on genderswap

[bedlamsbard]

So I'm writing this genderswap story, right, and there's no practical reason for it to be genderswap except that I want to play with the dynamics a little bit. It's an AU that is in no way absolutely dependant on Obi-Wan being a woman rather than a man, it doesn't change the character or her choices in any way, it probably doesn't change the outcome of the series at all because the AU part is dependant on a completely different character's choices. It's not genderswap because there is any practical reason for it to be; it is not even particularly lulzy. There is no romance, so it's not like I'm doing it because I find it hot. (Although...I kind of do, so. *shrug*)

So -- why am I doing it? It's not like genderswap is a particularly controversial AU, except it kind of is sometimes, it's that I feel like if I'm doing it, I should be doing it for a ~purpose. With the lady Jedi: lulz, and also, totally different decisions! If I were to do lady!Anakin again: hot and prolly also totally different decisions, and also this would probably actually result in porn. But lady!Obi-Wan doesn't change anything except dynamics, and the focus of the story isn't even on that, it's basically random plotty gen AU set during the Clone Wars. So I don't get it: why am I doing it? Why do I feel guilty about it? Why do I feel like I'm breaking some kind of fannish code here? (I mean, at least I haven't made any of them into girl scout cookies or penguins yet. Thank you, SGA, for giving us that benchmark.)

Relatedly: why is it that all I want to write in Star Wars genderswap? (Also the sequel to What is Lost, which is AU but not genderswap.) Is it because the canon is just so depressing that I'm convinced that if one or both of them was a woman, it would not go so horribly wrong? Or is it just because laaaaaaadies are awesome and Anakin's angst is less alarming and manpain-y that way? WHO KNOWS?

Comments

[guardian_of_hope]

I don't know why you're writing genderswap, but it's good stuff. The part I have to quote however is this


I mean, at least I haven't made any of them into girl scout cookies or penguins yet. Thank you, SGA, for giving us that benchmark.

Mostly because it made me laugh, then it made me wonder if that's what I did wrong with my SGA fic...Also, I LIKED the Penguin one...

[bedlamsbard]

Ah, SGA. I loved SGA! Because it was so earnest about its crack, you know, so now I'm unable to think of things like genderswap and time travel and alternate universes as actually being crack.

...although I can't remember if I actually read the penguin one. Definitely read the girl scout one, don't remember the penguin one. I do remember reading one where they were all puppies, though.

[guardian_of_hope]

http://archiveofourown.org/works/321409

This story is worth reading...but here's the warning Gay penguin sex

I thought I'd seen a different one, but I couldn't find it and then I realized that the one I'd read had remixed this one...

I've also read the Peeps one...but I'm not sure I can find it back.

[bedlamsbard]

Thanks!

Oh, I think I remember the Peeps one! Ah, SGA...