Bored by the pr0n

[wiseheart]

No, really! Those who read my stories know that I have no problems with slash *points at icon empathically*. I don't even have a problem with the occasional, well written explicit stuff, if it serves the plot in any way. I'm known to have written my fair share of smut, almost exclusively the slash version.

What does bother me, though, is the renewed tendency of stuffing every story with explicit stuff - pardon the pun. Especially does it bother me in otherwise wonderfully written stories where the constant smutty interludes distract the reader from the actual plot. The Sherlock fandom in particular drives me mad with this tendency. Granted, I don't ship Johnlock - for me, their deep friendship is much more interesting, and frankly, male friendship disturbing the marriage because hubby has more in common with his old friend than with his new wife is a phenomenon as old as marriage itself, without the need of the two guys doing the nasty. I knew women who tried to drive away the friends of their husbands out of jealousy and vice versa. Plenty of food for drama there.

But let's say that I accept Johnlock, which is fairly inevitable nowadays, due to the shitty job the Moftiss have done with Mary. Do I really have to dig myself through 20 or so paragraphs of fairly unimaginative description of which tab went into which slot and in what manner? Just to get to the parts that would actually move the plot forward? Frankly, I am not even interested in an imaginative description of two guys going for it when it delays the point of finding out what the actual story is about.

There are PWPs, which are an independent genre. One can choose to read them; there is nothing wrong with that. I like me some smut on occasion, too. But I would also like to be able to read a family drama or an adventure without all the bedroom gymnastics. There are some very good parentlock stories that I enjoy very much - until the plot gets dropped every other chapter to demonstrate us hoe Guy-on-Guy action works. I already know that, thanks. The mechanics really aren't that complicated. So, why can't we let them go to the bedroom and close the door without watching them through the keyhole. Every. Single. Time.

Folks, it is BORING. And a lot of these stories are otherwise brilliant and deserve better.

Comments

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

I often skim sex scenes of all combinations of genders, and wish more authors would just cut to the fireplace. I'm sometimes interested in reading realistically presented non-stellar or even bad sex, but it's so rare compared with the lots of happy orgasms with no learning curve variety that just makes me feel inadequate.

In Sherlock fandom, the number of 'asexual' Sherlocks who just needed John to enjoy sex is particularly annoying.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's just as bad as gay characters getting cured of their gayness as soon as they meet the "right" person of the opposite gender.

Do you know the fandom classic Mystrade story "At Least There is the Football"? It is very interesting in the way the author leads Mycroft through the long and sometimes bumpy way to accept physicality. Yes, there is smut, and it's a bit unrealistic sometimes, but the Mycroft characterization is stellar.

Unfortunately, I just can't see Lestrade the way he's shown there, even though we don't really see much of him in canon. But at least it's canon that he used to have a cheating wife with whom he'd tried to make up in Series 2 still, so showing him as a punk rock, motorbike freak, always gay character is just OOC for me.

Also, the story can't be safely timed anywhere in canon, and has otherwise very few touching points with canon events. It's mostly about Lestrade and his fairly hard-to-believe family, with a side of Johnlock. Great Anthea background, though.

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

I haven't read that one, though I have enjoyed some Mystrade. The background you sketch for Lestrade just seems completely off the wall though...

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

I don't read smut at all. It makes me feel queasy and wish I could wash out my brain with disinfectant!

I do agree that friendships are way more interesting especially such as Holmes and Watson. Why spoil a complex relationship by endless jumping into bed? And deep friendship is love, sex isn't needed to love someone.I feel these writers are sorely lacking in imagination.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Yes, I very much agree, even if I like smut from time to time.

The other "pairing" that makes my stomach turn over is Frodo/Sam. That's another friendship that shouldn't be touched.

[sammydragoncat]

I have to agree, I would rather read a story with a well written plot than a story with a lot of sex, just for the sake of writing sex scenes. As for Sherlock - I don't care who you try to pair him up with, the man won't even eat during a case - he certainly won't have sex.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Unless it is an experiment. *g*

[shimere277.livejournal.com]

I had the same issue as a writer. I got bored with writing sex scenes because the mechanics are pretty standard. I'm more interested in the psychology of seduction, and these days, I'll often imply sex or not dwell on it in favor of moving the plot along. As a reader, I like it if it's a payoff emotionally. A lot of times, if it just feels like it's there for the sake of being there, I skim over it in favor of getting back to the story.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

The same is true to me, on both occasions. Sometimes I have to skim over half the chapter, and then look for the spot where the actual story continues; it is such a bother.