Dear Fandom, WTF?

[jaina47]

Guiding Light Fandom - specifically the fan fic'ers.  I have a problem with you.  Not all of you, but, yeah, some of you.

I'm usually very live and let live when it comes to fic that I don't like. I figure if I don't like it, well that's personal opinion, and no one is forcing me to read it. I'll just be on my merry way and you can continue on yours.

But this time, I do seriously have a problem.  I'm starting to see something become a trend and I do not want it to be.  I'm a relatively new Guiding Light fangirl, but I really, really adore this fandom in ways that I don't think I've ever whole heartedly embraced a fandom before. I looked around, saw something I liked, saw a fandom that I could respect, enjoy and be proud to be a part of.  I checked my cynicism, jaded attitude and sarcasm at the door.  

A lot of folks do with this fandom, and I'll be the first to admit that at times the hyperbole can get a bit much. Nothing is perfect and this isn't either, but I honestly don't think I've seen a fandom like this before. 

This brings me to my problem.  We have a storyline that for the most part is doing it right.  We have two wonderful actresses that are fully and completely committed to telling this story in the right way.  They love the story and they embrace the fans, completely, without reservation and in ways I've never seen before.  This storyline is showing a love story between two women and it's not a gimmick. It's real. It's not just two women making out for male viewers. It's not meant to titilate. It's growing slowly. It's not going to end with one woman married or dead and the other yearning after her angstily for the rest of her life. No one is going to get "punished" for daring to follow their heart and love another woman.

Yes, there are obstacles and angst.  But they're real things. Not fake, contrived bullshit meant to keep lesbians in their place.  No happily ever afters allowed. 

So the beginnings of this trend I'm seeing in Guiding Light fan fic, I want it to stop. Now. Before it does become a trend.

Rape!fic is something that I've run across many times over the years.  Most of the time it's badly written and unrealistically handled.  Other times it's less like Rape!fic and more like Hate!fic where some troll uses the guise of writing a story to take out his or her issues with lesbians/bi women or just women in general.  That I can deal with. I don't like it, but you can't stop all the trolls on the internet and you shouldn't try or all you're going to suceed in doing is ruining your day and yours alone.

I have read well written stories that deal with rape.  Stories where it's a subject that is dealt with in a realistic manner and handled with respect.  I don't necessarily enjoy these stories.  Most of the time they make me uncomfortable, and that's what they're supposed to do. But I can respect and admire the story and the person that wrote it for the way that it was handled and for dealing with that subject in the way that they chose to do it. 

Here's my problem: One rape!fic is just infinite diversity in infinite combination. Two is a coincidence. Three is the start of a trend.  

What I want to know is why is this becoming a trend?  I may be young, and only relatively recently realized that my sexuality may not be straight up heterosexual, but even I know how hard it is to find media that is first not just completely heterosexual in focus but second portrays homosexuality in a way that doesn't make me just want to slit my wrists and give up now.  

We finally have something that is good, and doesn't crap all over the idea of two women being in love. No one is being punished or realizing it's just a phase or committing suicide or sleeping with a man before their wedding day to another woman or any of the dozens of other things that have happened before.  So why are we, ourselves, as a community doing this?  I want to know. 

And it's not just that people are writing about this, it's that people are reading this.  They flock to these fics.  They say that they love them and that they're okay.  They want more.  Really?  You want more fics where characters that we know and love and can see our lives reflected in are raped by men that have a problem with them loving other women?  Really?  No. I don't.  

I was going to lock this post to only let a few people that I know and trust read this little rant, but you know what? I'm not going to.  If you have a problem with me saying these things and asking these questions.  Have at it.  The comments are open.  

Comments

[joran.livejournal.com]

I must say, I'm continuing to love the meta that's coming out of your Otalia experience. Continue to react. I'm still of the old-fashioned mindset that anything that happens on a soap opera is socially significant, especially one as venerated as Guiding Light, and I'm glad someone's posting analysis of the fandom. And posting analysis that's readable and interesting, not analysis that makes me want to scream and throw things through walls.

I have no problem with rape!fic probably because it doesn't really appear in my fandoms (unless I'm writing it--oops). Just Xena, and Xena was large enough for the IDIC status. I wonder if it has to do with the het-normative status of the characters, vs canon lesbians or indifferent canon (like NCIS--Abby's sexuality is not an obstacle to femslash. Is Otalia's?)

And of course, there's the idea that the better a canon storyline is, the harder it is to write fic about it.

[jaina47.livejournal.com]

You make it sound all deep! Here I thought I was just going off about something.

I don't have a problem with well written rape!fic. It's not necessarily something I search for, but I respect it for what it's meant to be and do. What I do have a problem with is using rape as a plot device and treating it cavalierly. When someone tries to deal with the aftermath of rape with the equivalent of giving someone a lolipop to make it all better, that pisses me off.

I guess I'm just frustrated that we're finally getting something that's a good story and well told and we're bringing this in and doing it to ourselves. In my opinion it's gratuitous and unnecessary, especially since the one character that keeps getting raped in these fics has already been raped once before in canon.

And of course, there's the idea that the better a canon storyline is, the harder it is to write fic about it.

I understand that idea, and it even applies to my fic writing in some cases, but if rape is all that you can come up with, and just as a contrivance to keep characters apart of build tension, then you need to dig deeper.

Sorry, apparently I'm very ranty about this.

[joran.livejournal.com]

There will always be bad!fic, unfortunately. That's the rules. The only solution is to drown it out with good!fic, which people write less of when they're all pissed off. Grouchiness in some of my fandoms has caused the good writers to take their balls and go home.

In my opinion it's gratuitous and unnecessary, especially since the one character that keeps getting raped in these fics has already been raped once before in canon.

Ugh. That's just, what, punishment?

The idea that being raped by a man "causes" someone to turn to lesbianism leaves me vaguely nauseous. The hurt/comfort angle, I can understand, but Christ, just hit one of them with a car and be done with it. You know?

[ariestess]

Obviously, my "elitist" attitude in what I will and won't read has saved me from having to read these rape!fics that are becoming a trend.

It's part of a serious issue that's growing in the femslash fandoms across the board. Putting characters through countless heinous, evil things just to have that element of "oh noes!" and to give the characters a chance to have mindblowing sex afterward. Having an obstacle that causes friction and/or angst is fine, but when it's truly contrived only for the visceral effect or to keep readers interested in the story? That's just bad storytelling/writing. Period.

[jaina47.livejournal.com]

Well, part of what got me going this morning was that I found a new fic by an author that I'd just discovered and I thought (and still think) is a good writer and was very excited to read it. And their new fic was one of these rape fics. It was so far not badly handled. But given the other two badly handled, pretty awful, contrived rape fics that I'd stumbled across in the past few days in the same fandom, it just kind of set me off.


It's part of a serious issue that's growing in the femslash fandoms across the board. Putting characters through countless heinous, evil things just to have that element of "oh noes!" and to give the characters a chance to have mindblowing sex afterward. Having an obstacle that causes friction and/or angst is fine, but when it's truly contrived only for the visceral effect or to keep readers interested in the story? That's just bad storytelling/writing. Period.

I didn't realize that this was something that was growing throughout other fandoms, but I don't find it hard to believe. I agree that it's just lazy and sloppy writing if you have to find something this bad, punish characters this much, just to keep a story interesting.

It's a gimmick, just like mainstream tv shows use two women making out to get viewers. I don't like it then and I certainly don't like it now.

[ariestess]

Well, if it's a one shot, I can sometimes look past it and just say "gimmick!" and move on. But it's more the idea of multiple one shot stories with this kind of thing, or the HUGE multi-part stories that have these horrific situations in practically each and every part. There is one author in particular that I'm thinking of, who happens to be in an entirely different fandom, but I do see it happening more and more often across fandom in general.

[xamanthe.livejournal.com]

Thankfully, I haven't run across these fics you are describing. I would not be happy with them, either.

[jaina47.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm glad it's not just me. I was starting to wonder if I was living in Bizzaro World or something!

[commasplice103.livejournal.com]

without trying to access/rile-up the statistics and theories from various women's studies courses that I have locked up in some corner of my brain (I don't have enough coffee to fuel the brain power needed)... let me say, rape!fic annoys the hell out of me. Actually, no, many things in fics merely annoy me (grammar, writing style, characterizations...), but rape!fic most often makes me mad and disappointed and vaguely nauseous.

Most of the time it is nicely avoidable if you stick to certain standards or if the writer is cognizant enough to put it in a disclaimer. Most of the time, you just quit reading because you can tell that it is handled with inexperience and and a lack of realism. I'd say it's the power play and the hurt/comfort that draws in some kind of morbid curiosity in the writers - but the stories often come off callous, sophomoric, and pointless.

In a very few cases that I've come across is it dealt with care, or the author is clearly trying to work something out. And, maybe by using characters they are familiar with, it feels a safer forum to analyze and decipher psychologically. However, I don't feel that femslash fanficiton is a a very good fit and/or forum for it.

Most of the readers seeking out femslash are looking for entertainment, for fandom celebrating or commiseration, or they are looking to see what a storyline/genre/character/fandom has sparked in others' imaginations.

So, whittling down here - rape!fic where it has no point other than morbid titillation or a cheap course for hurt/comfort - irritates me and makes me ready to rant.

[jaina47.livejournal.com]

I think I totally agree with everything you had to say there. Part of what threw me with these stories was that there was no disclaimer what so ever. I was actually surprised for that reason that they hadn't gotten some very harsh reactions.

[ralst.livejournal.com]

I haven't noticed any trend but I could easily have missed it. Typically, if a story features one of the characters being raped, I will stop reading, because the chances that the story will be told well, and with respect, are minute. I have a real fondness for the characters I read about and I have absolutely no interest in seeing them degraded for someone else's pleasure. Angst, I can handle, but rapefics turn my stomach.

[jaina47.livejournal.com]

Well, I hesitate to call things a trend, but three different stories from three different authors at the same place on the same weekend? That sounds suspiciously trend like to me. Of course it maybe limited to the one place, but...

I have a real fondness for the characters I read about and I have absolutely no interest in seeing them degraded for someone else's pleasure. Angst, I can handle, but rapefics turn my stomach.

See, that's me! I don't mind if someone deals with something heavy through fic, but honestly I read fic to be entertained and because I like the characters. Not because I want to read about them being tortured!

[racethewind10.livejournal.com]

Since I have been reluctant to get into a soap fandom (but may just end up succumbing to the inevitable) I havent seen this trend. However, I will say, that it is not limited to GL. In almost all of my fandoms, there tend to be a great deal of rape!fics. Not a majority of course, but clear trends. I have even written what might be considered one (Though since the events were fairly canon - CSI: Miami - I'm not sure if it would be considered that or not) For me it was character exploration, and I will freely admit that it bothered me to go too deeply into that experience. So the common theme of graphic (often badly written I might add) rape!fics really disturbs me.

I agree that in some cases it can be someone trying to work through things, but on the whole, its the fic equivelant of throwing people to lions to entertain the masses. Gross and irresponsible.

[jaina47.livejournal.com]

Dude, you should watch Otalia! It's the awesomest thing since sliced bread! Heh. (Seriously. Well, not the sliced bread part, but there really are some great moments in there.)

I don't mind character exploration. I'm all for that. It's not that I have a problem with it under all circumstances, but specifically when it's a cheap device. Exploration not exploitation.

I don't think there should ever be anything that isn't written about at all. Censorship is not a good thing. If you can't talk about something it just makes it worse, and piles shame on top of it. But there are right and wrong ways to go about that discussion even in fiction. And there's just something ugly about trivializing it for entertainment and making it no more significant than a plot device.

[racethewind10.livejournal.com]

lol i'll have to see if there are youtube vids. I refuse to watch the entire show. ;p

And i agree with this And there's just something ugly about trivializing it for entertainment and making it no more significant than a plot device. totally.

[jaina47.livejournal.com]

There are indeed! I don't actually watch the whole show either, although there are other plotlines that I like. (For a good Otalia guide, you can check out this if you want: http://jetgirl78.livejournal.com/308924.html) And Otaliafan has all the new Otalia clips. They usually get posted the night of whatever day they're on.

[racethewind10.livejournal.com]

Enabler.

[jaina47.livejournal.com]

I prefer Fandom Pusher.

[racethewind10.livejournal.com]

*snerk* Pot A to, pot AH to ;p

[selinamoonfire.livejournal.com]

I'm not into the Guiding Light fandom but I can say that I've seen a similar tread in the Supernatural fandom. Not just rape, but stuff that is disturbing and things that I don't understand why the writer would want to have those things happen to the characters.

I understand the need for tension and the need to write dark fic occasionlly. Characters need conflict. Romances need conflict of some sort or they're boring. But to have terrible things happen to a character just to have something bad happen doesn't improve a story and why use rape as that conflict?

It seems like fan fic has certain 'standards' of what happens to certain characters. Which is why I have to be very careful when I'm in the SpN fandom because there is a LOT of creepy bad stuff (not like demons) out there. I haven't figured out if the authors like to torment the characters they 'love,' they think this is 'good' for the fandom, or they really enjoy this type of fic. It depresses me and it's one of the reasons I haven't really embraced the fandom as much as I have my earlier ones.

I really hope that something like this isn't happening to your fandom. It sounds like it has the potential to be a very great place to express ideas.

[ic1pher.livejournal.com]

There have been studies done on this stuff. Here's just one.
http://www.heretical.com/wilson/sfantasy.html
Particulary interesting is the ~20% of not answering.