(no subject)

[timepiececlock]

::irritated::

Dude, it's Christmas. (okay not really anymore, but I haven't gone to bed yet so it's still the 25th for me.) Christmas. The last thing I want to do on Christmas is start to read an Avatar fanfic That I think is decent for three chapters then get to the fourth chapter upon which Aang's deceased spirit posesses Zuko then puts Katara in a hypnotic state then rapes her (and by side-effect rapes Zuko too) with Zuko's body to implant some mystical Avatar semen so that she (who is 14, mind you) will be mother to the next Avatar.

Gag me with a pudding spoon please. The worst part is that the end of the chapter was followed with this particularly insulting gem: "I know for a fact that most people would expect this little blurb right here to be filled with escriptive and erotic words telling of what happened next."

Really. Cause all I want for Christmas is to read an erotic story about a twelve year old possessing the body of a drunken 16 year old and using that body to rape a "partially-aware" fourteen year old who is in a "dreamlike state" for the purpose of saddling her with a magic baby. Yeah, that's fun smutfic right there. ::rolls eyes:: It's like the author doesn't even realize how horrible it is. I read the reviews for the chapter and it's like no one else even commented on the fact that Aang just did the mystical equivalent of date rape. To both Katara AND Zuko. Which is also, btw, completely out of character for him.

::shakes head:: This is why fanfic pisses me off sometimes. Some idiot thinks this is romantic? Erotic? ::deep sigh:: I hope this fanpoodle wakes up to reality before he or she hits high school.


edit: So, I left a fairly negative review, whcih could be called a flame if the definition of flame is a review that basically says "This makes no sense for the characters, is insulting to read, and I can't believe someone wrote it." I personally consider flames to be more along the lines of insulting the writer personally and gratuitously (which I did not do, I just said the fic was shit and OOC), but I'll own up to the possibility that the review I left did constitute a flame by some definitions, which would make it about the sixth flame I've written in over six years of fandom. Personally, I can live with that.

The only thing that bugs me is that the author replied to my review then banned me from replying to them. ::rolls eyes:: That's not polite. I mean, I own up to my own opinions and leave a signed review, perfectly aware that I am opening myself up to the author's unhappy response. But when they response and make a list of 8 points, many of them questions, they then ban me from PMing them to answer their questions? Bad form, bad form. If they didn't want a dialogue they shouldn't have replied, and they certainly should have replied with questions.

Dude, I *hate* not being able to answer questions! I'd happily explain my opinions in great detail! I'd love to tell them why I left the review I did. Really, I would! And I'd be all nice about it too. Why oh WHY do people ask someone questions then deny them a chance to answer? That's just cruel and unusual punishment. I'm not annoyed because I think their reply made good points or accurately justified the fic, I'm annoyed because someone has asked me for my opinion then denied me an opportunity to respond. >( That's just...impolite. In the forum of public interaction that is the internet that's just not. cool. (Their response didn't actually change my opinion about the fic, it only made it worse with lines like "4 - Aang was dead. He is a ghost in Zuko's body. He is using Zuko's body so that he can have sex with Katara so that the next Avatar can be born since Aang is dead and that's not good." So... it's "not good" that Aang's dead and that justifies him hypnotizing Katara and Zuko and raping her with Zuko's body? Why does this person not know the definition of rape? And they accuse me of being twelve. That's a laugh.)

But as my father so appropriately explained to me yesterday, "Logic doesn't always work on people." ::sigh:: And it certainly won't work on people if they disallow you from commenting to their comment.

I suppose I could always email her/him. But I'm not so sure I want to bother. It's a tough choice. Do I:

a) not email them, and let it go with the knowledge that a ficcer who wrote something this repugnent is not someone I can logic into what's so morally disgusting about their fic

b) email them and try to make one more [probably young] person absolutely clear and informed about what rape is and why sex with a "semi-aware" person in a "dream-like state" is never consensual

Hm... convenience, or moral duty? Can I single-handedly teach every idiot I come across on the internet that rape is bad?

::sigh::

Damn. Now I've convinced myself. After all, if I explain, then maybe they'll recognize idiots next time they see it and inform THEM. Like a chain reaction.

Fuck, now I've got to write an email. Curse my idealism.

EDIT 2: *sigh* I wrote a long, thoughtful email explaining why rape is bad and why the fic offended me, and answering all his/her questions. Sadly, it was refused. ::sigh:: That's what I get for expecting people to be as reasonable and open-minded as myself.

Comments

[memlu.livejournal.com]

...there's more than one rapefic with Zuko now?

*CRIES*

::cries::

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

I didn't read on past the point that disgusted me, but sadly this isn't even a rape fic. It's worse-- it's a rape fic where Aang-in-Zuko's-unaware-body rapes and impregnates Katara with the next Avatar, but written in such a way that the author doesn't even realize that what she/he's describing is rape.

The only reason I don't link to it in my post is that I have this hope that, even though 50 people besides myself have reviewed the fic and not said a word about the fact that the scene was a double-rape of Zuko and Katara by Aang, that maybe even one person in the next fifty reviews WILL notice and comment on it, of their own will. ::sigh:: I'm an idealist that way.

[zebeckras.livejournal.com]

The scary side of many fanfic writers. If a sex scene doesn't fit the textbook definition of rape (by which I mean, even if one person SAYS no, if they even slightly enjoy it) it is not rape. And they get REALLLLYY offended if you tell them otherwise. Which can be fun in its own right. ;)

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

The bit of fun I felt at knowing that with one negative review I'd so thoroughly forced someone to seeing the reality of their fic as for them to ban me from PMing them via ff.net AND from emailing them, is countered by my frustration at being unable to discuss it with them further, and go into greater detail. They were very offended. It saddens me that they don't want their own questions answered, but I'm relatively satisfied that a) it'll stay up as long as the fic (signed reviews can't be deleted), and b) by leaving my paths of communication open I know that at least I'm not afraid to own my own arguments.

[zebeckras.livejournal.com]

It's sad - this is really just *so* standard. This girl couldn't have written a fic in which, let's pretend hypothetically (as if I'm not squicked enough by the ages of the characters involved), Aang possesses Zuko and is able to convince Katara to have consensual sex? This is still rape of Zuko, but no one ever thinks of the guys, so at least it's halfway better. :P But no, no, far better to more or less drug two people and force them to have sex with each other. Much better plot idea. 9_9

But yeah, if F_W has taught me anything, it's that this is pretty much the norm. ;)

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

let's pretend hypothetically (as if I'm not squicked enough by the ages of the characters involved), Aang possesses Zuko and is able to convince Katara to have consensual sex? This is still rape of Zuko, but no one ever thinks of the guys, so at least it's halfway better.

That's where I thought it was heading, and at least that's halfway better, but no, it had to go for the nonsensical double whammy. Probably because any normal 4 year old female would say "no thank you, fuck off" if given the choice of sex with someone she hates leading to underage pregnancy.

But yeah, if F_W has taught me anything, it's that this is pretty much the norm.

I was startled because while I've read a lot of things in fanfic that weren't given realistic treatment, this is the first time I've read a rapefic where the author themselves didn't seem to acknowledge the fact that it was rape.

[beckingham.livejournal.com]

4 year old female
...I know what you actually meant, but... this has been taken to a total new level of wrong.

[mswyrr]

The last thing I want to do on Christmas is start to read an Avatar fanfic That I think is decent for three chapters then get to the fourth chapter upon which Aang's deceased spirit posesses Zuko then puts Katara in a hypnotic state then rapes her (and by side-effect rapes Zuko too) with Zuko's body to implant some mystical Avatar semen so that she (who is 14, mind you) will be mother to the next Avatar.

God, yes. You're reading along, and then suddenly the writer/story goes bugfuck crazy and you taste bile. It's one of the most unattractive things about fanfic, imho. Published fiction does it sometimes, too, but its writers are usually more aware of (a) the actual moral implications of a given situation, and (b) the trust relationship between writer/reader.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

writers are usually more aware of (a) the actual moral implications of a given situation,

This writer didn't, and that's what disgusted me.

[mswyrr]

When I see some of the shit thirteen year old fanfic writers come up with, I think about how I'm gonna have to live in a world run by these people one day, and I get really freaking scared.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Me too. And even worse is reading the reviews PRAISING that shit. And then knowing that more reviews means other fic-writers might think it's trendy or clever and want to do the same thing.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_rednovember/]

Can I single-handedly teach every idiot I come across on the internet that rape is bad?

RAPE IS BAD RAPE IS BAD RAPE IS BAD RAPE IS BAD RAPE IS BAD

... it's the thought that counts, no? XD

[dracori.livejournal.com]

I read this journal entry previously. And not too long ago I came across a forum topic in the FFN forums that caught my eye. The person was concerned about the negative feedback she had been recieving and so created a forum to get some different opinons before posting the sequel. I read through the story's reviews and found yours and so had to come back to this entry XD Did I read the story? No, I'm too scared to. I'm afraid I'll get as equally pissed and say some things I'll regret later. I have a habit of doing that.

But the person is planning to post a sequel....X_x; Cross your fingers for no kiddy porn.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

And not too long ago I came across a forum topic in the FFN forums that caught my eye. The person was concerned about the negative feedback she had been recieving and so created a forum to get some different opinons before posting the sequel.

Hm. I wonder if she's gotten more negative feedback? When I posted my review it looked like I was the only person not saying "OMG lurve your fic!"

If the forum is givingin her honest feedback of varying points of view, then that can only be a good thing. I stopped reading it after I wrote my review so I have no information past that on its development.

If you're cncerned about kiddie porn-- the part I was complaining about happened off-screen, with a "fade to black" kind of thing. There was nothing graphic there. I briefly scanned the beginning of the next chapter to check.

It's the concept that I found so disturbing, as well as the lack of recognition on the writer's part as to what the implications were. There's trust in a story-- if something terrible happens, we the readers have to trust that the writer is aware that they're writing about something terrible, and that the gravity of this thing will be addressed as the story goes along. As I said above, I got the impression that A) the writer didn't think about and realize that what she was having Aang do was unarguably complete and total textbook definition of rape (of two characters, not just one), and B) the writer thought Aang's actions were not only acceptable, but justified and to be recognized as heroic. As a reader, I couldn't trust the writer to know what the hell they're talking about or to have the characters behave in a normal, IC manner.

But if you're curious about it and the idea of kiddie porn turns you off, you don't have to worry about that, I think.

[dracori.livejournal.com]

I still don't plan to read it. I trust your judgement. If the writer is that dense about the definition of rape and the affects and consequences it carries then the hell with it. And the fact that all her reviewers seem to have the combined IQ of a walnut is also another problem I have. It's enough to make me want to flame the story just to spite them. But I just don't want to bother with it. She'll probably just react the same way and block me.