At 05:17 PM 2/26/98 -0500, David Lerman wrote:

At 08:51 AM 2/27/98 +1100, Dave Eddy wrote:

It's a pity that there is a "side" to this issue, though I think a number of
people feel threatened by Ranma's emotional path in this story... Him,
the quintissential macho and a character I imagine a large number of
people would like to identify with, suddenly projecting something that
scares some people.  (Many people?  A good way to get into a fight
is to challenge a (typical) guy's masculinity.  Trouble is, many people
on this list aren't typical.)

 I really doubt that the author of "Thy Outward Part" feels that his
masculinity is threatened by the fic.  Richard simply objected to the
implied message "Women are inherently better than men" as detracting from
the story.  I agree.  And I wouldn't enjoy a "women are inferior and men
must lead them" story either.  Also, if Ranma was misleading Kodachi to
push her away, then why is everyone else convinced that Ranma will stay
female? 

No offense, but Richard and I don't see eye-to-eye on a number of things.
One of those things is a philosophy called political correctness.  The
problem that I see is that it pretends to show respect for other peoples
without even trying to understand the mindset behind those other people.

In this case, I think Richard is misunderstanding several things.  Think
about it: Ranma (who at this point is trying to act female) is facing off
against Kodachi, who is female and considers herself a proper Japanese
woman.  There are no men around, no Richard Lawsons or Gary Kleppes
listening from the next roof.  The message that Ranma uses against Kodachi
isn't "women are better than men" but "I do not like turning into a man."
These words are normal for the role that Ranma is trying to play while at
the same time scaring Kodachi from attacking in the future.

Just a question, to all the women out there: Would you like to be a man?
Would you be afraid if someone threatened to turn you (body and soul) into
a man?

You, like Richard and Gary, are seeing this from a male perspective.  Try
to look at it from the perspective of the combatants. 

 There is also the troubling matter of the lines - 

"Then comes more... personal areas, areas you never want a man to violate...
except _you_ are the man now, and that very fact feels like a violation."

 This seems to be a statement against hetero-sex.  So is Ranma asexual?
Or does Ranma prefer women?  Would he accept "violation" of those personal
areas by a woman?  

(sigh)  

I really hate repeating myself.  

To quote from one of my earlier posts:

***

All I can say is to read the previous chapters.  Look at the section where
Ranma tells Kunou about her 'curse', and compare it to what is said here.
They are almost identical in overall meaning, though anger is the
overriding emotion in the latter (for reasons stated earlier).  Read the
context in which things are said, and what Ranma is trying to do.  And yes,
that includes the 'fuzz' comment.  

Remember: Ranma started all this with a deception.  She is still trying to
deceive everyone.  How trustworthy are those words in comparison to what
she really thinks?  

***

BTW, consentual m-f sex isn't a violation.  Nonconsentual sex is.  That is
the definition I used when referring to that term.  After all, rape is a
serious concern to both Kodachi and Ranma now...

 I was also trouble by Ranma's threat to use Jyusenkyo water against
Kodachi.  That seems like much too severe a reaction by Ranma.

See above.   

 Despite Doug Murphy's tale (and an interesting one it is), I don't see
that the pressures on Ranma are such that he would prefer being a woman
full time, especially in Japan where onna-Ranma would have to deal with
Japanese society's attitude towards women.  Anyway, Ranma in female form
has to put up with about as much trouble as in male form.  Part of the
Ranmaverse is that Ranma attracts trouble.  Even as a woman, Ranma would
still be challenged by other martial artists, and would probably need to
deal with additional suitors besides Kuno as well as the gender-neutral
trouble that would find Ranma anyway. 

And how do you know all the pressures Ranma is going through?  ^_^

                                                                    dml

-- Nick