From: Fiona Moore nydersdyner@yahoo.co.uk
At least fan art porn does not, insofar as the mechanics of its
production
are concerned, threaten or injure anyone (unless the artist sprains her wrist or something while drawing).
I've been trying to stay out of the porn thread, but I would like to take issue with this, Neil. It may not physically injure or threaten anyone,
but
earlier in the thread a lot of people pointed out that at least some of
the
actors were uncomfortable, if not upset, at their likenesses being used in this way without their consent or, in some cases, knowledge. Isn't this a kind of emotional violation?
That's why I said *insofar as the mechanics of its production are concerned* - it's artists drawing illustrations, and the process of drawing is non-injurious to anyone. The consequences of distributing such art are another matter altogether. As someone (Judith) pointed out, it might ultimately threaten an actor's career, a very serious consideration.
I've also seen some (admittedly only a few, *but*) fan porn stories which
I
would say excuse, or even romanticise, rape. Which as a woman, if not a feminist, I find somewhat disturbing.
You can argue that this is only the extreme fringe-- but I think this is
the
fan porn equivalent of the "genuinely nasty stuff" you referred to, Neil, and it's worrying.
I've read a couple (but only a couple) of rape stories,and I wouldn't say they excused or romanticised the act, but of course there may well be other stories out there that do. However, I have been informed that many women do entertain fantasies of something that might be called rape (though bearing little in relation to actual rape). A legitimate subject for fiction, surely.
I have also been told that slashers find gay rape a means of expressing their fears in a fictional context without getting too close to the 'real' thing. This sounds to me like Mary-Sueing the victim. Her again <sigh>
By 'genuinely nasty stuff' I wasn't referring to text or drawings as such, but photographs or films in which real, living people are subjected to very real physical injury, with little or no consent on their own part. The FAC webpages Iain cited gloss over this aspect of pornography, which does exist, though I'm in no position to say how common it actually is.
Neil