Take my forte, which is fan fiction set in the Halo franchise. Dare to make any slightly daring suggestion (Cortana's breasts are real, the Arbiter secretly fancies Keyes, etc.) which doesn't conform with their interpretation of the various materials available, and they will either adore you for it or hate you for it.
I recently wrote a story entitled The Silent Watchman, set after Halo 3, which, as a plot twist at the end, reveals that the Master Chief was secretly infatuated with another man. Now, it's not official canon. After the first flame, I even put an explicit warning in the description explaining that there was a gay relationship involving MC. However, not even that's abated the mob with the pitchforks and flaming torches–they just can't stay away, resulting in a death/GBH threat after only eight days (a personal record for me). The first flame (from an IP in Slovenia, incidentally) somehow linked it to HIV.
Now, a lot of Halo fans are from deep Republican territory, and therefore don't understand that the core message of the game is that 'war is shitty–this is how shitty it is'. They just like the Clint Eastwood-style characterisation of the Master Chief and the fact that they can emulate murdering thousands of sentient beings with merely a deft movement of the thumb. Suggesting to these people that the Master Chief might be gay is akin to blasphemy to them.
One must remember that in these parts of the world, there are three religions:
- Pick-up trucks
- Hunting
- War against anyone who isn't a heterosexual Christian from the USA
That's in reverse order. Therefore painting Master Chief as gay is like driving into the centre of Glasgow with 'HAGGIS SUCKS' emblazoned on one's car. It's provocative.
Nevertheless, the odd person gave a positive review. It's heartwarming to know somebody does like the stuff you put hours of effort in to.
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