![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
A Mini Rant-ette
Sep. 1st, 2004 10:47 amI have been reading a lot or rants in LJ's recently, and so far have restrained myself from commenting. This has not been because of disagreement or agreement with one side or the other, but rather that some, but not all, people seem to leap in with guns blazing and open their mouths before thinking, and cause a lot of hurt and bitterness.
It takes me a while to think things through.
I have read incest fic, and I have read rape fic. I read it when I was new to the whole fanfic scene and was reading virtually everything I got my hands on, good and bad and very bad. And I have read some, but only some, stories where they have explored what I would consider the 'true' nature of such 'relationships', where the story has been about the problems and trauma that such incidents have brought about. I tend not to read it now, unless it is 'saying something' that is in keeping with such a view, but it seems that these stories are few and far between.
I am not commenting on the rights and wrongs of such fics, this has been more than adequately covered elsewhere and it seems that no reasoned arguement will convince anyone one way or another.
What I am furious about is the plain, nasty, personal vitriol that is poured out on anyone who dares to say what they think. Referring to people as mad, being a bitch, of spoiling someone's 'fun' and so on in any public or even semi-public arena, especially when said person has put forward reasoned and heartfelt thoughts is wrong and unecessary. And I am talking about both sides of the equation here, though I must say that the real hatred does seem to be more on the part of one side than the other, though that is just my personal observation.
I have seen people on BOTH sides of the row hurt very, very badly by such public attacks. Reasoned and thought out posts should do no harm, and merely stimulate discussion. If you MUST be offensive, then by all means rant one to one on IM or even in conference with one another. But as soon as it becomes public, then I am afraid you are on your own, and any of your 'carefully considered' opinions get overwhelmed and swamped by your outpourings of nastiness.
It takes me a while to think things through.
I have read incest fic, and I have read rape fic. I read it when I was new to the whole fanfic scene and was reading virtually everything I got my hands on, good and bad and very bad. And I have read some, but only some, stories where they have explored what I would consider the 'true' nature of such 'relationships', where the story has been about the problems and trauma that such incidents have brought about. I tend not to read it now, unless it is 'saying something' that is in keeping with such a view, but it seems that these stories are few and far between.
I am not commenting on the rights and wrongs of such fics, this has been more than adequately covered elsewhere and it seems that no reasoned arguement will convince anyone one way or another.
What I am furious about is the plain, nasty, personal vitriol that is poured out on anyone who dares to say what they think. Referring to people as mad, being a bitch, of spoiling someone's 'fun' and so on in any public or even semi-public arena, especially when said person has put forward reasoned and heartfelt thoughts is wrong and unecessary. And I am talking about both sides of the equation here, though I must say that the real hatred does seem to be more on the part of one side than the other, though that is just my personal observation.
I have seen people on BOTH sides of the row hurt very, very badly by such public attacks. Reasoned and thought out posts should do no harm, and merely stimulate discussion. If you MUST be offensive, then by all means rant one to one on IM or even in conference with one another. But as soon as it becomes public, then I am afraid you are on your own, and any of your 'carefully considered' opinions get overwhelmed and swamped by your outpourings of nastiness.
