Date: Sun, 14 Jun 1998 09:30:58 -0400
From: paladin 
Subject: [VP] Becoming a Slasher


At 11:49 AM 6/13/98 -0400, Karen wrote:
> Here's my questions: how many fans who were
>old enough to see S&H when it ran in the 70's slashed them at 
the time, and
>how old were you? For those who didn't, did anyone have a "hell 
NO!"
>reaction when they first heard about slash?

I was 20-something when S&H first aired.  I loved the 
relationship & it sure didn't hurt that both guys were gorgeous! 
Slash never occurred to me.  In fact, one of the things I 
remember most was being so proud of the fact that S&H loved each 
other so much yet there was nothing sexual to it at all.  I 
admired their willingness to let the love show & the hell with 
anyone who had a problem with that.  They knew sex was not 
involved & they didn't care what others thought.

When TNT began airing the eps again I still had no clue about 
slash.  Was just thrilled to see the show back & like so many 
others, assumed I was the only person in the entire world who 
still loved the show.  

Then, to get a persistent co-worker off my back who insisted I 
simply had to 'surf the web', I clicked on my 'internet' icon at 
work & typed in Starsky & Hutch in the search field.  Imagine my 
surprise & delight when Robin's web page came up.  Right away I 
joined Zebrathree & was the happiest of campers. Not only were 
there other fans out there, they had written stories!  Was the 
next best thing to having new eps to watch.

Then a friend I had made via Z3 asked how I felt about S/H.  I 
wrote back that I didn't know as I didn't know what '/' meant.  
She sent me a very gentle explanation & offered to share a story 
or two if I thought I might be interested.  I wrote back a very 
long dissertation on exactly why they had never had a sexual 
relationship & why they never would.  I didn't mind at all if 
others wanted to travel the '/' road but for me it just wasn't 
right & reading it would spoil the very reason I loved S&H.  Then 
I told her (in the same email) that having said all that, it 
occurred to me that I shouldn't 'judge' anything that I knew 
nothing about or make a decision as to what I liked or didn't 
like when I didn't have any experience.  So I asked her to please 
send me a slash story & I'd see what I thought.

Oh my God!  To this day I still shudder to think how close I came 
to never knowing about slash.  What I thought was already the 
'perfect' relationship was now even more 'perfect'. :)

Surprisingly, the only bit I had trouble visualizing & believing 
was a scene where S&H kissed in the parking lot before going in 
to see Dobey.  I could picture them having sex but not kissing 
outside that scenario.  I got over that stupid hangup PDQ!

Paladin


