That one femslash comic
May. 14th, 2016 02:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alias_sqbrA lot of people have been linking to Lady of the Shard and it is indeed beautifully made and has some cute/touching moments. But.
**Discussions of fictional depictions of rape and abuse, also spoilers**
So intellectually I understand that a lot of women feel much more uncomfortable with traditional not-very-good-at-consent romance narratives when they're m/f than when they're f/f. But it's still unpleasant seeing so many people I follow, who are usually VERY CRITICAL about this kind of thing, uncritically squeeing about a comic in which the protagonist's only priority is the happiness of her Goddess, and then after the Evil Goddess brainwashes the protagonist into making out with her (with the ambiguous implication of off screen sex) the solution is for the protagonist to blushingly kiss Evil Goddess and for all three to enter into a poly relationship! Because Evil Goddess was just lonely and love solves everything!!
D:
I mean I was expecting some consent and power difference issues from the "mortal woman/Goddess" premise but was not prepared for what I got.
And if literally anyone was like "Have some cute yet dirtybadwrong dubcon f/f/f" that would be fine! But no. I mean most people are just saying it's good and maybe the "dirtybadwrong dubcon" is implied? So I'm not sure I'm criticising them exactly so much as just...really really not enjoying the situation.
And hey just as I finished writing this I came across a post, though I really don't see how poorly labeled dubcon justifies speculating about the author's life. Poorly labelled dubcon is pretty darn popular, it's just usually het.
**Discussions of fictional depictions of rape and abuse, also spoilers**
So intellectually I understand that a lot of women feel much more uncomfortable with traditional not-very-good-at-consent romance narratives when they're m/f than when they're f/f. But it's still unpleasant seeing so many people I follow, who are usually VERY CRITICAL about this kind of thing, uncritically squeeing about a comic in which the protagonist's only priority is the happiness of her Goddess, and then after the Evil Goddess brainwashes the protagonist into making out with her (with the ambiguous implication of off screen sex) the solution is for the protagonist to blushingly kiss Evil Goddess and for all three to enter into a poly relationship! Because Evil Goddess was just lonely and love solves everything!!
D:
I mean I was expecting some consent and power difference issues from the "mortal woman/Goddess" premise but was not prepared for what I got.
And if literally anyone was like "Have some cute yet dirtybadwrong dubcon f/f/f" that would be fine! But no. I mean most people are just saying it's good and maybe the "dirtybadwrong dubcon" is implied? So I'm not sure I'm criticising them exactly so much as just...really really not enjoying the situation.
And hey just as I finished writing this I came across a post, though I really don't see how poorly labeled dubcon justifies speculating about the author's life. Poorly labelled dubcon is pretty darn popular, it's just usually het.
no subject
Date: 2016-05-14 12:50 pm (UTC)Yeah, "manipulative situations" is not the same as total lack of consent, which is what actually happens. She is completely brainwashed, and once her mind clears she does her best to escape.
I mean for me, the dubcon in and of itself wouldn't be the problem if it didn't lead to love. But since it's not expected to label for that consistently I just avoid anything labelled dubcon or noncon if I'm not sure of the plot, even though it's only some of it that gets to me. And that requires people to label for them.
I'm not sure the expectations amongst f/f writers are any different in theory, but I think a lot of people are subconsciously affected by the way women are seen as inherently less sexually aggresive, so don't always conceptualise of things as dub/non con when they should. Also there's no sex, just kissing, though it seems plausible that sex happens off screen. So it's not dubcon by everyone's definition. Really, I needed a "surprisingly fucked up relationship dynamics" tag haha.