Who do you ship for?

[Cymro]

I'm sorry but I have to take vehement issue with this. Given the paucity of same-sex relationships on TV and especially in sci-fi series, it still is "breaking new ground," especially when most shows still handle gay themes as though they were a live grenade. "Gimmicky"? No, try "realistic."
As for a "gay writer trying to get his [sic] own political points across," that's a pretty stereotypical assumption. Heck, I'm het (but not, alas, hep) & I'd write a slash ship for Stargate in a heartbeat ... Sam/Janet, Jack/Daniel, Teal'c/Jonas: say the word & I'd do it. (Write, that is—not Do It.) Besides, the Sam/Jack shippers are always going to be at daggers drawn with the Jack/Daniel ones, so things can't get any worse ... 'cept for a reprise of Sam/Pete. Even inter-species sex would be preferable to that

But having a gay relationship for the sake of having a gay relationship is the exact kind of gimmicky crap that I'm talking about, especially since the regular characters are all established as being straight. It'd just mean they could go "Look at us, we're Stargate, we're the first sci-fi show to feature a gay relationship, we're political activists". And the truth is that if you put a gay relationship in the show, then it's a concious desicion to "be different" and put in your own feelings about homosexuality into the show.

[hollyshannensangel]

I'm glad there won't be a gay pairing, it's not exactly breaking new ground on TV anymore, and even if it was, it'd be gimmicky and smack of a gay writer trying to get his own political points accross.

I'm sorry but I have to take vehement issue with this. Given the paucity of same-sex relationships on TV and especially in sci-fi series, it still is "breaking new ground," especially when most shows still handle gay themes as though they were a live grenade. "Gimmicky"? No, try "realistic."
As for a "gay writer trying to get his [sic] own political points across," that's a pretty stereotypical assumption. Heck, I'm het (but not, alas, hep) & I'd write a slash ship for Stargate in a heartbeat ... Sam/Janet, Jack/Daniel, Teal'c/Jonas: say the word & I'd do it. (Write, that is—not Do It.) Besides, the Sam/Jack shippers are always going to be at daggers drawn with the Jack/Daniel ones, so things can't get any worse ... 'cept for a reprise of Sam/Pete. Even inter-species sex would be preferable to that

Carterslave, I agree with everything you say. A writer whom writes gay stories isn't necessarily gay themselves, in fact if you ask me, it’s fifty-fifty, although maybe more het people write slash fiction, then actually gay people *shrugs*

I appluded shows, which handle and deal with the reality of people being gay, although some shows do it more so for rating than anything else...
but alas, what can you do? Ah, the old shipper war, given the choice of seeing Daniel/Jack or Sam/Jack, personally, I'd like to see Jack/Daniel, but as I said in my pervious post, we know that the wrtiers aren't ever going to deal with gay pairings or even the idea. After all they'd end up with an angry mob on their hands.

so things can't get any worse ... 'cept for a reprise of Sam/Pete. Even inter-species sex would be preferable to that

*Laughs* Sam/Pete...they were just so wrong in so many ways. *shudders* I was watching the behind the stargate and I couldn't believe that someone emailed in kill Pete Sam/Jackl forever...Amanda's expression cracked me up.

Teal'c and Ist'ha-Damn, how the hell did I forget about them?

[hollyshannensangel]

It'd just mean they could go "Look at us, we're Stargate, we're the first sci-fi show to feature a gay relationship, we're political activists". And the truth is that if you put a gay relationship in the show, then it's a concious desicion to "be different" and put in your own feelings about homosexuality into the show.

But how is writing/ screening gay storylines different? I mean here...in the UK, lets see...most if not all the British soaps handle gay storylines and there are gay characters and then there's shows, based on on novels like-Tipping the Velvet/Fingersmith ....to this day some people don't handle it well, whilst others don't bat en eyelid.

But having a gay relationship for the sake of having a gay relationship is the exact kind of gimmicky crap that I'm talking about, especially since the regular characters are all established as being straight.

Ah, but that's the thing about shipping. Yes, we know that Jack/Sam are meant for one another, but for me there are lots of moments between Jack/Daniel, granted that the way in which it is written in purely for Daniel and Jack's friendship, but they know each other so well...and then there's the looks *shrugs*

Shippers what can I say? Some ship in the het direction, whilst others (like myself) ship in the slash/ gay (which ever sounds better) direction. Then you get others who ship for both. Each to their own.

[Purpleyin]

But having a gay relationship for the sake of having a gay relationship is the exact kind of gimmicky crap that I'm talking about, especially since the regular characters are all established as being straight. It'd just mean they could go "Look at us, we're Stargate, we're the first sci-fi show to feature a gay relationship, we're political activists". And the truth is that if you put a gay relationship in the show, then it's a concious desicion to "be different" and put in your own feelings about homosexuality into the show.

But does it always have to be? I guess it's not possible right now but then when is it going to possible unless a number of shows do it first. The thing is if they put a gay relationship in then maybe alot of people would think it gimicky when it's not meant to be. It's rather sad that's the way things are.
It'd be good if a gay relationship could just be in a show without being something political or gimmicky

I'm not gay but I'd gladly see more gay relatonships on shows. Plus they have more chance to introduce one on SGa because the sexuality on characters there is less established - so far we've only had Elizabeth/Simon, Carson/Perna and Rodney/Sam and who's to say they couldn't have a bisexual character anyway?

Of course that said I seriously doubt they'd ever try and I suppose it might put some people off, perhaps becuase they'd see it as 'gimmicky' but I can always dream....

[wraith816]

As everyone can tell by my sig, I slash. J/D is OTP!

[Carterslave]

It's rather sad that's the way things are.
I'm not gay but I'd gladly see more gay relatonships on shows. ... Of course that said I seriously doubt they'd ever try and I suppose it might put some people off, perhaps because they'd see it as 'gimmicky' but I can always dream....

Series TV could be much gay-friendlier b/c right now the choice seems to be between comparative invisibility or having to deal with the ongoing 'novelty' factor of gay couples on TV, which a lot of people still find squicky. Occasionally you have a series creator like Joss Whedon who brings the HoYay! on early & often, presumably in hopes that people will get used to it, but that's very much the exception to the rule.
(I have gay family members, so I take umbrage at the idea that same-sex relationships on TV are "gimmicky crap." It's just another facet of life, that's all.)
Aaaaaanyway, there wouldn't be so much slash shipping if viewers weren't responding to something inherent (latent?) in the show. Sam/Jack is the 'official' ship (plus a side dish of Daniel/Janet) but even the DVD commentaries have alluded to UST between Jack & Daniel and there are enough "tells" to keep the Carter/Fraiser ship viable, too.
Heck, I just read two very non-slash fan fictions (one of them a Sam/Jack romance) and even in those the Jack/Daniel exchanges could be quite homoerotic—so it's a subtext that infiltrates the Het fanfics, too.
Of course, the SG-1 mythology is pretty firmly established by this point. Maybe Atlantis can take the risk ...

[Lord Zedd]

Well talking about the gay thing. In Buffy the vampire slayer Willow and Tara were together, they were gay. And there is nothing so special about people being gay. They are still the same persons they ever were.

[Purpleyin]

Well talking about the gay thing. In Buffy the vampire slayer Willow and Tara were together, they were gay. And there is nothing so special about people being gay. They are still the same persons they ever were.

Exactly - if that could happen in more tv shows that would be great. I know there's the fact having gay relationships on shows is supposedly not groundbreaking but we practically always have heterosexual relationships and that's really not ground breaking anymore by far...

[Cymro]

Well, other than Buffy, all the other shows on TV with gay relationships have been soap opera type shows, which Buffy isn't very far from being anyway. And the advantage that Buffy had was that all of it's characters were in their late teens and early twenties, where the issue of them "just now" discovering their sexuality and experimenting etc is much more plausible than a load of people in their 30s and 40s doing so. And I think the sexuality of all the main characters has been fairly well established by now, so Shepperd having a boyfriend is out of the question. Not that I'd be against more subtle gay relationships in the show, perhaps involving a reccurring character like Zelenka. What I'm saying is, I don't mind gay relationships on TV, I just don't want them shoved down my throat, and a big change in the sexuality of a regular character would inevitably lead to that. I've said the same thing about Star Trek, I've just never thought that such issues belonged on shows that avoid references to sex altogether.

[Purpleyin]

Well, other than Buffy, all the other shows on TV with gay relationships have been soap opera type shows, which Buffy isn't very far from being anyway. And the advantage that Buffy had was that all of it's characters were in their late teens and early twenties, where the issue of them "just now" discovering their sexuality and experimenting etc is much more plausible than a load of people in their 30s and 40s doing so. And I think the sexuality of all the main characters has been fairly well established by now, so Shepperd having a boyfriend is out of the question. Not that I'd be against more subtle gay relationships in the show, perhaps involving a reccurring character like Zelenka. What I'm saying is, I don't mind gay relationships on TV, I just don't want them shoved down my throat, and a big change in the sexuality of a regular character would inevitably lead to that. I've said the same thing about Star Trek, I've just never thought that such issues belonged on shows that avoid references to sex altogether.

If you're talking about established in regard to the character and their life, may be but that doesn't mean we as viewers will be privy to it. We've seen Sheppard with Chaya but that doesn't specifically rule out anything with Sheppad/Male-character yet.

That said if they were going to do a gay relationship it probably would be best betwen secondary characters because that way it wouldn't be 'shove down any one's throat' as you described it. But my point still stands that people are making large assumptions about main characters sexualities when in fact only about half of them have anything much established and you can't really say what's been seen so far is what it has to be limited to.

[Nikki]

I'm a die-hard jack and sam shipper, i think they have so much on-screen chemistry, but i also saw a lot of potential for daniel and janet.

[Carterslave]

I also saw a lot of potential for Daniel and Janet.

Dan/Jan raises an interesting question. To wit: What constitutes 'canon'? In seasons 4, 5 & 7, Teryl Rothery & Michael Shanks played it as a 'ship, and the directors & writers seem to have gone along. Since there was no lip-lock nor any of those awkward discussions that Sam & Jack tended to have, some would argue that it's non-canonical. But since the only thing missing was an explicit verbal acknowledgement, I'd argue that it falls onto the 'canon' side of the fence. But since everybody involved played their cards pretty close to the vest, people who find shipping a distraction don't have to deal with it.

[Cymro]

Call me stereotypical, but I don't think Sheperd has a gay personality, neither does Rodney, or Zelenka, or Bates. Maybe Ford or Beckett, or Colonel Everett.

[Spaceminx]

What I'm saying is, I don't mind gay relationships on TV, I just don't want them shoved down my throat,

But of course its ok for us gay people to have heterosexuality shoved down our throats 24/7.

[Cymro]

But of course its ok for us gay people to have heterosexuality shoved down our throats 24/7.

Yep, cause we're the majority, and the majority rules.