that UST can be read as either sexual or not? And are we, as writers, boxing ourselves into a corner when writing a fic that has chemistry between characters that could be read either way?
I'm a fan of labels. Really. I don't want to open a fic and get a surprise pairing inside. I don't want to read a fic that I thought was gen and find that it's really a Jack/Daniel slash fic in disguise or fic where Sam and Daniel are secretly angsting over their feelings for each other. Not when I tuned in for a gen fic. What I'm trying to say is, are we limiting ourselves with UST?
I would say the main draw to the show that many of us share is the amazing chemistry between the cast. Whether that cast for you consists of an original cast -- say Jack, Daniel, Sam and Teal'c -- or a change in cast -- say Jack, Sam, Teal'c, and Jonas. It could be Cameron, Sam, Teal'c, Vala, and Daniel. Landry. Hammond. Janet. Whatever. It's the chemistry between the characters added to a decent plot.
Whether your pairing is canon or not is irrelevant. There is no denying that in most shows there is chemistry between most of the characters. In the case of SG-1, I would argue there is chemistry between all of the characters. I really don't think you can deny the chemistry between Sam and Jack -- some may not see it as sexual chemistry, but there is some kind of chemistry between them, whatever it is. There is chemistry between Jack and Daniel, whatever it is. The same for Jack and Teal'c. Daniel and Teal'c. Sam and Daniel. Sam and Teal'c. And so on and so forth.
The show has given us several examples of chemistry. You can look to Need for Jack's caring for Daniel. You can look to The Fifth Race for Daniel's caring for Jack. Singularity is a good example for Daniel supporting Sam. Holiday can show Sam's caring for Daniel. Foothold is a nice example of Teal'c protecting Sam. Death Knell has a nice supportive scene at the end with Jack caring for Sam. Cor-ai had a passionate Jack fighting for Teal'c (along with the others). The list just doesn't end.
Chemistry isn't all hugs and cuddles, either. Chemistry takes on the form of anger, tension, need, conflict, pain, hurt, separation...the list goes on. We've had examples of this through a show like SG-1 between all the characters.
However, the former examples that I listed, the ones that show deep caring, commitment and love, are more often than not the examples people cite as showing UST. (Though, chemistry that involves feelings of anger, betrayal, sadness, pain, etc can also show UST.) The key is that we can read these scenes any number of ways. Some slashers feel the scenes in Need and The Fifth Race indicate UST and a sexual/romantic love between Jack and Daniel. While, at the same time, some people see Death Knell as Sam/Jack ship. Holiday is one of the eps trumped by the Sam/Daniel people. Foothold for the Sam/Teal'c crew. Yet, someone who does not support that pairing can just as easily see those scenes as friendship.
With such a spectrum and fluidity in the show itself, it's not unusual to find that in fanfic, too. When I read a fic, I expect there to be caring between all the characters, like I see on the show. I expect to see that spark, that chemistry between the characters, reflected in their own unique bonds.
For some, that is not the goal. Not all fic should reflect this attitude. If you are writing a slash fic about a perceived sexual relationship between Daniel and Teal'c, then you might not necessarily need Sam and Jack in your fic. If your fic only concentrates on two characters, one character, a side character...things change. Maybe you don't like a certain character and don't want to read fic that has that character in it. Or maybe your interest is solely in a pairing. Plus, there are times maybe that's all we want to read and think, "Oh, I'm in the mood for some Cam/Sam today..." It's a different dynamic. I'm not really speaking to those kinds of fics here.
But in a standard, teamesque type of story, where all the characters play a role, you're undeniably going to hit that chemistry that is present if it's a well-written story. That chemistry is going to slip into the conversations and actions between Jack and Daniel, Jack and Sam, Jack and Teal'c, etc.
Here's the problem. If an author wants you to know, yes read this chemistry as sexual, a label is slapped on that says UST. If a writer doesn't feel it is sexual, no label of UST. However, some writers don't like to be bound by an either/or attitude and are open to people interpreting their characters' chemistry as platonic or sexual. To slap a label saying UST doesn't reflect the nature of the story.
And yes, I am one of those people ;)
However, by labeling a story gen -- a story that tries to show chemistry between all the characters -- you run the risk of an outcry in the fandom over mislabeling. Some people will say that you're trying to sneak ship or slash into gen story. And sometimes people do, both consciously and subconsciously. But I think it's fair to say that there are a lot of writers out there that are open to people walking away with whatever view they want. If someone reads a story of mine that is gen and walks out of it thinking, "wow I saw something between Daniel and Teal'c" and I never intended that in the first place, I'm okay with that. And it has happened. I'm okay with people seeing ship when it's not there, slash when it's not there. And frankly, I try to write my gen in a way where people can see whatever they want, just like we do in the show.
But like I said, there's always a risk. You can't please everyone. And there will always be someone that doesn't agree with your views. There are fics where this doesn't apply -- full out ship and slash, for example. Also, there are times when a definite UST label is needed and others when gen is more than appropriate. It's a fine line, though.
My concern is that we might be missing some very good fic out there. Fic that might be perceived as Sam/Jack, but really just has some great chemistry between the characters and has a great plot. Or, a fic that might be perceived as Jack/Daniel which actually is just a story that can be read either way, again with a great plot. And that goes for Sam/Daniel, Daniel/Janet, Cameron/Teal'c, Jonas/Sam, even interactions between minor characters and original characters...you name the combination.
I wonder what are your thoughts on this? Again, I used SG-1 as an example but it can be applied to any show, despite whether the show contains canon pairings or not.
no subject
I would. Whether the author intended it or not, if I perceive it in the fic, I'd find it to be a huge turn-off. I'd probably not finish the story. It's not anything bad or anything against the author, but it's just something I don't like and wouldn't read. It'd be like me eating mushrooms. There's just no good reason for me to eat them, so I won't--not even if they're free or covered in chocolate.
What I mean is, if the best ever Jack/Daniel fic has even a hint of perceived Jack/Sam UST in it, I'm outta there. I mean this with no disrespect towards any author. I love that people can write whatever they want and explain things away in ways that make sense to them and even fulfill their own fantasies through fic writing. I just also know what I'm willing to read, and I can't even force myself to read stuff I don't like any more. The older I get, the harder it is. I used to finish every book I started no matter what. Now? I have a zillion books around that I've started and never finished. It's all a matter of taste to me. Some people like chocolate, some vanilla. There's room for everyone. *g*
I'd feel the same about a gen fic or a team fic, though I really tend to avoid those types of fics as much as possible because I don't enjoy them.
I really don't think you can deny the chemistry between Sam and Jack
I can. *bg* That's one interpretation, but I don't see it. I see that they have as a sort of anti-chemistry--about as far from chemistry as you can get. In later years, when the writers started trying to write (orchestrate) chemistry between them, instead they came off all awkward and bizarre in a way that I find truly disturbing and squicky.
no subject
I have no problem with shippers doing the same with Sam/Jack, but I don't believe that it’s canon on the show, that I must see it, or, in your phrasing above *g*, that it can't be denied. *g* I think it can be denied. *bg*
When I saw them together in scenes even in the early seasons, I only thought, "He's beginning to respect her as a fellow officer." Later I thought, "They are colleagues that have absolutely nothing in common and can't even carry on a conversation about anything personal the way that normal people would who have been working together for X number of years."
In Death Knell (and I would add Metamorphosis) those Jack/Sam moments came off as extremely false and forced to me. In Metamorphosis, especially, when Jack told her to rest, he didn't hold out his arms and say, "Lean on me." It was just bizarre that she did so. There had been nothing between them up to that point to indicate they'd ever had that type of intimacy or working relationship or any type of relationship. It just felt...awkward and weird and forced. Death Knell was almost as bad.
What episode was it that Jack and Sam had a phone conversation? That just seemed to be like this huge neon sign saying, "See? They do talk about personal things! And they know each other so well!" It felt false because there had never been anything between them up to that point to indicate that they ever had those types of conversations and everything to indicate that they didn't. Sam sounded strained instead of easy and Jack/RDA sounded off to me.
But like I said, there's always a risk. You can't please everyone.
I would never say anything to an author about this, because everyone's mileage on this may vary, but if I read what seemed like UST between Sam/Jack or Daniel/Vala or anyone else in a gen fic, I'd probably feel that the author didn't label it in order to trick people into reading it--people who wouldn't normally read that type of story. I'd never say anything to the author, though, because I respect that some authors want people to accept their work as a whole and not to prejudge it.
Even if it wasn't meant as a "trick," it would mean that the author and I didn't see eye-to-eye on the characters and thus I'd perceive the characters to be acting out of character in a gen fic. There's nothing wrong with that, but that would be my indication that this wasn't an author I wanted to read. And I don't mean that in a bad or mean way. There are plenty of authors out there who write great stories that I don't read because their type of story doesn't appeal to me. I have no expectation that any authors are writing with me in mind. *g*
no subject
So, I am not going to bother to try to explain myself. Heh.
no subject
I didn't take you to be advocating for UST, though. I took you to be musing on where the line was and if sometimes we readers deprived ourselves of wonderful reading experiences because we allowed a UST label to keep us from excellent fic, especially in light of authors practicing defensive labeling.
no subject
I think you sad it more beautifully than I ever could!
In the end, we read what we read. i just can't help but wonder sometimes ;)
no subject
no subject
I understand your point, or I think I do, but that's really all up to interpretation as you said. My answer to your post is that if I interpret something as UST, whether or not the author intended it, I interpret it as UST. I do think there are authors who consider UST between Sam & Jack to be canon and thus "gen" (as per one of the commenters here), and, honestly, I think that's labeling UST as gen. *g* In other cases, though, it really is more open to interpretation and, as you said, you're never going to please anyone.
As a reader, I'd prefer that authors err on the side of caution. I don't want to read anything that could possibly ever be interpreted as UST between Sam/Jack. I'm not really a writer, but if I were, well...there would really be nothing I could do about it if people chose to see things in my story that I didn't intend. *g* Because of my own personal squicks, I'd probably label it UST if I thought it was, even in a Jack/Daniel story, but I don't expect every author to do that.
no subject
I don't see chemistry between Sam and Jack in a sexual way or a romantic way. I just see it in other ways -- mentorship, teammates, etc. I think the cast together always had great chemistry.
But if you think that it's not there, that's your perogative. I just don't think the show would have ever worked if they had zero chemistry.
no subject
I thought Sam had chemistry with Daniel in the early seasons. In recent episodes, I've seen that it's still there, though it's different now. Before they had an easy comradeship, and now they have an ease that comes from knowing each other for a long time and knowing almost everything about each other. I never saw it between Sam and Jack. Not romantic and not even friendship. I did see Jack trying to mentor Sam a few times in the early seasons (as he did also with Daniel), but with Daniel, his actions always had a more personal feel. With Sam, it was always professional.
In any case, chemistry is all about perception--that was my point. I wasn't denying that you see chemistry or that others may see romance, but just saying that it can be interpreted differently. I don't think it's a fact; it's a perception, something intangible that some people see and some people don't. I also think it has to do with the types of relationships that attract us as viewers (and not necessarily romantic relationships).