145: It's A Yaoi Thing

[Nurb]

I think it's more 'acceptable' because it's source is from Japan. If it was an introduction to furry, everyone would be retching

My problem isn't so much with by-women-for-women gay fiction, but rather a complete lack of published material targeted for men. And it's not just that people haven't made an effort, I think such material has a certain stigma around it. I definitely think it's more appropriate for a female to read gay fiction than for a male to do so, and that really rubs me the wrong way, since homosexuality is more of a part of my life than a female reader's life. It seems like as far as gay fiction goes, this facet of my life is merely there for the entertainment of women-- because that's all that's out there. I also have a problem with how fangirls tend to take yaoi. I am really sick of feminine comments directed towards me as a gay man by women who are under some delusion that gay guys are girly. Yaoi, regardless of its Japanese origins, is perpetuating these stereotypes.

Same for straight men, dude, any source of erotic entertainment directed at men, weither video, animation, drawings, or comics are perverted or wrong or makes one a loser. On the flipside, women who look for similar entertainment, are portrayed as strong, independant or sexualy liberated. As for yaoi, its the same lovely double standard, if you read it, you're weird, if they read it, thats perfectly fine and normal.

 

[Chainsaw_Massarce_Bunny]

I read some and there good I know a girl who is INSANE about yaoi. She talks about it all the time at the lunch table and all of my guy friends freck out. Its fun to watch them freck out. Me, hananh, and Deanna make it wrorse.

 

[Stegofreak]

Excellent article I must say. To be honest though I'd never even heard of yaoi until I read this. That said I'm still trying to get my head around the different manga genres as it is. No chance of local booksellers organising manga as they do their other books.

 

[sarahvait]

Good read. Any chance of an article about yuri too, since this one didn't talk about it? I'm enjoying the good discussion too!

 

[meandtheminibar]

This is interesting and all, but the real question is: why would women start to find fascination in this only in Yoai? Their aren't a lot of girls out there that like to see REAL men do it. Or maybe...I should have a survey at my college...

Oooooh I so beg to differ. Most of the people who I know who watched Queer as Folk when it was on were women, and I would go as far as saying QAF has a bigger female following than gay men. My own best friend (23 year old chick) had, at one time, a bigger gay porn collection than myself.

 

[AkJay]

I just realized that the bears in F3 are called "Yaoi Gui", is that supposed ot mean they have gay animated sex?

 

[gamergal126]

I'm not surprised really. Men like to look at attractive women wearing and doing things they find hot. It's only logical women would like the same thing. Overall, good article.

Generalizing much?

As a homosexual male I'm always severely disappointed to pick up a piece of gay fiction only to discover that it's geared towards women. Not all men like lesbians-- and gay men such as myself don't like the feminine bishounen. Where are the choices for those of us who want a more realistic spin on gay fiction, with masculine characters?

There is its called bara.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bara_%28genre%29

 

[likalaruku]

The thing American otaku have a problem learning is that shounenai is an outdated term & that BL (the term the Japanese use) is actually a little different. Shounenai was popular in the 70s & does out in the 80s. It involved exquisitely effeminate men, over-the-top angst, the most bizarre comedy, & almost always ended in tragedy. Three excellent examples are "Kaze to Ki no Uta," "Patalliro," & "Ibu no Musukotachi.

Patallito & Eroica Yori Ai wo Komette are two originally shounenai titles that are both still ongoing today & have actually dropped the shounenai. Patalliro is now pretty much just a balls to the wall comedy about a deranged midget prince & Eroica is now a Cold War dramedy between a brokenhearted thief & a bitchy NATO agent. It's not going to end like Koi Suru Boukun; Klaus isn't a sexually repressed self-hating closet gay like Souichi; he's asexual.