Thanks! 😊 The discussion specifically started between the shipping of Deadpool and Tom Holland’s Spiderman. So I guess the Problematic Thing initially started as age differences in relationships. It’s kind of expanded from there. I’m just trying to say that fiction shouldn’t be policed, and the idea that it “affects reality” isn’t a good reason to control content. Thanks for the blog rec, I’ll check it out!
I’m sorry it’s taken me so long, anon. I’ve been super busy this week and I haven’t really had the time to actually sit down and find things for you. I hope that this helps, though.
Cool! Gotcha! (I’m sorry I’m going to be presumptuous and assume you’re American for this one b/c I know American legal stuff and I’m gonna be throwing some supreme court stuff at you.)
So it’s kind of tough to actually give you sources on this topic. A lot of what I’ve found revolves around “media” in general and not fiction specifically. On top of that, things that do study specific media tend to zero in on specific topics (violent video games, romance novels with abusive or borderline abusive male leads, ect) so it’s difficult to actually approach this holistically. Fanfiction on it’s own isn’t really studied as much as I feel it should be, either, so we don’t actually have much in terms of how Problematic topics in fanfic affect those who read them. We don’t actually know how and what about fanfic might influence readers, or in what way, and all we really have at this point in anecdotal evidence which doesn’t really help if you want real sources.
I will say, as just a bit of advice, if you’re arguing with folks on tumblr there’s probably nothing you can say to them that will change their minds if they already have a strong opinion. It doesn’t matter what ship it is, how you write it, or why you write it, if someone is really determined that some kinds of fiction just shouldn’t exist and they’re willing to throw around the “affects reality” argument in order to convince you you’re wrong, they don’t care. A lot of the arguments on tumblr aren’t actually about principles, they’re about ship wars and there’s not a damn thing you can do when it comes to someone’s OTP. It’s worth keeping in mind, too, that anti-censorship is more of a principle than anything else.
First, normalization. If you don’t have a definition of normalization already, here’s a link to the wikipedia article that gives a brief definition of what the term means in a sociological context. It’s important to note, too, that normalization isn’t something that’s done through just one channel, nor is it completely the same in every group that has it’s own culture. (For certain groups of fans it’s considered “normal” to talk about sex and sexuality as honestly and openly as one wants to. This isn’t necessarily “normal” for other groups in other contexts, however.) Normalization is a process.
Second, fiction in general can contribute to normalization of any given thing but it’s not the sole factor. It’s difficult to find sources on this that aren’t either behind a pay wall or very small sample-size wise for just plan fiction. This link might be helpful in illustrating that, while there could be a link between violent media and aggressive behavior, the extent to which violent media actually causes violent behavior is unknown and possibly more complex than we’re equipped to study currently. It also has references to other things that might be helpful to read. Here’s an article on psychology today about the lack of a link between violent video games and violence IRL. Here’s a HuffPo article specifically about whether or not pornography leads to sexual violence (the answer is no according to the article and the study they cite). Because let’s be honest, the folks you’re going to run into are often more concerned about the sexual content of the fanfic and fiction they’re railing against. This article talks about the potential reason we’re drawn to violent media; we like the thrill without the danger.
That psych today article on violent video games includes reference to a Supreme Court decision where the court struck down a California law that barred the sale and rental of violent video games to anyone under 18. I suggest you read the majority opinion on that case because it specifically deals with whether or not limitations should be put on whether or not children should be allowed access to violent media. I would also take a look at the US obscenity laws here . Obscenity laws are more helpful for arguing principles than they are for the normalization arguments because that third clause in the test for whether a piece violates US law specifically takes into account literary, artistic, and political merit. This means that we can often find things absolutely repugnant, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t exist. These laws make the standard in favor of expression and not disgust.
So now here’s the tricky thing – fiction can and does impact the real world. We can be inspired by art to make changes in our world. Seeing someone who looks like you or struggles with the same issues as you do in a fictional world can mean a lot for a lot of people. It can be inspiring or completely disheartening. Fiction can make us more empathetic, too. So yes, fiction does have an impact on us. I mean, we’ve only been telling ourselves stories for as long as we’ve been human so I don’t think it can be stated enough that it’s really a part of who we are as a species. It shapes us and we shape it. The question in my mind, though, is whether art reflects life or life reflects art. I’m of the opinion that it’s both, but we don’t tend to write or depict “problematic” things in our art out of nowhere. A lot of the things folks get bent out of shape about in fanfic happens in real life and they’re worried that somehow fic is going to make it seem “okay” if it’s a) not properly demonized or b) written about at all. (No one really complains that depicting dragons razing villages is going to cause more arson, you know?) However, the evidence doesn’t really seem to support the idea that depicting abnormal or immoral things will encourage abnormal or immoral behavior.
I hope this helped, anon. And I hope you get many hours of enjoyment out of spideypool! Sorry for taking so long, lol.
In The Last Jedi, Rey and Kylo Ren get better acquainted through a shared Force connection. It begins with swapping snide remarks and sarcasm, but quickly blossoms into something fertile, friendly and, yes, even erotic.
So strong is their connection that they appear to be in the same space, as if they could reach out and touch. In one of the most striking shots of the movie, the camera is filled with Rey and Ren’s hands before cutting in closer, to their fingertips just millimeters apart. Fans, critics, commentators and even Mark Hamill himself have described this moment as a sex scene and it’s easy to see why. It’s loaded with sexual imagery, bathed in warm romantic light and sensually shot. The viewer can almost see how the lines of their fingerprints fit together like missing pieces of the same puzzle.
I adore this article from raisingarebel.com. Great parallels and amazing study of the way hands have been portrayed throughout Star Wars. I high five this!
First this:
The example of Vader is an especially heartbreaking one. Re-watching the
prequel trilogy and paying particular attention to Anakin’s hands
yields some impressive insight into his character. There’s so many
subtle touches and tremors, be that gently stroking Padmé’s bared skin,
keeping them under his cloak and out of sight, or grinding grains of
sand between his fingers. We know that Anakin doesn’t like the feeling
of sand, so as well as revealing the contempt he holds for his home
world, it shows how deeply he feels, both emotionally and physically.
So well observed that in losing both hands, Anakin has lost all connection with life and love. At the same time than Padmé died. So every physical connection has been severed from him. He can now just feel through the Force. Touch has become an abstraction. Even more interesting, I am going to add, since Anakin, to me, is pretty much defined by his hands in PM. The boy gets attention because he is skilled with his hands. He is a mechanic. He pilots. Using his hands is an intrinsic part of himself. After the traumatic event with his mother and his first brush with the Dark Side in AOTC, what does he do?
He gets his hand busy. He goes back to tinkering because that is his comfort zone. Using his hands is what used to bring him joy and a sense of freedom. So losing his hands is really losing his identity. I am no surprised that they both disappear when he becomes Vader.
It is also fascinating, as the article points out, that THE definining moment when Luke fully identifies with his father, and is able to feel love and empathy in a way that prevents him to fall in the dark side (and become a new Vader) is when comparing his artificial hand with his father’s severed hand (again). “
He pauses, contemplates his own mechanical limb and sees his whole
future before him. By staring into the depths of the abyss and seeing
himself reflected, Luke was able to turn from following the same path.
“
And finally, this very cool part:
So, hands have always held significance in the Star Wars saga, but this was taken a step further in ‘Wolves and a Door’, the twelfth episode of the final series of Rebels.
In an attempt to get into the Jedi temple on Lothal, Ezra and Sabine
are confronted by a beautiful mural of the Father, Son and Daughter from
the Mortis arc of The Clone Wars. With more than a little help
from Sabine, Ezra realises that hands are the key to opening the
doorway. Touching hands is literally a language – perhaps the purest,
most basic and universal language here on earth and in a galaxy far, far
away.
Hands and fate have always been intertwined somehow. By touching hands, Rey and Kylo are able to read each other’s lives. Hands are the key to something important in Star Wars. I also want to contribute to this great article by including these important hand moments:
The dying parent touch
Another erotic hand moment that was overlooked:
The Creepy Touch (and the fact that both Snoke and Palpatine only use their hands to strike)
And the honorable mention of Rose biting Hux’s hand in the deleted scene from TLJ (sorry, the pictures were too crappy).
This is Not a Blog 