Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT 4406-4410 (Nov 30th to Dec 4th, 2020)
BlueFatima:
--- Quote from: Wingy on 03 Dec 2020, 05:04 ---And I came away from today's comic with: OK, Brun and Millie for a bit, then Millie will give up as Brun is an Ace and return to Jones for comfort and attention. Indeed, we'll see where these characters get taken.
--- End quote ---
I notice in webcomic communities that when a character doesn’t jump right into a relationship/sex, some followers enthusiastically label them as Ace—sometimes to the point massive debates start. This is not necessarily happening here yet, but seeing the label get dropped made me think about it.
Having had people (friends and family members) speculate over my own sexuality when I was in my late teens, I find it odd and intrusive. There are so many reasons people don’t date or show sexual interest in others until later in life. It doesn’t always come down to something being wrong or someone not being a sexual person, either. Sure I believe Ace people do exist (the world is a big place—way bigger than my little bubble), however it feels like fiction communities really overuse that label and often it turns out the character is not. Go Get a Roomie (another fantastic webcomic which is coming to a close) comes to mind, but there are other comics like it, too.
oddtail:
--- Quote from: BlueFatima on 03 Dec 2020, 07:23 ---
--- Quote from: Wingy on 03 Dec 2020, 05:04 ---And I came away from today's comic with: OK, Brun and Millie for a bit, then Millie will give up as Brun is an Ace and return to Jones for comfort and attention. Indeed, we'll see where these characters get taken.
--- End quote ---
I notice in webcomic communities that when a character doesn’t jump right into a relationship/sex, some followers enthusiastically label them as Ace—sometimes to the point massive debates start. This is not necessarily happening here yet, but seeing the label get dropped made me think about it.
Having had people (friends and family members) speculate over my own sexuality when I was in my late teens, I find it odd and intrusive. There are so many reasons people don’t date or show sexual interest in others until later in life. It doesn’t always come down to something being wrong or someone not being a sexual person, either. Sure I believe Ace people do exist (the world is a big place—way bigger than my little bubble), however it feels like fiction communities really overuse that label and often it turns out the character is not. Go Get a Roomie (another fantastic webcomic which is coming to a close) comes to mind, but there are other comics like it, too.
--- End quote ---
I think people are overeager to label characters as Ace for the same reason fandoms are eager to assume characters are queer (or ship them) at the slightest suggestion or queerbating on the part of creators (see: BBC's Sherlock).
That is to say, representation is so sparse that it has people grasping at straws.
It doesn't help that it's difficult to establish a character as Ace without them explicitly saying so. You can establish other sexualities with more overt hints.
So I can sympathise with asexual people in that it must be frustrating that they do not get adequate representation in fiction.
BlueFatima:
--- Quote from: oddtail on 03 Dec 2020, 07:29 ---
--- Quote from: BlueFatima on 03 Dec 2020, 07:23 ---
--- Quote from: Wingy on 03 Dec 2020, 05:04 ---And I came away from today's comic with: OK, Brun and Millie for a bit, then Millie will give up as Brun is an Ace and return to Jones for comfort and attention. Indeed, we'll see where these characters get taken.
--- End quote ---
I notice in webcomic communities that when a character doesn’t jump right into a relationship/sex, some followers enthusiastically label them as Ace—sometimes to the point massive debates start. This is not necessarily happening here yet, but seeing the label get dropped made me think about it.
Having had people (friends and family members) speculate over my own sexuality when I was in my late teens, I find it odd and intrusive. There are so many reasons people don’t date or show sexual interest in others until later in life. It doesn’t always come down to something being wrong or someone not being a sexual person, either. Sure I believe Ace people do exist (the world is a big place—way bigger than my little bubble), however it feels like fiction communities really overuse that label and often it turns out the character is not. Go Get a Roomie (another fantastic webcomic which is coming to a close) comes to mind, but there are other comics like it, too.
--- End quote ---
I think people are overeager to label characters as Ace for the same reason fandoms are eager to assume characters are queer (or ship them) at the slightest suggestion or queerbating on the part of creators (see: BBC's Sherlock).
That is to say, representation is so sparse that it has people grasping at straws.
It doesn't help that it's difficult to establish a character as Ace without them explicitly saying so. You can establish other sexualities with more overt hints.
So I can sympathise with asexual people in that it must be frustrating that they do not get adequate representation in fiction.
--- End quote ---
I could understand that and it is way cool to celebrate when a queer character comes out of the closet (I HATE queer-baiting), but usually the majority of the folks doing the labeling either aren’t queer or they seem to have very little experience withIn the LGBTQ community. I can definitely attest to this in RL circumstances (not one person I’ve heard using labels like that was lGBTQ or at least out of the closet) and in some of the communities where some of the people in the discussions appeared to be open about their lives (haha—but we never really know right?).
Another thing to consider is that while there are people who are legitimately Ace, it is not as cut and dry a kind of thing to pin down as being gay or bi (and those are complicated in their own rights). Mental and health issues can actually impact a person’s ability to feel sexual or attempt to have a relationship. I think that is part of why the use of label bothers me beyond labeling a broad group of people—aside from the fact I have seen and felt how being lumped into a label can hurt.
Penquin47:
I am queer. Somewhere between bi and ace, haven't exactly pinned down exactly where but I definitely claim both labels because I feel they both describe me. I'm part of a community of mostly queer people in a show's fandom, and we pretty much ALL have our "your fave is queer" headcanons.
For me, my first exposure to the idea of asexuality in this context was through fanfic. Reading the fic, especially the ones that were explicitly about Being Ace and What It's Like For Ace Characters In Relationships, helped me understand a lot of things about myself. That got me researching specific terms I encountered and interacting with people with similar headcanons, and finding the words and explanations for myself and how I feel.
As long as people keep in mind that their headcanons are not the same as Actual Canon, I think it does more good than harm. I can understand, given the irresponsible speculation that hurt you, why you disagree.
notStanley:
some discussion on labels from Ashley in El Goonish Shive
--- Quote ---https://ww.egscomics.com/comic/2015-05-23
"Part of why I don't like labeling people is the labels mean different things to different people, and they come with their own prejudices and expectations. I don't know what I'm actually telling someone with labels. And when is comes to who I'm attracted to, that's really nobody else's businesses unless I want to tell them."
--- End quote ---
I have seen arguments about a thing, where they are really in agreement, but do not realize they are using different terms or definitions. It is difficult to communicate without a confidence that each side is using the same concepts.
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