More gay vampires

[jmc_bks]

There's a discussion going on, politely, in a chat group I belong to. I lurk, can't remember the last time I posted, and don't check it often. I checked it today while cleaning up my memberships. And found yet another iteration of the debate over Ward's gay vampires. A couple of members emphatically deny that there is any homoerotic tension in any of the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, and that the person who mentioned it up-thread must have been looking at blogs written by gays hopeful of a mainstream story of their own. They were polite, but pretty much pooh-poohed the idea. Not only that, but someone wrote that since Ward writes romance (which is only for women, you know), she wouldn't bother writing a M/M romance, which only gay men would be interested in. Uh, I'm pretty sure that straight women will read M/M, too. After all, we read and write slash fanfic, don't we?

I'm not sure how they can type their "not gay" messages without cringing. I mean, I know that everything comes down to interpretation, but tell me again, how was the nekkid sleeping together and wanking not gay? And the blood-drinking-orgasm? And Phury's comment about V being down for that kind of thing (based on the rest of the conversation about whether or not Phury was gay)? And why assume that a blogger who did pick up on the tension is gay him- or herself? Huge assumption there.

I couldn't be arsed to post or respond, because I didn't really want to get into a debate. But I keep wondering why people (readers) are so vehemently certain of their own perspectives. [Except myself, of course, because I'm never wrong. Never! *snort* Kidding!] If only one or two other readers see something, maybe it could be discounted, but it seems like many, many readers are getting this vibe. Are we all wrong? Only if we're suffering from a collective delusion.

Comments

[sarahf.livejournal.com]

From what I can gather, V's into BDSM, not m/m activities. And people are afraid of it. The readers who can say with a completely straight face that women wouldn't be interested in reading it are so shut in their own world, a world that does not include m/m slash, that they'll never be able to see homosocial/sexual overtones if they bit them. ::shrug:: We'll just watch Queer as Folk and be much happier, hornier people! ;)

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

Totally missed that about V...huge assumption by me there, based on the context of Butch's & Phury's conversation. BDSM fits him, based on what little backstory there is for V, the hand, the etc.

QaF tangent -- did you know that Gale Harold (Brian) has a leading role on the new Fox show Vanished? My sister pointed it out to me. I hadn't been watching it or even heard of it, but borrowed a videotape of a couple of episodes. It's not the greatest show, although the cast isn't bad (Ming-Na, Esai Morales, Penelope Ann Miller). I kept waiting for clothes to come off (seems like Brian's naked at least once in every episode), but Agent Graham Kelton stayed fully clothed through the entire episode.

[sarahf.livejournal.com]

I knew that re: Harold. I refuse to watch Fox on principle, no matter what, but I also don't ever watch TV while it's actually happening. My friend lent me the QaF DVDs, which is why I'm watching them and only for the hot gay men, not necessarily for Harold.

[ebayer.livejournal.com]

I think (some) people perceive what they want to perceive and have denial about anyone who is different than they are. It's a sad state of the world that some people are so closed-minded.

[jperceval.livejournal.com]

You seriously have to be blind delusional to miss the gay undertones in this series, even without the silly scenario Jenn and I cooked up over on TDD, LOL.

Oh, and I love that "can't be arsed" is catching on around here. ;-)

[(Anonymous)]

Just wanted to let you know that V's BSDM was not mentioned in any of the books. It's something that Ward has told those who have asked about him.

So no where in the book does it come out and say what it is that V is into. Also, with Phury saying what he did (and sorry, when did gay sex become kink) it was inferred that V would be okay with gay sex.

I wonder if those who don't see the homo-erotic nature of these books would be so blase to come home and find their significant other being pinned to a bed and having an orgasm by the same sex.

I'm just stunned that there are those who don't want to see it. Hell, Jules from Brockman hasn't even had a scene with a man and an orgasm and he IS gay ;)

Cindy

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

IMO, gay sex isn't kinky. I just used that word because I thought that Phury had in the context of his conversation with Butch.