Jack Harkness NOT a Slut
I previously posted this on my Y! gallery journal, but figured I'd repost it here since not everyone goes on Y!, can go on Y! or reads the journal entries. Its an art sight not a blog sight, so yeah. Oh in other news, total writers block as fas what should happen next in my fic. Anyway, feel free to check out the meta here.
People keep applying 21st century paradigms, such as categorized sexuality and the need for monogamy in order for a relationship to be committed to Jack Harkness, who is from the 51st century, where most of these things have probably gone out the window. Sociology tells us, human behavior is greatly influenced by the norms of our cultures and society, so it makes since Jack has different morals and mores. Yet, I don’t want to engage in speculative sociology so much as talk about monogamy. Mainly, it’s not natural.
First of all let me say that humans are very strange creatures who do very strange things. They are complex, amazing, scary, and ridiculous, among many other things. Undoubtedly, they are different than any other creature on the planet, but when you get down to it they are animals. “You and me bay are nothing but mammals” yeah, that’s the truth, we’re just animals. So even though we’re different than most animals, I still think I can talk about nature.
Now, it might seem silly to talk about human behavior in terms of natural and unnatural, because humans are pretty weird creatures. But in terms of mating and relationships, don’t hate me but, um, monogamy is pretty unnatural. It doesn’t really occur that much in nature. It could be argued its becoming kind of rare in people. But really what I want to talk about is the notion that monogamy is the ideal condition, its natural. The image of nuclear family, mom, dad, kids as the norm, even though it really isn’t. We know this, yet somehow, alternate lifestyles still seem alien.
Now let’s Torchwood, Jack is from the future. In the future things are different, norms have shifted. (and for some reason he still comes from the picture perfect 1950s vision of a nuclear family). Anyway, I honestly think, that by then, norms might have shifted away from monogamy as the ideal. Which is why, it kind of astounds me that so many people in the Janto fandom are so adamant that Jack be monogamous, and get mad that he isn’t. Don’t pine after Gwen, or flirt with anyone else. Well for one thing, they are pretty monogamous, in that Jack is only with Ianto. But besides that, a committed relationship is not the same thing as a monogamous one.
Let’s look to nature shall we?
Dolphins, are a very socially complex animal and intelligent. Bottlenose Dolphins are a very intelligent species, according the Wikipedia article they “have an absolute brain mass of 1500-1700 grams. This is slightly greater than that of humans (1300-1400 grams) and about four times that of chimpanzees (400 grams)”. I choose dolphins because they have near human intelligence, which I think makes them more capable of forming relationships that might be as emotionally complex as our own. They also enjoy sex and do it for fun, like humans, and form long term relationships.
Bottle nosed Dolphins are pretty much omnisexual. They have been known to engage in sexual behavior with either gender, as well as with different species of Dolphins. Dolphins are, along with humans, one of the few species that has sex for fun. They are promiscuous, however, male dolphins do form lifelong pairs.
These pairs are partners in every since of the term, they provide each other companionship, they work together to hunt, they play together, they engage in sexual behavior with each other (various innovative sexual behavior just like human dolphin sex, there is: anal, blow hole, and “wuzzleing” which is the dolphin equivalent to oral involving a dolphin using its nose to, ok you get the idea). They even help each other get females, often having 3 ways with the same female. Other times two homosexual pairs of male dolphins will join to have a four way. However, these pairs are life partners, occasionally there are three way partners of males, and the pairs last for life, they don’t break up, unlike a lot of human monogamous commitments, if the divorce rate is any indication.
Now, humans aren’t dolphins, we have our own nature and instincts to deal with. What’s natural for a human is different than what’s natural for any other creature. The point is though, monogamy and mating for life, aren’t the same thing or mutually exclusive. A creature can be promiscuous and committed.
I like to think that in 51st century, when people are a lot less choosy about partners, that commitment might be more like it is in Dolphins. Where you can look at, flirt with, and be with other people while still having a life mate/committed relationship.
So, Ianto is from this century, and might be more in tune to current norms of human behavior. He might want commitment tied to monogamy. But I’ve never seen anything in the show to suggest that. He seems fine with what he has with Jack.
First of all let me say that humans are very strange creatures who do very strange things. They are complex, amazing, scary, and ridiculous, among many other things. Undoubtedly, they are different than any other creature on the planet, but when you get down to it they are animals. “You and me bay are nothing but mammals” yeah, that’s the truth, we’re just animals. So even though we’re different than most animals, I still think I can talk about nature.
Now, it might seem silly to talk about human behavior in terms of natural and unnatural, because humans are pretty weird creatures. But in terms of mating and relationships, don’t hate me but, um, monogamy is pretty unnatural. It doesn’t really occur that much in nature. It could be argued its becoming kind of rare in people. But really what I want to talk about is the notion that monogamy is the ideal condition, its natural. The image of nuclear family, mom, dad, kids as the norm, even though it really isn’t. We know this, yet somehow, alternate lifestyles still seem alien.
Now let’s Torchwood, Jack is from the future. In the future things are different, norms have shifted. (and for some reason he still comes from the picture perfect 1950s vision of a nuclear family). Anyway, I honestly think, that by then, norms might have shifted away from monogamy as the ideal. Which is why, it kind of astounds me that so many people in the Janto fandom are so adamant that Jack be monogamous, and get mad that he isn’t. Don’t pine after Gwen, or flirt with anyone else. Well for one thing, they are pretty monogamous, in that Jack is only with Ianto. But besides that, a committed relationship is not the same thing as a monogamous one.
Let’s look to nature shall we?
Dolphins, are a very socially complex animal and intelligent. Bottlenose Dolphins are a very intelligent species, according the Wikipedia article they “have an absolute brain mass of 1500-1700 grams. This is slightly greater than that of humans (1300-1400 grams) and about four times that of chimpanzees (400 grams)”. I choose dolphins because they have near human intelligence, which I think makes them more capable of forming relationships that might be as emotionally complex as our own. They also enjoy sex and do it for fun, like humans, and form long term relationships.
Bottle nosed Dolphins are pretty much omnisexual. They have been known to engage in sexual behavior with either gender, as well as with different species of Dolphins. Dolphins are, along with humans, one of the few species that has sex for fun. They are promiscuous, however, male dolphins do form lifelong pairs.
These pairs are partners in every since of the term, they provide each other companionship, they work together to hunt, they play together, they engage in sexual behavior with each other (various innovative sexual behavior just like human dolphin sex, there is: anal, blow hole, and “wuzzleing” which is the dolphin equivalent to oral involving a dolphin using its nose to, ok you get the idea). They even help each other get females, often having 3 ways with the same female. Other times two homosexual pairs of male dolphins will join to have a four way. However, these pairs are life partners, occasionally there are three way partners of males, and the pairs last for life, they don’t break up, unlike a lot of human monogamous commitments, if the divorce rate is any indication.
Now, humans aren’t dolphins, we have our own nature and instincts to deal with. What’s natural for a human is different than what’s natural for any other creature. The point is though, monogamy and mating for life, aren’t the same thing or mutually exclusive. A creature can be promiscuous and committed.
I like to think that in 51st century, when people are a lot less choosy about partners, that commitment might be more like it is in Dolphins. Where you can look at, flirt with, and be with other people while still having a life mate/committed relationship.
So, Ianto is from this century, and might be more in tune to current norms of human behavior. He might want commitment tied to monogamy. But I’ve never seen anything in the show to suggest that. He seems fine with what he has with Jack.