Sex and the Emerald City

[vovat]

The topic of sex in Oz can be a controversial one, although I doubt there was any such controversy when the books were actually being written. I mean, come on, they're children's books from the early twentieth century! The argument comes in over whether writing more adult Oz stories is...appropriate, I suppose. There's also the question as to whether sex is even possible in Oz. Some people have taken the fact that Dot and Tot of Merryland is linked to Oz in a few books (most notably the visit of its queen to the Emerald City in The Road to Oz) to mean that the storks of Merryland bring babies to Oz. But then, it could be like the Xanth books, in which sex summons the stork. There's also the indication in Tin Woodman that even babies never grow older in Oz, which would probably make childbirth undesirable, if not impossible. We do see a child born in Oz in Ruth Plumly Thompson's books, however, so it apparently happens sometimes, even though I would imagine the birth rate is pretty low there. Besides, lack of childbirth doesn't have to mean lack of sex, especially if the country has birth control. And really, why wouldn't it? It's hardly a new idea, and magic might have made birth control devices more effective more quickly. Obviously it isn't mentioned in the books, but neither are bathroom facilities (well, bathtubs are, but not toilets), and it's likely there are some.

So why don't we see the number of sexual stories for Oz that we do for other fandoms? Well, part of it might be the relative obscurity of the books (except for the first one), but there's also the fact that a lot of the protagonists are either children or magical constructs with no apparent sex organs (which doesn't mean they aren't capable of romantic relationships; the Scarecrow and Patchwork Girl flirt quite a bit upon meeting, and some readers have compared the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman in Tin Woodman to an old married couple). It's possible to make the children grow older, especially with Thompson's idea that people can age if they choose to, but it still seems kind of wrong. I've seen some people pair up an older Ozma and Dorothy, which kind of makes sense, given how close they are in the books. March Laumer, the most famous and successful writer of more adult Oz books, gives Ozma unrequited romantic love for Dorothy, who goes on to marry a guy named Zippiochoggolak.

Ozma is definitely one of the more popular characters to involve in pairings. I guess that, as someone with beauty, brains (well, okay, that kind of depends on the book), and power, she'd be one of the most eligible bachelorettes in the country. She's young, but not AS young as many of the other main characters; Tin Woodman says that she's physically about fourteen or fifteen years old, and she might have even aged a little since then. Jack Pumpkinhead has Baron Mogodore trying to marry her, and while he's a villain, there's no indication that he's a pedophile. I believe it was David Hulan who suggested that John R. Neill started drawing Ozma as looking more mature after that.


Before and After:




So I don't really object in principle to Ozma being in a relationship, it's a tricky task, and I don't think the stories I've seen that paired her off with someone (usually a Mary Sue) really pulled it off. I mean, not only is she a beloved character, but she's the ruler of the most powerful nation in the region. Her marriage would result in a significant change to the status quo, even if she didn't want it to.

Anyway, speaking of sexuality in Oz, look where Private Files' left hand is.



And with that, I bid you adieu for now. I might well make another oz post tomorrow, though, because there are some Oz-related subjects that I've been meaning to address.

Comments

Zippiochoggolak

[suegypt.livejournal.com]

Zippiochoggolak, I just love that.....Zippiochoggolak!

Do the Maguire books (Wicked, Son, and Lion) count in your pantheon? If so, there's sex aplenty.

Re: Zippiochoggolak

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Zippiochoggolak, I just love that.....Zippiochoggolak!

He comes from a family where everyone has weird compound names. His father's name is Wamopavirachuk.

The Maguire books contradict the Baum ones too frequently to count as canonical in my mind.

[newwwoz.blogspot.com (from livejournal.com)]

Religion and sex and Oz... touchy subjects that you and I hit, eh? (Well, you went for the sex. I don't think my audiences are ready to hear me discuss that yet...)

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I'll probably get to religion in Oz at some point, although there really isn't much evidence either way on that topic. Actually, Thompson seems to address it more than Baum does, but only in a very cursory way.

[shadarko.livejournal.com]

I've gotten into the Oz sex discussion before. I've never liked the idea of Ozma being paired off for a few reasons. 1. the age thing. No matter how it's put Ozma is a teenager in my mind. She might be an immortal fairy of undertermined age, but gosh darn it, she's 16. Plus, 2. the point you made, the status quo and issue of ruler ship comes up. Oz may be a matriarchal society, but who's to say the guy wouldn't try to take over. This is usually where my rant goes into how men are always trying to take away women's power and the Oz discussion falls apart.

Relationships with other characters I have less issue with. Well besides the other children, Dorothy, Trot, etc. But the wizard, glinda, Jinjir, etc go for it. Scarecrow and Scraps were often shown in flirt/relationship images. You don't need genitals to be in a relationship.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think you're right about Ozma. I could imagine her growing a few years older, and sixteen is old enough to get married in some countries (really, I have to wonder what the age of consent would be in Oz, what with the confusion between ages and actual years lived), but her being paired off doesn't really sit right with me. As for Jinjur, she was married as of Ozma, but there's never any sign of her husband after that.

probably repeating myself, here ...

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

I've been talking with some people over at DeviantArt about this very subject, and thinking on it quite a bit. I've mentioned wanting to write an Oz story myself, but I'm still in the thinking stages -- I haven't even sat down to start brainstorming yet. I want my story to be a balanced -- more adult themes while also staying true to the spirit and events of the first fourteen books -- but I haven't decided if I want any romantic tanglements at all, yet.

But I've decided to focus on Dorothy and her friends -- Betsy, Trot, and Ozma -- and how they deal with being over a hundred years old in the bodies of young people. So, even if there is a romance involved, there won't be any sex -- too much of an ick factor that might drive away readers. We know fifteen year old girls are having sex in the real world, but Oz fans don't want Ozma hitting the sack with a Prince of Ev. Maybe Dorothy could age herself to have an affair with a Mary Sue character, but she wouldn't really be our Dorothy anymore, would she?

On the other hand, I'm curious about the frustrations and awkwardness that might ensue if, say, Dorothy, a century old person in a ten year old body, developed a romantic interest in a man who looks twice her age, but is actually much younger. That's something that could be explored for angst, humor, or both, without hitting the ick factor too heavily. As long as no Mary Sue's are involved.

It could if handled well, anyway. Am I that good of a fiction writer? *looks around* I dunno. Maybe I should check March Laumer's stories, and see if he hasn't done it all before.

Sorry, that's only maginally related to your post -- you people are the only ones I can talk to on this subject!

Re: probably repeating myself, here ...

[vovat.livejournal.com]

But I've decided to focus on Dorothy and her friends -- Betsy, Trot, and Ozma -- and how they deal with being over a hundred years old in the bodies of young people.

I think that's definitely an interesting subject to touch upon. Since they're still physically children, they presumably wouldn't have developed sexual urges, but they might well know more about the subject than your average ten-year-old.

Maybe Dorothy could age herself to have an affair with a Mary Sue character, but she wouldn't really be our Dorothy anymore, would she?

Yeah, that's pretty much the way I feel about it. I wouldn't mind a "what if" story in which Dorothy grew up, but I think it would change the character too much for me to want to consider it True Hoztory. For what it's worth, I don't think Laumer's adult Button-Bright was particularly interesting.

Sorry, that's only maginally related to your post -- you people are the only ones I can talk to on this subject!

That's quite all right!

Re: probably repeating myself, here ...

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

I would think they'd know a lot more after a century; especially Betsy, who's maybe the oldest of the three by a bit, and Ozma, who depending on who you ask would probably be post-adolescent. There's got to be sex in Oz -- it's a paradise, right? -- so at the very least they've stumbled across someone being a bit too open and got an eye or ear full, then started asking questions. Not to mention what might happen during a day spend gazing idly into the Magic Picture.

Truth is, I was only 12 when I first had sex, and that was with an "experienced" girl slightly younger than me. So I have no reason to think the girls aren't familiar with what goes on, even if they have no desire to try it themselves.

But under no circumstances will I age any of the characters (especially Button-Bright!) It just wouldn't be the same. So, realistically, what they know and what they do will be very different things.

Re: probably repeating myself, here ...

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I have to wonder if the Magic Picture has the equivalent of a V-Chip, to block out all the images Ozma might not want to see. If so, I'd have to wonder if that would make sitting on the toilet an effective way to hide from the Picture. :P

V-Chip

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

Boy, I would hope so ... if it wasn't there before, Ozma certainly would have had one put in. Which means you can, indeed, hide from the Picture. But if the rest of the residents of the palace don't know that, then you can bet sex really has disappeared from the Emerald City!

[kevenn.livejournal.com]

I hear you on the Mary Sue thing. I groan every time I read a story with one - especially when they're a romantic interest. I've also never read a story where the romantic interest for Ozma is even all that compelling. It has to be someone amazing, but not more amazing than Ozma, but just as amazing. It's a very difficult kind of character to create. Kinda' like creating a boyfriend for Wonder Woman.

Me, I'm a big fan of the Tin Woodman/Scarecrow pairing. One is the heart, and the other the brain.

I also have always had inklings of the Wizard and Glinda having a little something going on.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I also have always had inklings of the Wizard and Glinda having a little something going on.

I have to wonder if it's a situation where he's interested in her beyond a professional relationship, but not vice versa. Of course, while Glinda seems to be a powerful single women, it's conceivable that she's had some relationships in the past.

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

Maybe Nick and Scarecrow were the very first "Bromance", before the term was ever coined!

I've wondered about Glinda and the Wizard, too. they certainly have a lot in common ...

[billiedoll.livejournal.com]

My main question on the sexuality of Oz is regarding the Tin Woodman. He started out life as a normal man (with all that entails). Upon conversion to tin, he realizes that he can go around with no clothes on because he is immune to the sensation of cold. But if his tin body was an adequate replacement for the original, wouldn't that leave something hanging out? Or is one of the reasons that Nimmie Amee was so excited about his conversion the fact that she wouldn't have to put out once they were married?

One adult fic I've read (remarkably well written, strangely enough) indicates that his equipment is concealed behind a panel in his groin when not in use.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I've always figured that Nick became sexually non-functional upon being replaced with tin. It's certainly an interesting thing to think about, though. You'd think he might miss the ability to have sex, after all.

[billiedoll.livejournal.com]

It's a fairly typical guy thing to be especially attached to Mr. Happy. Just like the sympathy response we get when we see someone get nailed in the crotch. Nick would very likely have demanded a replacement, so either Ku-Klip is not as cunning a tinsmith as he thinks he is, or there's something that Nick isn't telling us.