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[emmagrant01]

Governor McCreevey just resigned. Because he's gay and had an affair with another man. (He was married.)

So if he'd had an affair with a woman, would he be resigning? Just wondering...

Comments

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

It was just the combination of "Yes, I had an affair" and "Yes, I'm gay" that made me cringe. He said in his speech that (and I'm paraphrasing a bit) he thought the combination of the affair and his homosexuality had left the governor's office "vulnerable".

I do think our country has some serious issues with human sexuality, though. Funny what behavior we will tolerate in our leaders...

[jedirita.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I thought the comment about the office being vulnerable was weird. How could it be vulnerable when he told everybody what happened?

And I definitely think that much of why people wig out over homosexuality is because they can't deal with their own sexuality.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

So does that mean we slashers are well-adjusted, sexually healthy people? *grins*

[jedirita.livejournal.com]

Of course!

By the way, what do Brits say instead of "I graduated from school"?

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

They don't graduate, as there are no ceremonies to mark the end of one's school years. They just leave, or finish, or something like that.

There've been so many ranty Brit-picking posts on my f-list that I've learned quite a lot recently! Some American writers get flamed for blatant Americanisms. (Actually, here's a fairly recent rant (http://www.livejournal.com/users/dorrie6/272955.html) on the topic from dorrie6.) I take it you don't see a lot of that stuff?

[jedirita.livejournal.com]

Actually, I've seen several Britpicking rants recently. I must say, it's seriously starting to chafe me. While I kinda see their point, the attitude pisses me off, that HP fic should only be written in the Queen's English. It almost makes me want to not even bother. Must be that New Worlder resentment toward our former colonizers.

I can't imagine that I would wig out over a fanfic full of Britishisms. Yes, I know Star Wars is set in a galaxy far far away, and Harry Potter is set in the UK. But we're all frikkin' amateurs here. JKR had an editor to Americanize her books. Do American Buffy or X-files fans holler at British fanwriters for using British words? I could be wrong, but I'm guessing that they don't.

We gots a sayin' down here in the South (which I'm sure you know, you dixie chick you): "You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." Their uppity attitude makes me wanna write: Harry hauled out his wand and hollered, "Stand back, y'all! I'm fixin to lay a hex on old Voldemort!"

(Lordy I'm cranky these days! I must be PMSing....)

[hazelhawthorne.livejournal.com]

Harry hauled out his wand and hollered, "Stand back, y'all! I'm fixin to lay a hex on old Voldemort!"


This made me snort my water. *wipes chin and monitor*

You gotta warn a girl.

Thanks for the laugh.

[jedirita.livejournal.com]

That old Voldemort! He's so dumb, he couldn't pour piss out of a boot with the instructions printed on the heel.

[thalia]

I can't imagine that I would wig out over a fanfic full of Britishisms.

I've read enough Stargate stories where Daniel takes off his jumper and goes into the lounge that I'm a wee bit sensitive--and, yes, I've been known to wig out. For the Brits, I think excessively American HP is probably like fingernails on a blackboard. I think U.S. writers don't have to completely Britishize everything, but they really should get the big things right.

[snowqueenofhoth.livejournal.com]

I think U.S. writers don't have to completely Britishize everything, but they really should get the big things right.

Yup, I agree. It doesn't matter in some places, but in other cases, it can change the meaning. For instance, I've been reading through my study abroad packet (for Ireland, and I believe the terminology is similar) and they recommend NOT talking about your pants in public. Must remember to say "trousers" instead, or people think you're talking about your underwear. Now, confuse these words a bit, and that might change the meaning of some things quite a bit. *winks*

[jedirita.livejournal.com]

So does that mean I shouldn't write about Neville pulling on his shitkickers before he heads out to wrassle Bellatrix?

[thalia]

That's not even American, that's Southern.

Um... what are shitkickers, anyway?

[jedirita.livejournal.com]

That's Texan to you, lil missy. And shitkickers are cowboy boots. Yee haw!

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

Yes, and we all know that Texas is special, because it was its own independent little country for like, what, 20 months? Not part of the south, not part of the west. Just Texas. ;-)

[jedirita.livejournal.com]

You got that right! That makes us better than the other lesser United states. But we don't like to brag and make the others feel bad. ;-)

[jedi-diplomat.livejournal.com]

Totally with you guys! Now, I don't write or read HP, but I've read and wrote in other fandoms with multicultural authors. And I've never gotten annoyed when American characters refer to the carpark instead of garage, or even that they had 4 feet of snow in California. (I did quietly point out to that author, a friend of mine, that there's rarely snow in southern CA)

After all, as JediRita pointed out, we have different phrases within the US. If I ask "Where's the TYME machine is?" would you know I was asking for an ATM? Or what a bubbler is? (Get me really drunk and I'll demonstrate)

I don't know, never having lived in England, but I would imagine that there are phrases that are area specific as well.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

I understand your point, but I also see the other side of this. It's a fic set in the UK, and you're missing a chunk of canon culture if you don't make an attempt to set your fic there. I think what sets people off about this is when American writers don't care if it's accurate or not. I don't blame Brits for being a little protective of HP in that way.

I've seen some great HP AUs set in other places (like the Old West), and what makes those AUs work is that the writer nails the local speak. I think it's part of writing to canon, and I try really hard to di it.

[jedirita.livejournal.com]

I think it's part of writing to canon,

But that's the key, isn't it? Not everyone is trying to write canon. It's like the gal who criticized my story for not having much magic in it. It's legitimate for her to prefer stories with magic, but that isn't necessarily the story I'm writing.

People write fanfic for a variety of reasons. And they have different levels of writing experience. I'm just happy if a story is legible.

Ranting at American writers for writing in their native language seems rather petty to me. We aren't "americanizing" HP on purpose. We're writing in American because it's our language. That a Brit might find it annoying or even irritating, I understand. But I don't think they'll accomplish much by getting pissy about it. Bitching at people for writing in their native language seems pointless. Would they bitch at Portugese writers for having Harry speak Portugese?

A positive approach is more likely to get positive results.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

This would make a great CTF topic!