Tuesday 30 July 2019

So gay!

I was rather boggled by this 1* review of One Word Kill on Amazon (remarkably the review has 39 likes).

Amazon Customer:
Combines the angst of teenage cancer with promoting homosexuality. Sad choice of subject matter and very sad plot line. Sorry I spent time reading it.
39 people found this helpful


Review Comments:
Typewriter Jimmy1:
Horrors! There's ONE brief mention of ONE character being gay. "Amazon Customer" seems to have a big problem with gay people. Tough! We're here, whether AC likes it or not.
R2D32:
Thanks for the heads up on that one! I wasn't going to read it anyway based on other reviews, but I appreciate knowing about certain story lines so that I can avoid them.
bernie (xyzzy):
You are not supposed to notice those things. They are cleverly weaved into the story.
However, I gave your review a helpful vote for untangling.



Of course things can swing in the opposite direction just as hard:

From a highly negative review of Prince of Thorns: "And there are no gay people mentioned at all, even in passing. What the hell?"

A comment which always made me wonder "How do they know?".

Anyway, it's perhaps comforting to know that for every nutjob out there who thinks I'm the champion of all things gay, there is a balancing nutjob who thinks I'm the enemy of representation. In truth, I'm neither keeping up a quota or excluding a minority. I'm just writing the stories that pop into my head. Though, whilst I have no time for people who try to police me at either end of the spectrum, I would on reflection, much rather annoy the folks who don't want certain groups to appear in our literature than those who are keen for everyone to put them in all the time.





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2 comments:

  1. I'll see your 1-star and raise you a 4-star that still has a problem:
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2IE4NS3JZ3QU1/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0797CCRR4

    (FWIW, "rubbing it in your face" is minor mentions of relationship status, no on-screen sex, and I think maybe 1 x kiss). No, this does not stop me writing LBGTQ characters :)

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  2. ah jeez...there's just no pleasing some people

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