In the two-hundredth episode of Supernatural, not bad. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Supernatural.Â
Trigger Warning: Queerbaiting
“Fan Fiction” is a perfect episode for me to talk about why Supernatural is so frustrating and why I still have goddamn feelings about it.
Buckle in.
My Version and Yours
I am not the first person to write about queerbaiting. Never have been, never will be. I am most likely not going to say anything here that hasn’t been said before, especially since this episode aired months ago. I know that often times, my work on my sites is repetitive to people heavily involved with the fandom. And I’m okay with that! I do try to be unique and offer up an interesting perspective, but I also know that my perception of shit is not happening in some special snowflake vacuum. It’s not! I’m aware of that, especially when I write something and see the response to it in the comments. I’m saying all of this because I already know that it’s highly likely these points have been discussed to death by the fandom.
That’s the nature of all this. But I wanted to express my frustration with this show’s constant queerbaiting because I am tired. I am tired of having to make a point that seems so obvious these days that it becomes an absurdist act to even mention it. The idea that I need to prove the worthiness of gay or queer relationships and romance is… it’s laughable! Why do I need to do this? It’s 2015. I’ve been fighting this battle for over a decade. The fact that this show still has its main character react with shock and disgust to the thought of two men being affectionate or close is just astounding to me.
That initial reaction – Wincest one aside, because I am totally in support of any person reacting with irritation and anger at someone shipping them with their brother in person – tells me all I need to know about the intent of the people working on this show. That’s unfortunate because the bulk of this episode absolutely demonstrates to me that the showrunners and writers and the cast love their fans. So why is it that the manifestation of queerness is suddenly the one thing they can joke about like this? If “Fan Fiction” was meant to provide that meta-textual commentary on fan phenomenons in Supernatural, why does this one occurrence get the kind of treatment that makes someone like me feel singled out?
Ultimately, it’s Dean’s statement – that Marie has her version of reality, while he has his – that feels the most damning to me. If you’re going to invoke that, then I get to ask why the fuck the writers make these characters flirt. Or look at one another as they do. Or do every single goddamn thing that men who are in the closet or questioning do, which… NEWSFLASH. I KNOW ALL THOSE TRICKS BECAUSE I USED TO DO THEM MYSELF. So that version of reality exists for the show, but it’s all between entirely heterosexual characters? I’m supposed to believe that?
I suppose it feels so egregious because it’s so dismissive. It felt like the show was gently chiding me for having an imaginary friend. I’m not even invested in a single ship on this show and that part stung, because it felt like a parent gently patting me on the head and telling me to go play in the sandbox. I know that shipping is not the endgame when it comes to this kind of criticism, and frankly, I do feel like it’s given a priority in fandom spaces where actual queer or LGBT people should be taking up that room. But here’s the thing: while there are plenty of Wincest and Destiel and Sassy shippers in this fandom, there’s also an entire world out there of people who are craving the kind of romance that isn’t straight. Guess what? A lot of us aren’t straight ourselves, and we are so tired of seeing a shred of ourselves in these stories and jokes and visual gags. When the entire world won’t hesitate to stick a straight couple together, but will have a character speak condescendingly to their audience about the mere possibility of a non-het pairing, then I think it’s a glaring fucking problem.
Fan Celebration
I do think that aspect of “Fan Fiction” stains it for me, but I also can’t sit here and write this review and pretend like this episode didn’t make me cry. Granted, I am ~emotionally fragile~ these days because I’ve just come off a break-up, a huge move, and about ten other disasters in my life. The other day, I cried watching an episode of Spongebob Squarepants, so my emotional meter isn’t exactly within its normal range. But I loved the initial shock of the musical. I loved how good the songs sounded. I loved that the word “transformative” was used to describe Marie’s work. And I loved that – roadbumps aside – “Fan Fiction” was an episode that celebrated this bizarre and creative fandom more than it celebrated the show itself. The premise was weak, but who cares? Calliope wasn’t that strong of a villain – she was entirely one-note – but that’s sort of the point. She existed so that there was a reason for Marie to pursue her musical to its completion.
And what a musical that was, y’all. I do think there’s a retrospective feel to “Fan Fiction,” since Marie’s music covers so much of the Winchester mythos. It does so in a way that summarizes the previous 199 episodes, but doesn’t dwell on the particulars too much. Still, it’s an episode for all of us. It’s not a casual story that someone can jump into and understand everything; it’s littered with references that only longtime fans will truly get.
For me, though, “Fan Fiction” works because it celebrates all of you. Look, before I started Supernatural a couple million years ago, I was worried. My moderators were worried. I had not had a good experience with the fandom back when I ran Buzznet, and we were certain that my style of critical analysis would not rub the fandom the right way. That’s fairly common, admittedly, since plenty of people don’t like being told that the things that they love uphold systems of oppression and hegemony.
So we waited for the other shoe to drop. The reviews started, we got to season one, and we waited. I figured that whenever the gay angel man got introduced, the wank would come. So we waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And here we are, 200 reviews later, and it never arrived. I’ve been sent Supernatural-themed cross-stitch. I’ve been sent all nine seasons on Blu-Ray. I’ve met hundreds upon hundreds of you at my events and at conventions. And I’ve had some of the most insightful conversations about television with y’all.
That’s what made me cry. Watching the girls of St. Alphonso’s Academy sing “Carry On My Wayward Son” reminded me of you. It reminded me of all the fanfiction, the fanvids (I have seen some!), the fanart… all the beauty that you create because you love this garbage heap of a show. This episode was never about Sam and Dean.
It was about you.
The video for “Fan Fiction” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
– The Mark Does Stuff Tour 2015 is now live and includes dates across the U.S., Canada, Europe, the U.K., and Ireland. Check the full list of events on my Tour Dates / Appearances page.
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