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

[khek.livejournal.com]

I think John called one of them "kiddo" once. I can sort of hear it in my head, but I couldn't tell you which episode. I have a feeling it was Dean rather than Sam though.

I don't get the dissolving into tears in ANY character--SPN, SG-1, TS...anyone. It usually takes death in some shape or form to get any of the characters to that point, so having a bad day just doesn't qualify.

I sometimes call kids "honey" or "sweetie" when I can't remember their names (something of a daily occurence, given my job). I've had a few tell me that's not their name. Those kids tend to turn out to be pretty sure of themselves as adults! :)

[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.

[strangevisitor7.livejournal.com]

I hate when people call a grown person Kiddo,too. I agree it makes them seem young or weak. Dean has called Sam geek boy or college boy but I have never heard him use kiddo. I am almost positive that was what John called wee!Dean in Something Wicked.

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

Geez, it's in every fandom, isn't it?

[seanchaidh.livejournal.com]

That is such a cute story! LOL

But yeah, pet names... there's enough on the show, dammit. :)

[aizjanika.livejournal.com]

IIRC, John called Dean "kiddo" in the teaser to the pilot. I can't recall Dean ever using that as a name for Sam, though.

Everything would go along swimmingly, and then Jack would suddenly call Daniel, Sam and Teal'c "kiddies." WTF, man. W.T.F.

That sounds somewhat perverted, doesn't it? I think that Jack did refer to Jack and Sam as "kids" maybe once. I'd have to go and watch it again, but I think it was in that episode where Jack got the pole thing stuck through his shoulder pinning him to the wall and it turned out to be a weird virus thing and Daniel figured out how to communicate with it and Sam was awesomely assertive with Hammond... I can't think of the episode title, but I think when Daniel and Sam had stayed up all night, Jack came in and told them they had to get some rest and be ready for their mission that day or something like that. I could be wrong about that, though. Hmmm...

Even so, I can't see him calling them "kiddies" like that. *g*

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.

I like that they both cry onscreen at various times, but we've never seen them break down sobbing...well, Sam was really crying a few times (John's "funeral" and at the end of Heart), but even then he wasn't really sobbing or anything.

I think that Dean cried in private somewhere, though. *g* But still...it can get a bit much if it's overdone in fics. I love crying boys, but they've shown that while they can get emotional at times, they usually hold it together, especially in front of other people.

In some stories, authors could have Sam or even Dean crying believably (for me), but in other stories, it feels like they're crying all the time for no reason. *g* I'm not sure if I could clearly state what makes it work for me, though, and why it doesn't sometimes.

[stabbim.livejournal.com]

Hi again. Just left feedback for one of your stories, read this post and had to comment.

It's not just you who's annoyed by infantalizing the characters. "Kiddo" is overused in so many SPN fics, and I can't stand Jack calling Daniel "Danny". It's okay if that happens once or twice, but some people use it all the time and it freaks me out.

Even if it's canon, they don't use those nicknames all the time on the show. Anyway, just wanted to let you know you're not the only out there. :)