Oh the insidious nature of language, again.
Someone else's post got me thinking. (Oh dear. XD)
I dislike the phrase One True Pairing. I've used OTP!!! as a particular flavour of squee for ages now without thinking about it, the same way that I use a lot of pat phrases without thinking about where they came from or what they represent. One True Pairing is like One True God is like that particular flavour of thought that combines smug and superior with an odd irrationality which bears no questioning.
It's not that there is always irrationality, only that the phrase implies it so well, and the implication somehow carries over into a certain insecurity. Like: oh crap, we've lost her to McShep. Like: oh, he's a great writer, but he thinks Tim belongs with Ziva. Like: could you find me fic that bashes Keller because the writers dared blaspheme...
And then it spills again, over the limits of pairing and into character smear campaigns, and there's nothing that puts me off anything so well as out of character behaviour. I don't know. The idea that in order to win fans over to Your Side, that they might see the Truth, you have to make the other potential partner The Baddie... I got bored of that when I was a Mulder/Krycek fan but (gasp!) still liked Scully.
I think I've always conceptualised OTP as one pairing for me, that I prefer characters with one partner for the most part, but it limits my exploration into the fics that could persuade me different; and those are so completely the ones that move me best. But the fact that I prefer one particular combination of characters doesn't make it, compared to others, any more or less True, and I've come to dislike that particular painting of it.
I dunno. Maybe I need to read some gen fic? When I first became a slasher I was unbelievably lacking in internet savvy, and it took me time to realise that it wasn't just one site, that it wasn't just one pairing, that it wasn't just one show. I've been spoiled with fic throughout my fannish existence, and I've not really explored half so much as I should have. Considering there is practically nothing that makes me squee so much, when watching TV, as ridiculous and bantery and comic and caring and heart-warming TEAM, maybe that's the route I need to go down.
Meantime, I'm gonna try to remember to talk about my preferred pairing - or something like it - instead.
Someone else's post got me thinking. (Oh dear. XD)
I dislike the phrase One True Pairing. I've used OTP!!! as a particular flavour of squee for ages now without thinking about it, the same way that I use a lot of pat phrases without thinking about where they came from or what they represent. One True Pairing is like One True God is like that particular flavour of thought that combines smug and superior with an odd irrationality which bears no questioning.
It's not that there is always irrationality, only that the phrase implies it so well, and the implication somehow carries over into a certain insecurity. Like: oh crap, we've lost her to McShep. Like: oh, he's a great writer, but he thinks Tim belongs with Ziva. Like: could you find me fic that bashes Keller because the writers dared blaspheme...
And then it spills again, over the limits of pairing and into character smear campaigns, and there's nothing that puts me off anything so well as out of character behaviour. I don't know. The idea that in order to win fans over to Your Side, that they might see the Truth, you have to make the other potential partner The Baddie... I got bored of that when I was a Mulder/Krycek fan but (gasp!) still liked Scully.
I think I've always conceptualised OTP as one pairing for me, that I prefer characters with one partner for the most part, but it limits my exploration into the fics that could persuade me different; and those are so completely the ones that move me best. But the fact that I prefer one particular combination of characters doesn't make it, compared to others, any more or less True, and I've come to dislike that particular painting of it.
I dunno. Maybe I need to read some gen fic? When I first became a slasher I was unbelievably lacking in internet savvy, and it took me time to realise that it wasn't just one site, that it wasn't just one pairing, that it wasn't just one show. I've been spoiled with fic throughout my fannish existence, and I've not really explored half so much as I should have. Considering there is practically nothing that makes me squee so much, when watching TV, as ridiculous and bantery and comic and caring and heart-warming TEAM, maybe that's the route I need to go down.
Meantime, I'm gonna try to remember to talk about my preferred pairing - or something like it - instead.
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