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mash_slash2005-08-27 09:08 am
qzee.livejournal.com) wrote in mash_slash2005-08-27 09:08 am
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The Little Black Dress of Slash
It has been said by many that all women need a little black dress in their wardrobe, or the equivalent if you don’t like dresses, in order for their wardrobe to be complete. The sort of dress that accentuates and compliments the wearer on every occasion and is a must have in any wardrobe. It can be worn with all different kinds of accessories, the accessories you choose helping to create a flirty and fun look or a serious look. A dress that can be worn to both solemn formal occasions to the most joyful and fun event making it very versatile. In the same way that is what the little black dress of slash does. The stories with him covering a wide range of solemn to the joyful, flirty and fun to the serious, and everything in between, making him one of the most popular characters to write in fandom. He looks good with everyone, accentuating and complimenting them just as they bring out his beauty. In short, he is everything you could want in a little black dress of slash.
So, who is the little black dress of slash for the M*A*S*H fandom? Does he fit all the requirements? Can the same arguments laid out in the following essay for one particular character be made for any other character in the show? Let us see with the following.
I propose that the little black dress of slash for our common fandom is none other than Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce, M.D. Why so?
Well, firstly in any scene he is in he accentuates and compliments the other character or characters within. Both Hawkeye and the other character glow in the scenes, the other character coming just a little bit more alive when interacting with him. Now, admittedly all of the characters work very well against each other, regardless of whether Hawk is in the scene or not. However they seem to have just a little something more, in my opinion, when Hawk is in the scene. Ben Pierce has a way about him that helps draw out the other character, you see the other characters strengths just a bit more and sometimes also see their faults a little clearer. In any scene Hawk is in your eyes are drawn to both him and the other character(s) in a way that compliments both Ben and the other person(s). Thus fulfilling the requirement of accentuating and complimenting others, which is a must for the little black dress of slash.
Secondly, he just plain looks good and others look good with him. After all, one of the requirements for a little black dress should be whether or not it looks good, even by itself. Hawk may not be a conventionally handsome man, but his spirit, his elan, his je ne sais quoi all help make him sexy as hell. No matter who you pair him with in a story, it works. He goes well with all the other characters, from the most common pairings of BJ or Trapper, to the rarer pairings of Father Mulcahy and Sidney Freedman. Though I don’t think I’ve ever seen him paired with Igor Straminsky, Luther Rizzo, or Colonel Potter a good writer could convince me of the pairing easily. Mostly because Hawkeye flirts with everyone, even Sophie. (I will kill anyone who writes a Hawkeye in love with Sophie fic, but be amused at any Sophie really likes Hawkeye in her own horsey way fic.)
Which brings us to the next requirement of a little black dress of slash, that it can be both flirty and fun or serious. As said in the previous paragraph Hawkeye flirts with everyone, in teasing grins, in batting eyes, and with more subtle means he flirts, boy does he flirt! He has joined other characters to create mischief and havoc, from elaborate practical jokes to just hanging out with them and having a great time. His conversations with others are full of little teases that make both him and the other character’s eyes light up. As an example, any time he tells Francis something along the lines of “you drive me crazy” as in attract him, the good Father blushes and goes “Oh, Hawkeye” showing both his pleasure and his slight embarrassment.
Yet, its not all fun and games with Benjamin Pierce, he does have his serious and angsty side, this side being an absolute must for the little black dress of slash. Hawk feels deeply and it shows in his eyes, the way he holds himself, and the way he keeps just a little of himself separate from others no matter how close they are. Every time a patient of his dies, he beats himself for it, condemns himself for it, and mourns the loss. Every time his actions or lack of action hurts someone, like Nurse Kelly was hurt the one time he flirted with every nurse but her, he chastises himself for it harshly. He worries for his friends and has even occasionally shown concern toward his enemies, like Frank. Going so far as to be nice to him every now and then even though Frank rubs him the wrong way. Hawk has turned to others to talk of all the things that burden him and the other person tries to lighten the load. Though he cultivates an irreverent and mischievous personality, his deep feeling spirit peeks through showing you the vulnerability of the man inside the solid front he tries to keep up as a shield.
The character of Hawkeye shines whether the episode is a light-hearted romp or a deeply profound expose. You see a bit of his angst in the episode The Interview he tries to put up a good show, saying that the things he miss the most are food items, yet you can see hints of a hidden pain in the way he answers the question. In an Eye for a Tooth, B.J. first manipulates Hawkeye into playing practical jokes on Margaret and Charles helps out both sides, eventually ending with Hawkeye teaming up with Margaret and Charles to pull a joke on B.J. His interactions with all three characters show how much fun Hawk can have with others and show just how well they can interact with him. The one scene where Hawkeye and Charles talk together at the end of the show, B.J. looking on from the corner and excluded from the fun and Hawkeye’s company is just lovely.
In conclusion, though Klinger looks great in a little black dress (if I could find an image of him in his black dress I would link you to it), it is Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce, M.D. who is the little black dress of slash. He is suitable for any occasion, though normally coming of as fun, flirty and mischievous, he can come off as serious when the conditions are right. He both looks good with other people and other people make him look good too, showing that he can both accentuate the other characters and they can accentuate him making him look just a little better. He can look great all by himself, but is best when there are others around. He is everything you could want in a little black dress of slash: flirty, fun, mischievous, angsty, serious, he has charisma and he goes well with everyone. So, I believe he is the one character who can truly be called the little black dress of M*A*S*H fandom, though rebuttals to my theory are welcome.
So, who is the little black dress of slash for the M*A*S*H fandom? Does he fit all the requirements? Can the same arguments laid out in the following essay for one particular character be made for any other character in the show? Let us see with the following.
I propose that the little black dress of slash for our common fandom is none other than Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce, M.D. Why so?
Well, firstly in any scene he is in he accentuates and compliments the other character or characters within. Both Hawkeye and the other character glow in the scenes, the other character coming just a little bit more alive when interacting with him. Now, admittedly all of the characters work very well against each other, regardless of whether Hawk is in the scene or not. However they seem to have just a little something more, in my opinion, when Hawk is in the scene. Ben Pierce has a way about him that helps draw out the other character, you see the other characters strengths just a bit more and sometimes also see their faults a little clearer. In any scene Hawk is in your eyes are drawn to both him and the other character(s) in a way that compliments both Ben and the other person(s). Thus fulfilling the requirement of accentuating and complimenting others, which is a must for the little black dress of slash.
Secondly, he just plain looks good and others look good with him. After all, one of the requirements for a little black dress should be whether or not it looks good, even by itself. Hawk may not be a conventionally handsome man, but his spirit, his elan, his je ne sais quoi all help make him sexy as hell. No matter who you pair him with in a story, it works. He goes well with all the other characters, from the most common pairings of BJ or Trapper, to the rarer pairings of Father Mulcahy and Sidney Freedman. Though I don’t think I’ve ever seen him paired with Igor Straminsky, Luther Rizzo, or Colonel Potter a good writer could convince me of the pairing easily. Mostly because Hawkeye flirts with everyone, even Sophie. (I will kill anyone who writes a Hawkeye in love with Sophie fic, but be amused at any Sophie really likes Hawkeye in her own horsey way fic.)
Which brings us to the next requirement of a little black dress of slash, that it can be both flirty and fun or serious. As said in the previous paragraph Hawkeye flirts with everyone, in teasing grins, in batting eyes, and with more subtle means he flirts, boy does he flirt! He has joined other characters to create mischief and havoc, from elaborate practical jokes to just hanging out with them and having a great time. His conversations with others are full of little teases that make both him and the other character’s eyes light up. As an example, any time he tells Francis something along the lines of “you drive me crazy” as in attract him, the good Father blushes and goes “Oh, Hawkeye” showing both his pleasure and his slight embarrassment.
Yet, its not all fun and games with Benjamin Pierce, he does have his serious and angsty side, this side being an absolute must for the little black dress of slash. Hawk feels deeply and it shows in his eyes, the way he holds himself, and the way he keeps just a little of himself separate from others no matter how close they are. Every time a patient of his dies, he beats himself for it, condemns himself for it, and mourns the loss. Every time his actions or lack of action hurts someone, like Nurse Kelly was hurt the one time he flirted with every nurse but her, he chastises himself for it harshly. He worries for his friends and has even occasionally shown concern toward his enemies, like Frank. Going so far as to be nice to him every now and then even though Frank rubs him the wrong way. Hawk has turned to others to talk of all the things that burden him and the other person tries to lighten the load. Though he cultivates an irreverent and mischievous personality, his deep feeling spirit peeks through showing you the vulnerability of the man inside the solid front he tries to keep up as a shield.
The character of Hawkeye shines whether the episode is a light-hearted romp or a deeply profound expose. You see a bit of his angst in the episode The Interview he tries to put up a good show, saying that the things he miss the most are food items, yet you can see hints of a hidden pain in the way he answers the question. In an Eye for a Tooth, B.J. first manipulates Hawkeye into playing practical jokes on Margaret and Charles helps out both sides, eventually ending with Hawkeye teaming up with Margaret and Charles to pull a joke on B.J. His interactions with all three characters show how much fun Hawk can have with others and show just how well they can interact with him. The one scene where Hawkeye and Charles talk together at the end of the show, B.J. looking on from the corner and excluded from the fun and Hawkeye’s company is just lovely.
In conclusion, though Klinger looks great in a little black dress (if I could find an image of him in his black dress I would link you to it), it is Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce, M.D. who is the little black dress of slash. He is suitable for any occasion, though normally coming of as fun, flirty and mischievous, he can come off as serious when the conditions are right. He both looks good with other people and other people make him look good too, showing that he can both accentuate the other characters and they can accentuate him making him look just a little better. He can look great all by himself, but is best when there are others around. He is everything you could want in a little black dress of slash: flirty, fun, mischievous, angsty, serious, he has charisma and he goes well with everyone. So, I believe he is the one character who can truly be called the little black dress of M*A*S*H fandom, though rebuttals to my theory are welcome.