The cancellation also comes at a time when the world needs strong female and LGBTQ representation more than ever. Xena, like Wonder Woman, is much more than a sexy, sword-wielding heroine. The original show was beloved for its emphasis on female strength and friendship. While it did receive criticism for unwillingness to be open about the nature of Xena and Gabrielleās relationship, 2017ās reboot was expected to be out and proud.
I said last year that the WE team must have written a bible based on the Clexa debacle about How To Keep Your Queer Audience, because they seem to tick off little boxes:Ā
Clexa fans wanted ET/ADC to have a photoshoot, do interviews together, be seen together more. Ā Ā
WE: Check. Wayhaught not only do photo shoots together, they tweet one another in character almost and appear at events like Clexacon and ComicCon together. Ā
Thereās some studied dedication to ensuring their queer fans are watching and happy. Ā I suppose this should make me want to watch, but it doesnāt somehow. Thereās something offputting about a straight showrunner catering content for us. Iād like to know if there are any queer writers/producers on the show. Ā Is the WE team doing more to help elevate actual queer voices and talent – or is it just for themselves?Ā
Not that this is a necessary thing, but if youāre putting yourself out there as this Big Ally, it must be for more than just promoting your programme or yourself, right? Ā I admit my thoughts on this might be muddy and I might not have the full picture. Ā
I do appreciate the fan interaction though and maybe Iām just missing out or too old. Ā
OK anonymous stranger on the internet super qualified to judge writing quality. Do I believe it? Let me tell you somethingā¦if they kidnapped us, put us both in a room, told us to write something to save our lives, and that they were going to shoot the worst writer of the two I promise you that by the end of the day Iād have convinced them to shoot him not just once, but twice.
šYou are amazing, i love your work.
Donāt tell them how a Xena fan fiction writer (Melissa Good) actually wrote for the show (some Xena ff writers went on to be published professionally).
In fact, fan fiction writers do go professionalĀ (some already are, they just donāt want you to know it).
Oh, definitely NEVER bring up that some Clexa fan fiction receives more views (individually and collectively) than most books on the bestseller lists are able to sell hard or digital copies (3,000 – 9,000 copies is all it takes to get on a bestseller list). Ā Itās arguable more people have read more fan fiction than have actually watched the series (16 – 13 episodes a season and how much fan fiction is there?). Ā Ā
If you want to be successful in Hollywood, you could probably spend years sucking up to enough people to get a job, without much in the way of qualification, either (Iāve never seen a showrunner with so little reported experience), or you could learn your craft, build up a following and, if you desire, seek professional representation. Ā
The work that goes into producing 200k page fan fiction is no different than what JK Rowling put in or what Stephen King puts in or anyone else, for that matter. Ā
There is so much fan fiction in this world, right now, if you could publish each one (and Iām not saying you should) in a hard format, you could probably fill a few libraries a few times over – all over the world. Ā
For some, fan fiction is a serious form of literature and deserves respect, certainly the writers do. Ā There used to be a time when it was extremely difficult to publish fan fiction anywhere. Ā But fans have fought for and studios and copyright holders have recognised that fan works are serious business (they are also free advertising) and nothing to scoff at. Ā
It is important, too, to understand that fan fiction is, basically, punk. It is rebellion. Ā It has helped queer people Ā and POC find their voice and find community and respect. Ā It has helped create positive representations of minorities where so little exists inĀ āprofessionalā media. Ā
I do realise the anon is just trolling Clexas, looking for a response – and really, they donāt deserve it – but fan fiction is always worth talking about and any opportunity is a good one. Ā
The first gay Disney character is literally named The Fool
Heās unrequitedly in love with a straight man
A straight man who bullies and abuses him
Le Fou will 99% likely NOT get a happy ending
Heās being played by someone known to be straight
His sexuality is basically a joke
His sexuality is likely to be the butt of a joke the entire movie
We already know the character will be the butt of the joke even if his sexuality itself isnāt
His entire role in the movie is to be evil and stupid comic relief and boost Gastonās self-esteemĀ
Heās described as āconfusedāĀ
Queercoding villains and Disney go together like peanut butter and jellyĀ
Disney is patting itself on the back for all of this
His character description is stereotypical
Le Fou being gay for Gaston is already something of a cultural joke
Heās barely in the movie
Heās the only gay person in a love story, he will end up alone and evil
People have been saying how you could improve the story by making it gay for years and of all the ideas this is the worst possible option for picking a gay character
We coulda had lesbian Beast
Kids will have this as their first gay Disney character
For some kids this will be their first gay character period
It will be their ONLY gay Disney character
They chose to make a shot for shot remake of the animated movie with the most whitebread actors and the only thing they want to change up is making the evil fool gay
Disney could get away with any kind of lgbt character because they are a monolith yet they choose this
TranslatingĀ āLe Fouā as simplyĀ āThe Foolā is being too generous. Hereās a dictionary definition of Fou:
They literally took someone whose name meant that and decided that was a great character to make gay. In an era where our dear vice president believes in violent conversion therapy for ourĀ āillnessā, they decide to do that. That is what upsets me the most. (Though the other parts are certainly bad too.)
Another point Iād like to add (correct me if I err here, as Iām trying to remember an article or a video I saw years ago), the late Howard Ashman, a gay man, who co-wrote the songbook for the original, envisioned Gaston as the homophobes he encountered.
IāM SO FRUSTRATED because if we all avoid this movie and donāt give it dollar bills theyāll pin it onĀ āoh well we tried to be inclusive but u didnāt like it sweaty š š š :)ā and bitch Iām so done with this already. SO DONE.Ā
The worst kind of appropriation of Audre Lorde is taking place these days by folks who use her quotes (out of context) to serve their own anti-intersectional projects. As self-care has become a trending topic in social-justice circles, different venues have taken up Lordeās famous saying on self-care without critically reflecting on how Lordeās need for self-care stemmed from living and surviving under racist heteropatriarchy.
the lesbophobia present in television is so upsetting. like not blatant, explicit lesbophobia but the lesbophobia that makes wlw scenes so much shorter than scenes between het couples, or wlw couples getting cheek kisses or hugs or pecks on the lips at best when het couples get heated makeouts and sex scenes right off the bat. itās transparent and iām sick of tv creators getting away with it.Ā
also iām so done with the lesbophobia that allows viewers of tv shows to call every wlw ship under the sun abusive without valid reasoning while simultaneously fawning over actually! abusive! and unhealthy! het ships! being romanticized!!!!! please take ur heads out of ur damn asses!!! open your eyes!! iām tired!!!!!
Marika, like so many of us privileged liberals, sees herself as an immediate victim when someone dares to share information that the language she chose to deploy āCrazy Calzona fansā has specific connotations when referencing lgbtq individuals.
Iāve never watched this show (and never will), but this is ridiculous. Ā It should be a requirement that if someone is going to play a queer character, they need to be as educated as possible about what it means to be queer. Ā If they canāt be bothered to show empathy to real people, how can their performance be anything but an insult? Ā
This goes for writers and producers as well. Ā After what happened last year, with Lexa, youād think someone would have paid attention and learned something about interacting with queer fans and having respect for queer characters and what they mean to us. Ā Ā
The Doctor Is Out 
