First Amendment and all that stuff....

[trystan830.livejournal.com]

x-posted from my lj, but it's f-locked over there

*sigh*

here's the deal. as a rule, i don't read Wincest. i've read... three. and two of those? i skipped over the really squicky scene(s). and i don't write it, either. so what am i doing posting on this particular subject? the principal of the thing, and that people really should pay closer attention to what they read.

i'm not going to name names, anonimity is safe here. i've had (at least) two people on my flist (that i know of, anyway) get busted on, ragged on, insulted, nasty comments left in their various ljs because they wrote wincest, and it was properly tagged as such.

here's the deal. proper reading skills are required to read the phrase "Pairing: Sam/Dean"... or whatever your pairing may be. there's also the phrase "Rating: Adult." these are the kind of fics i just scroll right on by, don't stop, just keep going. that's the point of this information in the header. (i'm sure many many people skip over my "gen" or "Dean/OFC; NC-17" fics.)

i don't even read it; so why would i take the time to read through a fic, and then comment, "that's sick!" or "ewww!! they're doing what????" and while i believe there are some things that should not be written by sane, healthy adults, i'm not being forced to read it.

to quote one of my favourite sayings, "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" (Voltaire, it's in my sidebar at my lj)

your LJ counts as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of expression, freedom of opinions, and freedom of thought. and as well it should be.

any kinds of fic is allowed to be posted here, as long as it has the proper header.

Comments

[adelheide.livejournal.com]

The Journal of Pediatrics just published the findings of a study where teenagers that listened to music about the objectification of sex and sexual activity were more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors at an earlier age. The study also found that teenagers that watched violent entertainment (like WWF or graphically violent video games) were more likely to act out in a violent way. The interesting facet of this study found that girls were more affected to violent behavior than boys.

Which could speak to the social suppression of the feminine and the need to lash out against that, but that would get waaaay off topic.

The point is, any number of influences in our society can affect people and encourage them to behave in unacceptable ways. The truth is, some people aren’t too bright and are easily influenced. This is not new and not singular about our era. It’s a human trait.

I can appreciate lia_van_helsing’s perspective on incest and child abuse. As a survivor, she is going to have a much more personal and intimate understanding on the subject. She is going to “get” it in a way most of us won’t. And I can respect her decision to unsub from communities that post Wincest and child porn. She is exercising her right as a consumer (in this case, a consumer of fic) and not “purchasing” a product that she finds repugnant. Such is her right.

Because it does come down to “If you don’t like it, don’t read it.” People who can’t be bothered to read tags and warnings have no business complaining about the content. You can’t bitch that your blood pressure shot up after eating canned corn if you didn’t take a few seconds to read the label on the corn to find out that one serving has 780mg of sodium. If you can’t take the time to be an informed consumer, then you can’t complain when you get a product you don’t like.

Much like the people who want to censor what’s on television. They don’t want shows that they personally find offensive on the air. But guess what? I like violence. I like adult language. I like sexual content. I’m an adult and a responsible citizen and am under no illusions that just because someone on TV solves their problems with a rocket launcher that I should do the same. Because that is pretend. What I am looking at on television is not real, unless I’m watching a documentary or the news. I can make that divide in my mind between what is real and what is not. And I don’t appreciate people trying to tell me what I can and can’t watch. I’m a grown up. I can make those choices for myself. If you don’t like what’s on television, don’t watch it. If you don’t want your kids to watch it, use V chips and parental controls to prevent them. It really is as simple as that.

[trystan830.livejournal.com]

Because it does come down to "If you don't like it, don't read it." People who can't be bothered to read tags and warnings have no business complaining about the content.
yes, this exactly it!

I don't appreciate people trying to tell me what I can and can't watch. I'm a grown up. I can make those choices for myself. If you don't like what's on television, don't watch it. If you don't want your kids to watch it, use V chips and parental controls to prevent them. It really is as simple as that.
i really think people would rather complain and bitch about it rather than just turning it off. too easy to do that, apparently.