they did so have those in the 1940s

[eliyes]

Today I was reading an Avengers fanfic -- as in, set during the movie -- with switching POVs and encountered an author's note that said for Steve's POV they weren't going to use contractions "because they probably didn't have those in the 40s".

...

WHAT THE FUCK.

Like, do the tiniest bit of research! Watch a movie from the 40s! Hello, listen to some music! Louis Jordan recorded Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby? in 1943. The song Isn't It Romantic? was in at least 5 movies between 1932 and Steve shipping out!

PICK UP ANY PLAY BY SHAKESPEARE, YOU WILL FIND CONTRACTIONS IN IT, THEY PREDATE THE 1940S BY A LOT!!!

Or, if you can't be bothered with even the tiniest bit of research or thought, fucking watch the Avengers movie. Steve uses contractions. Or did you somehow miss the infamous, "Son, just don't."?????

*flails around in aggravation*

Comments

[taichara]

Well me son, I continue to boggle at how fucking stupid your fandom is.

And I have Fire Emblem fans to deal with.

[kiffie]

This actually isn't Steve. It's Steve's android brother, Steeb, who cannot use contractions. It'll be a plot point later, I'm sure.

[starwatcher]

.
I'm extremely irritated to read stories (fic or original) with speakers who use no contractions -- unless it is specifically part of their character (like Data from ST:NG, Ziva David from NCIS, Teyla Emmagan from SGA). I think it can be another part of effective writing -- a character who uses an average number of contraction, but reverts to using uncontracted speech in a specific situation, is indicating a higher level of {some emotion} at that time.

I recently read a published book where the characters sometimes used contractions, but sometimes -- for no storytelling reason -- did not. One chapter, X uses contractions when speaking, the next chapter, he doesn't. I found it very off-putting for the first half of the book; fortunately, it improved in the second half.

I agree; research can be enormously helpful. Would that more authors used a modicum of that technique.
.

[conuly]

Has... has this person never read or watched anything from prior to their own birth? '