M-preg

[brainofck]

I had a crack!fic moment the other day that I couldn't remember. It came back to me.

I was free associating, as one is wont to do when one is going through one's morning routine, and I thought, Michael Shanks is exactly one day older than me. So if he were pregnant, he would also be of "advanced maternal age."

Now of course, for me, Michael Shanks=Daniel Jackson. It had me laughing to myself. But no, there will be NO m-preg written in this journal.

However, I have of late read a massive amount of SG-1 m-preg. Count 'em. Three whole stories. Well, actually, on whole story, two chapters of a WIP and a ficlet.

I have also read bits of LOTR m-preg and even less LOTR_RPS m-preg.

I find that the general problem with m-preg is the same general problem with wedding fiction. It overly feminizes the male characters in the most unflattering and unfeminist ways possible, it is overly sentimental, and basically a huge cheese fest. Not to mention that it is WAY annoying. The mere presence of sperm inside a person does not cause them to conceive a child, bring it to term, and possibly deliver it. *shudders at the thought of a non-C-section*

However, though I will never be a huge fan of this genre, it works MUCH better in a scifi setting.

First, it delights me that due to the perverse sensigbilites of SG-1 fans, apparently SG-1 m-preg writiers do not go for the "girly" guy as the "mom." Orli and Frodo and Elijah get so picked on for this task. I've never seen Beanie knocked up. *snickers at the screams from Durham* But in the small sampling of SG-1 stories I've read, the writers have inflicted motherhood on Jack. *claps* With all the expected accompanying Jack behavious, from outraged, how could this happen to me, to total mother hen.

Also, in SG-1 fiction, there is a reason why Jack *could* get pregnant. In one, aliens are experimenting on the whole team. Jack is surgically implanted with an artificial womb, and one of Sam's eggs, altered to contain his DNA. See?! A believable way that a guy could get pregnant. Makes LOADS of difference to the readability of the story.

But in all the (three) stories I read, Jack remained a guy, and didn't warp into some weepy pathetic excuse for somebody's idea of a hormonal pregnant woman. Daddy Daniel and Jack's friends did not become hideous, sentimental and girly. I'm sure there's bad m-preg in this fandom, but it is kind of fun to read a little bit of this.

Anyway, as I am in that rather delicate condition myself at the moment, I felt the need to muse on this subject.

PS: I feel the need to note that my criticism of "girliness" is directed at the male characters being cast as the worst weak stereotypes of women. Wedding stories and m-preg stories are particularly guilty of this. Making "women" out of the characters in ways that no self-respecting female writer would ever write a good, interesting female character. Female characters of course should be "girly" and feminine, but they also should have depth and not just be weepy, sappy, and sentimental.

Gah. I feel like I am explaning this badly.

Comments

[mresundance.livejournal.com]

*applause*

*cheers*

[green-grrl.livejournal.com]

Having read WAY too many "girly" Daniel stories, I know exactly of what you speak. Ptooie! I hope to hell I never run across a girlie pregnant Daniel story, because, Ack!