On the occasion (the rare occasion, but still) I hear opinions from the uninitiated about yaoi and how either it is bad, weird, badweird, or filth spawned from the throats of demons that are trying to draw you to the powers of hell and satan. Recently a (male) student of Hamilton College wrote an article for the school paper objecting to the existence of a school-sponsored yaoi fanclub that described itself as being "aimed mainly at women, though of course members of any gender or sexuality are welcome."
Let me sum up his thing 4 u:
"It's SO NOT FAIR that women get to objectify men and not the other way around!!"
Essentially, the male student in question bitches for roughly three or four paragraphs about how if you switch the gender pronouns in the club's description (thus making it a lesbian fanclub) everyone would hate it and the school would refuse to sponsor such a thing. On the one hand, I can see where he is coming from in that if a group of students started a lesbian fanclub that objectified women, people would be all over it to shut it down; what the author is missing is the fact that yaoi puts women on the powerhorse. If the tables were truly turned, and women had all of the power in the world (or if power was distributed equally among the sexes), then I would be ALL OVER the idea of boys starting a lesbian fanclub. But the problem is that there is still male power in place (aka "the patriarchy"--not exactly sexism with a purpose, but rather the glass ceiling that hasn't been disassembled yet).
Not to mention, it's hard to see most yaoi as objectifying. So much of it is lovey gooey nonsense, and even the sex is usually very intimate and romantic. And you know, I think most people wouldn't have a problem with a club of guys that liked to look at girls cuddling. I wouldn't. It sounds like fun.
Another wonderful thing about yaoi is that it's a safe-haven for female fans. Even at my local anime store (and I live in a progressive town), it's a sausage festival every time I walk in there--which is not to say that the penis isn't a wonderful thing, but that sometimes, it's hard to break through the wall of guy-dome and VERY annoying when you are just trying to shop for your hobby. So I welcome yaoi clubs, cons and festivals that are predominately females oggling at fictional guys. No harm no foul, yeah?
So, how about u? Are yaoi clubs unfair because men can't have the same thing? Do you ever have issues with the male fanbase? Or is this argument over-complicating an issue when people should just be allowed to like what they like, whether that be lesbians, yaoi, nun exploitation films, or futanari? Inquiring minds want to know.
(props to Icarus Comics blog for posting about the article and giving me something to rant about)
*edit*
IC posted a reply to my reply (4th paragraph down), which lead to an interesting discussion about male sexuality in the comments. Be sure to check it out!
