You know, I really don't have time to link to every person being an asshole on the internet

[giandujakiss]

But for some reason I feel the need to point to this post, by a game designer, called "In Defense of Rape." He is ostensibly defending the use of rape as a plot device - the title of the post itself tells you that what he's really doing is flaunting his privilege. Most of the comments are a horror show, as well, so, you know, avoid.

I discovered this post because of this rebuttal (one of the commenters there linked to It Depends on What You Pay). For your sanity, you might prefer to read the rebuttal rather than the OP, which, with the comments, is much more tolerable. This response is good, as well.

Comments

[kore]

Shakespeare said there were only seven kinds of story, Tolstoy said there were only two

And he says there's ONE! Rapey rapeness! Gahhhh.

That rebuttal is great, tho.

[giandujakiss]

You know his thing is going to be awful when he opens up by dismissing what he characterizes as "sexism/misogny/rape culture/all men are bastards." Ugh.

[enemyofperfect]

I like how he uses gender-neutral pronouns, as if he thinks it could somehow escape our attention that he's assuming male perpetrators and female victims -- when of course, that pattern is a huge part of what's wrong both with the trope and with his argument. When a female character is raped, isn't just a bad thing happening to a specific character, it's yet another message that that is the kind of treatment that women, as a class, can expect. It's only comparable to fictional murder if the murder in question is a hate crime.

Not that his post wouldn't be ghoulish, dismissive, and logically incoherent even without the misogyny -- or the bonus racism. Sigh.

(Um, hi. You post interesting things! And so I subscribed a little while ago. *waves*)

[giandujakiss]

I like how he uses gender-neutral pronouns, as if he thinks it could somehow escape our attention that he's assuming male perpetrators and female victims

I noticed that as well! It's like he's erased gender from the discussion, and he didn't seem to understand the comments from people talking about how it's never depictions of male rape (not that I recommend reading the comments).

And, hello! Welcome! Glad you like the posts :-).

[enemyofperfect]

Yeah, I ended up cautiously skimming some of the comments to see if anyone brought that up, and... yeah.

Although it was sort of interesting to watch him asserting both that it's only natural that fiction should reflect the fact that most rapes are committed by men against women -- and that there couldn't possibly be any ethical concerns here, because there's a difference between fantasy and reality. So nice to have that straightened out!

[nestra]

I suppose "fuck off and die" isn't a useful response.

[giandujakiss]

No, although I can understand how it would be satisfying.

[softestbullet]

Wow. Fuck anyone who uses that as a title.