(no subject)

[solaciolum]

I feel vaguely guilty for immersing myself in Sherlock Holmes fandom without having read any of the books; I've watched bits and pieces of various television series over the years, and I saw the new movie (and would dearly like to see it again, but the internet has been extraordinarily uncooperative on that point), and I've read Neil Gaiman's A Study in Emerald, but none of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work.

I only feel vaguely guilty, though- and since reading more is one of my New Year's Resolutions, I do intend to start reading the books soon. At any rate, I'm now working my way through the kink meme at sherlockkink, and the lack of Holmes/Watson/Mary strikes me.


There's a lot of movie-fic that completely ignores Mary, or does away with her in some manner, and it all reminds me a great deal of the way Uhura gets booted in AOS Kirk/Spock fic. It leaves the same bad taste in the back of my mind, too, although I do find it less upsetting in the case of Holmes fandom. The new movie isn't trying to negate the original canon, and within the movie there is plenty of justification for Mary being sidelined to make way for Watson's relationship with Holmes. I suppose I find it disappointing because I liked Mary for her ability to see through Holmes' bullshit and disguises, and I see all sorts of potential for her laying down the rules of sharing Watson with Holmes, while Watson looks between the two of them and wonders why he doesn't get a say in anything.

(I'm still a little irrational about my hatred of the Nu-Trek fandom in general and Nu-Kirk/Spock in particular, so that will have to be a rant for another time, I think.)

Hm. I hate feeling like I've become some sort of obsessively authoritarian observer of canon; I don't think I have, really. I have no problem with creating relationships with only the barest shreds of evidentiary support from the source material; it just bothers me when canonical relationships are erased to make way for new ones. I am wary of kneejerk fangirl misogyny, and I really prefer a happy polyamorous ending to these sorts of triangles.

I think White Collar's acceptance of Peter and Elizabeth's relationship has spoiled me, although it's certainly true that the Sherlock Holmes movie doesn't attempt to make Mary the sort of focal point in Watson's life that Holmes is. I wonder if it isn't partly just that she didn't have enough screentime to be interesting to most fans; we see very little of her, but we hear all about how terrible the wedding will be from Holmes throughout the movie. And even though Holmes is being transparently irrational, it's hard to like a character when the lead is going on about how she'll get warty and hideous.

Of course, I may just like Mary so much because Rachel McAddams didn't really sell me on Irene Adler.


Also? Good god damn, Robert Downey, Jr., could you stop casually touching Jude Law in interviews and talking about how Holmes and Watson are GAY GAY GAY or talking about how much of a delight it was to work with Jude Law and giving him pet names and mourning the loss of his mustache I DO NOT INDULGE IN RPS, NOT EVEN FOR YOU. >_

Comments

Actually it's just a bit overcast and in the 50s here

[epershand]

(Well, Athena/Helo's troubles were all from the outside. They had a solid loving relationship based on mutual respect and kick-assitude. And they had the most loving spouse-shooting scene on tv, that one time she needed to go to the Resurrection Ship for a daring rescue.)

Yay women! Although the thing I've noticed about myself on the fannish misogyny front is that I keep saying of good het: "It's like slash, they're equal partners!" Fr'instance, I am highly in favor of Robin/Barney: Bros 4 Life!