Steven Moffat Says Sherlock Is Not Asexual And That Asexuality Isn't Interesting
- Details
- Category: Entertainment
- Published on Friday, 20 January 2012 19:09
- Written by Lara Landis
- Hits: 2022
Steven Moffat, a writer for Doctor Who and Sherlock recently said that Sherlock is not Asexual. The interview appeared in a recent edition of the UK newspaper The Guardian. Moffat's reasoning may be a little convoluted, or he may not grasp the idea of Asexuality. It does not matter whether or not the Doctor or Sherlock are Asexual. Cumberbatch and Smith have described their characters as Asexual. Sherlock described himself as a “high functioning sociopath” in the first season.
“”It's the choice of a monk, not the choice of an Asexual. If he was Asexual, there would be no tension in that, no fun in that – it's someone who abstains who's interesting. There's no guarantee that he'll stay that way in the end – maybe he marries Mrs Hudson. I don't know”! said Moffat.
Moffat did not explain why he thinks Asexuals are not interesting, or anything else Sherlock might have in common in a monk. Sherlock's asexuality has never been cannon. Doyle wrote the original stories long before the creation of Asexual communities.
Steven Moffat has said he does not see the Doctor as Asexual either. It seems that whether or not Moffat wants characters he is associated with to be seen as Asexual icons, he must deal with it, and if he were wise, he would leave the character's Asexuality ambiguous if he wants to please as many fans of his work as possible.
Sources:
"There is a Clue Everybody Missed"
Steven Moffat -- Trivia and Quotes
Share this post
That interview annoyes me no end. "not the choice of an Asexual" yes, because of course asexuality is a choice. In fact, this person says it much better than me: http://jeyradan.tumblr.com/post/16190891473/lets-talk-about-asexuality-the-bbcs-sherlock
The quote "if he was Asexual, there would be no tension in that, no fun in that – it's someone who abstains who's interesting" does not equal "asexuals are boring." What he means is, tension is interesting, and tension comes from characters who are stuck in a challenging, testing, or unhappy situation. If he is an asexual who is not having sex with anyone, he is exactly where he wants to be. Characters who are exactly where they want to be are boring! There is absolutely no inner, psychological tension in such a situation. Tension can only from an outside source: another character has to attack Sherlock's asexuality or try to make him change. On the other hand, if he is a sexual person who chooses to repress his feelings, there is an inherent tension in that situation. Moffat did not say "sexual people are interesting," he said "people who ABSTAIN are interesting," because abstinence, if one's sexual impulses are strong, is a challenge and a constant source of tension.