More on strange and annoying nicknames

[superbadgirl]

If Dean Winchester has referred to Sam Winchester as "kiddo*" on the television screen, I've missed it. Maybe he did it once or something, which would be easy to block out for me, but given the number of times I have seen that in fanfiction it would appear Dean calls Sam that all the time (and I rarely venture into reading SPN fic). Every time I see it I want to send feedback begging for the writer to please stop using that word. It seems, to me, to perpetuate this idea that Sam's a weak little boy who needs coddling and protection.

H/C stories can be written without infantalizing one of the characters. Really.

At least when writers abused "Danny" in SG-1 fandom, Jack actually did use that a couple of times and so there was a (somewhat sketchy, if you ask me) foundation. That got to a point where I would really have to back out of a story if I read that more than, say, five times in a couple of pages. There was also one author who did a similar thing as "kiddo." Everything would go along swimmingly, and then Jack would suddenly call Daniel, Sam and Teal'c "kiddies." WTF, man. W.T.F.

Back to SPN, I've now been thinking about other horrific characterizations. Sam has got teary-eyed a bit in the show. It's canon. So has Dean. This, however, does not mean that they'll cry at the drop of a hat. Sam thinking about a puppy being left alone because its owner got dead would not make him turn into a quivering mass of tears. It really wouldn't. Sam's a sensitive soul (or at least he was), sure, but there are limitations. I would ask people just think for a minute or two before they make either Sam or Dean burst into tears.

Funnily enough, the same thing happened in SG-1 fandom as well. There are certain stories out there that are SO smarmy it makes me cringe, stories in which Daniel and Jack are such weepy, emotional wrecks I do not recognize them at all.

I suppose it can all be chalked up to different strokes for different folks.

And now I must go because apparently I'm 2 hours behind on working for The Man (frankly, I find that bogus) and have to play catch-up. While I'm sweeping and weeding and scrubbing, I'm hoping to devise a better plan to avoid the mailman. He's persistent, that one.


*perhaps the "kiddo" thing is personal. Apparently my paternal grandfather called all of us "kiddo" and when I was about 2 1/2 or 3 I started talking more and insisted that he stop calling me that because my name wasn't Kiddo, it was SBG. My mom said that was adorable, everyone oohed and ahhed and my grandfather continued to call me kiddo, bless his heart. He died when I was 4.

Comments

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

It's a strange habit amongst writers. It's like they can't imagine any other response to a percieved "trauma" (and I use this word in the way THEY mean it, meaning, a twiggy little emo affair) in order to get the effect they want; which is, a man-child who needs Mommy to help them Through The Trauma.

I think its a limitation of imagination and/or experience. Or it's simply a kink that needs to go away or at least be clearly labelled (there's That WORD again!).

I think most adults like to read about adults behaving as adults. Otherwise, write frigging kid fic and get it overwith.

[superbadgirl]

It's a strange habit amongst writers. It's like they can't imagine any other response to a percieved "trauma" (and I use this word in the way THEY mean it, meaning, a twiggy little emo affair) in order to get the effect they want; which is, a man-child who needs Mommy to help them Through The Trauma.

It drives me mad. Mad, I tell you!

I think its a limitation of imagination and/or experience. Or it's simply a kink that needs to go away or at least be clearly labelled (there's That WORD again!).

I know I'd appreciate a label. I've noticed some authors are kind enough to denote person and tense, which is great. Something like this, though, I wonder if they even know they're doing it.

And yeah. There are TONS of kidfic stories in SPN fandom, so they could get their kiddo kicks there just fine.

[aizjanika.livejournal.com]

I love reading adults acting as adults, and I do think there are times that adults (even men) will cry. Heck, the men I know cry *way* more than most women. lol Toolman's had many guys literally crying on his shoulder over one thing or another over the years, and he's more likely to cry than me, too. *g*

But still... In a story, it has to be done in a believable way for me. I suppose it is a bit of a kink for me, too, but I don't want the man to act like a child. I really dislike that in fic. There's a fine line there for me, I guess.

[superbadgirl]

Well, that was my point, even if I was unclear. I'm not anti-tears. I just don't believe for one second either Sam or Dean would get so upset over half the stuff they do in fanfic.

I'm considering writing a mock-up crying story. No one else would be amused, but I sure would be. ;)