Society customs in fanfic

[zodiac_sign]

I've lately noticed that society customs and norms sometimes seep into fanfic. This is especially noticeable in smut i.e. 'His hand reaches down and feels the light dust of trimmed (pubic) hair', or 'His hand moves slowly over her flat belly

Comments

[red_satin_doll]

Can we even have a own preference? Is not everything moulded to society's standards?

I think this has always been true? I enjoy watching "period" tv and movies of any age and seeing how the supposedly period costumes reflect the fashions of when the program was made; this is always especially true for the female characters. (think of Gwenyth Paltrow's glowing locks in Shakespeare in Love, in contrast to the hoods and headdress of every other woman in the movie, which are closer to a "period" look. Or Barbra Streisand's 1960's hairstyles in Funny Girl, set pre-WW2.) There's a belief that actually going full period would look weird to the modern eye and that's true in some instances, but it happens too many times when there's no reason except that they want the female actors to retain some modern sense of prettiness for the viewer, period be damned.

I've seen costume sketches from the 1920's for a play that had been written and was set in the 18th century and the women had contemporary bee stung lips and bobbed hair, while the men were as correct as possible. It's either funny or maddening.

And there are a lot of people who just accept "the norm" unquestioningly. The fashion and beauty industries wouldn't survive otherwise.

[zodiac_sign]

Forgive me, but your opinion isn't very clear to me. Are you against that sort of thing or the opposite?

[red_satin_doll]

Oh definitely against it! in so far as it's possible to be aware of those things. I think the best writers are conscious of tropes or make an effort to try to catch themselves.

And I don't know why a description of pubic hair or genitals or blah blah is necessary 99.75% of the time despite the protests of the authors that it's NECESSARY for plot and characterization. I think not.

[zodiac_sign]

Maybe to be lyrical? Because you can only use 'he/she looks in her/his beautiful eyes' so many times. Or to heat up the moment, although pubic hair and/or genitals individually doesn't really get me started. :P

[red_satin_doll]

Or to heat up the moment, although pubic hair and/or genitals individually doesn't really get me started.

TELL ME ABOUT IT. :)

[zodiac_sign]

Awesome. So this is how it feels to get an virtual fist bump.

[red_satin_doll]

*lol* Here's my other fave, the virtual high-five: