Yaoi!: Possible Gay Male Wish Fulfillment?

Yaoi! is a series we'll be running that will look at the various facets of gay manga and anime.  It's a semi-serious series that will cover a broad range of topics and opinions.  You're inclined to disagree of course- just don't go flaming the posts.  Cogent arguments might even get you highlighted here!  If you'd like to see anything specific, contact rainbownerdblog@gmail.com to provide a suggestion on a series or topic you'd like to see.

Last week we looked at yaoi and how it's mainly a genre suited to straight women as a way to fulfill their own fantasies in a safe way.  Though is it only suited to that audience?    While women are the primary target for such a genre we also have to look at those same themes discussed to see that it brings about a curious world in which homosexuality is often not the focus of the drama between characters.  Granted this is often seen as a way to avoid realism and downplay true societal pressure, but we can also look at it from the perspective of a gay male.  In a world where homosexuality is often denounced and considered a sin, yaoi gives us a glimpse into a world where those troubles are replaced by mere melodrama thus showing us a society that has largely moved beyond bothering about the morality, or lack thereof, of being gay.

Again, if we look to the common plot elements of most yaoi series, we see that they are more about the games of cat and mouse that are played between characters who would otherwise never date.  While the seme (or top) is often identified as a straight man, he often deals more with the fact that he suddenly has feelings for a man rather than whether or not he is gay.  In some instances there's the notion that society may not accept that type of love but that often is cast aside so that the character can focus more on why he loves this man.  To take that a step further, yaoi series, much like most things in Japanese society, have a rigid social structure not only in the sex, but in the daily lives of the characters.  Common themes of professor/student, master/servant, and other such dichotomies allow for this melodrama to replace the drama of real life.  The questions of why this professor would fall for a male student, a step below him in the honorific hierarchy, is more important than the fact that the student is male.  It's a sense of fear of fracturing the social structure more than it is about this student being male.

But even so, is that not something more akin to what we would like in a society?  Not having to focus on the fact that this man has feelings for another man but on something a little more trivial (at least in the sense of the story) is something that we as homosexuals, and forward thinking society, would like.  In these stories it's no longer about the whispers of being gay or how wrong it is but of whether or not the professor is dating the guy in your morning class or if the master of the house is having relations with the head butler.  Now the story, and it's society, are treating the affair like they would any straight affair.  The characters involved, and sometimes outside characters, scrutinize the relationship based on whether or not the feelings are true; if they are reciprocated; or if they are appropriate based on the professional relationship.

Even if the one who is straight-identifying merely has trouble accepting he loves a man it is often out of confusion rather than homophobia.  He never liked men before and can only see this one man in the same light he would see a woman which causes him that mental strife that he must overcome to create the relationship.  In those instances it isn't even about the professional dichotomy but about how his feelings are leading him to love another man.  It's almost relatable in the sense that many of us go through a period of confusion as to why we like someone of the same sex.  Granted we often wrestle with it due to society or try to figure out why that's always been the case but, again, if we lived in a world where homosexuality wasn't such a big issue we would likely think about why this one person is making us feel the way we do rather than what a bigot has to say. This need to understand his feelings and to understand that this is true love are prevalent in any other love story and it's barely something noticeable.  In a gay story it's showing a glimpse into a life we want where our biggest problem is figuring out if that other guy actually likes us or if we actually like him.  It stands out because of that so we can almost ignore the unrealistic depictions to focus on a love story.  Though it's almost better for young homosexuals in need of that escape because they're often the ones who need it most.

If we look at series that focus on teens and college-aged kids, we can almost provide that escapism but for younger readers who may be wrestling with what life could be like.  Considering there often isn't any true depiction of sex in yaoi series, it isn't particularly bad for a teenager to read yaoi series. In fact, reading them at 15 is when I got a glimpse into a world where two teenagers could fall in love and not have people jumping down their throats about how inappropriate two men being in love was.  Given our current state of bullying and even the good-natured looks at reality via gay teens on television, it's almost a bleak state of affairs.  Looking again to Ayers, "Indeed, with the right touch, not reflecting the realities gays face can make YAOI an ideal source of escapism. The fact that YAOI characters rarely face discrimination or rejection for being in a same-sex relationship can make these titles feel like a glimpse into a world where there’s nothing shocking or scandalous about a same-sex relationship" (Yowie!, Ayers).  While yaoi isn't realistic, there's something about it that lets a young gay person live out his (or her) wishes of a world that isn't focused on the use of the word fag or whether or not we need anti-bullying laws.  Those things are vitally important to talk about but it wears on a young mind.  Escaping into the world where the love may be torn apart because someone moved or a misunderstanding rather than homophobia allows for some peace of mind while reading a trashy romance.  It lets the reader have that silly little story without reality clouding things to remind us of why we can't just have said story.

Is it healthy to focus all of one's attention on silly romance stories and ignore the harsh reality?  No, of course not.  That's true of any orientation.  But what is important is that, given the state of the world in most yaoi stories, we can lose ourselves in the what if for  a couple hours at a time.  As our society continues to move forward we may start to see some aspects of these silly yaoi stories come to life.  One day we will be able to forgo gossiping about if someone's gay to if someone's dating that guy in gym class or that one guy in accounting.  We can maybe even accept that true love between two people isn't defined by most other peoples' ideas and opinions.  It's not perfect of course.  With most wish fulfillment and escapism it's still a fantasy.  Some may see that as a detriment.  They feel we must always make media about us a statement for change.  Though what about simple joys?  What about using the fantasy to imagine what the reality will be?  Going to the Moon was once a fantasy and we managed to make that into a reality.

Sources and Suggested Reading:

Dennis Ayer's "Yowie!: The Stateside Appeal of Boy-Meets-Boy YAOI Comics" (http://www.afterelton.com/)