This Was Too Good A Question To Answer Anonymously

[redbrunja]

Okay, over on the Naruto what-if meme someone asked the question, "What if Kishi actually decided to make Sasuke and Naruto a couple at the end of the manga? Would fandom explode? How would this be seen by different cultures/the media (Naruto is a fairly popular manga)? Would this affect the way kids veiw gay couples at all?"

My instinctive thought was 'they wouldn't get it.' I think a lot of the casual, non fandom readers of Naruto would be REALLY confused and I would bet money on the American and Japanese parents flipping the fuck out.

However, what I'm pondering is whether or not having Naruto and Sasuke being gay for each other would change some children's perceptions about homosexuals. Would it make them more accepting? Would they start to see gay people as human beings who deserves the same rights everyone else does?

You thoughts, flist?

Comments

Sorry if my thoughts seemed to be scattered right now.

[devimelete.livejournal.com]

Well, it hard for me to say. I mean, kids weren't really allowed to see anything about homosexuality when they were younger, right? Like that time when there's two lesbians being mentioned in that PBS cartoon show Arthur some years back. Huge backlash, even though the lesbians were barely there for like a few seconds. I think parents try not to let their kids know about homosexuality as long as possible and silently condemned it without being really explicit about it at the same time. So when these kids grow older, they don't see gays as people with rights, just these freakish, shadowy Others, y'know? Weird stuff that their parents dislike and condemn, even though they (the kids) don't really know what homosexuality is about because they were never allowed to be exposed to it in the first place.

So will it make a difference with the target audience? Hard to say, when the parents are either keeping the idea of homosexuality in the dark or condemning it or both. I think it just cause more drama. While Kishimoto seems like to add some homoerotic undertones with Sasuke and Naruto, I don't think he has the bearings to make it out and open. It seems he has some conflicting views on sex and sexual orientation itself and doesn't want to pursue that angle.

Re: Sorry if my thoughts seemed to be scattered right now.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I think the parents would freak but it would do the kids good. Because having a character they love and relate to be gay would probably help them think of gays as people.

Re: Sorry if my thoughts seemed to be scattered right now.

[devimelete.livejournal.com]

Haha, that's probably a good thing, as I am talking from personal experience here. I remember vaguely on how my parents didn't start to talk to me about homosexuality when I was twelve or thirteen, but when I turned fifteen or sixteen, they started to talk about same-sex marriages. They weren't promoting it, but they weren't bashing it either. They were basically neutral on the homosexuality in general, though my mom pretty much hammers anyone in the workplace who makes homophobic slurs to her co-workers and her staff, and goes on her "fire the asshole" when involves the patients, especially if its one of her own staff workers.

Although, I think I wouldn't have been so active of gay rights, or at least be neutral on the subject itself it wasn't for the fact that I've been surrounded by friends and acquaintances who were bisexual or gay, or who were very supportive of gay marriage. Which is a bit of a miracle, considering I live in the Deep South.

Re: Sorry if my thoughts seemed to be scattered right now.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I have been AMAZED at some of the liberal people who come out of the South, sometimes even when they don't have other liberals around them.

Re: Sorry if my thoughts seemed to be scattered right now.

[devimelete.livejournal.com]

I know, right? It's so bad! In the hospital, my mom is considered to be the "pet" Democrat, as everyone else is Republican. The ratio of the political demographic in the South can be intimidating, if not exhausting.