SMBC Comics Forum

Hey, I'm not really trying. Crippling depression and all that junk. But they're making a second Sherlock Holmes movie for sure it seems, so that's some good news.

Cirtur wrote:But we all like coke right?

Cherry coke count?

There are a couple of common literary issues here. The first is the concept of the intentional fallacy, which is the argument that biographical assertions about the author's personal attitudes or any thing else that exists outside of the text have no bearing on arguments about meaning. You can argue all day over whether or not Sir Doyle fancied the less fair gender, but Sir Doyle is not Holmes. Holmes exists merely in the text.

The other issue is that of assuming that there is a "default" sexuality via a historical interpretation. There were certainly homosexuals cavorting at the time, albeit less publicly, and if you can make a strong argument using textual evidence for Holmes having homosexual interactions, implied or otherwise, then cool, there you have it. I don't see anyone presenting specific textual examples, however, so...what?

The main thing to keep in mind is that there are many modes of literary analysis, few of which have to do with biographical or historical analyses, nor one overarching "meaning." If you wanted to present evidence of Holmes' sexuality within the context of an analysis of, say, sexual attitudes in Victorian literature, then I'm sure you could make a case if you tried hard enough. The only further thought I have on that matter is that it's interesting that AHMETxRock equates homosexuality with common neuroses. Doing so has been medically and literally unsound for quite some time now.

All of that said, the Holmes stories are among the finest detective fiction ever written, he's an extremely influential character archetype, and basically everyone should read them.

I choose to believe that Holmes and Watson got it on. Because that makes the latest BBC version so much more entertaining for me to watch.

p.s. Thread Necro I see you!

Kimra wrote:I choose to believe that Holmes and Watson got it on. Because that makes the latest BBC version so much more entertaining for me to watch.

p.s. Thread Necro I see you!

Apparently the BBC version purposely made Holmes asexual!

Though when the creators were explaining it, they refused to actually use the word asexual.

Yeah well I suppose he was. But that's not as fun for me.