More about sex and Inara
POSTED BY: mal4prez
UPDATED: Saturday, August 1, 2009 19:12
VIEWED: 20411
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I don't want to further drag down a fun thread with my “serious” talk 
, so I'll move the tangent here. In the "What song would Inara sing ?" thread ( http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.asp?b=12&t=38775), this post got me thinking:
Quote:
Originally posted by AgentRouka:
Inara actually doesn't strike me as a singer at all. She seems too private and reserved for that, and she enjoys focusing on other people, professionally.
I could more easily see her play piano for someone else's singing, or being a painter/photographer who does artsy portraits.
And here's some of the following exchanges:
Quote:
Originally posted by mal4prez:
Does alternate universe mean alternate characterizations? Cause, gotta say, I agree with AR.
Quote:
Originally posted by Bytemite:
No, not really, unless that's the point of the alternate universe, but then why write in the characters at all?
However, Inara could still be the same character in a different job (Even though canon Inara might disagree with me!). I don't know why that's so unreasonable.
Granted, her job is part of what makes the conflict she has with Mal so interesting, and none of that has ever really been resolved, and that's why I like her in it...
But a universe with a superstar songstress/opera singer Inara who wants to live a quiet modest life, but is under increasing stress from her fans and managers could also be an interesting take on the verse.
If she's really high A-list, it could throw in commentary on social class that Firefly and Serenity really only brush the surface of. Increases the gap, if you will, because even though Inara is higher on the social totem pole than most of the Rim, my impression is she's still mostly on the outside looking in at society royalty.
Quote:
Originally posted by GillianRose:
I see what Rouka means, about how reserved Inara is, but I don't think it would entirely preclude her from any kind of performance. That might be part of the duality of her. After all, the Inara we know practices a profession in which she has very intimate contact with her audience, and at the very same time retains her distance and privacy. It might be very intriguing to see on stage. I've been thinking about this, imagining her as a very low-key, restrained presence, perhaps at a piano, but with a voice that communicates so much emotion it's almost mesmerizing...and then offstage she's as buttoned up and reserved as the Inara we know and love. Hearing that voice, wondering at the heart behind it, but never being able to touch it...that's where I'd see our Mal in this AU.
*snip*
All very personal and introspective, I can see her sharing so much with her voice but then insisting on the distance and almost keeping aloof (through diffidence) offstage.
Quote:
Originally posted by mal4prez:
I find that a fundamental restructuring and simplification of Inara. It reduces her to a female *object* right out of the age of American Idol pop culture. ie: girl innocently practices her art, completely unaware of how her amazing talent makes her inner lovable goddess shine out, and she unwittingly reduces the hero of the tale to a gooey puddle of starry-eyed puppy love...
Sorry. It's just too Disney TV movie for me! (ETA: Wow, wasn't meaning that to be as bitchy as it sounds! Sorry about that.)
And anyway, I really don't see Inara as a performer. She certainly lives in a spotlight, but she very knowingly and intentionally makes use of it to do her job. See, here's the thing: what she does in the public eye does not reveal her true self; it is an act designed to attract and service her clients. In the series, she does calligraphy in private. She doesn't rent out a studio and show her finished work. Similarly, I could see her singing in private, but I don't see her singing with true, heartfelt passion in front an audience. She'd sing publicly only as part of her act, part of her job as a Companion.
Speaking of which: I find it interesting that the AUs discussed in this thread havNOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Quote:It is an interesting parallel - a woman's ownership of her voice as compared to the ownership of her body. Certainly, there's a similarity of theme there. But I didn't see this in the discussion on the other thread (not until the end). What I was responding to was more this idea that Mal will hear Inara sing and therefore be more in love with her. Sure, great romance, but romance that changes her character, is my assertion.
Originally posted by Bytemite:
Could Mal dislike Inara sharing herself with fans just as much as he might with clients? Wouldn't Inara be isolated this way, even as her singing tricks her fans into thinking they know her?
And no, I don’t expect most folks to agree. Hence the warning on my post! Really, AR’s post just got me thinking, and it’s been a long time since I had new thoughts about these characters, so I wanted to hear myself talk a bit. And I’m not done listening.
The thing is, singing doesn't compare to whoring as far as challenging people's assumptions. I’m not talking about the Mal/Inara dynamic, I’m talking the relationship between us (the fans and fic writers) and Inara.
One of the most unique aspects of Inara (Kaylee too) is her sexuality. She is openly into sex without being dirty, or lowly, or jaded. I think a lot of fans, as much as we love this show, aren’t uncomfortable [edit: I meant "aren't comfortable" of course!] with this. It's pretty rare that Inara (or Kaylee) play the field for long in fanfic. Come to think of it, I must include myself in this. I didn't put much effort into bringing in new partners for Kaylee or new clients for Inara. Honestly, it would have been hard for me to maintain the ladies' sexual independence and still pursue the S/K and M/I romantic possibilities. Curses! I just have too much monogamy programmed into me, so I reverted to what’s easier to write.
By which I mean to step back and question my own assumptions about women's sexuality. Why must we sanitize Inara (good word!) by making her a singer or shop owner? Why are we so uncomfortable with allowing her to keep her trade, whether in an AU or in our own extensions on the canon verse?
Because sex is a MUCH different thing than singing, that's why. Again, I’m not talking about the Mal/Inara UST, I’m talking our ability to accept Inara (or Kaylee) as she is.
Quote:Not quite. It's not the jealous friction I’m interested in at the moment. What I'm talking about has nothing to do with Mal.
I understand WHAT you're driving at, though. You don't like that the sex part of it has been taken out of the equation, because the sex is what makes for a whole lot of fun jealous friction.
Quote:Not trying to. I never said no one should write it, just saying I don’t entirely agree with it and explaining why, because I think character discussions are fun. The tide can flow where it likes, won’t stop my mouth from running in its own direction.
But people are going to write fanfiction, and people are going to dislike Inara's whoring and want to make her into something they find more acceptable. I don't think you can fight the tide.
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Quote:My criticism wasn’t all aimed at you. I’m lazy about quoting one thing to get me going in my rant, then I move on to reply to a lot of stuff, including things not even on the thread. (ie My experience with Inara and Kaylee characterizations in all manner of fics over the past 4 years.) I’m sorry that I made you feel targeted, I didn’t mean it! My post did come off a bit bitchy, didn’t it?
Originally posted by GillianRose:
Mal4Prez, I feel compelled to answer, since I find myself the only one quoted in your post.
Quote:I agree – being exactly that sort myself. But like I replied to Bytemite above, I think there’s a big difference between performing for a crowd and having sex with a unending string of strangers. Big big BIG difference!
There are performers who, no matter the intensity of what they share with their audience, are quite introverted and contemplative off-stage, and not comfortable with sharing themselves personally.
So, without meaning to suggest that your intended fic ideas are bad, I still think there’s a fundamental shift to Inara’s character in changing her from a Companion to a shy, reserved singer.
Uh… Ok, a clever writer could pull it off and even do really cool things with it. But it take some ingenuity!
But if (I'm not at all implying this is true of you Gillian Rose, just talking fic generalities) if the whole point of making Inara a singer is to make Mal fall in love with her more, that’s like Mary Sue 101, is what I’m saying. Or Disney TV movie ick! LOL!
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Quote:
Originally posted by mal4prez:
[edit]
It is an interesting parallel - a woman's ownership of her voice as compared to the ownership of her body. Certainly, there's a similarity of theme there. But I didn't see this in the discussion on the other thread (not until the end). What I was responding to was more this idea that Mal will hear Inara sing and therefore be more in love with her. Sure, great romance, but romance that changes her character, is my assertion.
And no, I don’t expect most folks to agree. Hence the warning on my post! Really, AR’s post just got me thinking, and it’s been a long time since I had new thoughts about these characters, so I wanted to hear myself talk a bit. And I’m not done listening.
The thing is, singing doesn't compare to whoring as far as challenging people's assumptions. I’m not talking about the Mal/Inara dynamic, I’m talking the relationship between us (the fans and fic writers) and Inara.
One of the most unique aspects of Inara (Kaylee too) is her sexuality. She is openly into sex without being dirty, or lowly, or jaded. I think a lot of fans, as much as we love this show, aren’t uncomfortable with this. It's pretty rare that Inara (or Kaylee) play the field for long in fanfic. Come to think of it, I must include myself in this. I didn't put much effort into bringing in new partners for Kaylee or new clients for Inara. Honestly, it would have been hard for me to maintain the ladies' sexual independence and still pursue the S/K and M/I romantic possibilities. Curses! I just have too much monogamy programmed into me, so I reverted to what’s easier to write.
By which I mean to step back and question my own assumptions about women's sexuality. Why must we sanitize Inara (good word!) by making her a singer or shop owner? Why are we so uncomfortable with allowing her to keep her trade, whether in an AU or in our own extensions on the canon verse?
Because sex is a MUCH different thing than singing, that's why. Again, I’m not talking about the Mal/Inara UST, I’m talking our ability to accept Inara (or Kaylee) as she is.
[edit]
Not quite. It's not the jealous friction I’m interested in at the moment. What I'm talking about has nothing to do with Mal.
[edit]
Not trying to. I never said no one should write it, just saying I don’t entirely agree with it and explaining why, because I think character discussions are fun. The tide can flow where it likes, won’t stop my mouth from running in its own direction.
I doubt Inara's singing is ALL that Mal would like about her. My own thinking on that matter is that he's attracted BECAUSE Inara stirs things up for him emotionally, and it's been a long time (pretty much since the war) since he's felt much besides his usual post-war range. That's what I think he likes about her. Her looks, and maybe in this case, her voice, those would all contribute, but even more than that, it's personality, it's how she makes him feel. And I mean that in a number of ways.
That might be off topic too. I'm very skilled at going off topic.
As for sexuality being part of Inara's character, I don't think a career change might necessarily make Inara less so. Using Kaylee's example, she's a mechanic, not a lot of room for being cute, chirpy, and sexual, but Kaylee is that. Inara could easily keep that aspect of her character; she might even stay as liberated as she is as a companion, and have a large number of partners. Often.
But you bring up the "why people sanitize Inara" question. I guess it has to do with our own moral judgment calls; some people just aren't going to be comfortable with Inara unless she's completely monogamous and in "traditional female roles" (of which I don't think there are any).
But because a lot of Mal/Inara shippers are, I believe, female... It might also be a trace of anti-feministic backlash. It's gotten to the point where I think some people think that "girl power" means "a bitch in a suit," and, not seeing Inara that way, these authors decide they want
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Off topic again, but I have to comment:
This thread title is perfectly engineered to bring in many, many people. :)
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There are so many things that make Inara a fascinating character, it's hard for me to know where to start. There is her work as a Companion - I really like how Morena Baccarin describes it: she's "an ambassador for sex." What's very interesting to me, and intrinsic to Inara as a character, is the orthodoxy of her career within the context of her culture. She's not working outside the law, or even outside the domain of societal approval (I am talking about her culture/society of origin, obviously Companions and their work are not accepted by everyone and Inara is well aware of this). Book describes her as "respectable" in The Train Job. Inara is a highly skilled professional working in a career that requires rigorous, thorough, and continuing education (Companions "never stop practicing...not a true Companion"). We hear her describe her shuttle as a consecrated space; we hear references to a House Priestess. From this I infer that there is a strong spiritual component to Companion training and work. When I see her talking post-intercourse with Fes Higgins, I am reminded of a therapist, clergy, or very trusted advisor. She is the epitome of cultured, elegant beauty at the ball with Atherton Wing - she makes him look good, tactless, violent dolt that he is. And sex work, described as "the art of love" in the Blu Ray Companion documents, is centrai to her work. Inara is clearly a highly capable and intelligent individual. Her intelligence and accomplishments, her place within an established order like the Guild, make her interestingly similar to Book and Simon. One could surmise that she had any number of career paths open to her, and she chose to be a Companion. To me, this illuminates both the character of Inara and the idea of the Companion. She's a sex worker. In what way is she also like clergy? In what way is she also like a therapist, either for mental/emotional issues or like the massage therapist I go to when I'm out of alignment and in pain? Is she at times an entertainer, someone who provides an enjoyable experience? Does she serve needs or desires? Art, beauty, love, communication, connection, intimacy, excitement, mystery...what do human beings really need? What can we do without? These are some of the questions that Inara and Firefly make me think about. This is why I love her, and the 'verse Joss created.
I don't imagine someone of Inara's capabilities and wisdom would choose, and persist in a career that she didn't enjoy, that didn't give her professional satisfaction. It's a deep human need, to do meaningful work. I admire Inara for being a hard-working professional, in the best sense of the word. She is a professional: she has a well-defined sense of who she is and the work that she does. She doesn't let the circumstances around her, the people who fail to appreciate her, influence her into being less than she is, than she has chosen to be. Her dignified constancy in the face of Higgins' rude bluster, as a response to her client from the pilot, even when Atherton Wing has expressed a wish to maim and starve her - it's admirable, it's beautiful. I love her for it. Joss has said that it's very easy for people to change for the worse, usually in response to the people around them. Inara doesn't do this, I would say, because of her very strong conviction about who she is and what she does. She's a hero. To me.
All this being said, Companions retire. Joss says so. I don't buy the fics that have Inara ocntinue to be a Companion because that's "all she knows, that's all she's ever imagined herself to be." From the little we know about the Guild, I infer that some Companions stay within the Guild in some capacity (House Priestess?) for their entire professional careers. We know that Inara had considered that, but that now, for whatever reason, she's on a different path. I don't have a problem with a story in which Inara retires and goes on to another career, one that better suits her, what is important to her, and what she wants to do with her life at that time. It's
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Quote:LOL! But off-topic is the source of much goodness.
Originally posted by Bytemite:
That might be off topic too. I'm very skilled at going off topic.
Anyway, what you say about Mal's attraction to Inara is quite nice. I don't often put much thought into what exactly it is about her that gets to him. As you say, it certainly is something besides her good looks. Her soothing presence has to be welcome to him. Even if she's not always so soothing LOL!
Quote:But Inara is different from Kaylee in that she doesn't have affairs for her own fun. A music star who sleeps around for her own amusement is very different from a counselor/care-taker/escort who includes sex in her services.
As for sexuality being part of Inara's character, I don't think a career change might necessarily make Inara less so.
Sex is not just sex for Inara. It's not something she does for her own physical pleasure. It's a tool she uses to fulfill the needs of others. So maybe (uh, making this up as I go) sex itself is not the point for Inara - the reason for the sex is what defines her.
Quote:
But because a lot of Mal/Inara shippers are, I believe, female... It might also be a trace of anti-feministic backlash. It's gotten to the point where I think some people think that "girl power" means "a bitch in a suit," and, not seeing Inara that way, these authors decide they want to tone down her liberated side to extrapolate on her sweeter side, and make her fit better into their established conceptions.
I can totally see that. It is easier, and much funner, to make the ladies sweet and non-controversal. Avoid the pesky issues that Inara's a whore and Kaylee's easy.
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GR:
Whoa. Good post.
Much to think about!
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You guys are so cool. I haven't seen as enjoyable Inara discussions in a long while.
In terms of sanitizing Inara... painfully common. There is a substantial majority of writers and fanfic that drive me to distraction with what I guess has been called anti-feminist backlash. It burns.
And I agree with Mal4Prez that singing and sex just don't make a good equivalent in terms of transgressing comfort zones. Altering her job in any way, really, is cheating because it removes the one, fundamental conflict between them, basically handing victory to Mal, either by making someone else the bad guy (Evil Guild) or lobotomizing Inara (I don't mind giving up my job!).
The thing that I have trouble dealing with sometimes is my suspicion that although Joss created this character that was a revelation to me, I don't trust that even he would have allowed her to stick to her job without the ultimate "punishment" of losing love in the process. Or just not resolving the conflict at all by distracting from it with her big secret.
It's always my greatest happiness when someone seriously deals with Mal and Inara without eliminating her job, truly working on a compromise, or at least really aknowledging the cost of changing the status quo, in terms of their conflict still needing resolution. It's not just a practical conflict, after all, it's a philosophical one, about judgment and acceptance and respect.
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Quote:
Originally posted by mal4prez:Quote:But Inara is different from Kaylee in that she doesn't have affairs for her own fun. A music star who sleeps around for her own amusement is very different from a counselor/care-taker/escort who includes sex in her services.
As for sexuality being part of Inara's character, I don't think a career change might necessarily make Inara less so.
Sex is not just sex for Inara. It's not something she does for her own physical pleasure. It's a tool she uses to fulfill the needs of others. So maybe (uh, making this up as I go) sex itself is not the point for Inara - the reason for the sex is what defines her.
Is it? I don't think Inara would have involved herself with Atherton in Shindig if she had found out the last couple of times he contracted her that he was a chauvinistic pig. Inara accepted Atherton's bid for her company over apparently an awkward young man, likely first-timer, much like Fess Higgins. And I think Inara did that because she wanted to have a good time, relax, and go to a party. And in War Stories, when Kaylee wishes Inara luck with her "Have good sex!" line, Inara didn't get all uppity about her profession and the spiritual side then. I imagine the conversations she has with Kaylee are often about what they enjoy in that capacity.
I think Inara enjoys sex, and enjoys multiple partners. I don't think she could perform her job and not feel "easy" or taken advantage of if she were wired any other way.
Quote:Quote:
But because a lot of Mal/Inara shippers are, I believe, female... It might also be a trace of anti-feministic backlash. It's gotten to the point where I think some people think that "girl power" means "a bitch in a suit," and, not seeing Inara that way, these authors decide they want to tone down her liberated side to extrapolate on her sweeter side, and make her fit better into their established conceptions.
I can totally see that. It is easier, and much funner, to make the ladies sweet and non-controversal. Avoid the pesky issues that Inara's a whore and Kaylee's easy.
Or they could just like writing Disney-esque fluff. Primitive as fairy tales are and the bothersome roles in them, what's charming about them is that they are fun and simple. I haven't grown up so much that I can't enjoy them, though that one part of my mind does still keep saying "I really wish the girl would make a stand here." But in recent years, pop-culture has been putting more spunk in their Princesses, and I appreciate that.
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