M/M writers bingo card

Paul G. Bens, Jr. August 23, 2010 at 7:24 PM, Lambda Literary.org, comment on an article by Victoria Brownworth critiquing m/m fiction written by straight women.

Well, I’ve no ability to post a picture, so I’m transcribing the M/M Bingo Card, a list of common tactics that some m/m writers use to derail or deflect valid criticism or justify their work. Some of them have been used quite frequently here in this discussion.

    TOP ROW:

    BUT I LIKE IT / IT’S HAWT.
    BUT I DON’T MEAN TO BE OFFENSIVE.
    THEN WHY DON’T YOU TEACH ME HOW NOT TO BE OFFENSIVE.
    YOU’RE JUST JEALOUS OF MY SUCCESS.
    FETISHIZING DOESN’T MAKE THEM THE “OTHER”.

    SECOND ROW:

    BUT I GIVE MONEY TO (INSERT GAY CHARITY NAME).
    I USE A PSEUDONYM TO AVOID HOMOPHOBIA.
    MY BOOKS SELL, DO YOURS?
    IT’S JUST FICTION/ FANTASY…DO YOU HAVE TO BE AN ELF TO WRITE ELVES?
    DON’T LIKE IT; DON’T READ IT.

    THIRD ROW

    HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF WE TOLD YOU WHAT YOU CAN WRITE?
    MY GAY FRIEND/EDITOR/ GARDENER SAYS…
    CENTER SQUARE: YOU’RE SAYING STRAIGHT PEOPLE AREN’T ALLOWED TO WRITE GAY FICTION.
    I LOVE GAY PEOPLE/HAVE LOTS OF GAY FRIENDS.
    YOU’RE JUST OVER SENSITIVE.

    FOURTH ROW

    GAY PEOPLE DO IT/SAY IT, WHY CAN’T I?
    I KNOW MY BIO SAYS I’M (INSERT ORIENTATION) BUT I’M REALLY (INSERT DIFFERENT ORIENTATION ).
    I HATE HETERO ROMANCE BECAUSE THE WOMEN ARE SO BADLY DRAWN.
    I’VE HAD A TOUGH LIFE (aka White Women’s Tears adapted for usage).
    JUST BECAUSE I’M STRAIGHT DOESN’T MEAN I DON’T UNDERSTAND DOWN TO MY UTTER CORE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE GAY/OPPRESSED.

    FIFTH ROW:

    YOU’RE WRONG GAY PEOPLE.
    I REFUSE TO BOW TO POLITICAL CORRECTNESS.
    YOUR (GAY) OPINION ABOUT GAY ISSUES ISN’T ANY MORE IMPORTANT THAN MY (STRAIGHT) OPINION ABOUT GAY ISSUES.
    IT’S NOT OFFENSIVE.
    OPPRESSING M/M WRITERS IS JUST LIKE THE PERSECUTION OF THE GAYS BY (INSERT EVIL REGIME).