Fanfic Violence Question

[chadmom]

Can anyone explain the fascination with reading rape stories?

I mean, I can deal with stories where Justin has an abusive boyfriend and Brian "rescues" him, yada yada yada.  But to read a graphic rape scene or ridiculous amounts of violence?  Not for me.

Anyone else?

Comments

[eileen_donovan]

Rape fantasies are a kink and, like most kinks, hard for the person who isn't into that particular thing to understand. As a fantasy, it's harmless, imo. So the only crime the author could commit was not warning any potential readers that such a fantasy was part of the story. Otherwise, I have no problem with it! It is, I know, a very popular theme. :)

[rinmonsterer]

I don't think this is about a kinky story. Unless we're thinking of different stories, this one isn't an erotic one and the rape isn't sexualized. The fic I have in mind focuses on the violence and trauma.

As far as I'm concerned, it's torture porn, but other people might disagree and I'm fine with that. I don't like graphic violence in fics unless absolutely necessary and handled extremely well.

[eileen_donovan]

I have no idea what story this is about, I was answering the original question, which was the fascination with reading rape stories.

[rinmonsterer]

Thank you. First we had a flood of break-up fics, Justin/Other, deathfics, now rape and torture. What's next? If someone requests apocalypse!fics, I'm gonna scream.

[chadmom]

My question was based on seeing a rape fic that was updated today. From the summary sounds like the one you are talking about.

[vlredreign]

I want Apocalypse fic!!!!

Just kidding.

I just want fingering and rimming. Is that too much to ask!?!

[vlredreign]

I remember 2 rape fics in this fandom very well. One I read, and have actually re-read, the other I bailed after the first chapter. The first one did not have a graphic rape scene, and only tells you what happened in an abstract way. The second one, the author stated in her notes that she didn't know why people would write a rape fic and not be explicit/graphic with the rape, and so she was going to do just that

[qaffangyrl]

Really interesting question. I teach a college course on The History of Motion Pictures. Rape has always been a trope in popular culture it seems. One of the first academic articles my students read is called "The Rape Fantasy" and it's all about silent films that revolve around rape.

The scholar asserts that fantasizing about rape (or other forms of brutal violence) operate to regulate women's behavior while soothing possible real life anxieties they may have about living in a patriarchal society.

Since most fanfic is written in the tradition or melodrama I would venture to guess that it's the resolution that is satisfying to us. That is to say, we can't have the C comfort without the H hurt.

tl;dr