reddwarfslash | Intriguing, to say the least.

You beat me to it. *Lol* I'm dying of curiosity as well. There was an aside in the Ep 2 report about possible offensiveness too.

Here is my elaborate, slashy theory (since we know the ep features about 30 extras and location shooting): The crew somehow meet Alexander The Great (a hologram, wax-droid, whatever). He makes a pass at Rimmer, who recoils in horror and escapes. Back on the Dwarf, the incident brings his repressed feelings for Lister to the surface. :D (Inspired by Kahvi's "Alexander" fic.)

No, I'm not serious, but wouldn't it be fun? :)

OMG! That would be awesome. I was thinking on the slashy nature as well, due to the fact that it would be offensive to some.

Much though I'd love it to be something like that, Doug has so much invested in the Lister / Kochanski thing that I can't see it happening, sadly. And I'm not sure I'd want Rimmer to have a one-sided crush; it would just be too cruel.

Although they could possibly get round that by having a one-episode plot involving the sexual magnetism virus or something similar. Speculating is fun. :)

And I'm not sure I'd want Rimmer to have a one-sided crush; it would just be too cruel.
I'm afraid I have already been seeing that. To me it's been there since Future Echos. Why would Rimmer protest so damn much about Lister going back into stasis? Why would he complain so much in Stasis Leak about Lister wanting to stay with Kochanski. It's there already. Lister just doesn't see it.

Oh, I agree, except optimistic me hopes it's like Kronette's last fic - that Lister does return Rimmer's feelings but has yet to realise it. :)

I suppose what I mean is that I don't want it to be a canon, indisputable one-sided crush.

I suppose what I mean is that I don't want it to be a canon, indisputable one-sided crush.

I understand. Where as I'm sitting here wondering would Rimmer be able to handle anything but that? Could Rimmer handle Lister actually loving him back? It's just the angst monster in me rearing it's head and the irrational Hologram I have back here telling me he doesn't know if he could accept it. It's half way there we just need Lister to reciprocate and we got our OTP! (Come on Naylor, Just do it!)

Another idea I have for an offensive thing is maybe it takes the piss out of some of the shit going on out in the real world. Maybe he takes pot shots at the wars and economy.

Dude, I just got A FOLLOW from @roopeshparekh. WTF?

Edited 2012-01-08 22:52 (UTC)

It could be about war, but of course that's nothing new for RD. I get the impression this is, although I may well be wrong.

Many people have said they weren't offended, though... *Scratches head*

Seb P over at the official forum said this: "Incidentally, I disagree with ReflexReaction. I think there's a hugely significant reason (one that's clear from the episode) why it shouldn't be taken as being as offensive as some people may make out. But, by the same token, the taking of offence is a personal thing, and you can't really tell other people what they should and shouldn't have a problem with.

However, as a pretty politically-correct person, I had no issue with it whatsoever."

This is what made me think. If he's a "PC" Chap and he wasn't offended by it what in the hell could it be? War? Slash? Disgusting bathroom humour?

Nah, I doubt it. At this point, I don't think canon slash would be offensive to many viewers (certainly not to British viewers, I wouldn't think); also, the guy says it's something *no* sitcom has done (which, is a pretty narrow net, IMO - I think he's probably wrong), and remember, "Modern Family" is a top-rated U.S. sitcom and features a gay male couple with children.

(ETA: I'm betting it's something to do with religion or ethnicity. Another guess would be full-frontal, but I think THAT'S probably unlikely. But who knows?)

As for the male guest star - this is Doug, the guest star is important, so I'm going to pull from a previous prediction that it's Michael McGruder. There, I said it. LOL

Edited 2012-01-08 23:42 (UTC)

As for the male guest star - this is Doug, the guest star is important, so I'm going to pull from a previous prediction that it's Michael McGruder. There, I said it. LOL

I want this to be true. I want this to be so true. They have said that the threads of the shows tie together. Maybe we will get our McGruder "Last Human" tie in. :)
That would be sweet.

I wasn't thinking canon slash being seen as offensive per se; more that this guest character may be gay and the way he's played could be seen as offensive - predatory, camp etc. But really I'm just speculating; it's probably nothing like that.

They've tackled religion before of course, in "Waiting For God" most notably. I actually hope it doesn't concern ethnicity, because I've always loved RD's utter nonchalance about it. But maybe I should have faith in Doug's writing and the cast's acting.

Incidentally, is your icon on this post from an actual photo, or is it 'shopped?

To be fair, canon slash WOULD offend some people - I just don't know if it's the same people who'd watch Red Dwarf, here in the States, LOL. But I really do think it's related more to religion somehow - although I stand by my statement that I can't think of ANYTHING a sitcom hasn't yet done that could be done to offend people. That's sort of part of the nature of comedy, isn't it?

Exactly. Think of something controversial and you can bet your boots it's been tackled somewhere. RD, Ab Fab, Little Britain... I'm sure it's been covered before, whatever it is.

Actual photo.
*Fetches Link for you*

It must be the angle of his head leaning forward and down; I thought it was pasted on another body, for some reason. But it looks NICE. Lovely.

I think it the lighting my self and the black turtle neck sweater. *sighs*

Oh, eh! You want my stories manifest on screen? I need a "yes, please!" icon for that!

I'm all for the Alexander the Great scenario, and it would need a lot of extras, though wouldn't most be male? Or just a select few as personal consorts of Alexander? I don't see how showing Rimmer having a crush on Lister which isn't returned is any different from the smeg the writers put him through over the years. Look at Terrorform and Rimmerworld; he's treated terribly by the crew and his own clones. What's a bit of heartache on top of it?

I must hunt down this Alexander series :) Is it on AO3 and I missed it?

I know it's not a sitcom, but South Park has offended damn near everyone with their schtick and it was the writers' intention. With the last series of Torchwood, we had m/m sex on screen, the first since probably our version of Queer as Folk, so I doubt the offensiveness lies that way.

There isn't much RD hasn't dealt with. I mean, we've already had male pregnancy, genderswap (Holly), religion, causality, nudity (strictly for the first "test clone" in Rimmerworld), disgust (Lister eating a tarantula and maggots), hell, even mild forms of incest if Ruler Rimmer was kissing his concubine lover woman-Rimmer. Or...wasn't that Rimmer actually a woman? Was it just another male Rimmer forced to act/look like a woman? I've often wondered about that. If our Rimmer couldn't get a female clone of himself after all his attempts, did the clones do it?

http://www.roadstergal.info/misc/alexander.htm

Here's the link to the first fic. :)

http://reddwarfslash.livejournal.com/199273.html

And here's the second. Be warned though, it contains dubiously consensual sex. It's definitely worth reading, though.

No, I don't think Rimmer could handle someone loving him. He's been burned by friendship with the guys and their handling of getting off of "Terrorform," you think he'd ever let himself open up to allow someone to love him?

Thank you! Just read and commented. I'd read the first before, but didn't know about the second.

nudity (strictly for the first "test clone" in Rimmerworld)

You must not be through S8 yet. ;-)

you think he'd ever let himself open up to allow someone to love him?
No not at all.

I can see him eventually accepting that he is in love with Lister, but never accepting the fact that Lister is in love with him. He'd be terrified of it. He'd be terrified of the rejection. He's already had it once, he'd just fall apart and simply not accept it.

Intriguing, to say the least.

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