OOC: RP-ing as the opposite gender?

[Lightman]

Although I am male, I have posted in a few threads on the SRP Board as a female character.
These threads went fairly well, and I have quite enjoyed myself.
However, I wonder if some might feel uncomfortable with this--that maybe some do not like the idea of interacting(even in RP) someone who is actually of the same gender.

I would really like to hear the general opinion on this...in order to know wether I should abstain from RP-ing as a female in future.

 

[Merelan]

Though I have never done this. There are several here that have. Not sure they have made it open so won't mention names. They have done well. It shows a great imagination to do so. Creativity a must.
keep it up!!! Didn't really mean that pun, did I?

 

[TonyG]

I do have a strong feeling about this concept but I believe you should post this thread on the GB. You would get a much better discussion and I think it would be a very good topic.

 

[Amadeus]

To be honest, I usually start out with a fear, or the assumption, that the girl is actually a pimply-faced adolescent guy and it is a nice surprise when I am wrong.

I have no idea how often I have been completely fooled and gone to the end of a story line with someone who was actually a male. And it doesn't matter.

The only times it was really offensive was when it became so pornographic and ugly and obvious that it was an unimaginative male pretending to be female. That makes it ugly and insulting and I always drop out of the story. No fun.

I have played female roles myself occasionally, but only with women writing the other part. I enjoyed it very much and it was very erotic, sometimes quite beautiful. I felt a little guilty deceiving the other writer and that was uncomfortable, so I stopped doing it. That was easy because there are enough straightforward, honest female writers on the lit board to make for very great story telling and extremely good and sensual fantasy.

God bless them, they are lovely, and I really love them.

Thanks, Lit Ladies,

[Edited by Amadeus on 01-13-2001 at 06:37 PM]

 

[Neale]

I have played female characters in rpgs before, in fact I often do, as I generally play with a bunch of guys, and that is the only way to have any female characters at all. However, I don't think I would play a female in a Srpg thread, because it would be just a little weird, not to mention dishonest-if the other party did not know that I was doing so. The only way I can see that it would be 'right' is if my character was somehow transformed within the story. So long as it is in character, I would have no problems staying with the thread.

 

[Phoenix]

forget the $.02 my $.04

Actually I got my start in Lit as a cowriter for a female part. See my friend Asya who is the other Phoenix, got married in November of last year and as a result between planning her wedding and doing the deed she needed someone to fill in for her and naturally she chose me her roomie and best friend. Seeing the fact that I am a journalist major and actually wrote my first novel (well most of it at least), it was so obvious. Matter of fact in the superhero league thread me and Asya's style was so distinct that we decided to be two characters instead of one.

As for the sexual stuff well at first it made uncomfortable but after a lil (or a lot of) research from various ladies in my life I think I can write sex for both genders. I may not do as well as others but I can be serviceable for either role. However usually I prefer to stay male though just out of the fact that well since I am male I must be used to it.

 

[Hecate]

Lightman said: However, I wonder if some might feel uncomfortable with this--that maybe some do not like the idea of interacting(even in RP) someone who is actually of the same gender.

I did play both, male and female roles and will continue doing so in the future... I really do not know what difference it makes since ANY character I am playing in a Role Play is unreal and not ME... so, since I can be whatever - whoever I like, I take the liberty of being a blonde, a brunette, a redhead, slim, athletic, busty - male or female...

The part in a SRP doesn't put me into any interaction with the author of any other character - it is a "writer's challenge" in my eyes, a release for my creativity, a playground for forbidden fantasies.

For all I know about people I write with, the "handsome stud, age 32, dark wavy hair and piercing blue eyes" could have pimples and be just 18, or beer bellied and balding at age 75 ... as long as the writing is fun, why should I care??? It is all about taking advantage of the delightfull fantasies our minds can supply us with ...

I do admit though that it is a completely DIFFERENT MATTER to assume a knowingly fake identity when stepping out of the boundaries of the Role Play, when fiction does become a reality (or as much of it as it can be in Cyberspace) and trust is betrayed. Having said that , I would rather not "mix up" this particular topic between the role play and the general board ... there have been cases where "true identities" turned out to be fake, but hearts were broken in the process and a web of lies was spun that was not easily entagled, leave alone forgotten or forgiven.

 

[willywanker]

Well, I guess I'm the exception to the rule. I have never and don't intend to play a female role. I have been in RP's with a male in a female's role and must admit I was a little uncomfortable. I know its stupid cause all the parts are fictional, but it was still a little stranded for me. I'm not saying I'll drop out if it happens again, but its something I've got to work on.

 

[Hecate]

mo more opinions on this subject?? I really am curious to still see what people think ...

 

[asiangal]

As a newbie, I must say, I don't think I can play a male role convincingly. And anyway, it's too much fun to be a female! But I can be asian, caucasian, any race, any age, from young adult to middle age, I guess. But then again, I don't have much experience writing here, so only time will tell.

 

[Ask For More]

I think the difficulty is that i would have is to write convincingly as a female, and i don't think i could possibly do that without feeling a little wierd.

Maybe i should get more in touch with my feminine side? ;op
Or maybe i should just ask Mel Gibson...i'm thinking of electrocuting myself in the bath as well after that movie....

 

[Thor's Hammer]

I'm not judgemental, but I prefer that people stay "in gender." Knowing myself, I could not play a woman convincingly. Having said that, in fantasyland, I am impressed with people who write well enough to take male or female roles. We are different, however, and I kind of like it that way. (Men are from Mars, Women from Venus).

As I lay here on my couch in self-analysis, I suspect I chose the name "Thor's Hammer" because it is so masculine. It would be hard to sell Thor in a feminine role!

[Edited by Thor's Hammer on 01-18-2001 at 02:36 AM]