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November 14, 2006

Punditslash
Posted by Teresa at 03:49 PM * 104 comments

It’s exactly what you think it is. As is said in the unreliable but lively Encyclopedia Dramatica:

Punditslash is as scary as it sounds. It’s a small, tight-knit group of bleeding-heart liberals/Daily Show fangirls in their late teens who write NC-17 slash fanfiction involving cable news personalities—Anderson Cooper, Keith Olbermann, Tucker Carlson, you name it.
I name Andrew Ference, Dan Patrick, Jake Shears, Dan Abrams, Bill Hemmer, Sanjay Gupta, Chris Matthews, Paul Begala, and Max Kellerman. I think. But mostly, what this community writes about are Anderson Cooper, Jon Stewart, and Stephen Colbert. And if they were ever a small group of teen fangirls, those days are past—just look at all the names.

If you’d like to sample the product, start here and work your way forward. The links in parentheses at the ends of posts are usually fiction. It’s polite to give feedback on stories, as long as your feedback is polite. While you’re there, keep an eye out for ch-ch-ch-chad’s icon. I’ve gotten so used to fanfic writers using a little cheesecake photo of their favorite character that it took me several passes to notice who that was.

I’m assuming you don’t want to hear about George Bush fanfic? Right. Didn’t think so.

Comments on Punditslash:
#1 ::: Xopher ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 04:13 PM:

I have to say that if I ever have a deep need to vomit suddenly, the idea of Dubya Slash will probably suffice to accomplish that goal.

#2 ::: Serge ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 04:19 PM:

Probably, Xopher? Would slash fic about Dubya, Dick AND Karl definitely do the trick?

#3 ::: Xopher ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 04:23 PM:

*runs to the porcelain altar to proclaim the name of Ralph*

#4 ::: Serge ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 04:24 PM:

I take that to mean a resounding yes.

#5 ::: Edward Oleander ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 04:29 PM:

I'm waiting for someone to put Ann Coulter in Pundits of Gor...

#6 ::: Livia ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 04:35 PM:

Edward wrote: "I'm waiting for someone to put Ann Coulter in Pundits of Gor..."

I'd hunt down the link for you, but I'm at work-- still, google "I f**ked Ann Coulter in the ass" for the Gorean Ann Coulter fanfic of your dreams. Or someone's, anyway.

#7 ::: MamaDeb ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 04:41 PM:

Colbert slashes himself on his own page, and there's that very cute moment with Jon Stewart over pizza that supposedly happened during the 2000 recount (they showed it in 2004.)

There is nothing new out there.

(And most slash writers are not teenage fangirls. Many of those I know are at least in their twenties, and most are older. I started in my early thirties, but I was a late bloomer.)

#8 ::: Teresa Nielsen Hayden ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 05:10 PM:

Oh, damn. I meant to include a link to the pizza footage. Thanks for reminding me.

#9 ::: Dave Klecha ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 06:14 PM:

What's next, editorslash? Bloggerslash?

Please, won't someone think of the editors?

#10 ::: Jon Meltzer ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 06:46 PM:

#3: Dubya slash is horrendous enough; but Nader slash??

#11 ::: Robert L ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 06:56 PM:

I�m assuming you don�t want to hear about George Bush fanfic? Right. Didn�t think so.

You are correct! //shudder//

Now, Bush twins fanfic is another story...That's essentially what Wedding Crashers is, and it's actually pretty funny...

#12 ::: handdrummer ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 07:02 PM:

I for one was relieved to see that there was no Buchanan/Novak slash.

Err, I'll just go put my mind in the dishwasher now, ok?

#13 ::: Serge ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 07:05 PM:

Slash fiction involving Laura Bush and...?

#14 ::: Jon Meltzer ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 07:08 PM:

Laura Bush and Lynne Cheney, of course. Written by Lynne.

#15 ::: G. Jules ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 07:09 PM:

Dave in #9: What makes you think there isn't already?

(No, I don't have links. No, I'm not going to search for links. But I have absolute faith that it's been written.)

#13: Lynne Cheney, of course.

#16 ::: Serge ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 07:15 PM:

What about Rush Limbaugh and Karl Rove?

#17 ::: Cynthia ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 07:17 PM:

You know, I would have thought nothing was less likely... but then Tucker took off that bowtie, and now all bets are off.

#18 ::: Nick Kiddle ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 07:34 PM:

I once suggested Bush/Cheney slash to a blocked friend, hoping it would so jar her mind that fresh creative possibilities would spring forth. My mind, however, hates me, and promptly began insisting I should write some to show her how it was done.

So far, I'm successfully resisting.

#19 ::: JonathanMoeller ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 07:56 PM:

I'd always wondered what Kurtz meant in Heart of Darkness when he said "The horror, the horror."

And now I know.

#20 ::: Teresa Nielsen Hayden ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 08:03 PM:

The only Laura Bush slash I know of has her paired with Teresa Heinz Kerry.

#21 ::: Serge ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 08:04 PM:

Ewww, Teresa...

#22 ::: Dave Bell ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 08:09 PM:

For those seeking relief--Buffy the Vampire Slayer at St. Trinians

#23 ::: Fragano Ledgister ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 08:16 PM:

Serge #16: *Joining Xopher's proclamation of the name of Ralph*

#24 ::: Fragano Ledgister ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 08:18 PM:

TNH #20: No Laura/Hillary slash? I'm surprised.

#25 ::: Larry Brennan ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 08:27 PM:

Could be worse... e.g. Katherine Harris/just about anyone or anything.

#26 ::: Michael Maggard ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 08:32 PM:

What really goes on in Cheney’s “undisclosed location”, with those fine Secret Service Agents always in attendance (that ring he is endlessly nattering on about, could it be... a c*ck ring?)

#27 ::: melannen ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 09:04 PM:

#17, since you brought it up: The Bowtie Is Ideology.

#28 ::: Teresa Nielsen Hayden ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 09:21 PM:

Dave Bell (22): Deeds of Maidenly Unkindness! Have I ever gotten around to mentioning how much I enjoy Marcus Rowland's fanfic?

#29 ::: Karin ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 09:24 PM:

I was once part of a politislash RP on GreatestJournal that involved, among other things, lots of punditslash, Kerry/Edwards, Gore/Bush, and most stomach-churningly of all, Santorum/Rumsfeld/DeLay. (As one of my fellow players once said, when we were discussing it after the fact, "we can wash and wash, but we can never be clean".)

I will observe that in the case of that particular RP, it was really all for the giggles, not the turn-on. It also included some great non-slashy moments like Rumsfeld going Emperor Palpatine on one of the Bushes (Neil, if I remember correctly).

#30 ::: Teresa Nielsen Hayden ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 09:29 PM:

Here's the deal: there's some fanfiction I like purely for its own sake -- Barb Cummings, Marcus Rowland, A.J. Hall, et cetera. And then there's slash, which I regard with the respectful fascination of an anthropologist who is never going to join the tribe.

#31 ::: Teresa Nielsen Hayden ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 09:32 PM:

Santorum/Rumsfeld/DeLay? Eeeeeeeeeewww!

Whose dog did you use?

#32 ::: Karin ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 09:36 PM:

Surprisingly, I don't recall a dog being involved at all. More's the pity, perhaps, in a strange sort of way. But it was horrifying enough as it was. Sort of like trainwreck syndrome, but in this case, even the people crashing the trains couldn't back away.

#33 ::: A.J. ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 09:37 PM:

Nick Kiddle (#18), I know someone who failed to resist.

Of course, he does it mainly to make other people fear their own memory.

#34 ::: Teresa Nielsen Hayden ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 09:39 PM:

A.J., I could click through on that link, but I don't think it would make me happier.

#35 ::: cap ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 09:40 PM:

You know, many of the slashers I've come in contact with haven't actually been teenagers.

Twenties, yeah. Thirties, too. Forties and fifties, more times than I care to recall.

That's when I start shuddering.

#36 ::: Julia Jones ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 09:54 PM:

cap at 35: there are some in their sixties and probably in their seventies. Why stop enjoying the Hot Boy-on-Boy Action just because one is middle-aged?

Personally I prefer the stuff written by older authors. It tends to have things like a plot, and a regard for the niceties of punctuation and grammar.

#37 ::: A.J. ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 09:54 PM:

No, I don't recommend it. (Although it would be PG-rated if not for the horrible ickiness.) I offer it up just in case Xopher ever runs out of castor oil.

#38 ::: Teresa Nielsen Hayden ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 10:08 PM:

Cap (35), slash is a kink, or a taste, or an orientation, or whatever you think it's proper to call such things. People who have it don't stop having it.

#39 ::: cap ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 10:19 PM:

You know, as soon as I posted that I thought, You're an idiot.

I apologize, sincerely, for not thinking about what I said, in the context of this forum. I'm pretty young - much younger than I thought I was an hour ago. I guess that's my excuse.

If I could delete that, I would. It wasn't my intention to be smart, or smug, or to offend anyone. I am sorry.

#40 ::: Julia Jones ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 10:30 PM:

cap: would you like some tomato sauce to go with that foot? :-)

#41 ::: Earl Cooley III ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 10:35 PM:

There are a lot of pertinent comments I could make about this thread, but I can't bring myself to type any of them without throwing up in my mouth a little bit. I just had pizza for dinner, too.

That doesn't mean I wouldn't put down cold hard cash for Bush Twins slash fiction, though.

#42 ::: TexAnne ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 10:36 PM:

Note to self: print cap's apology and nail it to your monitor for your own future use.

#43 ::: Steve Buchheit ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 10:51 PM:

Oh, goddess. Why did I have to check up on Making Light before going to sleep? Please, merciful Hypnos come and leave the winged Oneiroi in their cave.

#44 ::: Vian ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 10:56 PM:

I blame Neil Gaiman.

Bush/Saddam Realfic which makes you smile. Work-safe, possibly keyboard-hazardous.

#45 ::: Go Seaward ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 11:08 PM:

Cap #35, you're reminding me of the time a group picture of the HP slash community pornish_pixies was posted...one poor young soul replied, "Ew, you're all old and fat!"

Teresa, would this be an appropriate time to beg that essay on The Left Hand of Darkness as slash that you've talked about before?

#46 ::: Teresa Nielsen Hayden ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 11:14 PM:

Not at the moment, Seaward. Though I do have notes on it somewhere...

#47 ::: Go Seaward ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 11:15 PM:

I should note, I'm remembering with great amusement. Humor meter's off on vacation, it seems.

#48 ::: Stefan Jones ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 11:19 PM:

"the HP slash community"

Hewlett / Packard?

Pardon me while I nip off to the bathroom to scrub my frontal lobes with 18 Mule Team Borax*

Stefan

* Much cheaper than 20 Mule Team Borax.

#49 ::: Evelyn Browne ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 11:44 PM:

Stefan @ 48: "the HP slash community"

Hewlett / Packard?

*g* Harry Potter. (I was in that pornish_pixies picture.)

Teresa @ 30: Here's the deal: there's some fanfiction I like purely for its own sake -- Barb Cummings, Marcus Rowland, A.J. Hall, et cetera. And then there's slash, which I regard with the respectful fascination of an anthropologist who is never going to join the tribe.

AJ Hall, at least, is a slasher (I'm not familiar with the others.) Do you mean you're just not into slash qua slash, Teresa, or is there something about her fic that sets it apart from the normal run of slash, for you?

#50 ::: Maggie ::: (view all by) ::: November 14, 2006, 11:50 PM:

All I can think of is Bill O'Reilly yelling "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" during an intimate moment.

Where did I put that industrial-strength brain cleaner?

#51 ::: Jon Meltzer ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 12:25 AM:

Publisher slash:

Simon and Schuster. Harcourt and Brace. Little and Brown.

#52 ::: Brienze ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 01:07 AM:

*blink*

*assesses bookmark collection of Buffy, HP, and Doctor Who het and slash*

I'm not nearly as weird as I was five minutes ago. Thanks for pointing out that the fanfic gutter has gutters of its own.

#53 ::: A. J. Luxton ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 01:14 AM:

Entirely unsurprised. There was a moment somewhere in the Midterm Midtacular where I turned to my partners and said, "Someone's gotta write this slash," and one of them said, "It's guaranteed already happening."

Now, what I love even better is the fad amongst my friends for Mac/PC fic. As in, the "I'm a Mac," "I'm a PC" guys from the commercial. Someone I know actually writes this stuff.

#54 ::: Dave Luckett ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 01:37 AM:

Fanfic certainly does have gutters. From which some of us are looking at the stars.

Oscar wishes that I hadn't said that. But I will, I will.

#55 ::: JESR ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 02:03 AM:

Dave Bell @ 22: my favorite Marcus Rowland piece is a Veronica Mars- Angel the Series crossover fic that's in his live journal at Http://ffutures.livejournal.com/

Also, sheesh, take a couple days being overwhelmed by mere ugly reality and suddenly there's fanfic discussion. Darn.

#56 ::: Mitch Wagner ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 02:43 AM:

It's funny how these expressions catch on: "I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit." I saw that on TV a couple of weeks or months ago, and thought it was great. Forgot about it, but tried it out the other night and got a laugh. I predict it's going to catch on big. Kind of like when someone says something offensive, and the person being spoken to (usually a woman), makes a reasoned protest in response, and then pauses, does a little head-shake, and adds, "Also: Ew," enunciating "ew" broadly. I think Xander did that one at least once.

#57 ::: Awooon Buuuuuh ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 03:16 AM:

Karin @ 29: You just made my head explode. It's a small, small internet. . .

#58 ::: Earl Cooley III ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 03:26 AM:

I think slash fiction really hit the mainstream with Saddam/Satan from the film "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut".

#59 ::: A.R.Yngve ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 03:30 AM:

Politician fanfic?? These people are sick!

The mind boggles at such potential politician-fanfic titles as:
"Mistress Madeline Albright"
"The Cold, Clammy Thighs Of Vladimir Putin"
"Kim-Jock Il"
"Madam Saddam"
(*SATIRE*)

P.S.: Teresa, I enjoyed your essay on SF/F clich鳠in Subterranean Magazine #4.

#60 ::: Nenya ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 04:38 AM:

There was, as long ago as the 2004 election campaign, copious amounts of Kerry/Edwards fanfiction. In fact, the LiveJournal group johnxjohn was host to a series, Kerry Takes Washington, set in the aftermath of the election, which featured not only John Kerry/John Edwards, but Teresa Heinz Kerry/Elizabeth Edwards, cookies, and parodies of several famous political and media figures. All entirely PG rated, and quite funny--kept some of us from going entirely mad, back then when we weren't at all sure we'd get Speaker Pelosi in two years (and even if we had known that for a fact, there was TWO YEARS to wait).

#61 ::: Tom Scudder ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 05:23 AM:

So. Um. Any Al-Jazeera slashfic in there? Either pure Arab-talking-heads or cross-cultural?

#62 ::: Tom Scudder ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 05:59 AM:

Also, I just want to get the phrase "Slash of Civilizations" (Ahmedinijad/Bush!) out there.

#63 ::: amy black ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 06:27 AM:

A.J. @ 53:
Quantum Fetish Mechanics.
If you say it, not only is there a webpage devoted to it, but someone, somewhere, is already f/u/r/i/o/u/s/l/y/ m/a/s/t/u/r/b/a/t/i/n/g writing fic bout it.

#64 ::: Aquila ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 06:53 AM:

Thanks, Amy, I'd seen the theory around fandom that mentioning an odd pairing means reality changes so someone has already written it, but not that cartoon. Heh.

I'll second Goosey's request for Teresa's thoughts on Left Hand of Darkness and slash at some unspecified point in the future. I reread Rocannon's World recently and realised it fit the same pattern. So obvious once the connection is made, but it had never occured to me.

I'm wandering off to read the Marcus Rowland links so kindly provided and google for Barb Cummings. And I'm not clicking on politician RPS links. HP squidfic is safer and less scary.

#65 ::: Serge ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 07:33 AM:

How about slash fic of Dubya with Condi? Oh, wait... Nevermind.

#66 ::: A.R.Yngve ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 08:24 AM:

Serge, I don't get the joke.

#67 ::: Charlie Stross ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 08:25 AM:

One of the staples of British humour in days of yore was Margaret Thatcher/Anne Widdicombe slash. (NB: Widdicombe is a conservative MP and sometime Home Office junior minister of the "hang 'em, then dig 'em up and flog 'em" persuasion whose religiosity is such that she could be described as the nearest thing British politics offers to Rick Santorum.)

#68 ::: Liz ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 08:48 AM:

Oh, dear heaven. Part of me is trying to stay serene and calm, on the grounds that there mustmustmust ALWAYS be a parodic quality to this kind of 'fic. The rest of me, having committed fanfiction (though not slash -- no, really! I can't write romance to save my life, honest!) and browsed the forums where it's posted, is sure that some of it is dead (not deadpan) serious and wants to run screaming back into the closet (but only after I've deleted every *shred* of evidence that links me to a small body of SF pastiche. And then I can shut the door and pretend they were all just writing exercises ... yes, that's it. I was just experimenting; I can move on and produce original fiction now, just as a Proper Author should ... )

#69 ::: Karin ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 08:54 AM:

Awooon @ #57? Long time no see. ^_^

Incidentally, I forgot to mention Current Affairs, another LJ comm devoted to politician slash. Of late, it tends mostly towards "check out this hilariously slashy news story or picture" rather than actual slashfic, and so the throw-up-in-the-mouth factor is considerably lessened.

#70 ::: Bruce Baugh ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 09:04 AM:

I was watching a bit of C-Span yesterday and it occurred to me that politician slash lets us revive some now-often-neglected romance cliches, starting with heaving alabaster bosoms.

#71 ::: Caroline ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 09:23 AM:

Mitch Wagner, #56:

It's funny how these expressions catch on: "I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit." I saw that on TV a couple of weeks or months ago, and thought it was great. Forgot about it, but tried it out the other night and got a laugh. I predict it's going to catch on big.

It's been used on the internet so long that I've heard people online complain of being sick of it. (I am not sick of it, but it is a familiar phrase to me.) Maybe it's making the jump into being said out loud.

(Or maybe you were making a funny that flew over my head. It is quite possible; my brain is fried from working on nonlinear dynamics homework.)

#72 ::: Sarah S ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 09:34 AM:

Surely it's only a matter of time until someone writes "Making Light" fanfic/slash fic.

What with all the dinosaur sodomy and witty badinage around here it's inevitable.

#73 ::: Sugar ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 09:59 AM:

A.J. Luxton at number 53: I haven't seen those Mac/PC ads. I always assumed they were anthropomorphising and slashing the operating systems themselves. I did think that was a little odd, but, I thought, who knows what strangeness lurks in the heart of slashers?

#74 ::: Serge ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 10:03 AM:

A.R.Yngve... I'm not sure what I was getting at when I wrote that. It seemed to make sense when I woke up. I could blame that on my sleep having been interrupted by my puppy's attack of kennel cough.

So much for the witty badinage around here .

#75 ::: Jon Meltzer ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 11:24 AM:

#72: So, would that be "Nielsen/Hayden" fanfic?

#76 ::: Jon Baker ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 11:31 AM:

TNH #30: AJ Hall IS slash. The whole premise of her series is the relationship between Draco and Neville, and its acceptance by Narcissa and Draco's gran.

Or do you mean you don't like "bad" slash, however that is defined?

I may not be big into the gay romances either, but I like the AJ Hall stuff.

Jon Meltzer:

Charles Scribner and his sons. Or, the publishers of the Vilna Talmud (the basis of almost all current editions) in the 19th century: The Widow and Brothers Romm.

"I could tell you stories about Peter Pan. Or the Wizard of Oz: there's a dirty old man!" (T. Lehrer, "Smut")

#77 ::: Jon Meltzer ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 11:33 AM:

#66, #74: can one write slash fic about speculated real pairings?

#78 ::: Mur ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 11:37 AM:

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Bush/Lieberman slash. They've already kissed on TV...

*shudders*

Political slash is the kind of image that only gin will remove from your mind. And it's 11:30am... Hm.

#79 ::: Mitch Wagner ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 12:02 PM:

Caroline #56: No, I wasn't being funny -- making a serious observation. I'm not surprised to learn the expression was commonplace on the Internet before I saw it on TV. I may have even read it there.

And, speaking of the derivation of slang: Wikipedia gives the history of the phrase "bling bling.". Apparently it originated in a hip-hop track called "Bling Bling" by B.G., Baby Birdman, Juvenile "et al" in 1999 (yes, Wikipedia actually said "et al" -- I find that funny in a discussion of hip-hop music.)

Wikipedia says: "The extreme proliferation of the term into the early 2000s inevitably led to a degrading of its hipness value. With MTV itself even releasing a satirical cartoon commercial in 2004 showing the term being used by a rapper, then several other progressively less "streetwise" characters, then finally by a middle aged white woman who uses the term to describe her earrings to her elderly mother. It ends with the deadpan declaration: 'RIP Bling-bling 1997-2004.'"

#80 ::: JESR ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 12:19 PM:

Jon Metzler, Real People Slash is all over: Band Slash, Sports Slash (as in other things, Soccer Slash is most popular, globally). Actor Slash, for instance LOTRIPS, about the actors from the Lord Of the Rings movies, including the very special Domlijah tinhats, who believe that the actors' managment people are keeping their ever-so passionate and true love hidden from the public (they are a hissing and a byword among RPS writers). Historical Slash and Bible Slash are peculiar cases (Bible Slash included here because many, if not most, of the writers are convinved of the historicity of Biblical canon) in that the people are dead.

I've long since come to the conclusion that if you can name any two characters or live people, you will find fan fic somewhere exploring the pairing. RPS, as unattractive as most people (or, you know, this person) find it may even be less obviously extralegal, as long as it is clearly labeled as fiction; there is at least one book, published recently by a major trade publisher, which is, for all intents and purposes, real people slash.

(And if I'm very virtuous, the title will pop into my head, but don't count on it, too much other stuff in there, plus 15 inches of rain this month so far).

#81 ::: Jon Meltzer ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 12:24 PM:

OK. But no one really believes that, say, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy are having an affair, but there has been serious speculation that Bush and Rice are. Would that violate the slash game "rules"?

#82 ::: cofax ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 12:42 PM:

But no one really believes that, say, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy are having an affair, but there has been serious speculation that Bush and Rice are. Would that violate the slash game "rules"?

Not really, no. Whether Bush/Rice qualifies as slash per se depends on how you define it, although most people would probably call it a het pairing. The term "slash" is generally accepted (although not universally) as referring to same-sex pairings.

There was a point when "slash" also seemed to mean uncanonical same-sex pairings, but that was before same-sex pairings moved into canon, courtesy of shows like Buffy and Angel, Queer as Folk, and so forth. These days I would call Bush/Rove a slash pairing, and Bush/Rice a het pairing. The relative likelihood of either doesn't really play into how it's labeled, though.

#83 ::: miriam beetle ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 12:59 PM:

mitch,

t's funny how these expressions catch on: "I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit." I saw that on TV a couple of weeks or months ago, and thought it was great.

the first time i heard it in popular media was the movie dodgeball a couple of years back. but i think i thought at the time that i had heard it before.

#84 ::: Jen Roth ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 01:41 PM:

A clip of Stephen Colbert saying "I just threw up in my own mouth" was part of the intro sequence for the "Even Stevphen" segment on The Daily Show a few years back.

#85 ::: A.R.Yngve ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 02:06 PM:

Did you know? The blogger Bellatrys posted an essay where she made the (convincing) case that THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST (and the non-Biblical text it's based on) is, in fact, Christian fanfic...

#86 ::: Darkrose ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 02:27 PM:

JESR #80, the most common example of published RPF (Real Person Fiction) is Starf*ckers, though since that was put out by Alyson Press, I'm not sure if that's the book you mean.

Strictly speaking, though, RPF has a long, rich literary history, because all it means is writing fiction about real people, living or dead.

#87 ::: JESR ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 02:34 PM:

Darkrose, I think that's the one I meant, in this instance.

#88 ::: Bruce Arthurs ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 03:20 PM:

Dave Klecha @#9:
"What's next, editorslash? Bloggerslash?"

That's not slash, that's gossip.

#89 ::: Mary Kay ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 04:46 PM:

The first thing my mind threw up (and I say that deliberately) was Bob Novak and Charles Krauthamer. I think I need to call my psychiatrist.

MKK

#90 ::: Robert L ::: (view all by) ::: November 15, 2006, 10:00 PM:

Publisher slash?! I'm sorry, but not only I, but many of the post-ers on this blog are all too close to the real thing. We'll just have to whisper about it privately, or circulate it in samizdat form.

Though I guess it would be fun to imagine Judith Regan and...?

#91 ::: Glenn Hauman ::: (view all by) ::: November 16, 2006, 12:28 AM:

SFWAslash.

(Hey, I had a colonoscopy today with heavy heavy amounts of medication. I don't know what excuses the rest of you have.)

#92 ::: Linkmeister ::: (view all by) ::: November 16, 2006, 12:59 AM:

Glenn @91, ouch.

And then, booze?

#93 ::: Lee ::: (view all by) ::: November 16, 2006, 03:23 AM:

Okay, I'll add to the brain-bleach sales figures with the following that I have actually encountered (in inverse order of squickiness):

"1776" slash
Brother Cadfael/Hugh Beringar slash (SO not canon!)
Winnie-the-Pooh slash

No, I'm not providing links. If you're that curious, I'm sure Google can find it.

#94 ::: A.R.Yngve ::: (view all by) ::: November 16, 2006, 06:40 AM:

"1776" slash:

"Thomas Paine was giving Benjamin Franklin a shoulder massage, when suddenly George Washington entered the room..."

We, The People, do not want to hear any more.
;-)

#95 ::: Serge ::: (view all by) ::: November 16, 2006, 07:33 AM:

Going downhill fast...

#96 ::: Serge ::: (view all by) ::: November 16, 2006, 07:33 AM:

Going downhill fast...

#97 ::: Evelyn Browne ::: (view all by) ::: November 16, 2006, 10:35 AM:

"1776" slash
Brother Cadfael/Hugh Beringar slash (SO not canon!)
Winnie-the-Pooh slash

I'd read all of those.

Actually, I think I have read all of those.

#98 ::: Leah Miller ::: (view all by) ::: November 16, 2006, 11:19 AM:

At one point my friend located utterly hilarious Goofus and Gallant slash, written impeccably in their accepted style.

That was also the time we looked for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle slash, but did not find any examples of any real quality.

#99 ::: Betty ::: (view all by) ::: November 16, 2006, 11:50 AM:

Quantum slash mechanics provided me with Penny Arcade slash, so I'm quite pleased.

#100 ::: Julie L. ::: (view all by) ::: November 16, 2006, 12:07 PM:

#98: Leah, was this story the Goofus/Gallant slash you mentioned ?

#101 ::: Aquila ::: (view all by) ::: November 16, 2006, 01:42 PM:

Lee @ 93:

Ah but have you seen the Care Bear BDSM?

#102 ::: Bruce E. Durocher II ::: (view all by) ::: November 16, 2006, 08:11 PM:

I have never forgotten the slash manga of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. that a friend showed me. Unfortunately. And if MGM ever sees it, you'll hear the screams "from Highhold to my farm."

#103 ::: Dave Bell ::: (view all by) ::: November 19, 2006, 10:58 AM:

Reading Marcus Rowland's stories, it has occurred to me that it may be a good thing that I'm not a Buffy fan. I'm aware enough of events to know roughly who the people are, and I watched "Once More With Feeling", but I don't care enough about the characters to be bothered by how he warps the canon.

Which is almost the reverse of how some people seem to think slash fanfics should be.

Anyway, since I have fond memories of Mexican Daleks, ballistic clone delivery, and conning the Hubbardistas out of refreshments, I suppose I'm biased.

Though adding Highlander-style immortals and alien combat droids has me imagining Spike crying out, "Just how many differenmt ways can you people not bloody die!"

#104 ::: Sundre ::: (view all by) ::: November 19, 2006, 03:11 PM:

Jen @ 84: No, it was Steve Carrell who said it. See here. Oh, I do adore youtube.

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