(no subject)

[icarus]

Pet peeve time!

I confess, kids in fanfiction bug me.

It's not that I don't like kids. We get along just fine, kids and I. It's just that there's a certain -- certain... people write the kids like they're extensions of their parents.

They look like their fanfiction parents.
They act like their fanfiction parents.
They have similar talents as their fanfiction parents.

They aren't treated as if they are OCs, when really, they ought to be.

Why are they written this way?

Folks, the human method of procreation is designed to mix and match our DNA in such a way that we have a random slice of our parents' genetic code. In addition, that randomization expresses different dominant and recessive traits. Additionally, while I do not believe in Tabula Rasa (no insult to the fine fanfiction writer of that name) I do believe that our experiences do have an impact. There is no way that the fanfic kid's experiences are the same as their parents, so their personalities are going to be radically different.

Why the hell do people go ga-ga over fanfic kids who look or act like their fanfic parents? I'm not into the ga-ga over kids thing anyway, kids are just people as far as I'm concerned, but there's something troubling in the fact that writers forget this fact.

I actually brought my MPreg Reunion to a screeching halt over this issue. Someone sent me a photomanip of what the baby (which I never promised would ever exist) would look like, combining traits from Ron and Draco. Augh!

An entire chapter of that story was devoted to creating kids that were real people and not just one-dimensional extensions of the fanfic parents. Ron's four kids were not cute. Not a single one was like Ron. His youngest little girl was pampered and hurting and a little angry over his divorce, demanding his attention when he was trying to talk to Harry. Ron couldn't control his two oldest -- he was too mellow a parent -- and the third middle child was bright, quiet, and simmering with resentment. They had little lives of their own, and they were pretty miserable.

When Draco's daughter turned up, you were going to find a rigidly correct little stick, wan and smothered by the expectations of her Dad. She didn't have Draco's feisty rebellious spirit so the same parenting that led to Draco's constantly forgetting his father's advice and battling Harry turned her into a virtual paper doll.

But I couldn't battle the kid-lovers. They wanted Ron and Draco's kid to be just like them, ignored the real kids, and panted after the baaaaaby.

Sometimes I strongly suspect that people love babies because they can project their own image of who that person is onto them. Which is precisely why I like young kids over babies: when they're that tiny it's hard to tell who they are.

Comments

[maelwaedd.livejournal.com]

My pet peeve, and I swear it relates, is when people (generally in real life) talk about what their kids are going to do/be when they're older based on things they do as infants--or earlier! It's such a cliche for women to pat their stomachs and mention that their baby's going to play soccer, but I visited a friend in the maternity ward with another friend, and we two visitors laughed out loud when the new mother friend pointed out her baby's long fingers and told us earnestly that she would grow up to be a basketballer.

I did like a series of articles, though, written by a geek. In one, he talks about parents projecting futures on their kids, and he mentioned that his daughter's two favourite loves seemed to be swinging around any pole that she could find, and taking her clothes off.

In regards to fanfic, though, I especially hate it when authors project their own parenting issues on fandom characters. Obviously there are a lot of parenting ideas/styles/issues that translate very well, but Hermione and Draco's "absolute worst fear coming true" when their daughter walks in on them having sex? Considering that Hermione and Draco have lived through a war, and all that, I think both of them may have very realistic fears of torture/death/truly horrific things happening to their children, and while having little Dramione walk in on them might not be their intention, saying it's their absolute worst fear is going a little far.
In my humble opinion.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

My pet peeve, and I swear it relates, is when people (generally in real life) talk about what their kids are going to do/be when they're older based on things they do as infants--or earlier!

I have a story for you, sort of the reverse of this. It's part of the weird disconnect that happens during a divorce. I know a guy whose daughter had been in her career for ten years and was having doubts about the track she was on, approaching 30, thinking of moving.

Her father said, "You never stick with anything!"

She said, "Dad. I've been with this company for ten years."

"Yes, but when you were little you were going to open a cattery. And then you planned to be a James Joyce scholar!"

She said, "Dad. I was going to open a cattery when I was nine. That James Joyce thing was a research paper when I was in high school."

"Oh. Right."

In regards to fanfic, though, I especially hate it when authors project their own parenting issues on fandom characters.

I think that's probably inevitable. On the other hand --

"absolute worst fear coming true" when their daughter walks in on them having sex? Considering that Hermione and Draco have lived through a war...

-- there's an author who hasn't thought this through and would probably be better off writing OCs for her parenting concerns.

Icarus

[maelwaedd.livejournal.com]

Your story reminds me somewhat of my parents. Admittedly I hadn't stuck with a great deal at that point, or even now. I went to university but kept either doing it part-time or dropping out, depending on my work schedule. And, of course, I'm now a temp, so my jobs are not permanant simply because they're not meant to be. I've managed to stay employed almost constantly, though, with only small breaks between jobs (and one longer break because of an injury, but that's life), and I've kept my daughter for three years come this Thursday. My parents told me that I couldn't possibly get a dog because I'm obviously far too irresponsible. I'm slightly hurt. Who on earth gives a person with a nearly three year-old child a lecture on 'you know, a dog is a bit responsibility'. *grumps*

Oh well.

That said, ten years seems a long time to be in a career these days. I think that's pretty dedicated. :)