I agree completely. I have the feeling that lots of the people who throw the word and these jokes around are really young and don't understand how serious and horrible rape really is. Anime fandoms in particular are full of art, fics, doujinshi etc. that portray rape as something romantic or funny. If most of the smut one is exposed to is like that, I guess it's easy to get a warped mentality about it.
And I have no words for how much I loathe the fandom's portrayal of Russia and France as rapists. I particularly hate stories in which Prussia is East Germany, locked in Russia's basement and raped all day long.
Even if they are young, though, somebody really needs to tell them that this way of thinking is wrong and hurtful. (It's a shame this generation is being raised to not be able to handle a bit of constructive criticism. A couple of the people I mentioned flipped out when someone called them on their bullshit.) Yeah, what's up with that? I know Western animation fandoms, video game fandoms, etc. don't have a lot of rape in them, so why do anime fandoms?
Neither do I. Ohhh, I hate Prussia/Russia purely because of how many fics there are of this pairing with that scenario. I'm sure there are plenty of lovely fics with them too, but the bad ones have turned me off from the pairing pretty much entirely. I also hate when people decide to portray the invasion of, say, Poland as gang rape. Makes me want to bang my head against a wall.
Yeah, I agree completely. The flippant attitude some people have when they're called out on their insensitive behaviour is really astonishing. Is it really that difficult to do a bit of self-reflection and realise when you're wrong and need to apologize?
I've read a few good stories with that pairing, but the vast majority I've seen involve either rape and/or some form of Stockholm syndrome, and that just isn't my cup of tea, no matter how well written it is. And yeah, I loathe the trope that invasion is rape. There was an interesting rant about that in fanficrants recently that brought up some good points about how messed up it is.
Apparently, it is. Too many parents are raising their children to believe that they are precious widdle snowflakes and that everyone who criticizes them is wrong.
Hm, any recommendations? I hate disliking a pairing unless I don't like the chemistry between the characters or I can't stand one or both of them.
The first story that comes to my mind is this, but I can't promise that it's actually good. It's one of the very first stories I read in this fandom, so I found it before I had grown utterly sick of the fandom's portrayal of Russia. It could be that I wouldn't like the story anymore if I read it again today. I also can't remember if it deals with any possibly triggery topics, so I can't warn for anything.
Okay; I might read it if I have some time later today. Thanks! (And I have...mixed feelings about the way fandom portrays Russia. I hate rapetruck!Russia, but I don't necessarily mind if he's a little crazy.)
I don't mind Russia being creepy or having violent tendencies, but I have always had the impression that it's more because he doesn't even realise that he's doing something wrong, not because he's a sadist who enjoys hurting others. There's actually one single rape fic about him and Prussia that I like, but it's just because the author got so well into Russia's head and made it look like he truly believed he was helping Prussia.
And in general, it bothers me how the fandom often holds Russia personally responsible for all the crimes in his country (particularly during the Soviet period), but every other character gets excused or even written as opposing his or her government. There are lots of stories about Germany and Prussia participating in a conspiracy to kill Hitler, but I have never seen a single story in which Russia doesn't agree with the politics of his government.
I've seen a few fics where he doesn't agree with his government, but they are few and far between; I remember at least one fic where he murdered Stalin himself. I'd hope it's not just a continuation of the whole "OMG Russians are evil" attitude from Cold War-era U.S., but I might be getting my hopes up.
You've been far luckier than me, then, but to be fair, I don't often go looking for fics about Russia. The only ones I tend to like are ones in which he's paired with America in modern times.
Yeah, Russia and America are tied for second place as my favorite characters (first place being Poland), so I tend to search for fics that feature each one individually as well as have them together as a couple or as friends.
'I don't mind Russia being creepy or having violent tendencies, but I have always had the impression that it's more because he doesn't even realise that he's doing something wrong, not because he's a sadist who enjoys hurting others.'
THIS ^. I always regard Russia as more of a child-in-a-man's-body than a vicous, malicous sadist who enjoys hurting others. I get the impression that, as you said, he hurts people because he is unaware of what he is doing, rather than he is doing it deliberately. And Himaruya did describe Russia once as being 'gentle' and 'naiive', whose actions where the result of insanity rather than cruelty.
'Even if they are young, though, somebody really needs to tell them that this way of thinking is wrong and hurtful.'
Agreed. At the end of the day, although I know stupidity and naiiveness has a role to play in it, I don't care how young you are, you are still a fucking shallow and disgusting person if you think rape is funny.
And yeah, in regards to *anything*, it makes me sick when someone is called out for posting something offensive and they respond with righteous anger and hurt. It's pathetic.
It makes one wonder if this is just the media at work, or if the person's parental guardians are just as flippant about it as well; I know it's more common among the older generations to have a narrower definition of what rape is and there's still a lot of victim-blaming.
Yeah, seriously. If a lot of people find it offensive, chances are IT'S OFFENSIVE. What part of this is so hard to understand?
'It makes one wonder if this is just the media at work, or if the person's parental guardians are just as flippant about it as well; I know it's more common among the older generations to have a narrower definition of what rape is and there's still a lot of victim-blaming
( ... )
Ugh, that's disgusting. I am so sorry for your great aunt. :( (Your great grandmother is a bitch, though.) It's kind of like that in my family as well; one of my great uncles is a pedophile, so rape is taken pretty seriously.
Ooh, the horror! :/ I hope that during our lifetime words like "fag" or "tranny" or "retard" will become as offensive as racial and ethnic slurs by mainstream society, but I don't know if I should get my hopes up. :/
Yeah. I had a close friend during my childhood whose father is a convicted pedophille, and it destroyed him, and is one of the reasons why I take such an issue with pedophille jokes and humour :/.
And yes, I would like to think so too. But somehow, I doubt that. There are steady improvements, however.
And I have no words for how much I loathe the fandom's portrayal of Russia and France as rapists. I particularly hate stories in which Prussia is East Germany, locked in Russia's basement and raped all day long.
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Neither do I. Ohhh, I hate Prussia/Russia purely because of how many fics there are of this pairing with that scenario. I'm sure there are plenty of lovely fics with them too, but the bad ones have turned me off from the pairing pretty much entirely. I also hate when people decide to portray the invasion of, say, Poland as gang rape. Makes me want to bang my head against a wall.
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I've read a few good stories with that pairing, but the vast majority I've seen involve either rape and/or some form of Stockholm syndrome, and that just isn't my cup of tea, no matter how well written it is. And yeah, I loathe the trope that invasion is rape. There was an interesting rant about that in fanficrants recently that brought up some good points about how messed up it is.
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Hm, any recommendations? I hate disliking a pairing unless I don't like the chemistry between the characters or I can't stand one or both of them.
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And in general, it bothers me how the fandom often holds Russia personally responsible for all the crimes in his country (particularly during the Soviet period), but every other character gets excused or even written as opposing his or her government. There are lots of stories about Germany and Prussia participating in a conspiracy to kill Hitler, but I have never seen a single story in which Russia doesn't agree with the politics of his government.
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THIS ^. I always regard Russia as more of a child-in-a-man's-body than a vicous, malicous sadist who enjoys hurting others. I get the impression that, as you said, he hurts people because he is unaware of what he is doing, rather than he is doing it deliberately. And Himaruya did describe Russia once as being 'gentle' and 'naiive', whose actions where the result of insanity rather than cruelty.
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Agreed. At the end of the day, although I know stupidity and naiiveness has a role to play in it, I don't care how young you are, you are still a fucking shallow and disgusting person if you think rape is funny.
And yeah, in regards to *anything*, it makes me sick when someone is called out for posting something offensive and they respond with righteous anger and hurt. It's pathetic.
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Yeah, seriously. If a lot of people find it offensive, chances are IT'S OFFENSIVE. What part of this is so hard to understand?
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Ooh, the horror! :/ I hope that during our lifetime words like "fag" or "tranny" or "retard" will become as offensive as racial and ethnic slurs by mainstream society, but I don't know if I should get my hopes up. :/
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And yes, I would like to think so too. But somehow, I doubt that. There are steady improvements, however.
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