Storytelling is about many things. Creating engaging make believe. Fleshing out believable characters. Building trust with an audience. So then it seems only appropriate that Canadian TV writers Emily Andras has pulled off that elusive hat trick. The former “Lost Girl” show runner and current “Wynonna Earp” creator chatted with me to about her new series, the Bury Your Gays trope and the connection she feels with her LGBT fanbase. And, to ease all your worried minds, she reassured us all that WayHaught makes it out of Season 1 alive and in love.
It’s always interesting talking with creative people like Emily, because it’s clear the good ones take what they do very seriously and want to treat their audiences with respect. But, and I think this is key, they also want to be clear that they’re the storytellers and we’re the ones being told the stories. They drive the bus, but they’re thrilled have us on board sharing the ride.
There’s been a lot of back-and-forth about what the right balance between writers/creators and fans/fandom should be. I don’t believe writers owe us anything but the best, most honest and most representative stories they can tell. Within the context of that, I think they should be aware and cautious of harming already underrepresented communities – like LGBT people, like people of color, like people with disabilities, etc. And I think Emily get it. I think she really, really gets it.
Sure, writers will make mistakes. They may stumble, they may make a wrong turn. But the ones who care about our community, they keep coming back and trying to do better. And that what matters. That’s what makes for a good story.
p.s. Please do read her whole, thoughtful interview over at AfterEllen.
3 comments:
Thank you this gives good insight . And I'm so happy sailing on this ship :)
One of the most irritating repurcussions of the bury your gays trope is that it even ruins the good representations we occasionally get. We are so afraid of our characters being killed off that we can't fully enjoy what should be an absolutely blissful scene. I'm glad Andras says the characters (and the relationship) survives this season. Hopefully, if the series is renewed, that will continue (and also won't resort to arbitrarily making the relationship on again, off again, ad nauseum, like Glee or Lost Girl). I know that perfectly happy couples are boring, from a writers standpoint, but the drama of this show comes from the revenants... the lesbians provide the heart and comic relief.
Interesting article. Glad that Andras is at the helm. Still choked though that I can't watch Wynonna Earp even though it is shot in the city where I live! Thanks to the kindness of others on YouTube I am able to keep up with WayHaught though.
Your initial recommendation steered me towards this show so I must convey my gratitude.
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