Neil asked:

I doubt if any kind of unanimous verdict can be reached on this one, but we can at least - if we choose - declare where we stand and why.

A complex issue. Freedom of speech and expression is near the top of my personal list of axioms, which dictates my support of pretty much all fan art -- as well as of (visual) pornography in general, despite personally considering the latter unpleasant and/or degrading.

I wasn't therefore joking when I expressed the view that people had the right to produce erotic material relating to myself, though in practice I don't doubt that I'd find it embarrassing broadly in proportion to the realism employed.

Speaking as an editor, my policy specifically excludes any art not suitable for general audiences.

Many of the B7 characters are depicted on screen and in authorised publicity photographs in ways I'd call sexualised -- certainly Jenna, Avon, Servalan, Dayna, and probably Cally too (I'm thinking here mainly of clothing that could be said to show off their bodies). Both Paul Darrow and Jacqueline Pearce have expressed on the whole positive opinions about being sex symbols in interviews I've heard or seen transcripts of, but I don't know about the others.

Taking the example of PD, as I've seen more art depicting Avon than anyone else. To my mind, it's a little hypocritical of PD to enjoy sex symbol status while getting upset about fans depicting him (in words or pictures) in sex symbol-appropriate fashions. Actually, I seem to recall (I can't bear to re-read) that PD's own 'Avon: A Terrible Aspect' presented sexually explicit scenes. Most, if not all, of the pictures I can recall do not employ any kind of realism in depicting his body (I'd extrapolate from silhouettes a relatively fat stomach and disproportionately thin legs). I truly can't see that the depiction of Avon in low circulation fan-distributed media has any real effect on PD's career (though I don't doubt that type-casting has affected him). In fact, as he still gains income from B7-related appearances, it could be argued that it's enhanced it.

I guess where I'd personally draw the line would be regarding people who confuse the fictional Avon with the real-life Paul Darrow, and who act in ways towards the actor in person that he considers offensive. My personal guess would be that this was rather rare, considering the number of people who found the character attractive, and also that it would be independent of any fan-related erotica involving Avon.

Tavia