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1 of 1- SherlocklivesinOH
- Mycroft's Contact
Offline - Registered: January 12, 2014
- Posts: 526
Is the "fair sex" really Watson's department?
There seems to be a widespread idea that in canon, Watson was a major ladies' man. I can only think of three possible lines / passages that might have triggered this:
- Watson referring to his "exprience of women on three continents." I was a teenager when I first read that, and I didn't think he was referring to actual sexual experience, just having been around the women in some fashion. Either I was really naive or I had stereotypical ideas about the era, and thought nobody would refer to himself doing anything sexual, especially someone who was supposed to be the hero.
- Holmes says "the fair sex is your department" at one point, but that could just mean that Watson is more normal / neurotypical than Holmes.
- And in yet another story, Watson says, "With your natural advantages, every lady is your helper and accomplice," and something about how Watson's "whispering sweet nothings" will get them information. But all that tells me is that Holmes finds Watson attractive and fantasizes over his wooing and (potential) conquests.
Interestingly, Nekosmuse, author of the Johnlock-focused blog "With Love, S.H.," which examines all the stories for "Johnlock," thinks that the "helper and accomplice" speech is snitty on Holmes' part, that he's expressing jealousy and frustration over Watson's recent attentions to a lady.
Except for Mary, we see no evidence of Watson paying any attention to women...he seems too into Holmes to focus much on dating...same in BBC, for the most part.
There are also people who think Watson has a...physical problem...(perhaps as a result of war injury) that would interfere with his being a ladies' man, and that the above lines by Holmes are cruel jests.
And then again, Watson frequently writes flattering descriptions of Holmes' looks and physical prowess...but also some of other men.
- saturnR
- Mycroft's Contact
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- From: sydney
- Registered: September 3, 2012
- Posts: 528
Re: Is the "fair sex" really Watson's department?
Some thoughts about cannon:
Maybe 100 years ago it was more natural/normal for guys to compliment other guys (without sounding gay).
Maybe 100 years ago the way that guys show that they are into girls is different to how it is now (certainly everything seems to be more overt in the modern era)
Some thoughts about ACD:
People have speculated that he may have been closeted & some of his closet-ness went into his Holmes stories (pure speculation by the way).
Regardless. Johnlock gives us much material to go through 
- nakahara
- Threatened Knighthood
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- Registered: February 22, 2014
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Re: Is the "fair sex" really Watson's department?
Oh, Watson definitely has an eye for the ladies!
When a woman client enters Baker Street 221B, Holmes usually notices that she has some callouses on her hands, splashes of mud on her dress or similar matter. Watson, on the other hand, immediately notices that the lady is comely, that she has a beautiful hair and face, that her dress is pretty and that she has a nice style around herself. He is also quite gallant where Holmes is clinical.
BBC actually retained that characterization of our beloved John. I cracked up when he was wooing Anthea who barely registered him in ASiP. It was so in character for him!
And yes, it was not unusual 100 years ago that two guys complimented themselves and were gentle with each other without being gay. (It happens even today in such countries as Saudi Arabia where homosexuality is punishable by law.)
But that must not necessarily mean Watson hasn′t hots for Holmes in a “Greek love” style. (It was even fashionable among certain high society members in Victorian times.)
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I cannot live without brainwork. What else is there to live for? Stand at the window there. Was there ever such a dreary, dismal, unprofitable world? See how the yellow fog swirls down the street and drifts across the dun-coloured houses. What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material? What is the use of having powers, Doctor, when one has no field upon which to exert them?
- Be
- Unregistered
Re: Is the "fair sex" really Watson's department?
nakahara wrote:
Oh, Watson definitely has an eye for the ladies!
Just like John. Have a look at him waiting in front of the lift before they do the "burglary" into CAM's office.
A woman walks past from right to left through the frame. And John is apparently interested. Actually beaming. A bit dubious though.
Moments later Sherlock tells him that John is the expert on women. Sarcasm can't be ruled out. At least not on the writers part. 
- nakahara
- Threatened Knighthood
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- Registered: February 22, 2014
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Re: Is the "fair sex" really Watson's department?
Oh, Watson definitely has an eye for the ladies!
Just like John. Have a look at him waiting in front of the lift before they do the "burglary" into CAM's office.
A woman walks past from right to left through the frame. And John is apparently interested. Actually beaming. A bit dubious though.
Moments later Sherlock tells him that John is the expert on women. Sarcasm can't be ruled out. At least not on the writers part.
Spot on! 
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I cannot live without brainwork. What else is there to live for? Stand at the window there. Was there ever such a dreary, dismal, unprofitable world? See how the yellow fog swirls down the street and drifts across the dun-coloured houses. What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material? What is the use of having powers, Doctor, when one has no field upon which to exert them?
- nakahara
- Threatened Knighthood
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- Registered: February 22, 2014
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Re: Is the "fair sex" really Watson's department?
That′s also how you can tell when John is jealous over Sherlock. He immediately stops flirting and scowls at the woman instead (for example, he does this to Irene Adler) – which definitely isn′t his normal behaviour to women.
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I cannot live without brainwork. What else is there to live for? Stand at the window there. Was there ever such a dreary, dismal, unprofitable world? See how the yellow fog swirls down the street and drifts across the dun-coloured houses. What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material? What is the use of having powers, Doctor, when one has no field upon which to exert them?
- SherlocklivesinOH
- Mycroft's Contact
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- Posts: 526
Re: Is the "fair sex" really Watson's department?
That′s also how you can tell when John is jealous over Sherlock. He immediately stops flirting and scowls at the woman instead (for example, he does this to Irene Adler) – which definitely isn′t his normal behaviour to women.
In canon, Watson actually comments on Irene Adler's feminine appeal, and feels a little ashamed of his mission. But in BBC, John doesn't show much sign of succumbing to Irene himself...he's more concerned about her affect on Sherlock.
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Thread Starter- SusiGo
- The game is never over (moderator)
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- From: Germany
- Registered: June 5, 2012
- Posts: 22,965
Re: Is the "fair sex" really Watson's department?
John may appreciate female looks but apart from Mary he seems quite oblivious of everything else about them. There was a nice quote on tumblr about John counting all 57 text messages from Irene but not being able to remember if Jeanette has a dog.
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"To fake the death of one sibling may be regarded as a misfortune; to fake the death of both looks like carelessness." Oscar Wilde about Mycroft Holmes
"It is what it is says love." (Erich Fried)
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- nakahara
- Threatened Knighthood
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- Registered: February 22, 2014
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Re: Is the "fair sex" really Watson's department?
This thing probably implies that John has so many girlfriends (and he breaks up so frequently with them) that he mixes them up.
He should stick to Sherlock – he will never mix him up with anybody. 
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I cannot live without brainwork. What else is there to live for? Stand at the window there. Was there ever such a dreary, dismal, unprofitable world? See how the yellow fog swirls down the street and drifts across the dun-coloured houses. What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material? What is the use of having powers, Doctor, when one has no field upon which to exert them?
- Aytoun
- Homeless Network
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- Registered: January 13, 2014
- Posts: 22
Re: Is the "fair sex" really Watson's department?
John may appreciate female looks but apart from Mary he seems quite oblivious of everything else about them. There was a nice quote on tumblr about John counting all 57 text messages from Irene but not being able to remember if Jeanette has a dog.
Yeah, that's where John's at that stage. I think that the John we see at the start of series one isn't having anything to do with women unless it's on a one-night-stand sex only basis. Remember that 'I was so alone' comment? Then when he gets to Baker Street he's more interested in sex with women than in relationships because it's Sherlock who fulfills all his emotional needs, so his girlfriends are all casual and interchangeable. It's only after Sherlock 'dies' that he meets Mary who offfers him sex, love and companionship all rolled into one neat package.
- Arabella Trefoil
- Lestrade's Aide
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- Registered: April 15, 2014
- Posts: 80
Re: Is the "fair sex" really Watson's department?
In the original stories by ACD, Watson appreciated women. He describes how they hold themselves, how they speak, their clothing, their hats, their appearance in general, etc. He has an eye for the ladies, but he respects them, even if he romanticizes them.
More interesting to me is the fact the in the ACD fiction, Watson has a problem with gambling and at one point Sherlock takes his cheque book away from him and locks it up in his desk.
Now I'm reading "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches" for the 50th time. Good adventure and suspense. Plus we get to see John Watson in his woman worshiping mood, and Sherlock showing concern for the woman client. This story has several of my favorite quotes in it too.
You can read it on line for free. If you haven't read it already - lucky you! You will see how the creators of this story "mix it up" for Sherlockians by putting in incidents of the canon in the programme, but not in the story where "they belong."
