[This kind of wound up as an anti-Sphura and anti-OBHWF rant. Oops. But consider yourself fairly warned.]
I’m kind of surprised at how many people like Sphura over at st_secrets_arc. I’m not sure why. I think it’s the same surprise I had when I found out that people actually liked Ron/Hermione and Harry/Ginny, and found them in any way romantic. Everyone is entitled to ship and love what they want of course; but just because a movie/book pairs two people together doesn’t mean that I should start imagining chemistry/UST between them where I see none. In reality, I find things like that a little insulting to my intelligence. Just because an author says so, doesn’t mean I can’t disagree with them and point out where their writing doesn’t prove it to me. That’s called “using my noggin”, I believe.
So in HP fandom, for instance, I was really about compatibility. My problem with R/Hr, for instance, was that they fight like cats and dogs without much remorse on their parts. It’s not even funny, and a lot of it would put down Hermione as an individual. They were just not on the same wavelength half the time; and by the time they hooked up in DH I was rolling my eyes. (Yeah, seriously: Ron gives a mention of house elves and Hermione kisses him; yet Harry saves Dobby and has been friends with his kind for years and - NOTHING. Really.) But yet, people really dig the fighting, and recall aunts and uncles who are apparently JUST LIKE THEM OMG and have long-standing marriages and it’s all romantic and über awesome.
… Yeah, no. You keep that. Maybe the novelty doesn’t appeal to me because I’ve been in relationships like that and found it no where near “romantic”. Or maybe I find no novelty because I thought it out, and decided it just wasn’t my “style”. Whatever. But to my credit, at least I thought it out. Some Herons have thought it out, obviously, and kudos to them for getting their ship in canon. But, let’s face it - a lot of people are brainless, mindless, with sheep-following tendencies; and some people ship Ron/Hermione just because JK Rowling wrote it, and that’s that.
… Pardon me while I facepalm. Because that whole concept is seriously distressing to me.
But back to Sphura: I can’t help but think that some people ship them for the same reason; along for the fact that she’s the only female lead in the movie. Because from their limited screen-time, and her obviously-manipulated role in this movie, I can’t help but find “inspiring” and “deep and meaningful” to be… stretching things a bit. Their chemistry in the turbolift was non-existent. Their make-out in the transporter was OOC and made the audience echo Kirk’s “0.o”. And then they’re so “romantic” that Spock is willing to assign her to a different ship at the beginning of the movie, and then abandon her to go to New Vulcan.
But you know what? If that’s your deal, then good for you. You obviously have something to rejoice about with STXI. But then don’t have the fucking audacity to then call Kirk/Spock “immature”, or “baseless”, or “lack-luster”; or insinuate that they don’t make any sense. Because… seriously. Your TOS canon-basis recalls a season one episode where Uhura flirts with him for a short scene, and then is quickly forgotten about during his pon farr and, oh yeah, the rest of the entire series; while Spock is off being BFFs with Kirk and reveling in a “simple feeling” for him during the movies.
It’s all a little laughable. And I guess what pisses me off sometimes, is the likelihood that the screenwriters and actors probably agree with these people; while they unknowingly made a movie about two men who can relate to each other like no one else can, and then come together in an amazing way. I guess it’s all about compatibility for me, once again. Uhura is obviously intelligent, but she can’t connect with Spock. It’s only Kirk who can get under his skin, and in TOS accept him for the person he is to a degree of understanding. Those things aren’t traits to just throw away because Jim is male and a friend of his. Pardon me for being “immature” if I think those things are desirable romantically between two people.
I guess my point is: It’s irritating that people find Sphura so deep, and then diss Kirk/Spock. Because I get a lot of flack for not liking Sphura because I’m a slash shipper; yet in that case, it should work the other way around. If you don’t like Kirk/Spock as a Sphura shipper, shouldn’t it be you who has the problem with “bromance”, and not myself? If you can’t acknowledge that Orci has blatantly said that he used Uhura during the turbolift scene because Kirk wasn’t available, shouldn’t it be you who has a problem with feminism, and not myself? And if you take Sphura away from the movie, shouldn’t it be you who has a problem with distinguishing Uhura as a singular character, while I’m still wading through the make-out scenes to uncover her characterization?
Again, it’s all laughable. Except that I find it very hard to laugh when these people are obviously talking very seriously.
Because in the end, it really comes down to people like my brother. He read the entire HP series, and just didn’t give a damn who wound up with whom. He’d acknowledge all my anti-OBHWF points, but then would say, “Yeah, but that’s not how the book is going to go.” And it’s the same with STXI. He didn’t like Sphura, but he didn’t really give a damn. He’s not willing to hypothesize who’d be better for whom, and in his heteronormativity, isn’t even willing to consider another guy for Spock. “The movie looks like it’s headed that way”, and that’s that. It’s just a two-hour brain drain. He’s not watching it to think.
… And again, pardon me if I find that distressing. I guess for some people, thinking is very hard. But these are the people that Abrams, the screen-writers, and the actors probably just love; just like Rowling. And in the end, I guess I rant because I have no idea what to do about that.
![[This kind of wound up as an anti-Sphura and anti-OBHWF rant. Oops. But consider yourself fairly warned.]
I’m kind of surprised at how many people like Sphura over at st_secrets_arc. I’m not sure why. I think it’s the same surprise I had when I found out that people actually liked Ron/Hermione and Harry/Ginny, and found them in any way romantic. Everyone is entitled to ship and love what they want of course; but just because a movie/book pairs two people together doesn’t mean that I should start imagining chemistry/UST between them where I see none. In reality, I find things like that a little insulting to my intelligence. Just because an author says so, doesn’t mean I can’t disagree with them and point out where their writing doesn’t prove it to me. That’s called “using my noggin”, I believe.
So in HP fandom, for instance, I was really about compatibility. My problem with R/Hr, for instance, was that they fight like cats and dogs without much remorse on their parts. It’s not even funny, and a lot of it would put down Hermione as an individual. They were just not on the same wavelength half the time; and by the time they hooked up in DH I was rolling my eyes. (Yeah, seriously: Ron gives a mention of house elves and Hermione kisses him; yet Harry saves Dobby and has been friends with his kind for years and - NOTHING. Really.) But yet, people really dig the fighting, and recall aunts and uncles who are apparently JUST LIKE THEM OMG and have long-standing marriages and it’s all romantic and über awesome.
… Yeah, no. You keep that. Maybe the novelty doesn’t appeal to me because I’ve been in relationships like that and found it no where near “romantic”. Or maybe I find no novelty because I thought it out, and decided it just wasn’t my “style”. Whatever. But to my credit, at least I thought it out. Some Herons have thought it out, obviously, and kudos to them for getting their ship in canon. But, let’s face it - a lot of people are brainless, mindless, with sheep-following tendencies; and some people ship Ron/Hermione just because JK Rowling wrote it, and that’s that.
… Pardon me while I facepalm. Because that whole concept is seriously distressing to me.
But back to Sphura: I can’t help but think that some people ship them for the same reason; along for the fact that she’s the only female lead in the movie. Because from their limited screen-time, and her obviously-manipulated role in this movie, I can’t help but find “inspiring” and “deep and meaningful” to be… stretching things a bit. Their chemistry in the turbolift was non-existent. Their make-out in the transporter was OOC and made the audience echo Kirk’s “0.o”. And then they’re so “romantic” that Spock is willing to assign her to a different ship at the beginning of the movie, and then abandon her to go to New Vulcan.
But you know what? If that’s your deal, then good for you. You obviously have something to rejoice about with STXI. But then don’t have the fucking audacity to then call Kirk/Spock “immature”, or “baseless”, or “lack-luster”; or insinuate that they don’t make any sense. Because… seriously. Your TOS canon-basis recalls a season one episode where Uhura flirts with him for a short scene, and then is quickly forgotten about during his pon farr and, oh yeah, the rest of the entire series; while Spock is off being BFFs with Kirk and reveling in a “simple feeling” for him during the movies.
It’s all a little laughable. And I guess what pisses me off sometimes, is the likelihood that the screenwriters and actors probably agree with these people; while they unknowingly made a movie about two men who can relate to each other like no one else can, and then come together in an amazing way. I guess it’s all about compatibility for me, once again. Uhura is obviously intelligent, but she can’t connect with Spock. It’s only Kirk who can get under his skin, and in TOS accept him for the person he is to a degree of understanding. Those things aren’t traits to just throw away because Jim is male and a friend of his. Pardon me for being “immature” if I think those things are desirable romantically between two people.
I guess my point is: It’s irritating that people find Sphura so deep, and then diss Kirk/Spock. Because I get a lot of flack for not liking Sphura because I’m a slash shipper; yet in that case, it should work the other way around. If you don’t like Kirk/Spock as a Sphura shipper, shouldn’t it be you who has the problem with “bromance”, and not myself? If you can’t acknowledge that Orci has blatantly said that he used Uhura during the turbolift scene because Kirk wasn’t available, shouldn’t it be you who has a problem with feminism, and not myself? And if you take Sphura away from the movie, shouldn’t it be you who has a problem with distinguishing Uhura as a singular character, while I’m still wading through the make-out scenes to uncover her characterization?
Again, it’s all laughable. Except that I find it very hard to laugh when these people are obviously talking very seriously.
Because in the end, it really comes down to people like my brother. He read the entire HP series, and just didn’t give a damn who wound up with whom. He’d acknowledge all my anti-OBHWF points, but then would say, “Yeah, but that’s not how the book is going to go.” And it’s the same with STXI. He didn’t like Sphura, but he didn’t really give a damn. He’s not willing to hypothesize who’d be better for whom, and in his heteronormativity, isn’t even willing to consider another guy for Spock. “The movie looks like it’s headed that way”, and that’s that. It’s just a two-hour brain drain. He’s not watching it to think.
… And again, pardon me if I find that distressing. I guess for some people, thinking is very hard. But these are the people that Abrams, the screen-writers, and the actors probably just love; just like Rowling. And in the end, I guess I rant because I have no idea what to do about that.](http://21.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kr8qdcK2I01qzwr4oo1_500.jpg)
