Homophobia comes in different shapes and sizes. It can be overt (punches and bruises) or subtle (censorship). And make no mistake, downplaying a potential gay relationship is homophobic censorship
Girls and women aren’t delusional for enjoying BL. They are looking for something fresh and different after being fed a steady diet of unoriginal, misogynistic straight stories
I actually didn't see the tag but felt it in the show right away, the story line screams closeted gay kids + school…
The story hints at the characters' sexuality, leaving the rest open to interpretation
Our trained eyes will pick up on the subtle cues, and the general public will miss them entirely. This means that the representation is censored for most of the audience. It's the hush-hush attitude, the reluctance to openly represent gay relationships, that frustrates me. I might channel the frustration into writing fanfictions
If the adaptation won't give us the representation we want, we might as well write it ourselves, right?
"... why are some people acting like this drama was meant to bring about ground breaking change?"
We're supposed to sit back and accept that one Kdrama can't make a difference, but one Kpop song can launch a thousand memes and become a cultural phenomenon overnight?
Every bit counts and brings about change. And when it comes to mainstream media, there's power in being able to tell gay stories that reach a wide audience. Minds would be opened and prejudices would be dismantled one conversation at a time
Actually, the broke studios producing BLs might be at the forefront of representation. They know that gay stories attract a loyal fanbase, and they are waiting for the rest of the Kdrama world to catch up. Mainstream media should take a page from their book and embrace the power of gay stories
"I'm not homophobic, I'm just making a business decision" isn't a valid defense for majority rule trumping minority rights. It's the equivalent of, "I'm not racist, I just think our restaurant should only serve [insert race] customers." They are hiding discrimination behind a veil of profit
BL fans aren't "rabid." They are as devoted to the genre as any Trekkie is to Star Trek, any Potterhead is to Harry Potter, or any Belieber is to Justin Bieber. They are the guardians of all things BL, and the keepers of the sacred texts. Mess with the text or source material, and they won't be afraid to let you know. It's not "entitlement" or a bad thing. It's a commitment to authenticity
they're scared this drama will be successful and other directors will get the idea to adapt more BL novels/webtoon…
I'm a multitasker extraordinaire. I can comment on homophobic censorship AND support BLs at the same time. It's like patting my head and rubbing my stomach, with more social justice
Other people being okay with the "bromance" isn't relevant to me. My voice was and will be heard
i mean it still has bromance(like alot)... it's like chinese bl.. so i don't see any issue with it.
The producers missed out on the opportunity to explore the real struggles faced by the gay community, specifically the tragic loss of a young boy due to bullying over his sexuality
It's not "like Chinese BL." Chinese producers are legally required to censor gay content. Korean producers have the legal freedom to create gay content, and they didn't to cater to homophobes
This is the issue. Censorship in Korea is used to sweep the country's societal issues under the rug. Instead of acknowledging and addressing them, the Korean government and media prefer to pretend they don't exist
they're scared this drama will be successful and other directors will get the idea to adapt more BL novels/webtoon…
"... they're scared this drama will be successful and other directors will get the idea"
The producers could've adapted a straight story if they are worried about cash flow. Why choose a gay story and take out the gay? Their decision could have a ripple effect in the entertainment industry. Other producers might follow suit
Earlier you said, "most BL fans are okay with bromances since it's the only way to get quality adaptations that are longer than 20 minutes"
I’m not against bromance, I'm against homophobic censorship
BLs/gay stories are being held back by homophobia. Censoring them isn't the solution to budget or timing issues. It's a duct tape that covers up the issue
The solution is to let gay stories exist as they are meant to, with the nuances and complexities that come with them
Glad this series is doing well.As for the toxic Bl fans, you are not representing the gay community.Bl novels…
Plenty of us BL fans are gay ourselves
Creators don't need to be a part of a demographic to write about it. Women can write about gay men, men can write about gay women. Great fiction is about stepping outside of our own experience. It's called imagination, ever heard of it?
Since when did we start gatekeeping imagination? By your logic, men don't know what it's like to be a woman, women don't know what it's like to be a man; ergo, men shouldn't be able to write about women and women shouldn't be able to write about men. This would leave books very, very empty
"Nothing gay about Bl"
If two men in a relationship isn't gay, I don't know what is
"... created by old straight women for teenage girls" "... not mature enough as kids and not mature as adults"
Whoa there, Mr./Ms. Misogynist McNasty! We can't throw shade at girls and women of all ages for their (gay) media preferences
BLs by women are great. Women can be masters at writing men or gay relationships. Bara (BL/yaoi by gay men for gay men) has its place, but sometimes a little less testosterone and a little more sensitivity is what the doctor ordered
"They love Bl until ..."
Every fandom has its fair share of bad apples. The anti-BL fandom has the whole damn orchard, and you're proof of that. I mean, you're determined to make excuses for gay erasure and be toxic about a genre that brings joy to girls and women
If the producers don't owe us anything, we don't owe them our support eitherThe novel was centered around a gay…
It's "just a drama" to you. To me and many others, it's something bigger
Media is a tool people use to reinforce or challenge their beliefs. Censoring gay stories reinforces the belief that our identities should be kept in the shadows and hidden from the public. I won't tolerate this erasure and intolerance
If the producers don't owe us anything, we don't owe them our support eitherThe novel was centered around a gay…
Bless your heart, it's sweet of you to care about my use of social media
I'll keep complaining on MDL. At least my passion is to fight for what's right and meaningful. I don't use my voice to complain about people complaining
Why are people hating on this? Reading the novel on illegal sites contribute nothing for the author. Acting as…
If the producers don't owe us anything, we don't owe them our support either
The novel was centered around a gay student who faced relentless torment at the hands of his peers for being gay and true to himself. The producers erasing or censoring the gay content in the novel's adaptation are denying their audience the opportunity to engage with a valuable perspective and to learn about the experiences of a marginalized group
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Homophobia comes in different shapes and sizes. It can be overt (punches and bruises) or subtle (censorship). And make no mistake, downplaying a potential gay relationship is homophobic censorship
Girls and women aren’t delusional for enjoying BL. They are looking for something fresh and different after being fed a steady diet of unoriginal, misogynistic straight stories
I can see that they've made up their mind. If they feel like reconsidering, I'm down for a good conversation. I'd talk until I'm blue in the face
Our trained eyes will pick up on the subtle cues, and the general public will miss them entirely. This means that the representation is censored for most of the audience. It's the hush-hush attitude, the reluctance to openly represent gay relationships, that frustrates me. I might channel the frustration into writing fanfictions
If the adaptation won't give us the representation we want, we might as well write it ourselves, right?
I guess it's better to be blocked. We gained extra peace and quiet
We're supposed to sit back and accept that one Kdrama can't make a difference, but one Kpop song can launch a thousand memes and become a cultural phenomenon overnight?
Every bit counts and brings about change. And when it comes to mainstream media, there's power in being able to tell gay stories that reach a wide audience. Minds would be opened and prejudices would be dismantled one conversation at a time
Actually, the broke studios producing BLs might be at the forefront of representation. They know that gay stories attract a loyal fanbase, and they are waiting for the rest of the Kdrama world to catch up. Mainstream media should take a page from their book and embrace the power of gay stories
BL fans aren't "rabid." They are as devoted to the genre as any Trekkie is to Star Trek, any Potterhead is to Harry Potter, or any Belieber is to Justin Bieber. They are the guardians of all things BL, and the keepers of the sacred texts. Mess with the text or source material, and they won't be afraid to let you know. It's not "entitlement" or a bad thing. It's a commitment to authenticity
"... you don't see any issues because there are no issues"
It's because you took an ostrich course on "How to Avoid Seeing Problems." Buy a map to find the issues you can't see
Other people being okay with the "bromance" isn't relevant to me. My voice was and will be heard
It's not "like Chinese BL." Chinese producers are legally required to censor gay content. Korean producers have the legal freedom to create gay content, and they didn't to cater to homophobes
This is the issue. Censorship in Korea is used to sweep the country's societal issues under the rug. Instead of acknowledging and addressing them, the Korean government and media prefer to pretend they don't exist
The masses have the collective taste of a middle school cafeteria
It's the complacent and indifferent who have more to answer for
The producers could've adapted a straight story if they are worried about cash flow. Why choose a gay story and take out the gay? Their decision could have a ripple effect in the entertainment industry. Other producers might follow suit
Earlier you said, "most BL fans are okay with bromances since it's the only way to get quality adaptations that are longer than 20 minutes"
I’m not against bromance, I'm against homophobic censorship
BLs/gay stories are being held back by homophobia. Censoring them isn't the solution to budget or timing issues. It's a duct tape that covers up the issue
The solution is to let gay stories exist as they are meant to, with the nuances and complexities that come with them
Creators don't need to be a part of a demographic to write about it. Women can write about gay men, men can write about gay women. Great fiction is about stepping outside of our own experience. It's called imagination, ever heard of it?
Since when did we start gatekeeping imagination? By your logic, men don't know what it's like to be a woman, women don't know what it's like to be a man; ergo, men shouldn't be able to write about women and women shouldn't be able to write about men. This would leave books very, very empty
"Nothing gay about Bl"
If two men in a relationship isn't gay, I don't know what is
"... created by old straight women for teenage girls"
"... not mature enough as kids and not mature as adults"
Whoa there, Mr./Ms. Misogynist McNasty! We can't throw shade at girls and women of all ages for their (gay) media preferences
BLs by women are great. Women can be masters at writing men or gay relationships. Bara (BL/yaoi by gay men for gay men) has its place, but sometimes a little less testosterone and a little more sensitivity is what the doctor ordered
"They love Bl until ..."
Every fandom has its fair share of bad apples. The anti-BL fandom has the whole damn orchard, and you're proof of that. I mean, you're determined to make excuses for gay erasure and be toxic about a genre that brings joy to girls and women
Take a step back and reevaluate your priorities
Media is a tool people use to reinforce or challenge their beliefs. Censoring gay stories reinforces the belief that our identities should be kept in the shadows and hidden from the public. I won't tolerate this erasure and intolerance
I'll keep complaining on MDL. At least my passion is to fight for what's right and meaningful. I don't use my voice to complain about people complaining
The novel was centered around a gay student who faced relentless torment at the hands of his peers for being gay and true to himself. The producers erasing or censoring the gay content in the novel's adaptation are denying their audience the opportunity to engage with a valuable perspective and to learn about the experiences of a marginalized group
We will "complain"