superbadgirl | More on strange and annoying nicknames

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.

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In Scarecrow during the phone call from John, Sam asks where he (John) is and the reply is "Sorry, kiddo, I can’t tell you that."

Parent to child no matter how old works for me,as long as it's not overused, but no way do I see Dean as Sam's substitute parent - far too much of that goes on in fan fiction for my liking and that's what the "kiddo" phrase implies to me.

There is only, what? 4 years between them? So many stories have Dean as Sam's sole care giver and yet I can't see a 4 and a half year old being that proficient with baby feeding and changing....one step too far if you ask me.

Yeah, now that you mention it, I do think it's in Scarecrow. It might be in Something Wicked too, during the flashback. It works as parent to child.

**There is only, what? 4 years between them? So many stories have Dean as Sam's sole care giver and yet I can't see a 4 and a half year old being that proficient with baby feeding and changing....one step too far if you ask me.**

Well, there's four years between me and my youngest sister (with two others inbetween). I remember helping my mother change diapers, and showing my father how to do it (once!) when I was pretty little. I don't think that it would...or could be a regular thing. However, on family outings, I usually did get put in charge of one sister ("make sure you hold Kelly's hand") fairly often, and I had the worst time getting my sisters to see me as a person their age rather than someone who would tell them what to do (or narc them out) when we got to jr high/high school, so I can actually see Sam thinking of Dean as a parent-type substitute. I still don't think he would have used "kiddo" though, because it's not a kid-to-kid thing. Unless you're *trying* to belittle a younger sibling in an annoying fashion. It's not an absent-minded substitute for a sibling's name.

Yep, I agree. I think Dean did do a lot for Sam when they were younger, but I always see John being quite protective of them both - maybe giving Dean something to concentrate on after his mother died, but John was still there.

As they grew older I think he probably left them more than some people are comfortable with - but soemhow I still see Dean as keeping that "big brother" aura rather than "parent" with Sam.

There is 4 years between my sister and me too, me being the youngest and yes, I don't think I ever saw her as being my age or someone to confide in - always she was a figure of authority, she was prefect at school then head girl at both schools - someone who ratted me out constantly. But even so she was also never in the "adult" category either, which parents and aunties were. It's a difficult relationship, but one where I was never a child to her but an annoying little brat! :))

There is 4 years between my sister and me too, me being the youngest and yes, I don't think I ever saw her as being my age or someone to confide in - always she was a figure of authority, she was prefect at school then head girl at both schools - someone who ratted me out constantly. But even so she was also never in the "adult" category either, which parents and aunties were. It's a difficult relationship, but one where I was never a child to her but an annoying little brat! :))

In our family photos, you can tell exactly when my oldest sister stopped being a kid and assumed responsibility. Her total aspect changed. It's kind of heartbreaking, really.

I only found out recently when you mentioned it in another post that you are one of...11? was it? I kind of knew you were from a big family but never thought how many. Must be very, very strange for you out on your own - do you feel a bit like Sam? *G*

A family of many children really is beyond my limits of imagination, but I do somehow think that the older kids must have grown up fast with the added responsibility. I guess it must happen a lot - but I always forget to factor in big families when I think of Dean growing up faster than he should. Ok, you may not have had the monsters - but looking after younger kids must be hard when you're only a kid yourself.

However I hope there was a good side as well for you and your siblings.

I only found out recently when you mentioned it in another post that you are one of...11? was it? I kind of knew you were from a big family but never thought how many. Must be very, very strange for you out on your own - do you feel a bit like Sam? *G*

Heh. Yes and no. It's a very difficult dynamic to explain accurately, because the memories I have are very skewed and I tend to focus more on the negative than the positive when I speak of the family. That doesn't mean it was all bad, but I'll just say I'm quite content out here by myself...and yet feel pangs of guilt every time I speak with everyone back there, especially my parents.

I guess it must happen a lot - but I always forget to factor in big families when I think of Dean growing up faster than he should. Ok, you may not have had the monsters - but looking after younger kids must be hard when you're only a kid yourself.

In a family the size of mine, there were multiple kids with first-born tendencies. I remember taking care of (or at least feeling saddled with) my younger brother and one of my younger sisters. Simple things, like standing up for them when they got picked on, holding my little sis as she puked all the way to school because she had motion sickness...and I love them to bits, but at the same time they exhaust me still.

That said, I do think Dean grew up way faster than any average first-born would.

I'm glad to hear you're contented where you are - but don't feel guilty for doing your own thing I'm sure your parents understand. :)

Being the younger I've never had to experience the looking after thing, so I guess that's something I'll never know.

Yeah, Dean is a special case though.... :)

Parent to child no matter how old works for me,as long as it's not overused, but no way do I see Dean as Sam's substitute parent - far too much of that goes on in fan fiction for my liking and that's what the "kiddo" phrase implies to me.

I just don't see Sam standing for it. He balked and fought Sammy for quite a while before he gave up - I really, really doubt he'd let Dean get away with "kiddo."

No I don't see Sam standing for it either - but neither do I see Dean as the type to use it - John, yes, Dean, no. Again it's the parental thing and I don't see Dean as thinking of himself that way, always the adored older brother - and yeah, I do think Sam went through the adoration stage....and Dean won't let him forget that either! :))

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