entry #3, 11/18/2019
thoughts on sexual assault.
a bit of a serious topic here.
it seems like this is a topic that people should know already. yet I still see the same thing happening over and over again in webnovel, and it really isn't a joke or something that we should brush off.
it :clap: is :clap: never :clap: okay :clap: to :clap: glorify :clap: rape :clap:
there is a very toxic mindset amongst so many writers and readers on this site that seeing it in person is actually, quite honestly, disgusting. this mindset presents itself all over the place, from novels, to the forums, to comics, to comments, to reviews... and the fact that so many people support the romanticism and glorification of rape is frightening.
rape is never justified.
"he raped her, but she secretly liked it"
is just plain disgusting. this is a clear method that authors romanticize rape by saying that the FL enjoyed being raped because the sex felt so good. then, the ML goes to say that since the body is reacting in a way that "likes" it, it's automatically okay. this is not how it works at all, and seeing those justifying rape like this is unacceptable.
"he was being drugged/she was drugged; that's why rape is okay since he/she didn't do it willingly
no. I don't see how because the ML was drugged, he can go and sexually assault the FL, and she won't come out of it traumatized from her rapist & actually instantly fall in love with him. there are clear facts that rape will leave the victim either traumatized/distressed/and leave devastating effects on said individual.
"it was romantic; it's a sign of his love"
I don't think I even need to explain how wrong the above statement is.
rape is never justified. I'll say it once, twice, and as many times as I need to get the point across.
here's the thing: it is okay to include sexual assault in one's novel as long as one does not romanticize it. it is, in fact a good thing, to seriously address and acknowledge this horrendous recurring crime in our society. yet so many authors on webnovel use rape as a way to bring the FL and ML together, completely romanticizing it. either that, or the ML puts the FL under actual physical/sexual/emotional abuse, yet readers still look at it and think it's romantic.
no. just no.
the double standards are shocking as well. FL gets raped by a bunch of old, physically unappealing old men, readers curse the rapists, and go "aaaa poor FL!!'. but then the attractive, handsome, young ML sexually assaults/harasses her, and readers go "ooh naughty ML ;) it's okay if he's a bit aggressive; he's the ML! he's supposed to be!"
how does that work?
I have seen plenty of people on webnovel who understand why it's completely wrong to glorify rape. I have also seen much, much more people here that don't, and continue to support it.
here's a good quote to explain exactly why it's not okay to do this:
Rape is a lot subtler than what they show on TV. It is a form of abuse that can be emotional and physical, gentle and violent, dehumanizing and powerful, coercive and indecisive, subtle and savage. And most of all, shameful. Rape, like everything, is not just one thing, and neither are its victims.
When you grow up reading stories about how commonplace it is for men to talk you into sex, pressure you to have sex, force you to have sex, you think, βwell, I guess this is normal. Itβs what they write about. Why donβt I enjoy it like they seem to do in the books, movies, or on TV?β
(source)
basically, in other words, a constant exposure to glorified sexual assault will desensitize a young/unknowing reader who doesn't know better. this will create a mindset that rape is alright-- and this is absolutely what should be prevented. words have a certain power to them-- just because one individual may think, "I can still read this novel that has rape and support it, because I know that rape is wrong in real life, and this is just a novel", doesn't mean that everyone would think the same way as that person. there may be many who use what they read and apply it to their own life. it's not just a novel.
this is exactly why it's never okay to justify rape, or any other topic that shouldn't be glorified, including abuse, mental illnesses, etc.
and, I would also like to add in a note that rape is not okay no matter what the genre is, whether the novel has a FL or ML main character, and no matter which character is the rapist/harasser. if the FL sexually assaults the ML in a novel, then the FL shouldn't be justified either.
this turned out as a longer "diary entry" than normal. but, these were some of the thoughts that I had on my mind for a very long time now, and I have never had a chance to fully speak out against it.
that's about all I have to say though.