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This is a piece posted recently on Fanfiction.net by Jiang Qing. The original is here. I asked her (I assume it's a a her?) permission to repost it here because I thought it was interesting food for thought, and it's easier to quote for discussion if the content is right here in the comm post. Please note that I do not necessarily agree with everything said here, I just thought it would be interesting. I'll post my own review/comment in a comment on this post.
Severus: A Secret Sex Icon?
or
Why We All Pity the Fool, Lily Potter.
[snipped author's note about why it's posted on FFN]
After that extensive authors note, it's time to get down to business. By business, I naturally am referring to the essay's title, the complicated character of Severus Snape. It's time to get down to Severus Snape. For the sake of being disgusting, let's imagine getting down on Severus Snape. Or rather, let's not. The question is, why is Severus Snape so damn alluring? J.K Rowling quoted in one of her interviews (I'm paraphrasing here, c'mon this isn't a real essay) that she intended Severus to be a vile character; a bully, bleak-hearted, inclined to favouritism, unable to conjure any sympathy from the audience (at least, until the end). This is all true. Yet, and this is a big yet, there's something about the man that makes you want to jump him.
Let us start with the aesthetics, for it is a shallow world we live in, and I make no exception. In the books, Severus is described as 'like an over-grown bat' with 'long, greasy black hair', 'a hooked nose', 'sallow skin' and 'piercing black eyes that held no warmth at all'. Now, this is just the description from the books. Doesn't that already push some buttons? Pale skin, black hair, black eyes… I like. I like a lot. He has charisma. It is already apparent that Severus is not just another blonde surfer, grabbing his board and heading to the black-lake. Why do his eyes hold no warmth at all? J.K obviously wants us to jump to the conclusion that Severus is a HORRIBLE MAN. She goes as far to convince us that he is a HORRIBLE MAN with the way he treats Hero-Harry. However, too many of us are too intelligent to concede that Severus is so two-dimensional. Severus, with his black eyes and his sneer obviously has a PAST. And what do us women love? A PAST. We want to make him forget his PAST so his FUTURE is wonderful. We want to make it all better. We believe in ourselves that we can change this man, that we can change any man. So, Severus has become a project. Unfortunately, being fictional, he is an unrealistic project. However, let us fantasize.
I'll now be bringing this down a notch. The film-verse of Severus Snape is undoubtedly some sort of unsung sex-god. I mean… Alan Rickman. ALAN RICKMAN. I like Alan Rickman, I've always liked Alan Rickman. As an actor, I think he's PDG (that's Pretty Damn Good to all those out there who don't know). In any other film, apart from the Potters, I would rate his attractiveness at about an eight, which for me is very high. Watching HP, my love goes off the scale. Rickman's gorgeousness as Severus is one interesting little cocktail. I'll start at the most obvious: The voice. His voice is like treacle being poured over your head. You can bask in that voice. The voice alone is enough to make any woman cross their legs, hum a calming tune and hope for the best. I won't lie to you, I sat in the cinema during 'The Deathly Hallows Part 2' and sighed with dizzying pleasure every time Rickman uttered so much as one of those stretched syllables. So slow, so deep, so spellbinding… (no pun intended). The voice has the ability to create love of the unpurest sort. Then of course, the way he looks. Pale and interesting is so much more fascinating than brown and packaged. The lines on Rickman's face, although they are signs of ageing, also remind us of his TROUBLED PAST. Rickman has the 'classical' good looks; the ones that perhaps went 'out of fashion' a couple of decades ago. Whatever, I've never been a fashion junkie. This, I realise, is going on for far too long. I'll hurry it up. Rickman has Snape down to a T. The way he glides, the way he looks, his bitterness, his anger, his intelligence, his facial expressions… his mercy. If I were Severus, I would hate Harry. It's human nature. But no, he is clearly intended to be the bad guy. Right, moving along; his costume- those tight black robes complete with billowing cloak. They leave a lot to the imagination, and trust me, I'm not lacking in that. Give me a well-clad Severus any day, rather than the shirt-ripping, Twilight poser, Jacob Black.
Another main reason why Severus is quite so alluring is because he's UNTOUCHABLE. He (sadly) is still so in love with the deceased Lily Potter that he would never, ever be properly romantically involved with anyone else. He's constructed an invisible barrier around himself, and his aptitude for occlumency makes him damn difficult to read at all. The natural reaction of not being able to read someone is usually fear. Yes, if Severus was a real man, I would be terrified. So many twists, turns and hidden corners- all blocked from view, but crying out to be explored. As a character, Severus is so complex that it would probably takes years to completely work him out. Are we so infatuated that would be willing to spend years with Severus, opening up all the dark coverts of his past? Perhaps. Or is it the secrets that make us yearn for him? I have a feeling that J.K only revealed the tip of the iceberg, which is sad 'cos he died. Anyway, back to the point: Severus is in love with Lily Potter. He can't have Lily Potter, which against all odds, almost certainly made Severus hanker after her all the more. We can never have Severus Snape. And so one of the great philosophies of life raises its ugly head: We always want what we can't have. Feel free to shed those tears, go ahead and gnash those teeth. However, if you are inclined to think dirty (you can judge for yourself if I am) you can always go down the path of thinking that Severus must have been so distraught he would have had plenty of casual, angry sex. If he were an actual existent man, that is. I'm saying nothing.
Severus and his sex appeal is also applicable to the matter of his genius. Lupin referred to him as 'intelligent and cunning'. Who doesn't like a clever man? The only thing that may be appealing about a man with sawdust for brains (look and niceties aside) is to see how far you can confuse him, and in the shortest time. Harsh? Definitely. Truthful? I think so. A dim bloke, or indeed bint, will be taken advantage of in some way or another. Just check out all those Death Eaters that were used as Voldemort's human shield. It's a question of power, and anybody would like to know that they have the upper hand, even if they don't want to admit it. With Snape, he unquestionably would have the upper hand. It would be he taking the advantage. And my God, let Severus take advantage of us. Genius isn't geeky, it's something to have a downright passion for.
I'm now going to start winding down. Not because I haven't got a lot more to say, but because I'm terrified of boring you all to death. Snape is neither a good or evil person. I can't say that after I read 'The Deathly Hallows' I fell down the path of 'OMG SNAPE LOVED LILY, HE'S SO MISUNDERSTOOD AND HE'S SUCH A GOOD MAN'. Mostly because, I admit, I worked out that he was in love with Lily anyway (so what?) and also because I honestly don't believe that a 'Mary Sue' can be a sane or realistic choice to have a fixation on (YEAH Edward Cullen fans). It is common knowledge to all those who read the books that Severus dabbled strongly in the Dark Arts. Is that a terrible thing? Of course it is, and yes he should be blamed. He killed, tortured and more, devoted to it all too much to give it up for Lily until faced with her death. Lily didn't like it and neither did James, but hey ho they had been spoilt and adored all their lives. Snape went through (probable) hell through his childhood, and was bullied at Hogwarts by the erm, 'good guy'. It can be argued that Harry didn't turn to the dark side, and he had a terrible life. Well, I think it's partly to do with coping mechanisms- Severus partly felt he needed the Dark Arts, as well as getting vicious pleasure in them. Harry, a completely different person, felt that he didn't. Perhaps he was stronger than Snape, perhaps he was just plain two-dimensional and the simplest way for J.K to make her point. Whatever. Severus needing the Dark Arts makes him vulnerable in my book, and vulnerable deserves a cuddle. (Note: Harry was also adored. Not at the Dursley's maybe, but in the Wizarding world he was spoilt and worshipped by many. Plus everyone EXPECTED him to be against Volds. Just a thought). I also feel that Snape was pushed into the Dark Arts, just like Draco. He was made to feel worthless, and hey! In the Dark Arts he suddenly had worth. I'm not condoning him, just giving a differing opinion. His natural aura made his magic look dark, while James' natural presence made his magic look like 'a bit of fun'. Snape knew what he was doing. I'm not suggesting that SERIAL KILLERS ARE SEXY, just that I think he deserves about a tonne more respect than Potter Senior. With a realisation of his love, what he had done, and a massive guilt trip from Dumbledore, Severus stopped being a 'Death Eater looking for revenge' and actually became more redeemable. This was HIS choice. Both Volds AND Dumbledore let him down (DD didn't save Lily) yet he still stuck with the Headmaster. Hmm. I admire him for that. However, spying for Voldemort, he still allowed the Muggle Studies teacher to be killed, amongst other things. 'No one's that good an actor'- he wasn't good, he wasn't bad- he still admired the Dark Arts for their power, even knowing that they were wrong. He stood alone, like he did for most of his life. Not everyone can be a Gary-Stu-Harry. Besides, in 'The Half Blood Prince', Harry said in terms of the Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher 'I'm holding out for another death'. Snape saved Harry (secretly) practically every fucking year. This is getting complicated. I ADMIRE THE MAN. I don't personally think he ever 'loved' or admired Voldemort, like say Bellatrix Lestrange, but I genuinely think he respected Dumbledore. He wasn't perfect, basically. Christ, I have no idea what point I'm trying to make. Just trust me on this; it's trying to be a valid one.
LASTLY (I promise) I have a T-Shirt saying 'I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good WITH SEVERUS SNAPE', and I wore it to the cinema, and I'm wearing it now 3. Please feel free to give more opinions on why you love/hate/like Severus. I'll always be interested.
So. Severus: Secret Sex Icon?
or
Why We All Pity the Fool, Lily Potter.
[snipped author's note about why it's posted on FFN]
After that extensive authors note, it's time to get down to business. By business, I naturally am referring to the essay's title, the complicated character of Severus Snape. It's time to get down to Severus Snape. For the sake of being disgusting, let's imagine getting down on Severus Snape. Or rather, let's not. The question is, why is Severus Snape so damn alluring? J.K Rowling quoted in one of her interviews (I'm paraphrasing here, c'mon this isn't a real essay) that she intended Severus to be a vile character; a bully, bleak-hearted, inclined to favouritism, unable to conjure any sympathy from the audience (at least, until the end). This is all true. Yet, and this is a big yet, there's something about the man that makes you want to jump him.
Let us start with the aesthetics, for it is a shallow world we live in, and I make no exception. In the books, Severus is described as 'like an over-grown bat' with 'long, greasy black hair', 'a hooked nose', 'sallow skin' and 'piercing black eyes that held no warmth at all'. Now, this is just the description from the books. Doesn't that already push some buttons? Pale skin, black hair, black eyes… I like. I like a lot. He has charisma. It is already apparent that Severus is not just another blonde surfer, grabbing his board and heading to the black-lake. Why do his eyes hold no warmth at all? J.K obviously wants us to jump to the conclusion that Severus is a HORRIBLE MAN. She goes as far to convince us that he is a HORRIBLE MAN with the way he treats Hero-Harry. However, too many of us are too intelligent to concede that Severus is so two-dimensional. Severus, with his black eyes and his sneer obviously has a PAST. And what do us women love? A PAST. We want to make him forget his PAST so his FUTURE is wonderful. We want to make it all better. We believe in ourselves that we can change this man, that we can change any man. So, Severus has become a project. Unfortunately, being fictional, he is an unrealistic project. However, let us fantasize.
I'll now be bringing this down a notch. The film-verse of Severus Snape is undoubtedly some sort of unsung sex-god. I mean… Alan Rickman. ALAN RICKMAN. I like Alan Rickman, I've always liked Alan Rickman. As an actor, I think he's PDG (that's Pretty Damn Good to all those out there who don't know). In any other film, apart from the Potters, I would rate his attractiveness at about an eight, which for me is very high. Watching HP, my love goes off the scale. Rickman's gorgeousness as Severus is one interesting little cocktail. I'll start at the most obvious: The voice. His voice is like treacle being poured over your head. You can bask in that voice. The voice alone is enough to make any woman cross their legs, hum a calming tune and hope for the best. I won't lie to you, I sat in the cinema during 'The Deathly Hallows Part 2' and sighed with dizzying pleasure every time Rickman uttered so much as one of those stretched syllables. So slow, so deep, so spellbinding… (no pun intended). The voice has the ability to create love of the unpurest sort. Then of course, the way he looks. Pale and interesting is so much more fascinating than brown and packaged. The lines on Rickman's face, although they are signs of ageing, also remind us of his TROUBLED PAST. Rickman has the 'classical' good looks; the ones that perhaps went 'out of fashion' a couple of decades ago. Whatever, I've never been a fashion junkie. This, I realise, is going on for far too long. I'll hurry it up. Rickman has Snape down to a T. The way he glides, the way he looks, his bitterness, his anger, his intelligence, his facial expressions… his mercy. If I were Severus, I would hate Harry. It's human nature. But no, he is clearly intended to be the bad guy. Right, moving along; his costume- those tight black robes complete with billowing cloak. They leave a lot to the imagination, and trust me, I'm not lacking in that. Give me a well-clad Severus any day, rather than the shirt-ripping, Twilight poser, Jacob Black.
Another main reason why Severus is quite so alluring is because he's UNTOUCHABLE. He (sadly) is still so in love with the deceased Lily Potter that he would never, ever be properly romantically involved with anyone else. He's constructed an invisible barrier around himself, and his aptitude for occlumency makes him damn difficult to read at all. The natural reaction of not being able to read someone is usually fear. Yes, if Severus was a real man, I would be terrified. So many twists, turns and hidden corners- all blocked from view, but crying out to be explored. As a character, Severus is so complex that it would probably takes years to completely work him out. Are we so infatuated that would be willing to spend years with Severus, opening up all the dark coverts of his past? Perhaps. Or is it the secrets that make us yearn for him? I have a feeling that J.K only revealed the tip of the iceberg, which is sad 'cos he died. Anyway, back to the point: Severus is in love with Lily Potter. He can't have Lily Potter, which against all odds, almost certainly made Severus hanker after her all the more. We can never have Severus Snape. And so one of the great philosophies of life raises its ugly head: We always want what we can't have. Feel free to shed those tears, go ahead and gnash those teeth. However, if you are inclined to think dirty (you can judge for yourself if I am) you can always go down the path of thinking that Severus must have been so distraught he would have had plenty of casual, angry sex. If he were an actual existent man, that is. I'm saying nothing.
Severus and his sex appeal is also applicable to the matter of his genius. Lupin referred to him as 'intelligent and cunning'. Who doesn't like a clever man? The only thing that may be appealing about a man with sawdust for brains (look and niceties aside) is to see how far you can confuse him, and in the shortest time. Harsh? Definitely. Truthful? I think so. A dim bloke, or indeed bint, will be taken advantage of in some way or another. Just check out all those Death Eaters that were used as Voldemort's human shield. It's a question of power, and anybody would like to know that they have the upper hand, even if they don't want to admit it. With Snape, he unquestionably would have the upper hand. It would be he taking the advantage. And my God, let Severus take advantage of us. Genius isn't geeky, it's something to have a downright passion for.
I'm now going to start winding down. Not because I haven't got a lot more to say, but because I'm terrified of boring you all to death. Snape is neither a good or evil person. I can't say that after I read 'The Deathly Hallows' I fell down the path of 'OMG SNAPE LOVED LILY, HE'S SO MISUNDERSTOOD AND HE'S SUCH A GOOD MAN'. Mostly because, I admit, I worked out that he was in love with Lily anyway (so what?) and also because I honestly don't believe that a 'Mary Sue' can be a sane or realistic choice to have a fixation on (YEAH Edward Cullen fans). It is common knowledge to all those who read the books that Severus dabbled strongly in the Dark Arts. Is that a terrible thing? Of course it is, and yes he should be blamed. He killed, tortured and more, devoted to it all too much to give it up for Lily until faced with her death. Lily didn't like it and neither did James, but hey ho they had been spoilt and adored all their lives. Snape went through (probable) hell through his childhood, and was bullied at Hogwarts by the erm, 'good guy'. It can be argued that Harry didn't turn to the dark side, and he had a terrible life. Well, I think it's partly to do with coping mechanisms- Severus partly felt he needed the Dark Arts, as well as getting vicious pleasure in them. Harry, a completely different person, felt that he didn't. Perhaps he was stronger than Snape, perhaps he was just plain two-dimensional and the simplest way for J.K to make her point. Whatever. Severus needing the Dark Arts makes him vulnerable in my book, and vulnerable deserves a cuddle. (Note: Harry was also adored. Not at the Dursley's maybe, but in the Wizarding world he was spoilt and worshipped by many. Plus everyone EXPECTED him to be against Volds. Just a thought). I also feel that Snape was pushed into the Dark Arts, just like Draco. He was made to feel worthless, and hey! In the Dark Arts he suddenly had worth. I'm not condoning him, just giving a differing opinion. His natural aura made his magic look dark, while James' natural presence made his magic look like 'a bit of fun'. Snape knew what he was doing. I'm not suggesting that SERIAL KILLERS ARE SEXY, just that I think he deserves about a tonne more respect than Potter Senior. With a realisation of his love, what he had done, and a massive guilt trip from Dumbledore, Severus stopped being a 'Death Eater looking for revenge' and actually became more redeemable. This was HIS choice. Both Volds AND Dumbledore let him down (DD didn't save Lily) yet he still stuck with the Headmaster. Hmm. I admire him for that. However, spying for Voldemort, he still allowed the Muggle Studies teacher to be killed, amongst other things. 'No one's that good an actor'- he wasn't good, he wasn't bad- he still admired the Dark Arts for their power, even knowing that they were wrong. He stood alone, like he did for most of his life. Not everyone can be a Gary-Stu-Harry. Besides, in 'The Half Blood Prince', Harry said in terms of the Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher 'I'm holding out for another death'. Snape saved Harry (secretly) practically every fucking year. This is getting complicated. I ADMIRE THE MAN. I don't personally think he ever 'loved' or admired Voldemort, like say Bellatrix Lestrange, but I genuinely think he respected Dumbledore. He wasn't perfect, basically. Christ, I have no idea what point I'm trying to make. Just trust me on this; it's trying to be a valid one.
LASTLY (I promise) I have a T-Shirt saying 'I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good WITH SEVERUS SNAPE', and I wore it to the cinema, and I'm wearing it now 3. Please feel free to give more opinions on why you love/hate/like Severus. I'll always be interested.
So. Severus: Secret Sex Icon?
It is already apparent that Severus is not just another blonde surfer, grabbing his board and heading to the black-lake.
Although surfing Snape as a general image is hi-LARious. (My own personal favorite totally silly Muggle thing to cast him in, especially as a young man, is either torn Sex Pistols shirt and spikes kind of punk, or something more modern in the darkwave/goth/emo spectrum - with that long black hair hanging down over his face as he plays the electric bass. RAWR.)
I'll mostly skip the gushing over Alan Rickman because while I agree he's a good actor and I like his delivery speaking as Severus, he kind of lost it for me visually past the first couple of films (which were borderline to begin with). I don't find him very personally attractive out of the Snape getup, although he was definitely handsome in his youth (e.g. Barchester Chronicles) - it's just that I tend to go for "pretty" rather than "handsome".
It is common knowledge to all those who read the books that Severus dabbled strongly in the Dark Arts. Is that a terrible thing? Of course it is, and yes he should be blamed.
Well now, it depends on your definition of "Dark Arts", and even within the books it's not consistent! But I do think he probably did some rather distasteful, even nasty things. But then there is a kind of "good dark", in the real world anyway - a darkness which is perhaps frightening, definitely mysterious, and possible to let out of control, but which is not inherently degrading, destructive, malicious... Again, think goth, or other macabre things. Death is death; it's not evil in itself. etc.
He killed, tortured and more
We don't know this. That Severus seems rather struck by Dumbledore's accusation even about how many people he has watched die suggests that that is primarily what he did - not murdered them himself. The Death Eaters amount basically to a terrorist organization and it's definitely possible he did awful things - I doubt if he was squeamish when he joined up and hoped to do a desk job and keep his hands clean! But we can't assume that he necessarily committed this or that atrocity that people's brains seem to attach to all the Death Eaters. (My jury is out on whether he viewed such things as necessary evils or otherwise rationalized them, or whether he was bitter and angry enough by the point of ca. 18-19 years old that his streak for needling people and petty vengeance might have deepened to taking some true joy in the opportunity to cause real harm to those he despises - but I imagine in either case he would have convinced himself that what he was doing was just, rather than having a penchant for random cruelty like Bellatrix.)
Snape went through (probable) hell through his childhood, and was bullied at Hogwarts by the erm, 'good guy'. It can be argued that Harry didn't turn to the dark side, and he had a terrible life.
And Voldemort had a similar bad childhood and came out an evil psychopath. There's a lot of narrative links between Tom Riddle, Severus Snape, and Harry Potter, which sometimes comes out as a spectrum dark to light, and other times as a triangle. (You have probably seen the images making the rounds which map them to the Three Brothers?)
(continued in next comment)
Personally I think it could be argued either way, particularly prior to his going to Dumbledore, but if I recall correctly (my books are way far away in the other room), when Dumbledore asks him 'How many people have you watched die', Severus' response is essentially: 'Recently only those I could not save'. This suggests to me that outside of his love for Lily Potter and sworn protection for her son, that Severus holds a distaste for death.
Now, does he blink when Charity Burbage is killed? of course not! Certainly he has watched horrible things and has killed at least Dumbledore, and I think there could be the case argued that he may have been responsible for other deaths as well. But my reading is that, at least as of the second war, he did not enjoy that sort of role and sought to avoid it and sought to protect others from being the victims of that sort of violence whenever it was in his power to do so.
I definitely believe that he was promised or for some other reason thought he would gain status in the Death Eaters. (And in the end, really, he did: Headmaster of Hogwarts; Voldemort's favourite if he can be said to have one [much to Bellatrix's consternation], certainly a first lieutenant; and a force to be reckoned with in wizarding Britain - although by the end he certainly wished he hadn't gone about it that way, and in fact I imagine he would have gladly given it all up!)
His natural aura made his magic look dark
Again, RAWR. lol. Seriously, though, taste enters into it a lot. I like Severus's aesthetic, thin and pale with dark hair and eyes. It is absolutely the most attractive basic combination in my eyes. Similarly here. And James is the kind of guy who really rubs me the wrong way: blokeish, "fun" (as a recipient of bullying in school myself, yeah. let's call it "fun"), outgoing, entitled, a giant prat really. Not that he doesn't have good in him either; I've had, well, imaginings let's call them, of what James might have become later in life if his better qualities had developed (sort of like Severus), and he's not that bad - too much "regular guy" for me, but also devoted and steadfast and protective and loving and those sorts of things. But I digress. Severus's aura attracts me. James's doesn't. (For that matter, neither Sirius, although he's my second favourite character, possibly because he has some similar hidden mysterious darknesses: some attached to his bloodline, some attached to Azkaban, some attached to surprising areas of cold-bloodedness like when he wants to kill Peter in revenge... oh and did I mention long dark hair? It will probably be no surprise to you that I ship that liek woah.)
I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good WITH SEVERUS SNAPE
I NEED ONE OF THESE. STAT. (did you make it or buy it somewhere?)
So. Severus: Secret Sex Icon?
No way - "secret"? Whaddya mean "secret"? ;)
--
it may be worth noting at this point that on IJ and DW I have two different icons designated with the keywords "snape smex".
He would be Vernon Dursley.
(executive desk-jockey with a good income, loving husband, loving and indulgant father, brave in the face of overwhelming adversity but a bit of a blowhard, encouraging his son to be a 'boys boy' - aka 'a bully' - at school and reminiscing about his own glory days at school. A bit of a bully if he can get away with it. A bit of a bigot. But very much a 'regular guy')
If JKR truly wanted to write Snape as an unlikeable character then she wasn't doing a great job. She could have written him fat, bald, short, with bad breath. Pudgy like Ricky Gervais (Sorry.) That wold have turned many (admittedly shallow) people off. She did great with Fudge, Umbridge and partly Slughorn.
Also the choice to cast Snape with Rickman whose biggest success was the role of the handsome villain and on stage the Vicomte de Valmont–a seducer! I mean, come on! Surely the Snape-effect was not as unintentional as you want us to believe, Mrs. Rowling! (I once heard that originally it was supposed to be Tim Roth, an even more handsome actor!)
It's always nice to read explanations of why we love Snape. This was very interesting!
Thank you!
Well, if that isn't proof of handsome being in the eye of the beholder! I prefer AR's pudge over Roth's bowlegs!
In an interview Heyman said Rickman was always their first choice. Nothing was mentioned of Roth although it's well known that he was in pre-production before dropping out for Planet of the Apes.
I think if I had to cast Snape today, I'd cast Richard Armitage, who plays the Guy of Gisbourne in the BBC Robin Hood. It's actually a fairly Snape-like characterization, but he has a bit of the nose, and can do the brooding, dangerous, but with a heart he tries to hide, thing quite well... And he's much closer to being a believable 35.
on the other hand, all of the adult actors look a little too old for the parts and I had to be amused that while the films are clearly set in the current decade (fashions, cars, oyster cards used in the Underground in OotP), the Potter's gravestone in DH1 does have the proper dates on it which should make Harry about what 30 in that film? So - clearly the age consistencies aren't something they're making a huge deal about.
See: http://wycked.deviantart.com/art/Severu
This essay claims that we, Snape fans, like Snape because he is a 'bad boy' (and we gals just looove a bad boy, don't we gals? We know what we're like. *wink, wink, nudge, nudge*) and because Alan Rickman played him in the movies. Well, we've never heard THAT one before, did we?!
The rest of the essay is equally offensive. Snape is a 'horrible man' who tortured and killed (he's a serial killer, no less!), and dabbled in those dastardly Dark Arts (whatever they might be), and joined Voldemort, knowing what that man was up to (because Tom Riddle is so unsubtle, he goes and spouts his sekrit plans to one and all) wanting knowledge of the 'Dark Arts' for the POWER they could bring (because yeah, every DE we've ever saw was just *brimming* with POWER). Oh, and he respected Dumbledore, which is a redemptive point, apparantly.
Please. There must be better essays Out There than this, if we need some material to fill the slack times!
Anyway... back to the issue. I don't like Snape because I want to have carnal relations with him, I like Snape and Percy because they are the only two characters who are like me, that is to say, normal.
This whole series is, after all, the perfect world according to a six-year-old (or a malignant narcissist). It's a world where puns turn out to be literal and fart-jokes are the summon of entertainment. It's a world where good people can be recognised by the fact that they hand out sweets and where teachers who insist on order and obedience are mean, mean, MEAN! It's a place where we can attack the people we don't like without any consequences and where the laws of nature and time will bend to our will so we are never wrong and everybody better like me and do as I say or I will hate you and make you DEAD!! (*stamps little six-year-old foot*)
It's a horrifying place to any normal adult. We normal adults know only too well how cruel, how self-centered and how tyrannical six-year-olds can be. We remember that episode from Twilight Zone, where a bunch of terrified adults are forever trapped by an all-powerful six-year-old (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_a_
We've read 'Lord of the Flies' and remember fondly 'Pinochio', where kids like the Weasley Twins, the Trio and the Marauders got turned into donkeys.
I adore Snape because he is the one sane man amidst the topsy-turvy insanity of the WW. He reminds me somewhat of Sam Lowry in 'Brazil', who is seemingly the only normal thinking man in an insane dystopia. Like Snape, Sam Lowry ends ignominiously because The System of his world will not tolerate normalcy.
For the record I would like to have hypothetical carnal relations with Severus. As the "rawr"s in my other comment might have hinted. ;) This is not mutually exclusive with appreciating him for other reasons.
Some of us are not enthralled nor have bought into the tyranny of the beauty standards that the media and the culture at large has shoved down our throats. Our liking of the character stems from the fact that he is interesting and enigmatic, and for some of us just plain more entertaining than the main character.
Some of us like book Snape and film Snape equally.
Some of us do not have heterosexual desire toward the character nor read the character in a strictly heterosexual light.
Some of us see him as the hero of the story, because he made the journey himself from darkness into light and did not get a cookie nor the red-headed girl for his trouble.
Some of us in our fannish hearts thinks he survived.
continuing the thread a bit more... ;)
2. But he has *exceptions.*
3. It is interesting to see these *exceptions* intersect somewhere around Harry.
4. This leads to a question of "why?"
5. At this point, Harry comes up again. Snape goes insane. This is interesting, because without Harry, Snape is 2D.
6. With Harry, Snape comes to life. (heh heh I said 'comes.' heh heh)
7. And suddenly, Snape's ugliness becomes a *good* thing. Because he *can't* melt cauldrons with his voice. Probably sounds like the Fat Lady singing, in fact. This is good. More for Harry. He has a good number of years learning to tolerate the Fat Lady. Tolerating Snape wouldn't be a problem.
8. Because if it ain't snarry... IT'S CREP, LASSIE! (How can I live with myself without being a bit of a troll? After all, everything in moderation. Even being a troll.^^)
Re: continuing the thread a bit more... ;)
One reason I like Severus is that he says what I want to say to Harry.
Re: continuing the thread a bit more... ;)
Awwww, can't he be nasty a little?
One reason I like Severus is that he says what I want to say to Harry.
It's nice to be you, then. Snape *still* hasn't said what *I* want him to say to Harry. *sigh* Although "look at me" certainly comes close... C:
Re: continuing the thread a bit more... ;)
Re: continuing the thread a bit more... ;)
HERESY!
:D
Re: continuing the thread a bit more... ;)
Then there's "we all pity Lily", implying Lily was a fool not to go for Snape. Even disregarding the fairly major blood prejudice/DE issue, that's annoying. That Lily didn't fancy Snape doesn't mean there was something wrong with her, it means Snape wasn't her type. It happens. Whatever else you might think about Lily and James' marriage they clearly had more in common than Lily and Snape, who I'm pretty sure would have made each other miserable.
The OP had a valid point about Snape's bad choices. We can fairly blame him for them while recognizing that he was in a much worse place, emotionally and socially, than allegedly more virtuous characters.
Otherwise, what
Your Review
Partly though, this is why I don't post on Tumblr. I have found that some people tend to take things a little too seriously, and treat it like a personal insult when I 'generalise' (and I am fully aware that I did), not for the sake of pushing my views onto other people, but merely so the essay wouldn't be 2,600 pages long. This was merely meant to be a jokey little number, by a fan-girl who can see no reason other than 'Snape is fit. I love him'. Lots of people writing about Edward Cullen seem to get away with it... :/. On to more positive aspects, however, reading the views on Fanfiction.net and here, I am completely delighted that so many have intelligent, challenging and opposing views. If I were to write a full 'essay' (I may just do so, and PROPERLY this time; the essays I've had to hand in at Uni were wearing me out, and this was partly the backlash) I would take a completely different angle... Alan Rickman aside. At the end of the day, he's an actor, not the character. It's the character I'm truly interested in.
I have taken the the reoccurring view that all women do not want a 'past' into consideration. I'm not really sure how to explain it, but the entire charade concerning 'they want to SOOTH the past and make a pleasant FUTURE' was entirely in jest. My problem (and this has been frequently remarked upon) is that I'm too erratic for my own good, and don't really take the time or effort to give any real explanations, or make things clear to the intended audience. Trust me, this has had several of my seminar tutors hold their faces in their hands and assure me that assumption 'is the mother of all fuck-ups' :P (This is a direct quote, thank you Mr Literature in the Modern World).
Anyway, thanks for your review, you've made some pretty damn valid points. I'm now terrified that I look a bit thick, to be honest. Now 'scuse me, must go and buy a humble pie to present to my LMW tutor (and believe this, he will make me eat it).
JQ
As requested in the sidebar to the right, please sign this post with a name or handle, or it will be screened.
(FWIW I agree with everything you said; just enforcing policy with my mod hat on!)
Re: killed? tortured?
Hi my name is Mirazh and I'm a homoflexible aspie trans dude who's almost 30. I do like Rickman's portrayal of Sev it is true, but in my mind's eye despite seeing the movies before reading the books I see Snape as slimmer and a bit different in the face (voice is the same,) and younger too. And by slimmer I mean skinny.
Sev as he's described in the books looks an awful lot like some of my ex-boyfriends, tee-hee. So I have this thing for tall skinny dudes who wear black and keep their hair black and long. And pale skin. And he's gotta be as nerdy and intelligent as me no matter the looks, so that encyclopaedic knowledge thing (which I also do) is a Big Deal. Aspies and ADHDers tend to be folks I know best - and if he's an aspie he's likely got the encyclopaedia thing going on, and difficult to read his reactions anyway (I'm rather emotive for an aspie but it's not as common. Also I can't read others very well, period, so them being an aspie doesn't change much on my end.) Oh yeah did I mention I headcanon Snape as an aspie? The sarcasm & biting wit things, the snark, are pretty much guaranteed to have me fanning myself. ;P Yeah I'm rather femmy (though I like to top.)
I personally identify with a shit-ton of his related history, it's not that I want to change him or anything (fuck that) and I doubt I would even if I didn't know the back-story stuff. But the history of his, like, I don't obviously match up with all of it and I'm not saying it was all sunshine and rainbows but geez, I can relate so hard to his shitty choices made in his youth, and I think he displays obvious markers of depression and trauma, to me, anyway.
But even if I weren't privy to those things. Uummmghghghg. Ahem. So I like them tall, slim, dark and brooding, sarcastic, snarky, dressed in black, pale pale skin. I've never been attracted to a face before displayed personality in my life, so his being "ugly" or not conventionally attractive wouldn't matter one bit - indeed after noticing the sarcasm and encyclopaedic knowledge and high intelligence I'd likely be reading his physical features (I mean aside from the thin/skinny thing which I think is hot) as being incredibly attractive perhaps because of their uniqueness and deviation from the conventional norm. I've been interested in many things "dark" for a good portion of my life, in part due to my tendency to seek beauty in areas others might find beauty lacking, or missing, or might find stuff too "bad" or "evil" to be beautiful. Snape seems to have an appreciation for that sort of beauty - his intro speeches to Potions and to DADA seem to speak clearly to that. I don't know if he was so engaged with getting his hands dirty as a DE back in the day - he was a spy for Voldy even then and Bella in HBP accuses him of slithering out of actual action. But even so if I did know that, I have an admittedly morbid interest in folks with sadistic tendencies and capabilities - granted I'm into it from the consensual angle as a responsible BDSM practitioner for many years (and I'm a switch.) So like, that's hot on its own, hah.
(cont)
-Mirazh
And on the dark arts again, I know how they're portrayed in the books and shit. But like. I'm already the sort of person inclined to not bow down to societal presumptions and instructions about what is good or bad, you know? As an aspie and a queer person and as a trans person, and more, yeah. I question that stuff a lot. Durmstrang students like Krum learn Dark Arts, not DADA, and at the very least Krum is shown to be not evil, he doesn't even seem to give a shit about blood purity given his interest in HG.
In short, I read Severus as attractive for physical things, mental qualities that would show up in basic interactions without knowing his history, his history which I read things into that I personally relate to, etc. His interests match a lot of my own as well. I like them "dark and misunderstood," and it's not that I'd be out as the one who "truly" understands them or someshit. Naw really I'm much more likely to be frank. At some point I'd clue in that he's either really closed off and/or not even the slightest bit queer (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA no.) And quite frankly I don't need to know him or luuuuuurve him or anything for some rockin' amazing sexyfuntimes. I'm ethically non-monogamous, I'm prettier than many girls (but I'm not one!) and I'm good at both taking charge and following someone else's lead in between the sheets. I get great reviews. ;P In some respects, I like to fantasize that if he were to break out of Lily-pining (which I totally headcanon him as doing sometimes) the clearly best option for a sexual romp that wouldn't endanger his spycraft would be someone literally just in it for the sex. Though if hookups kept up perhaps I'd develop an attachment, who knows - emotions are tricky that way.
-Mirazh
-Mirazh