But what are your thoughts on yaoi?

I myself have always personally not been able to stand yaoi and similarly shounen-ai (at least the larger majority of it), not because I am anti-gay in any way or to any degree whatsoever, but more rather because I'm NOT anti-gay. In order to prevent to bringing on some exclamations of "you said what now?" accompanied by arched eyebrows in my general direction as a result of that statement, please permit me to explain exactly what I meant by that.

You see it's in fact because I'm so concerned about gay rights, the right for gays, lesbians and bi-sexuals (as well as the transgendered and transvestite) to be treated as equals, as in *exactly* the same as everyone else, that I tend to find myself put off, offended and sometimes outright disgusted by the very unrealistic depictions of gay characters and gay relationships in an overwhelming percentage of yaoi and/or shounen-ai series, fanfic, and doujinshi (especially doujinshi) out there.

The creators and writers behind yaoi manga/anime series (who are more often than not female, and after all yaoi/shounen-ai stories are written, drawn, and aimed predominantly at young girls and women), and especially their fangirls, tend to place more emphasis on the "kawaii, bishounen" factor than anything else of any great relevance or significance that would actually make these characters out to be relatable, believable individuals who just happen to be gay, rather than just, glomping, oft-whiney and bitchy effeminate characatURES of gay/bi-sexual/ and/or cross-dressing men that they are. Fangirls and yaoi artists alike treat these "pretty bois" (<-intentional spelling) like pretty little highly glompable playthings for other equally as pretty boys or sometimes just overly manly and obnoxious men (the exact opposite end of the stereotyping spectrum, still not that better when you really look at it because these "beefy macho jerks" semes are still usually done as charactures all the same), that in reality seem to really serve more as playthings to the squeeing fangirls that adore, sometimes outright worship them. They provide a means of living out the romantic (and) or sexual fantasies of (mostly) teenage fangirls than anything else.

Canon Yaoi series typically consist of plots revolving around the perfect, extra pretty and youthful-looking Marty Stu character: the bishie who's the object of every guy gay or seemingly otherwise in sexual orientation that's around him's undying affection and desires (example: FAKE, everyone seems to want either Ryo or Dee, but mostly shy and virginal Ryo). As well yaoi/shounen-ai series are usually on one extreme or the other in terms of the type of story; being either filled with copious amounts of mostly cutesy (or "kawaii") happy smiling sushiney sugar-coated fluff (like Gravitation, the kind of stuff I personally find positively nauseating) or unbelievable amounts of laughably ridiculous and derivative angst and soap-operatic melodrama (love triangles anyone? Or WildeFyre's FAKE fanfic, for an even better point of reference concerning overloads of angst). Then there's the disturbing amount of stories that feature rape that the manga-ka/fanfic authors try and pass off as "relationships" between characters, whether it's a guy eventually coming to fall in love with his rapist (!!) or the popular and just plain utterly cliched rape/comfort stories out there (that exist mostly in fanfic, but there are canon yaoi series that make use of this formula as well that come to mind). And don't even get me STARTED on the dreaded, disgusting "shota" sub-genre. *deep shudders* I really do NOT want to hear any arguments in its defense or support, they're always all the same and they never excuse the inherent wrongness of depicting pre-pubescent little boys engaged in sex and being seen as objects of sexual gratification and fantasy. I feel exactly the same way about lolicon, I should note.

To be concluded in next entry (damn entry-length limits)...