Dont Like Dont Read - Tumblr Posts - Page 2

on my knees begging you to please look up “squick” if you don’t know it and help bring it back to fandom space by using it. it’s a valuable word we’re missing that through normalizing could solve some of the more prevalent communication issues.

tags via @pinetreelady  #fandom wank#fandom is my fandom#don't like? don't read#the back button is your friend#there's lots of stuff in fandom that doesn't appeal to me personally#but that doesn't mean it ain't valid#that means I read what I want to#and don't read the things I don't want to#that's me exerting my freedom of choice#the troll almost wrecked this fandom 2-3 years ago#but seriously please do not bully people#please don't bring those tactics back#P L E A S E

Prompts, Fandom, and the Taboo

I’m seeing noise in the sidgeno tag how prompts given by the sidgeno angst fest are “not appropriate”. Some prompts are simply unfortunate circumstances and some are dark situations unacceptable in real life, including a noncon relationship.

I’m going to open this with I am just some rando. I’m not part of angst fest, i love fluff, I read pretty much all fic posted in the SidGeno tag unless it hits my particular squicks.  I remember cheesewithmy, the troll, and the absolutely vile harassment that kicked off, so lets get this out of the way first: 

Don’t fucking go on anon and harass people, don’t tell others to harass them. That is never ok. No matter how much you disagree with them. Yes, even if you think they’re doing bad things. In doing so, you’re crossing a line. I don’t know it’s happening, but I know Tumblr and statistically someone is gonna.

That being said, have some background reading.  I really, really think reading the full text is important and not just my pull-quotes. Other people have said this better than me, because this has been a discussion for a long, long, long time:

On taboo themes in fiction

One of my huge problems with a blanket condemnation of “people who write non-con” or “people who write underage sex,” is the assumption that there’s only one reason that a sexually explicit scene could possibly exist in a piece of fiction: to arouse the reader and uncomplicatedly celebrate whatever sexual activity is taking place. 

and

Forget about the author. The metric should be whether the created object, in its context and totality, reinforces oppression. And it should be a metric for two-way CRITIQUE, not blanket censorship, for heaven’s sake!

On AO3 As An Uncensored Platform

On The Subject of Noncon Fanworks: Thoughts of a Reader, Writer, Survivor (CW: non-graphic description of irl CSA, etc)

It is not possible to have these kinds of conversations in an environment where people are hurling baseless accusations of pedophilia and “rape apology” against individuals who create noncon fanworks. In fact, the veritable witch-hunt that certain elements of fandom wage against the producers of this content actively hurts both the survivors who create these kind of content and the survivors who strive to avoid it.

This being established, my thoughts:

You cannot judge a fic by the prompt. Context and execution matters. One prompt can result in both “torture porn” and in thoughtful execution of emotional catharsis.

Do I think some of angst fests prompts qualify as darkfic? Yes, but I would hope those would be addressed in their AO3s tags. “Darkfic is fan fiction that deals with intentionally disturbing material, such as physical and emotional violence. The main characters may be the victims of the violence, the perpetrators, or both.“ That doesn’t mean the fic should’t exist.

What someone else writes isn’t on you. It doesn’t reflect on you, or the fandom. We are not a collective. Blocking, muting, just not clicking and using ao3 savior are all your friend.

If you feel more content warning is appropriate to help you avoid the content you don’t wish to see, that is reasonable. Saying content shouldn’t be created because it is Wrong, is not.

I actually made a comment about this on an Ao3 story a while back;

“ 'My writing does not exist to suit your tastes.' VERY well said! There have been several stories where I've thought that it would be better if 'this' happened, or if it went in 'that' direction. However, I DO NOT say anything, because, in the end, it's not MY STORY. If I like the story, I like it. If I don't, I don't. I have NO CONTROL over what YOU write. (Taking advice from the comments is entirely up to the author, not the readers.) “

Yes, it’s about writing, but it can be applied to, well, pretty much anything. The ‘subject’ belongs to the ‘creator’, not the ‘viewer’. If you don’t like what the ‘creator’ has done, either make your own ‘subject’, or stop bitching.

(ps - PMSeymour, you are amazing and never fail to brighten up my day. Thank you. Whatever it is that makes you happy, I hope you keep enjoying it!)

Shouldn't need to be said, but, listen,

Respect the feelings and boundaries of artists.

Tony Stark comes to coerce Peter into coming to the Germany fight. Peter does not want to go to Germany. Lucky Matt shows up to let Tony know Peter’s not going anywhere with him. 

This is the sequel to We Got That Concrete Thick Skin tho it could be read as a stand alone. 

Somehow both annoyed and impressed at how much people will endure stuff they don't like in the name of complaining about it. Like, if you're gonna comment on chapter 5 of a 16k fic all the things wrong with it, I'm going to assume you're a masochist which, good on you! But please don't engage in kink exhibitionism in my comments, please and thank you.

can I just-

if you don’t like someone’s blog? unfollow them. 

If you don’t like someone’s fic? stop reading it. 

if you don’t like how somebody is characterizing your blorbo - ignore/block. 

If you follow someone you like, but notice they post things that you don’t like? block the tags. 

If you see someone tag something incorrectly/don’t tag it at all? kindly inform them. 

If you see somebody make a mistake, do not attack them. human error is a thing, and most of the time people are super apologetic about it. 

You’re absolutely allowed to be passionate about what you love, but your experience engaging in fandom is entirely your own. 

And honestly, if the experience feels overwhelming or is making you miserable, just log off for a few days…take a deep breathe, go outside, bathe in the sun or sit under a tree… but follow and engage with others who make this joyful for you (that’s the whole point here!)

because there is literally zero reason for you to send hate messages, fight with people online, or get angry over fictional characters or ships. 

AO3 is for all kinds of fanfic

And other fanworks, for that matter, but let’s talk about fic: When AO3 was proposed, it was in response to Strikethrough and other similar events. Livejournal deleted a lot of accounts without bothering to distinguish between actual pedophiles, survivor support groups, and 100% consensual fantasy fandom activities being done by adults with other adults (most of which involved RP accounts for 16-year-old Harry Potter characters anyway).

I helped write the first AO3 Terms of Service and set up the Abuse committee. AO3 was always intended to be welcoming to all kinds of fic, no matter how dirty, sick, socially unacceptable, bizarre, or out of fashion. During those initial TOS talks, we specifically discussed grotesque RPF snuff porn as the test case for something all of us on the committee found distasteful but would nonetheless defend because, by defending it, we created a space where all of our own favorite things were protected too.

Policing fic content is a slippery slope. Even if you only police the “worst” stuff, you create an environment where the more sensitive authors and no few of the ones “shipping to cope” are no longer comfortable posting at all. Attacking people for posting fic about rape/abuse/etc. is demanding that all survivors disclose. No amount of whining and backtracking will change this fact. It is a disgusting behavior that drives people from your fandoms and creates needless misery while adding nothing of value to the community.

If you want to kick certain kinds of content off of AO3, you do not belong on AO3 in the first place.