If I post here, I'm prob procrastinating

Michael Ian Black and Missi Pyle read from “Not-Tiny Hermione” - Harry Potter slash by “Giantess Lover.” Help us finish SLASH the movie - bit.ly/slashkick Read the full “Not-Tiny Hermione” story here http://hp.adult-fanfiction.org/story.php?no=600095445

Huge thanks to @HeyCupcakeATX, @RhythmSuperfoods, @KINDSnacks, @HighBrewCoffee, @TheSkinnyPop, @DrinkGreens, Live Kombucha Soda, @FollowYourHeart, Good Flow Honey, @VERBProducts and @AmysIceCreams!

[previous slash the movie posts]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1455491462/slash-a-teen-comedy-about-erotic-fan-fiction

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1455491462/slash-a-teen-comedy-about-erotic-fan-fiction

http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2015/09/14/birth.movies.exclusive-michael-ian-black-missy-pyle-read-harry-potter-slash

So, I know this is a bit of a detour from my normal fandom or meta posts, but I kind of wanted to talk about something that’s got fandom in a general uproar.  Course, the uproar has nothing on like the Great LiveJournal Strikethrough of 2007.  But … still.  It’s a thing. And I’ve been involved in fandoms for nearly 20 years and have seen a lot of shenanigans. The current uproar?   Slash, The Movie.     Here’s the thing and I know it’s going to prolly get me flamed.   As of right now with the information available to me, I totally support the movie and hope it makes its Kickstarter goal.   *ducks the cabbages*   Now, I do retain the right to change/form different opinion as I gather more info/see the movie if it gets made because that’s the only logical thing to do.  However, there’s some general arguments against it that I completely acknowledge have some valid points if removed from all context of the movie itself. 1) “It’s got a male lead!  It’s trying to erase women from fandom and slash fandom, and women make up the bulk!” Yup.  It does have a male lead!  Look, I am a feminist through and through.  And I understand the dearth of movies centered around lead actresses that don’t fail the Bechdel test within the first 30 seconds of the movie.  Hollywood is atrocious in that regard.  However, we’re talking movies as a whole, not isolated individual movies.  I mean - are men never going to have the lead ever again?  What kind of feminism is that?  Not my feminism, for sure.   So let’s focus on the movie and focus on a male lead in a movie where the female-dominated culture of fandom/slash fandom is a main story plot.  The story is a coming-of-age story about a boy who finds welcoming and acceptance to explore and uncover his sexuality in a community of women.  Watch the trailer/info-bit, all the groups where slash is involved, it’s all women.  Women are the ones who have created the sub-culture (along with LGBTQIA+ men; I acknowledge there might be straight men involved but in this instance they are the minority) that this boy finds acceptance in, not the historically male ‘geek’ culture that shuns him (see:  the Star Trek cosplay guys who mock him).   I don’t know about ya’ll, but I see this as positive representation and definitely pro-slash fandom.   2) “But women are the bulk of the fandom!  A slash movie should be about women!” Agreed that women should have a large part!  And … from what it looks like?  It is. 3)  "But you don’t understand!  This is a movie about slash!  It should have a female lead!“ So…. what I’m hearing is that in wanting to have a female lead you want to erase the part of our culture that embraces and encourages everyone, including LGBTQIA+ men.   …yeah. 4)  "The writer/director has no clue about slash fandom!  He’s not part of it.” Okay, I definitely understand those concerns.  I mean - how many times have we watched a ‘journalist’ give slash to actors/actresses on the spot to have them read in order to embarrass the actors and fandom?  How many times have we heard media content owners talk about shipping like they have the power to take away ships from fandom? But, I don’t think that’s going to be the case here.   The guy’s name is Clay Liford, and he’s quite known in the LGBT circuit.  He also is a self-professed Drarry reader and had a similar experience growing up where he was part of the ElfQuest fandom, which was heavily female-dominated.  Now, once I watch the movie I might be all 'oh, holy shit he has no clue’.  But right now?  I have more confidence in him doing a decent portrayal than I would say, JJ Abrahams getting his hands on the project and expecting something respectful of the culture. 5) “It’s a comedy.  It’s about slash.   It is totally going to result in a mockery of the culture.” You’re right.  It might.  It might be like SPN and result in an insult to the people and the culture.  But it might not.  Given the BtS and interviews, I’m leaning more on the 'not’.   Here’s the hard part of watching fandom (and slash fandom) evolve and change - it’s not the secret not-talked about “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” kind of mentality any more.   When it was all ‘keep it secret, keep it safe!’, there was limited chance for something negative to impact the culture.  There’s no more real … I guess you could call it policing.  But there’s no upholding certain aspects of the culture - especially when it comes to the secrecy, you don’t talk about it with the actors, etc… And it’s hard to control the message that we want to present to the general public about who fandom is, who fandom represents, and with that, respect.  This movie looks like while it is a comedy, it doesn’t look to be mocking fandom.  It seems to be embracing it and how awesome we all know it to be.  So … well, as opposed to no message or a poor message, I am willing to give it a chance. 6) “But the only way an accurate portrayal is going to happen is if it’s done by someone who is in fandom, who understands fandom, and if it accurately portrays fandom by telling the story from a female POV.” Male vs female lead aside, if you want that movie?  Write it!  Tell your story, tell a general story, tell anyone’s story and get the money together, do a Kickstarter, whatever, and tell the story you want/need to tell.  I will support you as much as I do this.  If slash fandom is going to be more 'on the surface’ and more out in general culture, I want those stories out there.  I want us all owning our story.  And there’s room enough for multiple stories!  This movie does not exist in a medium where there can be only One True Movie (OTM) and everything else falls into rarepair category of depressing lack of quantity if you’re a fan.  This is one story to be told among hundreds.  Thousands.  Millions.   As it stands, what exists in popular culture right now as a representation of fandom/fanfic? Fucking 50 Shades of Grey.   Just … no. Also, irony as superhappygenki pointed out.  This story that’s being told in the movie? How many times have you read an AU fic where one of the characters is a slash fanfic writer? And how many times have those characters been male? What are your thoughts?  What are your concerns? 

Other than that I’d just like to echo the above that this is just one particular story about slash fandom and there is plenty of room for more. As a gay male who grew up not knowing it was even possible to be gay until near the end of middle school when I found the slash fandom and discovered I wasn’t alone or abnormal (being gay wasn’t talked about except as a slur in middle school back then) I am very hopeful about this movie. Fandom helped me so much and I want that story told.

So, I know this is a bit of a detour from my normal fandom or meta posts, but I kind of wanted to talk about something that’s got fandom in a general uproar.  Course, the uproar has nothing on like the Great LiveJournal Strikethrough of 2007.  But … still.  It’s a thing. And I’ve been involved in fandoms for nearly 20 years and have seen a lot of shenanigans. The current uproar?   Slash, The Movie.     Here’s the thing and I know it’s going to prolly get me flamed.   As of right now with the information available to me, I totally support the movie and hope it makes its Kickstarter goal.   *ducks the cabbages*   Now, I do retain the right to change/form different opinion as I gather more info/see the movie if it gets made because that’s the only logical thing to do.  However, there’s some general arguments against it that I completely acknowledge have some valid points if removed from all context of the movie itself. 1) “It’s got a male lead!  It’s trying to erase women from fandom and slash fandom, and women make up the bulk!” Yup.  It does have a male lead!  Look, I am a feminist through and through.  And I understand the dearth of movies centered around lead actresses that don’t fail the Bechdel test within the first 30 seconds of the movie.  Hollywood is atrocious in that regard.  However, we’re talking movies as a whole, not isolated individual movies.  I mean - are men never going to have the lead ever again?  What kind of feminism is that?  Not my feminism, for sure.   So let’s focus on the movie and focus on a male lead in a movie where the female-dominated culture of fandom/slash fandom is a main story plot.  The story is a coming-of-age story about a boy who finds welcoming and acceptance to explore and uncover his sexuality in a community of women.  Watch the trailer/info-bit, all the groups where slash is involved, it’s all women.  Women are the ones who have created the sub-culture (along with LGBTQIA+ men; I acknowledge there might be straight men involved but in this instance they are the minority) that this boy finds acceptance in, not the historically male ‘geek’ culture that shuns him (see:  the Star Trek cosplay guys who mock him).   I don’t know about ya’ll, but I see this as positive representation and definitely pro-slash fandom.   2) “But women are the bulk of the fandom!  A slash movie should be about women!” Agreed that women should have a large part!  And … from what it looks like?  It is. 3)  "But you don’t understand!  This is a movie about slash!  It should have a female lead!“ So…. what I’m hearing is that in wanting to have a female lead you want to erase the part of our culture that embraces and encourages everyone, including LGBTQIA+ men.   …yeah. 4)  "The writer/director has no clue about slash fandom!  He’s not part of it.” Okay, I definitely understand those concerns.  I mean - how many times have we watched a 'journalist’ give slash to actors/actresses on the spot to have them read in order to embarrass the actors and fandom?  How many times have we heard media content owners talk about shipping like they have the power to take away ships from fandom? But, I don’t think that’s going to be the case here.   The guy’s name is Clay Liford, and he’s quite known in the LGBT circuit.  He also is a self-professed Drarry reader and had a similar experience growing up where he was part of the ElfQuest fandom, which was heavily female-dominated.  Now, once I watch the movie I might be all 'oh, holy shit he has no clue’.  But right now?  I have more confidence in him doing a decent portrayal than I would say, JJ Abrahams getting his hands on the project and expecting something respectful of the culture. 5) “It’s a comedy.  It’s about slash.   It is totally going to result in a mockery of the culture.” You’re right.  It might.  It might be like SPN and result in an insult to the people and the culture.  But it might not.  Given the BtS and interviews, I’m leaning more on the 'not’.   Here’s the hard part of watching fandom (and slash fandom) evolve and change - it’s not the secret not-talked about “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” kind of mentality any more.   When it was all ‘keep it secret, keep it safe!’, there was limited chance for something negative to impact the culture.  There’s no more real … I guess you could call it policing.  But there’s no upholding certain aspects of the culture - especially when it comes to the secrecy, you don’t talk about it with the actors, etc… And it’s hard to control the message that we want to present to the general public about who fandom is, who fandom represents, and with that, respect.  This movie looks like while it is a comedy, it doesn’t look to be mocking fandom.  It seems to be embracing it and how awesome we all know it to be.  So … well, as opposed to no message or a poor message, I am willing to give it a chance. 6) “But the only way an accurate portrayal is going to happen is if it’s done by someone who is in fandom, who understands fandom, and if it accurately portrays fandom by telling the story from a female POV.” Male vs female lead aside, if you want that movie?  Write it!  Tell your story, tell a general story, tell anyone’s story and get the money together, do a Kickstarter, whatever, and tell the story you want/need to tell.  I will support you as much as I do this.  If slash fandom is going to be more 'on the surface’ and more out in general culture, I want those stories out there.  I want us all owning our story.  And there’s room enough for multiple stories!  This movie does not exist in a medium where there can be only One True Movie (OTM) and everything else falls into rarepair category of depressing lack of quantity if you’re a fan.  This is one story to be told among hundreds.  Thousands.  Millions.   As it stands, what exists in popular culture right now as a representation of fandom/fanfic? Fucking 50 Shades of Grey.   Just … no. Also, irony as superhappygenki pointed out.  This story that’s being told in the movie? How many times have you read an AU fic where one of the characters is a slash fanfic writer? And how many times have those characters been male? What are your thoughts?  What are your concerns? 

A quick update on our Kickstarter and the progress in bring our fictional sci-fi slash hero to life!

We’re one of IndieWIRE’s Projects of the Day!