Where No Man Has Gone Before

Newsweek Web Exclusive

« Return to Article

Discuss

Member Comments

  • Posted By: Terrils @ 05/06/2009 4:48:38 PM

    Nice to see a respectful article about this topic, despite some inaccuracies.

  • Posted By: Eldanuumea @ 05/06/2009 4:00:05 PM

    As a fanfic writer who has never written slash herself, but has enjoyed tastefully written slash fanfic of great literary quality, I am delighted to see this little "sub-genre" brought to mainstream attention. I think most slash writers, like any other writers of fanfic, are merely paying homage to the original writers - just in a different, perhaps riskier way. I applaud Newsweek for having the courage to "boldly go," in a literary sense, where few have been before.

  • Posted By: paulte @ 05/06/2009 3:59:12 PM

    I've been a Star Trek fan for a long time and I think this premise is silly. Clearly there was a deep male bond between Kirk & Spock but that hardly makes them gay! Society has always frowned on close male friendships because of the gay issue. But that is just silliness. There is nothing wrong with friendship, closeness, bonding between males. This is something good and should be encouraged. Perhaps if it were, there would be less gayness.

    At the risk of being labeled un-pc, I think most gay males have a lot more problems than just an unnatural sexual attraction. And to be fair most heterosexual people are screwed up too! Just look at Britney, Madonna & Paris Hilton! Most gay people have more sense than those three examples of culturally popular hetero women!

  • Posted By: rogerjun2 @ 05/06/2009 3:24:32 PM

    This is an article written by an obvious idiot. But I'm sure the homosexual community is really pleased with it. It's interesting that Newsweek panders to a group that is about 6% of the population and ignores the 94% that think this kind of trash is unnecessary and beyond ignorant. And now we have to hear that anyone that doesn't like this article or disagrees with that particular lifestyle is "homophobic", except that the word has been abused to the point of inane.
    I doubt that very many people actually fear homosexuals, although that's what the word means. Most just find it distasteful at a minimum and perverted beyond that.

    • Posted By: Shadows Falling @ 05/06/2009 3:48:33 PM

      It's even more interesting that people like you think that Newsweek should ignore anything that doesn't fit into your personal sphere of preference. You will also notice that the magazine's title is not "rogerjun2's Newsweek". Like it or not (your choice,of course), these things exist. Ignoring them doesn't make them go away. It's like turning off the kitchen light so you don't see the dirty dishes in the sink.

      While I appreciate your opinion on the subject, I don't agree with it. I like to know what is out there. Ignorance isn't always bliss.

    • Posted By: Shadows Falling @ 05/06/2009 3:48:06 PM

      It's even more interesting that people like you think that Newsweek should ignore anything that doesn't fit into your personal sphere of preference. You will also notice that the magazine's title is not "rogerjun2's Newsweek". Like it or not (your choice,of course), these things exist. Ignoring them doesn't make them go away. It's like turning off the kitchen light so you don't see the dirty dishes in the sink.

      While I appreciate your opinion on the subject, I don't agree with it. I like to know what is out there. Ignorance isn't always bliss.

  • Posted By: Eldanuumea @ 05/06/2009 3:48:14 PM

    As a fanfic writer who has never written slash herself, but has enjoyed tastefully written slash fanfic of great literary quality, I am delighted to see this little "sub-genre" brought to mainstream attention. I think most slash writers, like any other writers of fanfic, are merely paying homage to the original writers - just in a different, perhaps riskier way. I applaud Newsweek for having the courage to "boldly go," in a literary sense, where few have been before.

  • Posted By: mixman34 @ 05/06/2009 3:24:56 PM

    Worst Article (topic) ever read in my life. Thank you Newsweek, I will never read again. Enjoy your failure.

  • Posted By: Seven of Nine @ 05/06/2009 2:45:24 PM

    Are you folks stupid or mearly taking stupid positons in a crass 2nd grade attempt to get attention and SELL magazines. Is it any wonder that Newsweek circulation is collapsing and that the parent company, Washingon Post, is on a collision course with an oncoming train in the form of financial ruin? Its is happening to the New York Times, it will be happening to Washingotm Post/Newsweek if you don't stop wasing your time with idiocy and put some real news/intersting stories on your pages.

    PU the stench is obvious even through the internet and out of my computer screen!

  • Posted By: kayakatak @ 05/05/2009 9:47:26 PM

    This is the most ridiculous article of all time. Kirk was with a woman every week. Spock as a vulcan would not have endangered the crew with a risky relationship with the captain. I argue that a Vulcan would find it illogical to be gay for it would not advance the population, for "the need of the many, out weight, the need of the few."

    Futhermore, these people do not exist, so how does one speculate past the script. It simply isnt consistent with the Star Trek cannon. Since the script does not allude to it, why would anyone else? Because they want to mold it to fit there own homosexual fantasy, and thats your buisness but hardly worthy of Newsweek.

    Sounds to me that this dude from Newsweek is either gay, or is trying to advance some sorta progay agenda by manipulating any culture phenomenon. Why else give such an obscure tiny fringe group a platform?

    • Posted By: Shadows Falling @ 05/06/2009 2:43:15 PM

      Slash is HUGE. There are a TON of websites and fanfic archives out there. It's actually pretty mainstream anymore. As was already mentioned, most slash writers are heterosexual women. It has absolutely nothing to do with homosexual fantasy. Do you feel the same way about the lesbian stories in men's porno mags? (Men write a lot of those, you know.)

      Maybe you can't think past the script, but there are a lot of creative minds out there who can. Who do you think comes up with ideas for new scripts anyway????

      You need to put a little latitude in you attitude, and see what else is going on out there in the world. Yaoi is huge in Japan. Don't know what that is? Go look it up. Seriously.


  • Posted By: pancakesforone @ 05/06/2009 1:34:45 AM

    Um, Kayakatak, wouldn't a better argument be that K/S is ridiculous? It's not as though the article makes the claim that Kirk and Spock (whom you correctly postulate don't exist) were lovers. The article is merely an exploration of the origins of slash fiction.

    Also, Paul Constant is not from Newsweek, he is from The Stranger in Seattle. I'm also pretty sure he's not gay. I'm also pretty sure you didn't actually read the article, which was interesting and exceptionally well-written. Gosh.

    • Posted By: Shadows Falling @ 05/06/2009 2:32:38 PM

      I agree. As was reported in the article, slash has been around for quite awhile. I discovered it myself though an article similar to this one a few years ago. It's nothing more than another take on a story. I really don't see why everybody is so upset. It's a form of expression- people expanding their creative horizons. They're just borrowing characters already created instead of creating new ones (which often get included in fanfics anyway).

      Besides, this DOES figure into Star Trek canon if you consider the parallel universe...

      Little kids playing cowboys and Indians is a form of fan fiction, for crying out loud. Think about it.

  • Posted By: Adpacqueen @ 05/06/2009 2:26:56 PM

    Some people are soooooo sick. They have to turn everything into a sexual thing.

  • Posted By: troy.gautreau@syngenta.com @ 05/06/2009 1:59:00 PM

    Just antohter example of Newsweek along with the main stream media's obsession with homosexuality Is there anything that newsweek or the meida can report on without having to have homosexualtiy in it. I think not. This is all you report about. This is the most ridiculous BS article of the centry. Pretty soon we will be reading how newsweek or some other gay loving media outlet claims that the "Cleavers" were bisexual or Superman and Louis Lane were also gay. - Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • Posted By: Shadows Falling @ 05/06/2009 2:26:53 PM

      Scares you, does it? Then don't read it. (But it will still be out there, BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!)

  • Posted By: tcco007 @ 05/06/2009 2:18:55 PM

    Kirk and Spock as lovers...well that would be illogical.

  • Posted By: Otis my man @ 05/06/2009 1:56:13 PM

    Why is this news? Is this why we call it Newsweak?

  • Posted By: Otis my man @ 05/06/2009 1:55:40 PM

    Why is this news? Is this why we call it Newsweak?

  • Posted By: Skidmarks003 @ 05/06/2009 1:14:32 PM

    Leave it to NEWSWEEK. This is hardly newsworthy, you think?

  • Posted By: busychild @ 05/06/2009 1:03:34 PM

    This trluly is the stupidest thing I have read in a long time!

  • Posted By: FourDeerInMyYard @ 05/06/2009 5:20:11 AM

    Okay, so apparently punctuation gets messed up in the process of posting here. In the first para of my previous post, both sets of ??? are supposed to be dashes; in the second and fourth, they are supposed to be quotation marks.

  • Posted By: Captaincaveman79 @ 05/05/2009 7:47:06 PM

    personally I am more into the Captain Janeway/ Seven of Nine fanfiction. But I was shocked to find this article and see fanfiction and slash being discussed on such a mainstream website.

Reply

Report Abuse

Enter comments if any for reporting abuse