::Bored::

[teddog]

Slow day at the office, waiting for materials and whatnot. I've been trying to get a slimmed down version of Coppermine up and running on Signal Loss. It seems to be coming along, although I'm going to have to dig to disable the rating system, since it's messing with my layout.

Small rant: I really don't like it in fandom when the non-words "molestable" or "rapeable" are used to describe an actor or a character. It's so... wrong.

We know what rape is. What does molest mean?

1. To disturb, interfere with, or annoy.
2. To subject to unwanted or improper sexual activity.

Yeah, in many cases where it's a character, we're dealing with a fictional thing. If you like non-con, that's your own thing. It seems to be a kink that's becoming very popular in areas of fandom, probably for the same reason incest is: It's "racy" and whatnot and slash and BDSM have been done. Buuuut... threatening molestion against another human, like an actor, with intent to carry out that action, is pretty wrong. I'm also willing to group younger characters under this "Wrong!" catagory. You don't walk up to a 4 year old on the street and tell the mother "Ooo! He's so rapeable!" That's grounds for being arrested.

If you wanna do someone, fictional or otherwise, then just say that. "I'd jump his bones" or whatever else works. Talking about molesting them, in the true sense of the word, hints that you are lacking confidence; that you believe that the object of your affection will not give you a second look, so you need to rape them in order to get what you want. That or you want sex slaves and I'm not sure where the law stands on that.

The sad thing is you see "molestable" a lot refering to geeky or socially awkward characters, which seems to be sort of insulting. Why is it assumed that a nerd will refuse sex, so you need to force yourself on them? This isn't fanfic and odds are, they aren't going to suddenly enjoy it at the end. Is it wrong somehow to call a geek sexy in the true sense, instead bringing them down to "It's only fun if you take advantage of them"? We have sex drives too, you know.

Meeeeeeh I'm done.

Comments

[vonandmoggy.livejournal.com]

That's very weird. Molestation and rape are truly horrible experiences for most people and the aftermath can be devastating as people attempt to rebuild their lives afterwards.

Fiction, any type of fiction, needs to deal with the consequences of it. Real people don't just pick themselves up and go on with their lives. In the realm of the fantastic (spec fic, comics or whatnot) I actually think it's even more important to explore this. If Cyclops got raped by Sabretooth, that should be something that resonates with the character for the rest of his life.

Besides, sex is supposed to be fun! It can be kinky as hell (or not) but at it's core it's supposed to be about consent - even in over the top dom/sub situations, it's still about consent. Molestation doesn't.

Von

[commanderteddog.livejournal.com]

Here's it in use, if you want an example (http://community.livejournal.com/fm_alchemist/4446714.html). It comes across as very dehumanizing. Interesting, because fangirls use it to refer to male characters/actors. If a man refered to a female character like that, he'll learn the meaning of double standard quite quickly.

In the realm of the fantastic (spec fic, comics or whatnot) I actually think it's even more important to explore this. If Cyclops got raped by Sabretooth, that should be something that resonates with the character for the rest of his life.

This is what I've never understood about fandom and fan fic in particular.

To grab a random example, my sister was on the judging team for a "squick" fiction contest, which translates to "Try to disgust everyone else in fandom with a twisted, but well-written story!". She dragged me in as her ghost co-judge (because I tend to laugh at really bad stories, much like bad movies) and we read the material. There were a ton of molestation and rape stories, all focused on the event and not the fallout.

The result is just really awful writing. There's a total removal of the emotional side of the act by both parties and a strong focus on the physical. Further more, the stories ended after the fact and didn't go deeper into the consequences, which would have been much more horrific in terms of literature then the act itself. I believe the authors believed that they were doing something avant-garde when they missed the point completely.

But I ramble.

[slwatson.livejournal.com]

If Cyclops got raped by Sabretooth, that should be something that resonates with the character for the rest of his life.

Oh, my poor Scott! :::grabs and cuddles her Cyke plushie:::

[commanderteddog.livejournal.com]

::Insert out of context reference to a very large mutant getting his head lopped off::

Because, you know, the example made me think of that.

[slwatson.livejournal.com]

Similar and different. That was genuinely psychological warfare that would have never played out (though no one else knew that) and was meant to be a mindfuck more than anything (and resoundingly succeeded in those terms).

Did not take into account, though, that eventually you're gonna cross the wrong people. And failing to take those people seriously in battle, relying entirely on your near-immortality and healing factor, may just result in your life.

[vonandmoggy.livejournal.com]

That's too funny! :)

Von

[slwatson.livejournal.com]

Die-hard Cyke fan. At least, until he started doing the White Queen.

[vonandmoggy.livejournal.com]

Call me old-school, but I still have a hard time with her being, y'know, a good guy. She did some pretty nasty things when she was a villain. I suppose anyone can reform but I dunno...

I'm a big fan of the 2nd X-men team in general (the one that debuted in Giant Size X-Men Number One). And for that reason, I kinda covet this.

Von

[slwatson.livejournal.com]

I think she's evil and needs to die. And I like the second team... Hell, I like all the different versions, all the way up until the modern era. When they went to the leather outfits (and killed Scott, and brought him back... should have left him dead), I quit.

[vonandmoggy.livejournal.com]

Now you know my pain over Alpha Flight. And that's been 20 years...

Sigh...

Von