[ SECRET POST #4855 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #4855 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

01.



__________________________________________________



02.


__________________________________________________



03.


__________________________________________________



04.


__________________________________________________



05.


__________________________________________________



06.


__________________________________________________



07.



__________________________________________________



08.


__________________________________________________



09.



__________________________________________________



10.












Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 31 secrets from Secret Submission Post #694.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

but they have very specific definitions. Definitions that don't change outside the concept of fanfic

That's incorrect. Part of the definition of a Mary Sue is that it's an original character who is introduced into a pre-existing world, and is not written by or approved by the creators of that pre-existing world.

That's a fundamental aspect of the definition of a Mary Sue. If you remove the Mary Sue from the context of fanfic, you're negating an important part of the definition of what a Mary Sue is.

[(Anonymous)]

A Mary Sue is about a character type/personality, the application of the character is a very non-consequential part of what defines a Mary Sue.
No OC, or fanfiction for that matter, is written or approved by the creators of the pre-existing world. There are publications that 'continue' a long dead story that are considered as part of the canon, often this happens long after the original creator has passed away or are generally left unconsulted on the matter. Over specifying a character type by this sort of clause which has no baring on the actual personality/situation of the character doesn't actually change the definition of what a Mary Sye is. It passes more as an example than a rule.

There have been characters added to the cast in the middle/end of a series that absolutely qualify as a Mary Sue, like Mini-Moon for example. (which would technically pass the 'introduced into an pre-existing world' rule if that needs to apply)
It's about the purpose and personality, being perfect and talented, misunderstood with often a tragic past which only makes everyone love them all the more that defines what a Mary Sue is. Like any trope it can be applied to whatever character fits the description, being an OC has nothing to do with that.

[philstar22]

There is no single official definition of Mary Sue. That is just one definition.

[(Anonymous)]

DA but yeah, the original definition. And the one I'll be sticking with, because it actually makes sense and doesn't expand the def of a Mary Sue to something so vague and broad as to be effectively meaningless. But you do you.

[philstar22]

I'm skeptical as to whether there was a single universal original definition since it was a fandom term that just developed, it wasn't created and instantly defined. And even if it were, word meanings change over time. It doesn't just mean that anymore. Personally I don't think it means anything useful at all given how many definitions it has.

[(Anonymous)]

Disagree. I've been in fandom for over 20 years, and that was never the definition on/in any of the forums or communities I've been in over the years. It was always a very specific personality/character type that wasn't applied just to fanfic (honestly, it was used more for TV shows/movies/published books than fanfic in my experience).

[(Anonymous)]

DA - Dude, seriously, no. I've been in fandom since the mid 90s. A Mary sue is a fanfic trope. Of course the context of fic is an inherent part of the definition. It's a fanfic trope. The mainstream appropriated it. And by doing so, they fundimentally altered the trope.

[(Anonymous)]

In fandom since the late 80s here and have read the original Mary Sue 'essay' (from a ST: TOS fandom fanzine in 1973). AWRTY is right, though no doubt it has expanded.