(no subject)

[butterfly]

And now fandom is having the "Why RPS Is/Isn't Evil" discussion.

Again.

So, my thoughts on the whole thing:

Way I figure, fiction is fiction. You should be up front at the start about what kind of fiction that you're writing, but fiction is fiction. It's not real. And the idea that writing real people as characters in any way diminishes them... dude, most of my heroes are fake people. Buffy, Daniel, Fraser... these are people that I admire greatly. And they were created by somebody. When I write about a Real Person, I'm actually saying that the persona that they show to the public is as interesting as a fictional person's. This is a compliment. The way that I show my love is to write. And in the end, fiction is just fantasy flattened out into two dimensions. Not real.

Not comparable to rape. Comparable to rape fantasies, yeah, but not to rape.

Comments

[nicole-anell.livejournal.com]

Fandom's arguing about RPS? Must be Tuesday. Wake me up when they go back to racism and slash.

Haven't seen the original debate, but I'm baffled by the rape/rape fantasy analogy. How is it even slightly comparable, unless the fiction involves rape? I know you don't have the person's express written permission to write about them... but you don't get that in any kind of sexual fantasy, right?

And maybe this is the time to thrown down my endlessly unpopular opinion that most NC-17 fanfic that's written is as ethically squirmy as RPF. 'Porn without plot' means bodies without characters. If you're calling him "Spike" instead of "James"... I dunno, I get that it's different, but I don't think it's THAT much different when all you care about is his imaginary penis.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Fandom's arguing about RPS? Must be Tuesday. Wake me up when they go back to racism and slash.

I think we have that scheduled for Friday.

Haven't seen the original debate, but I'm baffled by the rape/rape fantasy analogy. How is it even slightly comparable, unless the fiction involves rape? I know you don't have the person's express written permission to write about them... but you don't get that in any kind of sexual fantasy, right?

It really was just one person who made that analogy but then they had a whole hell of a lot of people agreeing with their entire post. And this worries me. Conflating fantasy with reality is the danger and by comparing fiction to a real act, they're actually the ones doing the conflating.

And maybe this is the time to thrown down my endlessly unpopular opinion that most NC-17 fanfic that's written is as ethically squirmy as RPF. 'Porn without plot' means bodies without characters. If you're calling him "Spike" instead of "James"... I dunno, I get that it's different, but I don't think it's THAT much different when all you care about is his imaginary penis.

I agree. I mean, I write about Buffy and Xander -- the models in my head are still SMG and Nicky B. I write about Jack and Daniel, my mental image is RDA and MS. They're not book characters -- they are influenced by the actors that give them life. Not so very different. Either way, it's a fiction.

[honorh.livejournal.com]

RPS/F debate? Is it that time of year already?

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Appears to be. It appears to have been brought on by people squeeing about Paul Gross and Callum Keith Rennie doing movies together.

Then, as it always does, it grew and crossed fandom borders.

[emrinalexander.livejournal.com]

It must be spring! The RPS is Evil people have come out of the woodwork again *G*.

I agree with you - fiction is fiction and reality is something else, and my god, if people can't tell the two apart, they've got more problems than liking any kind of slash fanfic.

I don't know the actors who play Lex Luthor and Clark Kent, I have never even been to an autograph signing. Therefore, if I write Michael Rosenbaum/Tom Wellinng RPS it is going to be FICTION because what else could it be? Sheesh. And if one more person brings up that tired "but what if one of their CHILDREN goes on the net and READS the RPS!!!" I will personally reach through my monitor and rip their ears off. Yeh, what of it? Scarred for life? I hardly think so - Chances are the kid is going to go "Dude, I can't believe anybody would think my old man was HOT. That's so funny!" and get on with living.

wow...

[(Anonymous)]

you make alot of sense, and i agree with you.

and i was almost beginning to think the world had lost all its people who read between the lines.

You're different than most.

-julia

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I agree with you - fiction is fiction and reality is something else, and my god, if people can't tell the two apart, they've got more problems than liking any kind of slash fanfic.

Word. There are crazy people. They don't need a logical stimulus to set them off. Because they are crazy.

Re: wow...

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Thank you.