I Like Detective Stories. And Detectives.

Hi. I’m curious. Where did we all come from all of a sudden?

(Oh, and please note that while I’ve addressed this specifically to the female portion of the fandom, I’m interested in anyone’s response to/opinions about this. Somebody! Help! I have this desperate need to understand!)

Because here’s the thing. I’m an almost nineteen-year-old, western, middle-class, mildly intelligent, single girl. And (at this point in my life) the story that “speaks to me” the most, the story that makes me feel less alone, that I call to mind when I need help, that has the ability to make me feel and want and aspire the most, is a story about two Victorian gentlemen friends who solve crimes and have adventures. And that seems… a little off from the typical expectations that society has of a person of my demographic.

And it isn’t just that I’m a freak. Because, well, if Tumblr has taught me anything, it’s that I’m not the only person like me. There are a lot of us who check, maybe not all, but at least a few of those demographic boxes, and who are Sherlockians/Holmesians/preferred-name-here-ians. Which seems unexpected. NOT BAD. Not bad by any stretch of the imagination. Please realize I’m pretty biased, but I happen to think the whole recent female Sherlockian movement is pretty damn great.

But one has to admit that it is curious. The fact that so many women in the year 2012 are identifying so strongly with these stories is a little bit unexpected, to me at least. I really don’t want to step on any toes by saying this (God, I hope this whole thing isn’t massively offensive), but you have to admit that it is an interesting phenomenon.

And maybe it is just the websites I hang around and the particular fandoms I’m a part of. Maybe I’ve invented the scale of the female Sherlockian group to make myself feel a little less freakish. Maybe all fandoms are like this. I don’t know.

But I do know that I’d really, really like to understand why twenty-first century women feel so strongly about a couple of nineteenth century guys. About stories that are famously (and debatably) a little sexist.

I’m also NOT NOT NOT saying that women should only read/be invested in stories about women, or romance, or chick-lit. As I said before, I don’t have a problem with the female Sherlockian rise, I’m just interested in its origins and particulars.

Because I think the reasons that women have for loving these stories run a lot deeper than, “Because Benedict Cumberbatch/Martin Freeman/RDJ/Jude Law is just so cute! SQUEEEEEEE!” Maybe I’m wrong, which is fine, if that is why you’re here then good on you, enjoy the prettyness on show, there certainly is a lot of it available to you in Holmes and Watson shaped packages at the moment. I myself have been known to enjoy a screencap or two.

For me, it’s a little more than that though. I suspect the same is true for many others, and these are the reasons that I can’t quite fathom. Committed to these stories though I am, I still, even after four years of feeling totally invested in these stories, can’t figure out just why they mean so much to me. I can get bits and pieces, yes, but the whole picture alludes me.

And the fact that so many people of a similar demographic are also so invested, well, it puzzles me a little bit. I have little bits and pieces of theories, but it doesn’t all quite make sense.

So, I thought I’d ask. In a nutshell: why do twenty-first century women love Sherlock Holmes? Please tell me, I’m genuinely curious.

I’d love love love to hear any and all opinions on the matter, if anyone has actually read this far and is interested in letting me know what they think. Doesn’t even have to be about women specifically, could be about the rising popularity of Sherlock in general. Is it just well timed remakes with good production values? Is it just because they are brilliant pieces of writing and will always be around? Or is there something more, something that explains why this particular story, why now?

I think so, but as I said, I’ve been struggling to put my finger on exactly what…