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Discussion: The Sexuality of the Character of Sarah Connor
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Turncoat |
The Sexuality of the Character of Sarah Connor
Nov 11 2011, 12:32 PM EST
No this isn't a question of if Sarah is a Lesbian (We know the answer) What I mean is something I've been thinking alot about writting TSCC fanfiction for three years now. You have two potrayals of Sarah Connor. One by Linda Hamilton and one by Lena Headey. being that I've been reading terminator Fanfiction for four years now I've seen an interesting contrast to the character's backstory. In Terminator fanfiction when Linda!Sarah's backstory is explored it's a tough almost Batman: Year One style of military training, pull ups and combat. It's gritty non-sexual GI Jane stuff. But in TSCC Fanfiction Lena!Sarah's Backstory is explored with her being prostituted, sexualized, and in some cases a victim of rape. Lena!Sarah's use of her body and sexual favors to gain training becomes the forefront of the backstory. Now before I go on I'll openly admit to falling into this backstory in at least one story myself. I guess my question is why is there a seperation? Yes, I tend to fall on the side of Lena being more Beautiful (So sue me) but alot of people think Linda is great looking. So the looks don't count in this ... What do you guys think? Why is it that Lena!Sarah is more sexualized than Linda!Sarah? I think it might be the shreded look of Linda in T2 to a more slender womanly Lena in TSCC ... just a thought. Do you find this valuable?
Keyword tags:
Lena Headey
Linda Hamilton
Sarah Connor
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termi-ninja-tor |
1. RE: The Sexuality of the Character of Sarah Connor
Nov 11 2011, 2:05 PM EST
I haven't read any fanfics about Sarah.Based on your description, it seems that the Lena!Sarah characterizations show a less violent Sarah. Sarah has to have some means of support. It sounds like the Linda!Sarah character stole money and weapons and was able to provide for her own support this way. This is a high risk lifestyle, since she would have the authorities after her but also her high profile might make her an easier target if there were any more terminators seeking her and John. Lena!Sarah seemed to have established a lifestyle of living off-the-grid / under-the-radar. She probably still resorted to stealing, but she likely also needed help and had to be part of a group or team. Hence, more sexuality. Of course the ultimate answer lies in the minds of what appeals to the authors of all those fanfics. If they want their heroine to be sexualized, then they will write Sarah that way in their stories. Along with that, maybe they consciously or subconsciously find sexuality with a female bodybuilder to be unappealing. So they will write a sexualized Sarah but not use Linda's Sarah. Do you find this valuable? |
I.Join |
2. RE: The Sexuality of the Character of Sarah Connor
Nov 13 2011, 10:05 AM EST
"No this isn't a question of if Sarah is a Lesbian (We know the answer)I don't think the difference is in the actress, but in the context we saw the two Sarah: in T2 Sarah is extremely harder because she's in the Pescadero, where she was treated as worthless and sometimes beaten without reason (deleted scene), while TSCC's Sarah is free and somehow has again a life (she was with Charley before to leave). Also in T2 we have John's stories about her past, that define her as a strong woman... but that also confirm us that she had men in her past (after T1). T2's Sarah is harder (despite many times it seems that she wants to appear harder than she is), that's the main reason for what you write (IMO). Do you find this valuable? |
ShelterWolf |
3. RE: The Sexuality of the Character of Sarah Connor
Nov 13 2011, 7:07 PM EST
The T2 universe was a bit of a strong theme concerning Sarah's experience. Perhaps, JF felt he had to tone it down a bit for the kids - but just enough so they could have pubic hairs after it was all over.
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Schmacky |
4. RE: The Sexuality of the Character of Sarah Connor
Nov 19 2011, 3:19 AM EST
"In Terminator fanfiction when Linda!Sarah's backstory is explored it's a tough almost Batman: Year One style of military training, pull ups and combat. It's gritty non-sexual GI Jane stuff.I can't say I've seen this difference in fanfic but in the movies/show.. I get the feeling that it's the same. In T2, it gave the implication that Sarah may have been victimized by orderlies (the creepy dude licking her face as she was supposedly doped up...) and John talking about her shacking up with anyone that she could learn anything from. We don't know how long she was in Pescadero (at least, I don't know) according to the movie, but John was 10 years old in that movie and if he made the observation that she was shacking up then I get the impression it happened quite a lot and that her body is one of the weapons in Sarah's arsenal. To me, that backstory remained consistent with TSCC Sarah. Do you find this valuable? |
intrepid |
5. RE: The Sexuality of the Character of Sarah Connor
Nov 19 2011, 7:14 AM EST
I generally don’t read fanfics so I can’t comment on that particularity, however, I would point out that Linda/Sarah and Lena/Sarah represent two different points in Sarah’s life and can be put down to character growth.While both are driven, the Linda/Sarah is in a manic stage of her life, forced to be uncompromising by the situation she knows is coming and trapped in an institution that is not only frustrating her attempts to stop judgement day but drugging her against her will as well; we can also add the Dr’s therapy as a form of passive torcher to try and break her will. The Lena/Sarah thinks JD has been prevented but is still being hunted by the authorities and still paranoid enough to plan for JD with the “just in case” justification, she has softened from the Linda/Sarah character and is more open to people in general, she has moved on in other words but is pulled back by the Terminator’s attack at the school into old thinking habits. Both have used their good looks as a tool of manipulation as explained by John in T2, and her actions in TSCC, but I don’t see one being more sexual than the other and that thinking sounds more like the musings of a horny teenager than an actual character attribute. Do you find this valuable? |
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Schmacky |
6. RE: The Sexuality of the Character of Sarah Connor
Nov 21 2011, 1:22 PM EST
"but I don’t see one being more sexual than the other and that thinking sounds more like the musings of a horny teenager than an actual character attribute.Yeaaaah. Personally, I see Linda/Sarah as Lena/Sarah's past self. Both the same character, the same person. Different actor, but same person. Linda's portrayal was where Sarah was and Lena's portrayal is where she is now. 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
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Turncoat |
7. RE: The Sexuality of the Character of Sarah Connor
Nov 23 2011, 12:11 AM EST
"Yeaaaah. Personally, I see Linda/Sarah as Lena/Sarah's past self. Both the same character, the same person. Different actor, but same person. Linda's portrayal was where Sarah was and Lena's portrayal is where she is now."I actually disagree with that ... To me I see Linda!Sarah as starting in the extremes of each movie. In T1 she was innocent and almost wholesome in a extreme way so that they can work her to a middle by the end of the movie. While in T2 Sarah starts off as extremely hard and pretty much crazy so that they can work the character into a sembalance of maternal familiarity. Lena!Sarah actually seems to be alot more well rounded in all aspects of the character's backstory. While she was in the Criminal Asylum in TSCC she was extreme but also more thoughtful and retained a sense of sanity, IE you could see this was a wrongly imprisoned woman. While her backstory suggests that Pre-T1 she was still innocent and a sweet girl but at the same time showed hints that she could hold her own in the right situations. Now most of this is because of 28 hours of Television vs. four and half hours of movie. But still I never really viewed the two potrayals as the same and from what I get from Lena's interviews she didn't want people too see it that way. Do you find this valuable? |
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morded |
8. RE: The Sexuality of the Character of Sarah Connor
Nov 23 2011, 9:27 AM EST
| Post edited: Nov 23 2011, 9:29 AM EST
"But in TSCC Fanfiction Lena!Sarah's Backstory is explored with her being prostituted, sexualized, and in some cases a victim of rape. Lena!Sarah's use of her body and sexual favors to gain training becomes the forefront of the backstory.I've read pretty much all the jameron stories (and some non jameron stories) and I can't remember any that show Sarah's backstory as a prostitute or being sexualized except for yours. Do you find this valuable? |
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Turncoat |
9. RE: The Sexuality of the Character of Sarah Connor
Nov 23 2011, 1:11 PM EST
"I've read pretty much all the jameron stories (and some non jameron stories) and I can't remember any that show Sarah's backstory as a prostitute or being sexualized except for yours."Two things ... 1.) you obviously never been to Livejournal where a majority of the Sarah stories are and since you read Jameron stories it really doesn't count because most Jameron writers ignore Sarah. 2.) Yeah, I already said one of my stories has this backstory but it's funny because I'm not the first to use it nor will I be the last (See Live Journal) ... But since you brought it up I can only assume that you are one of the few people who continue to have a problem with the how I plot said story. If you have a problem please drop a slip in the complaint box ... it's over by the trash can. Do you find this valuable? |
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morded |
10. RE: The Sexuality of the Character of Sarah Connor
Nov 23 2011, 5:31 PM EST
| Post edited: Nov 23 2011, 5:33 PM EST
"Two things ...That's not true at all. I can name a load of fanfictions that focus on Sarah and much as the other characters. A jameron story doesn't mean that the other characters are some how irrelevant. As for Live Journal, I doubt there's a lot of stories showing Sarah a prostitute in her back story or sexualizing her. No, I have no problem with how you plot a story. I find it funny that I say something and you instantly jump on that. I'm just telling you what I have read on fanfiction. I have over 200 stories favorited and yours is the only one that I have read that displays Sarah in those kinds of ways. Even in your stories you sexualize her in the present. Do you find this valuable? |
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Turncoat |
11. RE: The Sexuality of the Character of Sarah Connor
Nov 23 2011, 8:31 PM EST
"That's not true at all. I can name a load of fanfictions that focus on Sarah and much as the other characters. A jameron story doesn't mean that the other characters are some how irrelevant. As for Live Journal, I doubt there's a lot of stories showing Sarah a prostitute in her back story or sexualizing her.I've jumped on it because you and me have had issues before about the way I've written the story series and you would assume wrong about the Live Journal thing if you were right then I wouldn't have brought it up at all. Look I'll be the first to admit I darkened the characters and situations for that one paticular story, but I believe that it was done with integrity and class ... it's not a porno and it's not slopply written and each backstory and racey or gory act of violence is done for a reason and not because I can. Look it's an adult story if you want to read fluff there's a ton of it, but don't single me out for a question on a trend I started to pick up on. Do you find this valuable? |
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morded |
12. RE: The Sexuality of the Character of Sarah Connor
Nov 23 2011, 8:38 PM EST
"I've jumped on it because you and me have had issues before about the way I've written the story series and you would assume wrong about the Live Journal thing if you were right then I wouldn't have brought it up at all.What does fluff and adult stories have to do with the fact that you are the only fanfiction writer on fanfiction.net that I've seen portray Sarah that way? Don't try to turn this against me. You made the topic, if you can't take someone saying that they haven't seen what you're talking about then don't make such topics. Do you find this valuable? |
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Turncoat |
13. RE: The Sexuality of the Character of Sarah Connor
Nov 23 2011, 9:52 PM EST
"What does fluff and adult stories have to do with the fact that you are the only fanfiction writer on fanfiction.net that I've seen portray Sarah that way? Don't try to turn this against me. You made the topic, if you can't take someone saying that they haven't seen what you're talking about then don't make such topics."I can take someone saying that they haven't seen it, most people have on this thread. But I take offense to this stigma your trying to put on me that I'm the only one who does this backstory ... cause I'm not. That's my problem with your comments and not with Intrepids or I Joins thoughts. Do you find this valuable? |
t5000 |
14. RE: The Sexuality of the Character of Sarah Connor
Nov 29 2011, 10:04 AM EST
well first I will say that from time john is born to the time he is 16 or older, sarah is going to have sex with someone, and probably several different guys along the way.she may use sex to get what she needs,along the way, but I cant see her being a prostitute at all, or for any reason. In T-2, that all happened in one day and night, so you cant really see much of sarah as a whole in that, it was just her in combat mode for 24 hours. with tscc we got to see lena as sarah for a extended period, which lends to a different view of her sarah. if linda had done the tv show, we would have seen her in a extended period and seen different aspects of her as well. then like tnt said, you have different writers with different viewpoints . in 2 movies we only got about 48 hours of linda's sarah, that isnt much time. Do you find this valuable? |
horhai |
15. RE: The Sexuality of the Character of Sarah Connor
Nov 29 2011, 11:21 AM EST
"I cant see her being a prostitute at all, or for any reason."street girls can be nice too Do you find this valuable? |
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termi-ninja-tor |
16. RE: The Sexuality of the Character of Sarah Connor
Nov 29 2011, 2:09 PM EST
"street girls can be nice too"When I left my home and my family I was no more than a boy In the company of strangers In the quiet of the railway station running scared Laying low, seeking out the poorer quarters Where the ragged people go Looking for the places only they would know Asking only workman's wages I come looking for a job But I get no offers, Just a come-on from the whores on Seventh Avenue I do declare, there were times when I was so lonesome I took some comfort there . . . comfort . . . Do you find this valuable? |
R.Daneel_Olivaw |
17. RE: The Sexuality of the Character of Sarah Connor
Dec 9 2011, 6:42 PM EST
Like others, I haven't read enough fan fiction to comment on whether there actually is such a trend, but if there is, my guess is that it has nothing to do with the portrayal by either actress. Rather I would think that it had to do with the relative ages of the writers.Fans who were introduced to the franchise by TSCC tend to be younger, and I think younger and less experienced writers are more likely to include content that they find sensational. I also have known fans that hated the character, and could envision that they would write her into ugly conditions as a sort of punishment for being perceived as an antagonist on the show. As for Sarah having ever been a prostitute, I don't think a post Pescadero Sarah would be squeamish about doing such a thing for the cause, yet I can't ever see her becoming a common streetwalker. I would be more likely to accept that she had been a high class escort or become a partner to someone in power in order to gain advantage. As for T2's John claiming she would 'shack up' with anyone she could learn from, he was bitter and angry at her for most of his young life. I have no problem with Sarah actually being attracted to military types and dangerous men in general (after all, they may remind her of Kyle, and become her type) but John would have a dim view of such a thing. Do you find this valuable? |
