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I agree that there's often a problematic theme when it comes to writers who try to bring drama to the table.
It's like that one bad writer who literally can't think of anything else that a woman might find horrific other than rape. So he keeps on using Rape as drama for ALL of his female characters... *coughs* Game of thrones *cough*.
I agree that universes based on comic books, etc tends to be very sanitized to the point that while many other crimes out there exist, rape simply does not exist in that universe. However, I have to side with DA Champion on this one.... Mind-control, etc is basically just a substitute for "Rape as drama". It's a more kid-friendly way of exploring the violations that a woman might face.
Even if rape apparently does not exist in that universe, you have to consider the implications and the ideas that it might suggest to our viewers...and how it might even indirectly support Rape culture without meaning to. I know many men (and some women) scoff at the idea of a rape culture, often envisioning it as something that is widespread across the USA or in some other country.
But what they don't get is that this kind of "culture" can exist in small pockets of land, etc. It could even solely exist only within a single building in a large city. Like how a housing that houses Frat boys might end up supporting rapists over the victims, because the Frat boys themselves don't see anything wrong with raping an unconscious woman.
It's sorta like how pedophiles build a large community online within the deep web to support and validate each other. when you're in an community like that where everyone is like-minded like you, they end up creating a rape culture where everything is the victim's fault. The kids are "sexual", so therefore they must really had wanted it! So if the kids really want it, then it's not really the pedophiles' fault at all. so they create a culture of victim-blaming, etc.
So likewise, think about how the fantasy or comic book setting treats its' "kid-friendly" version of date rape drugs (like love potions), or mind control. Even if the writers didn't mean to, if they have everyone in the universe treat it like it's no big deal.... then they're creating a culture where they tell the victims that they should just get over the trauma they felt at losing control over themselves like that. that it was no big deal, so why kick up such a big fuss. Plus, it was also their fault for getting into an situation where they got mind controlled/or dosed with a love potion.
Like it or not, but this is very similar to what real life rape victims are often told on a daily basis. "So you made a bad decision to go out drinking with your female friends, and ended up drugged by some creep. I hate to say it, but if you had just stayed home like a good girl would you wouldn't end up in this situation. Now, that creep shouldn't had done what he did but you have to take responsibility for your part in it. So just get over it!"
So as much as the writers and some other people might not want it to be, Mind control and love potions are always going to carry some strong rape overtones, no matter how they try to make it kid-friendly and sanitized as much as possible.
It's like that one bad writer who literally can't think of anything else that a woman might find horrific other than rape. So he keeps on using Rape as drama for ALL of his female characters... *coughs* Game of thrones *cough*.
I agree that universes based on comic books, etc tends to be very sanitized to the point that while many other crimes out there exist, rape simply does not exist in that universe. However, I have to side with DA Champion on this one.... Mind-control, etc is basically just a substitute for "Rape as drama". It's a more kid-friendly way of exploring the violations that a woman might face.
Even if rape apparently does not exist in that universe, you have to consider the implications and the ideas that it might suggest to our viewers...and how it might even indirectly support Rape culture without meaning to. I know many men (and some women) scoff at the idea of a rape culture, often envisioning it as something that is widespread across the USA or in some other country.
But what they don't get is that this kind of "culture" can exist in small pockets of land, etc. It could even solely exist only within a single building in a large city. Like how a housing that houses Frat boys might end up supporting rapists over the victims, because the Frat boys themselves don't see anything wrong with raping an unconscious woman.
It's sorta like how pedophiles build a large community online within the deep web to support and validate each other. when you're in an community like that where everyone is like-minded like you, they end up creating a rape culture where everything is the victim's fault. The kids are "sexual", so therefore they must really had wanted it! So if the kids really want it, then it's not really the pedophiles' fault at all. so they create a culture of victim-blaming, etc.
So likewise, think about how the fantasy or comic book setting treats its' "kid-friendly" version of date rape drugs (like love potions), or mind control. Even if the writers didn't mean to, if they have everyone in the universe treat it like it's no big deal.... then they're creating a culture where they tell the victims that they should just get over the trauma they felt at losing control over themselves like that. that it was no big deal, so why kick up such a big fuss. Plus, it was also their fault for getting into an situation where they got mind controlled/or dosed with a love potion.
Like it or not, but this is very similar to what real life rape victims are often told on a daily basis. "So you made a bad decision to go out drinking with your female friends, and ended up drugged by some creep. I hate to say it, but if you had just stayed home like a good girl would you wouldn't end up in this situation. Now, that creep shouldn't had done what he did but you have to take responsibility for your part in it. So just get over it!"
So as much as the writers and some other people might not want it to be, Mind control and love potions are always going to carry some strong rape overtones, no matter how they try to make it kid-friendly and sanitized as much as possible.
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