Recently, a story of mine called "Sorority Hazing II" raised a substantial controversy. Intially, the complaint seemed to be limited to the use of pejorative term for a sexual minority which I agreed should be removed but from there it evolved into an issue that I think needs to be addressed about political correctness and non-consensual tickling fiction. Rather than parpaphrase and risk misquoting people, I'd respectfully suggest that anyone interested in commenting on the controversy first read the thread under "Sorority Hazing II" in the Fiction section.
For me, the issue is this - I write harsh nonconsensual fiction. I frequently use stock stereotypical characters. Harsh nonconsenual fiction offends some people. Stock stereotypical characters offend soem people. Do the offended have the right (obligation) to demand that material offensive to them be removed or edited until they are satisfied with the edited version? Beleive me when I say I am not trying to portray the offended parties as the "bad guys" per se. This forum was poignantly described as a refuge, as I suspect it is for many of us - but does that mean this forum can not contain anything that offends a minority of viewers - and by minority, I do NOT mean solely racial, ethnic, or sexual minorities.
Years ago, I wrote a story called "Georgia Peach" that some people have generously called a classic. It involved a manipulative materialistic New Yorker and gullible unintelligent Georgians. It was not intended to represent all New Yorkers or Georgians but it certainly played to stereotypes. Should Georgians be offended? Should New Yorkers? Should they be able to request that the story be removed? Should a single offended Georgian or New Yorker be enough to have the story removed? I would concede that the characters (and they are just that - fictional characters) are unflattering; should they be censored and if so, how and by whom? Is the fact that a handful of persons or even a single person is genuinely and severely offended sufficient to requre action?
It could be an extremely slippery slope in my opinion. There is an element of mysogeny (in my opinion) in the majority of the nonconsensual stories involving female victims - could/should female members demand these stories about abduction, tickle slaves and the like be removed as offensive to women? Should male members be able to demand the removal of the female dominance type stories in which men are characterized as dirt? Should fans of particular celebrities be able to demand removal when that celebrity is characterized in an unflattering or inaccurate way? In my experience, some people have a genuine problem balancing majority rule with poltical correctness. Hell, some people genuinely beleive the majority should NOT rule and that if a group of any size (or in some cases, any single individual) is offended then the material should be censored.
In my particular case, I agreed that the pejorative term should be removed; I don't personally agree that the predatory characters in the story should be. I was frankly shocked to learn that the word "bimbo" (a stock character type I use frequently) is, in the opinion of some, offensive and should be edited out. Understand, and I cannot repeat this enough, I have no quarrel with some one being offended and stating so (though my personal policy is simply to stop reading and move on) - my issue is whether offended parties should be asking writers/moderators to edit/delete fiction. I genuinely would like to get a sense of the community on ths as I have no desire to waste my time writing fiction that must be vetted to see if it is non-offensive enough to be published on these boards. How small or large must the offended minority be? Is one person enough?
The easy answer would be to simply tell authors to use their own judgment/common sense ... but it was my judgment/common sense (or lack thereof) that started this controversy in the first place. I am genuinely interested in reasoned replies and am in no way trying to start a flame war.
For me, the issue is this - I write harsh nonconsensual fiction. I frequently use stock stereotypical characters. Harsh nonconsenual fiction offends some people. Stock stereotypical characters offend soem people. Do the offended have the right (obligation) to demand that material offensive to them be removed or edited until they are satisfied with the edited version? Beleive me when I say I am not trying to portray the offended parties as the "bad guys" per se. This forum was poignantly described as a refuge, as I suspect it is for many of us - but does that mean this forum can not contain anything that offends a minority of viewers - and by minority, I do NOT mean solely racial, ethnic, or sexual minorities.
Years ago, I wrote a story called "Georgia Peach" that some people have generously called a classic. It involved a manipulative materialistic New Yorker and gullible unintelligent Georgians. It was not intended to represent all New Yorkers or Georgians but it certainly played to stereotypes. Should Georgians be offended? Should New Yorkers? Should they be able to request that the story be removed? Should a single offended Georgian or New Yorker be enough to have the story removed? I would concede that the characters (and they are just that - fictional characters) are unflattering; should they be censored and if so, how and by whom? Is the fact that a handful of persons or even a single person is genuinely and severely offended sufficient to requre action?
It could be an extremely slippery slope in my opinion. There is an element of mysogeny (in my opinion) in the majority of the nonconsensual stories involving female victims - could/should female members demand these stories about abduction, tickle slaves and the like be removed as offensive to women? Should male members be able to demand the removal of the female dominance type stories in which men are characterized as dirt? Should fans of particular celebrities be able to demand removal when that celebrity is characterized in an unflattering or inaccurate way? In my experience, some people have a genuine problem balancing majority rule with poltical correctness. Hell, some people genuinely beleive the majority should NOT rule and that if a group of any size (or in some cases, any single individual) is offended then the material should be censored.
In my particular case, I agreed that the pejorative term should be removed; I don't personally agree that the predatory characters in the story should be. I was frankly shocked to learn that the word "bimbo" (a stock character type I use frequently) is, in the opinion of some, offensive and should be edited out. Understand, and I cannot repeat this enough, I have no quarrel with some one being offended and stating so (though my personal policy is simply to stop reading and move on) - my issue is whether offended parties should be asking writers/moderators to edit/delete fiction. I genuinely would like to get a sense of the community on ths as I have no desire to waste my time writing fiction that must be vetted to see if it is non-offensive enough to be published on these boards. How small or large must the offended minority be? Is one person enough?
The easy answer would be to simply tell authors to use their own judgment/common sense ... but it was my judgment/common sense (or lack thereof) that started this controversy in the first place. I am genuinely interested in reasoned replies and am in no way trying to start a flame war.
