Slash Fiction and Fandom

Not really sure what Jason was referring to when he sent us an E mail saying we were going to be reading about queering culture? I was surprised i've never heard of it being a Purchase student and all that. I decided to check out Henry Jenkins site to culture myself a little on the topic before I sunk my teeth into. I'm reading along and realize before I do any of this I need to first learn what fandom means and what slash fiction is..... Thank god for wikipedia
Fandom is a subculture of people who are networked through their love/obsession for something. The people in these subcultures feel a sense of camaraderie amongst their fellow fans. Slash fiction is a genre of fan fiction in which homosexual romantic encounters/relationships are depicted by fan writers usually dealing with characters or stories they are fans of. I was surprised to some that some of these slash fiction writers have become famous from their work. Then I realized how narrow-minded I was being and accepted the fact that slash fiction, although almost parody like, is in itself its own form of art and takes on its own aura.
Anyways, the two stories I read were DMZ and Stand Down. DMZ particularly caught me off guard because I wasn't ready for the explicitness of the material. It is about two male characters and their first sexual encounter with one another. It is very detailed and gives you a very distinct visual of what is going on. You can really feel the awkwardness/sexual tension between the male characters and I found that very surprising.
I think slash fiction could really sway ones narrow view of homosexuality. It shows how compassionate and romantic a homosexual relationship could be. It goes against the stereotypes that we mainly hear about in mainstream society. It would be interesting to know of the sexuality of the authors, because although one may assume they are homosexual themselves, you never know. I also think slash fiction is a good depiction of fandom and how obsessed fans can get with something. For someone who is not associated with fandom, I find it odd that people could devote so much time to something. However although I find it strange that people write homosexual love stories between those they are fans of, at least this way they are somewhat more involved in their obsession. This way they can share their ideas and stories with other fans.

Mechanical Reproduction: The End of Aura?

Walter Benjamin talks a great deal about how new technologies are the cause for the death of aura. The aura of nature is to be able to see and feel its beauty. To experience it at first hand. With the invention of photography and film, natural environments lose their aura. When you look at a picture, you don't feel the temperature of that time, or the breeze running through your hair, so essentially the aura is lost. At the same time though, it is as if a new form of art is being created. Obviously aura is going to be lost through a medium, however, to try to capture the aura and the feel of that particular moment in a photograph poses a challenge and a goal to the photographer. And although it is not the same beauty, it is an entirely different feel and still art none the less.
The author also talks about the loss of value in a piece of art when there is no original. Prior to mechanical reproduction, original pieces of work were valued so high and captured that "aura" that every wants. Knowing that this is the actual piece the author worked so hard on gives the work that much more meaning and makes it that much more appreciated. With mechanical reproduction, the aura of the piece is lost and the value is decreased greatly. What is good however, is that the art is available to more people. Those classes who may not have been able to purchase such expensive art works are now more able to. The aura is lost but the work is available to many more people than it would have been, and with that, the author may have a better chance at being more widely known.
SO, with mechanical reproduction definitely came the loss of aura in the art world, but other positives have also seemed to emerge from it.