I need some goddamn coffee.

[lullabelle]

Review I just received for this story over on Teaspoon:

"awww poor Ianto if its not a half converted Cyberwoman, its the universe's biggest and most idiotic slut."

How the fuck do I respond to that? It's not even relevant. I'll let idiotic slide, because it's a matter of opinion; "oblivious" is probably a better description, but the only person Jack sleeps with in my fic is Ianto. Sluttin' with your partner ain't no sluttin'. I DON'T GET IT. And unfortunately, I have to respond, since evidently there is no "delete review" function on Teaspoon. Later, though, when I'm less pissy.

ETA, because I forgot to mention it earlier: I hate hate hate the term slut. Or whore. Or manwhore. Or their equivalents.

I don't know how rude this actually is, versus the fact they just stepped in my squick pretty hard.

ETA 2: My response:

Thank you for your thoughts, but please don't use sex-shaming language when commenting. Aside from being offensive, Torchwood is a very sex-positive show, and calling Jack a "slut" undermines his character.

Yeah... I dialed it back a bit after checking the reviewer's profile and realizing she was 16.

Comments

[heddychaa.livejournal.com]

I don't even understand reviews on Teaspoon sometimes.

I really, really don't.



Also it makes me inordinately angry when people call Jack a "slut". I mean, I hate the word "slut" just in general, but to hear it applied to a character SPECIFICALLY CREATED TO ILLUSTRATE HOW OUR SPECIES HAS OUTGROWN ITS INANE HANGUPS ABOUT SEX, INCLUDING THE WHOLE "SLUT" THING, it really gets my fucking goat.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

I don't know. Sometimes I just wonder if these people watched the same show I did. Or, y'know, if they've seen it at all. Or if they kept it on mute and just watched for teh hawt. IDK. IjustDK.

[heddychaa.livejournal.com]

LOL LOL I WILL WATCH THIS SHOW FOR THE BOYS KISSING AND THEN PISS ALL OVER EVERY PROGRESSIVE POLITICAL STATEMENT RTD IS TRYING TO MAKE ~FIGHT HOMOPHOBIA~!!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

Dude. I thought thought that "man-kissing is sexy" was the statement. *mindboggles*

[pocky_slash.livejournal.com]

That is definitely one of the reasons my fic stays neatly on my LJ.

I don't know if the reviewer is stupid or just rude. I mean, I really don't like Jack and I call him an idiot almost daily, but I wouldn't comment on someone's story saying, "POOR IANTO, STUCK SLEEPING WITH THAT DUMBASS" unless the story was about Ianto lamenting about how his only option for nookie was ol' dumbass Jack Harkness. Which that story obviously is not. (But now I kind of want to write that story. Even though it goes against every piece of my personal Ianto canon.)

In conclusion: There should be a stupidity test in order to use the internet.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

See, if they'd left me that review, I would have rolled my eyes and thanked them for their comment. It's the use of the word "slut" that really drives me bananas.

[kel-reiley.livejournal.com]

In conclusion: There should be a stupidity test in order to use the internet.

ppl should also take this test to:
1. Go out in public
2. Speak to me EVER
3. Procreate
4. Adopt pets
5. Exist

[azn-jack-fiend.livejournal.com]

That's a really nasty, stupid comment. Ugh!

I think it was about five years ago I started forcing myself not to use the terms slut and whore in a negative context. It was hard at first. Phrases like "corporate whore" and "attention whore" are really common. But it got a lot easier. Using them negatively is just broadcasting the message SEX=BAD or WOMEN TRADING SEX FOR MONEY IS THE STANDARD FOR JUDGING WHETHER SOMETHING IS EVIL.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

It's tough. That kind of language is so pervasive in our every day speech.

It's the fact that they took a character who is unashamed of his sexuality, and of the sex he has, and then used a term for him that implies he should be ashamed that baffles me.

Maybe they though that by applying a generally female derogatory term to a male was promoting gender equality. LET'S SPREAD THE SHAME. EVERYBODY! CLOSE YOUR LEGS!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

SORRY IF I SPAMMED YOUR INBOX WITH EDITS. I HAVE TYPO GREMLINS THIS MORNING.

[kel-reiley.livejournal.com]

i haven't read your story yet! i do have it open in one of my MANY tabs, though :)

ok... that... that is not a review! that is not something you leave on someone's story!!! that is ABSOULTE FUCKING BULLSHIT!

i hate the slut-word, too, when applied to anyone - it's just... srsly ppl, GROW UP

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

ffffffffff, I'm dreading leaving this smack-down reply. Cuz it has to happen: I can't just leave this crap sitting in my reviews without clear indication that I hate it and why. *grumble*

[firefly-124.livejournal.com]

I can't even believe somebody wrote that! For all the reasons you and others have said. Excellent response on your part. I'm not sure I could have dialed it back that well.

[firefly-124.livejournal.com]

And now that I've read the story, I'm even more WTF about that review. That came completely out of left field!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

Hah, thanks. I thought so, too.

[coldwater1010.livejournal.com]

Jack has sex?