Current mood:	Gobsmacked
Entry tags:	fandom: queer as folk

TALE OF THE B/J MOJO
Ah, those daffy Brian/Justin Queer as Folk fans. (I tried to find more F_W QAF links, but this was the only one I stumbled upon.)

The U.S. version of the gay soap opera has several, how shall we say, ah yes, dedicated fen. Their OTP--played by actors Gale Harold and Randy Harrison--has gone through many up and downs (literally and metaphorically - heh), but most B/J 'shippers firmly believe that Brian and Justin will find troo wuv 4evah at the end of the series. Which is fine, of course.

What is NOT fine is using African gris-gris magic and mojo "to ensure a happy future together for Brian and Justin!" Witness:

I arrived [in Africa] at the end of November as part of a team to evaluate a global initiative aimed at reducing neonatal mortality. As fascinating as my work can be, I was finding myself increasingly distressed and distracted by QAF S5 spoilers and obsessing over B/J's fate in the hands of the Evil Cowlip. You know it's an addiction when it starts interfering with your work, right?

Er, right.

Convinced that collective magic tops individual effort, I floated the idea to Leah, my fellow neo-Pagan, who helped put out a call for "intentions" to be incorporated into the mojo. Heartfelt wishes for Brian and Justin poured in, along with supporting pleas for better writing, more coherent story lines, less political ax-grinding, and more screentime for B/J. There were also suggestions that certain characters and story lines might disappear all together. (No RP death-wishes were allowed, by the way. This gris-gris can be powerful stuff.)

Which is why it should be used in a ceremony to unite two fictional characters, I guess. Of course, some wackery ensues.

It was that moment that Oumar (who had seen the B/J icon on the intentions sheet but said nothing at the time) asked about "la femme" in the relationship. And that's how I found myself in a totally absurd situation, standing exposed in the glare of the morning sun beneath the minaret, wondering how to tell him the fetish was for a gay couple. Generally speaking, Africans do not accept the idea of homosexuality and are pretty freaked by the whole thing. But I knew I couldn't lie without jinxing the mojo.

Luckily (!), the ceremony went on as planned. Click here for additional details, pictures, and these closing words:

As keeper of the B/J mojo, I am taking my responsibility very seriously in order to maximize its potential and ensure its safety. Right now, it's in the closet, nestled in the toe of my Mephisto, mainly so it doesn't scare the guy who comes in to clean the room. I hope that it will continue to inspire positive energy in the fandom, optimism for the fate of B/J, and a more satisfying S5. Indeed, I am convinced that -- if we keep the faith and exercise our collective will -- the balance is bound to tip in our favor.

Note: I am not against gris-gris, mojo, or any sort of religious practice. Or 'shipping fictional characters. But... yikes.

::backs away from the crazy::

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	kinneas 2004-12-18 07:12 pm UTC (link)
	...Um. Holy shit. Whenever I feel lame about RPing Resident Evil on my cell phone, I just come here. Jesus fucking Christ, there are no words. (Reply to this)(Thread)