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...I'm not going to finish that sentence. Years ago, I used to make those ridiculous jokes at every opportunity. Oh high school history... you know you've studied too much when nerdy history jokes about Russia become your thing.
For those of you who don't know, in high school I went through the IB Program which was the most mind-numbing and useless thing ever concocted. I mean, okay, so I guess it prepared me for post-secondary education in which NOTHING WILL EVER CAUSE ME MORE STRESS OR FREAK OUTS THAN THAT GODFORSAKEN PROGRAM!!! In my final year, I had one day of exams that was only one hour less than the deemed "maximum" level in which the IBO would reorganize your exam schedule to be a little easier on you. Fortunately, I guess it helped that I wasn't alone.
It cost me my HL Biology exam since I could NOT switch my brain from history function to science function at a good enough level, but I did wipe the floor with that HL History exam. Though I STILL maintain that when Paper One is titled "THE USSR UNDER STALIN" it should NOT be about his struggle with Trotsky for control after Lenin's death! I STUDIED MY ASS OFF ABOUT YOUR GODDAMN COLLECTIVIZATION AND THREE AND FIVE YEAR PLANS AND THAT MOTHERFUCKING TERROR, AND YOU WANT ME TO DEBATE THE DIFFERING PHILOSOPHIES OF LENIN, TROTSKY, AND STALIN!?! THIS ISN'T PHILOSOPHY!!!
Sorry. I have my moments. Those papers still haunt me to this very day.
Perhaps in Soviet Russia, paper writes you? Yes. Yes it certainly does.
*shakes head* Anyways, now that I've come out of my neurotic trip down memory lane, a query to all of those who might read this.
I come with a fanfic question. A Star Trek fandom question. About that Russian whizkid.
So Chekov's accent is unbelieveably camp. It's supposed to be like that. What do you MEAN Russians can't say "v"s? What the hell? I guess according to Trek, you too can be Russian as long as you switch around your "v"s and "w"s! Now I'm not here to debate the pros and cons of the idea behind Chekov's accent or the offensive implications of it. Yeah, he's a stereotype and a charicature, but we all kind of love him even if he is.
But here's the question for all of you. (Tell your friends, because I really would like some feedback here.) Chekov's accent: ignore it in fic or write it out?
It's double-edge, I think. On the one hand, if Chekov talks very little in a fic meant to be humourous it adds to the comedy. On the other hand, if he has a major role, I think the accent could just get distracting. But writing out conversation that makes an intended accent visible enhances a character, I find. I like how Hagrid's speech is broken in Harry Potter - it creates a clear voice inside your head.
But maybe Chekov (and to the same extent, Scotty) is different. We know what he sounds like, whether we're talking the original Koenig!Chekov or the new curly-haired Yelchin!Chekov. So do we really need it typed out?
What are your thoughts on the "Russian accent" in Trek fics? Is it a turn off? If done properly do you not mind? (I think it's a given that if it's mangled and everything, it's definitely not worth a read.)
(Just to clarify, by the "accent" I mean typing "captain" as "keptin", or switching around all your "v"s and "w"s. I figure Chekov's muddled grammar is a staple regardless. So the real question is, would you use: "Is Russian invention." or "Is Russian inwention.")
For those of you who don't know, in high school I went through the IB Program which was the most mind-numbing and useless thing ever concocted. I mean, okay, so I guess it prepared me for post-secondary education in which NOTHING WILL EVER CAUSE ME MORE STRESS OR FREAK OUTS THAN THAT GODFORSAKEN PROGRAM!!! In my final year, I had one day of exams that was only one hour less than the deemed "maximum" level in which the IBO would reorganize your exam schedule to be a little easier on you. Fortunately, I guess it helped that I wasn't alone.
It cost me my HL Biology exam since I could NOT switch my brain from history function to science function at a good enough level, but I did wipe the floor with that HL History exam. Though I STILL maintain that when Paper One is titled "THE USSR UNDER STALIN" it should NOT be about his struggle with Trotsky for control after Lenin's death! I STUDIED MY ASS OFF ABOUT YOUR GODDAMN COLLECTIVIZATION AND THREE AND FIVE YEAR PLANS AND THAT MOTHERFUCKING TERROR, AND YOU WANT ME TO DEBATE THE DIFFERING PHILOSOPHIES OF LENIN, TROTSKY, AND STALIN!?! THIS ISN'T PHILOSOPHY!!!
Sorry. I have my moments. Those papers still haunt me to this very day.
Perhaps in Soviet Russia, paper writes you? Yes. Yes it certainly does.
*shakes head* Anyways, now that I've come out of my neurotic trip down memory lane, a query to all of those who might read this.
I come with a fanfic question. A Star Trek fandom question. About that Russian whizkid.
So Chekov's accent is unbelieveably camp. It's supposed to be like that. What do you MEAN Russians can't say "v"s? What the hell? I guess according to Trek, you too can be Russian as long as you switch around your "v"s and "w"s! Now I'm not here to debate the pros and cons of the idea behind Chekov's accent or the offensive implications of it. Yeah, he's a stereotype and a charicature, but we all kind of love him even if he is.
But here's the question for all of you. (Tell your friends, because I really would like some feedback here.) Chekov's accent: ignore it in fic or write it out?
It's double-edge, I think. On the one hand, if Chekov talks very little in a fic meant to be humourous it adds to the comedy. On the other hand, if he has a major role, I think the accent could just get distracting. But writing out conversation that makes an intended accent visible enhances a character, I find. I like how Hagrid's speech is broken in Harry Potter - it creates a clear voice inside your head.
But maybe Chekov (and to the same extent, Scotty) is different. We know what he sounds like, whether we're talking the original Koenig!Chekov or the new curly-haired Yelchin!Chekov. So do we really need it typed out?
What are your thoughts on the "Russian accent" in Trek fics? Is it a turn off? If done properly do you not mind? (I think it's a given that if it's mangled and everything, it's definitely not worth a read.)
(Just to clarify, by the "accent" I mean typing "captain" as "keptin", or switching around all your "v"s and "w"s. I figure Chekov's muddled grammar is a staple regardless. So the real question is, would you use: "Is Russian invention." or "Is Russian inwention.")
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