Random question

[bluflamingo]

Is it just me, or do John/Rodney fics tend to default to either (a) John's been repressing/ignoring the part of him that likes men and not had sex with one since he joined the air force or (b) John's been completely straight until now; while John/Cam fics tend to default to John's been having sex with men (as well as or instead of women; and who may or may not include Cam) but keeping it secret since he joined the air force?

Maybe it is just me, but I'm scanning the John/Cam fic I've got tagged, and I can't find any where either (a) or (b) are true for John (Cam's a little more complicated, sometimes) but can think of plenty of John/Rodney where (a) or (b) is off the top of my head.

And I guess my real question is less 'is this true?' and more 'why is this?' Because John's got to have a thing for scientists? Because Rodney's just that awesome that John would change the habits of a life-time for him? Because John/Cam people have an air force pilots kink (I vote that one, personally)? Because it's a lot easier to hook John and Cam up if they've been involved with other pilots (or indeed each other) before (though if it is that one, surely it's easier to hook John and Rodney up if they've been involved with other men before?) Also, now my own habits are showing, because of course everyone doesn't write John having only been involved with other military guys before, unlike me.

No, I don't know why I'm suddenly contemplating this question-too much time trapped in my parents' house? Family induced insanity? Who knows.

Comments

[lilyleia78]

I love all the interesting discussion going on here! I can't say that I've noticed the John/Rodney trend you have. I've read plenty of stuff where John and/or Rodney have been with other men, although usually not since coming to Atlantis - the community being too close knit or their positions of authority being deterrents. But possibly my recent mainlining of it has made it difficult to notice any one scenario emerging as repetitive. I do try to avoid gay-for-you as the homophobic implications bother me, though I have seen it done well. Plus JF's performance doesn't exactly scream straight to me, leaving me with the feeling that Nancy may have been an honest attempt at a 'normal' life, but that being with women wasn't/isn't the norm.

But to your question: repressed!John possibly works better with Rodney because Atlantis being so far from Earth and the Air Force gives him a reason/excuse to turn back to men even if he's been denying that part of himself for years, esp that first year when reconnecting with Earth was far from guaranteed. Whereas on Earth with Cam you need a reason for him to risk his career to hit on/be with Cam - one easy reason being that he's been doing it his whole career. Of course, the romantic in me points out that you don't really need an excuse to be with someone you love, but it's a theory anyway.

[scrollgirl]

I've read plenty of stuff where John and/or Rodney have been with other men, although usually not since coming to Atlantis

I wonder if there's a trend, like dossier mentions, like S1 McShep is slightly different from S2 McShep. Certainly S5 John is a very different animal (one I'm quite fond of) and you'd have to tailor your fic to how the characters have changed over time. Now, if only someone could do a random sampling of fic published in different years, maybe we could see if one year has a prevalence for WNGWJLEO over other years.

[bluflamingo]

Now, if only someone could do a random sampling of fic published in different years, maybe we could see if one year has a prevalence for WNGWJLEO over other years.

You get right on that, then :o)

[bluflamingo]

But possibly my recent mainlining of it has made it difficult to notice any one scenario emerging as repetitive

Could be - I more or less stopped reading the pairing anything like as much as I was a few months ago, and now that I'm only reading odd fic, it feels more noticeable. Though of course that could be because that's what I inadvertently stumble upon more!

But to your question: repressed!John possibly works better with Rodney because Atlantis being so far from Earth and the Air Force gives him a reason/excuse to turn back to men even if he's been denying that part of himself for years, esp that first year when reconnecting with Earth was far from guaranteed. Whereas on Earth with Cam you need a reason for him to risk his career to hit on/be with Cam - one easy reason being that he's been doing it his whole career

That makes sense, yeah. Plus with Cam I suppose you've got the whole long distance thing as well, and it's asking a lot of someone's suspension of disbelief that they'd believe John would give up pretending not to be interested in men, risk his career, and get involved with someone he'd hardly see, possibly especially when it's a minority pairing - people might be more inclined to buy all that with Rodney because they're more inclined to see it? Not that they have to, of course, since if they do get split up, one tends to follow the other.