Shocked Yet Feeling Like I Should Know Better

[botias]

I'm reading an abduction/rape fic. The selfish, ammoral, villain/hero acquires the heroine as a spoil of war and proceeds to behave very badly. He falls in love with her precisely because she despises him (and is very pretty). What follows is his Quasimodo-esque attempts to court her that ultimately fail and it all ends tragically. You'd think the fic would be bad enough, but the thing that is really horrifying me are the readers that are siding with the villain of the piece.

They scorn the heroine again and again for not rewarding his courting efforts with success as though she is obliged to sleep with him for buying her a fancy dinner. They shake their heads in disbelief that she does not save herself a lot of suffering by adopting his cultural mores that it's impossible to rape a slave, namely herself. 'When in Rome,' they cry, 'Why can't she just adjust?' They tsk at her cultural insensitivity when she insists that raping her is WRONG. They call her a naive child that she thinks rape is big deal: a real woman would just get over it and forgive and forget. When she ultimately escapes her abductor and rapist, though not without the torment of leaving her infant daughters behind, they sniff that she's being completely selfish in breaking up a beautiful family.

And then it got worse. The heroine, having escaped the villain, is abducted by his enemies and held hostage in an attempt to manipulate the villain. The villain takes her from her abductors and again becomes her abductor himself, rather like a cat that lets the mouse think its escaping before hooking it again with its cruel claws. THE READERS ARE SHOCKED AT HER BAD MANNERS AND SELF-ABSORPTION BECAUSE SHE FREAKS OUT AT BEING HIS RAPE SLAVE ONCE MORE INSTEAD OF THANKING THE VILLAIN FOR RESCUING HER FROM OTHER SLIGHTLY MEANER VILLAINS. *head pounding*head pounding*head pounding*

I am certain that this was rampant back in the days of the Spuffy wars, but fortunately I missed it. Gah I NEED A SHOWER PEOPLE.

ETA: Someone please assure me that these people must be trolls? And that, if they are not trolls, that they wouldn't hold such opinions about real-life situations. (I think I blocked out the part where a reader literally called her a COCK TEASE when she attempts to have a consensual relationship with him in order to stay with her babies and can't go through with it because of rape trauma.)

ETA2: I watched the YMCA vid and now I am all better

Comments

[brunettepet.livejournal.com]

Why are you reading it? It sounds awful and violent and wrong headed!

[botias.livejournal.com]

The fic is tragic and violent, and I almost quit reading at one point, but I wouldn't say it's wrong-headed. Villains do bad things to good people in the Buffyverse all the time, though we are spared their POV for the most part. It's the response of some readers that's kinda wacky to me. I'm comforting myself that people's response to fiction is different to their response to real life.

[cleoius.livejournal.com]

As writer of the fic in question, I echo Botias feelings in response to most of the readers. At least the ones who comment. It flabbergasts me that they are rooting and cheering Lotor on when they are NOT supposed too.

The sad thing is, I am well aware that most of them will consider it a happy ending so long as he gets his girl...even though she would be absolutely miserable. I'm aware I'm gonna get lynched when I finally post the final chapters (Hopefulyl today...gotta finish writing it first.) for what happens at the end.

I'm not sure what to qualify this fic as aside from a tragedy...the other day one of the readers had me frustrated to the point of angry tears cause she was advocating hard core for the rapist to get his happy ending. She just doesn't understand at all...

[brunettepet.livejournal.com]

Sorry, not reading the story I didn't know how this one was playing out. I've read several stories that began a "relationship" with a rape and then begin to get the two parties together romantically. I stop before my brain completely derails. I had a knee jerk reaction to botias' description.

[botias.livejournal.com]

In this case, the readers (and the villain) wanted the story to go in a romantic direction and were blaming the heroine for not allowing the story to play out in that way. I think the fic convention you describe might have led to certain expectations and frustrations among the readership. It didn't help that the story started out a bit rape porny and fantastical and then took a darker and more realistic turn.

[cleoius.livejournal.com]

Yeah I have a hard time seeing the victim fall in love with the abuser. Which I know is disapointing a lot of the readers...It just blows my mind how many are annoyed with me and the character for not falling in love with him. The girl that was arguing with me was throwing out all kinds of suggestions, even magical ones for a happy ending.

Sometimes it makes me want to take the story down since people are romanticizing it too much. X_X

[lizziebuffy2008.livejournal.com]

I have seen this a lot (and commented on it) with Spuffy. People love Spike so much that no matter what he does to Buffy, whether it be emotional, physical, or sexual abuse; she is supposed to get over it and be in a relationship with him. I am talking about fan fiction, not the show. It just drives me crazy, when he is obviously in the wrong, but she is the one getting all of the crap in the reviews.

[botias.livejournal.com]

It reminds me a bit of Season 6 where Spike wanted their violent sexual encounters to turn into a relationship, and Spike fans wanted Spike to get what he wanted, but the writers/Buffy would, understandably, never allow it, resulting in some backlash against the writers and the character. On the other hand, one could argue that no one would be harmed by the Spike fans having their fantasy, it's all just fun and games, but that's not the show the writers wanted to make.

[lotorsgurl.livejournal.com]

Sorry Botias but I selfishly made the comment about the protagonist being a "Prick Tease".I guess I have the "Draco In Leather Pants Syndrome" Quick get me some help lol.AHEM it's a work of fiction damnit but in real life that shit does happen.I know a woman that had something similar happen but not to that extent.And I know all that transpires within the title and the the end to this fic are totaly wrong and unjustifiable.But that's just it it's a story it is supposed to be for entertainment pourposes only.And I am certainly not advocating such behavior but I do absolutly do like the story not for the sex/rape but the action,drama,suspence,violence, and the thrill ride that I am on whilst reading.That is all.

[botias.livejournal.com]

It is just a story. For entertainment purposes only. I have to keep reminding myself of this. :) I don't know what to say really. I like to read about villains behaving badly. Maybe I just have a milder case of 'Draco in Leather Pants' syndrome. I just know it bugs me when people bash female characters for not falling madly in love with total assholes just because they are hot. Maybe it's just denial on my part.

[botias.livejournal.com]

I mean, what's the difference really, when it's just a story, you know? Still, people have to write the story they want to write.

[midnyghtembers.livejournal.com]

Part of the problem IMO with that was that a lot of fans felt that Buffy was abusive to Spike just as much if not more than he was abusive to her...

Also, a lot of fans felt that the attempted rape came out of left field. It was like the last three eps and the writers were like "Shit! People like Spike too much! Quick, make him more of a bastard! Make him try and rape Buffy!" and a lot of fans reaction was "Wait, what?"

Also, I always felt that we had a Pavlov's dog thing going on with Spuffy during season 6. Every time she said no and he pushed, she relented... so when she finally meant no... he didn't get it because she never backed up her previous nos (SP?).

But like I said lower, for me it's knowing one of the actors and knowing what season 6 did to said actor that makes me side with Spike over Buffy... and my personal preference against Buffy.

Allura gets props in the fic from me for sticking to her guns even if I personally felt she should have "Gone native" a bit more than she did.

But I'm kinda screwed up myself as it is.

[botias.livejournal.com]

I'm a Spike fan. And it would not surprise me to find that the writers chose a darker path for him in an attempt to create sympathy for Buffy, or to counter it for Spike. But, I don't think the attempted rape was out of character for Spike; I don't think Spike should get whatever he wants even if the lack makes him feel very sad indeed; and I think any focus on Buffy's behavior as an excuse for Spike's is wrong-headed. Whether Buffy is an abusive bitch or a shining angel of mercy is beside the point. Let's say for the sake of argument that she was an Abusive Bitch. BtAB did not want to have a relationship with Spike the Serial Killer/Stalker/Rapist. None of us are required to have a good reason for not wanting a relationship with someone. Abusive Bitches have the same rights and freedoms as the rest of us, and I would not have it any other way. It is still the exact same crime to stalk them, to rape them, to invade their homes, to abduct them and chain them up and threaten them.

Honestly, the notion that really bad behavior sometimes is rewarded, and that this is some sort of excuse for it, is one for the 'Spuffy Logic' record book. "Gosh. You can't blame me for robbing banks. Up until that last time when I got caught, I always got a whole bunch of money from doing it!" "Wow. I shouldn't have been kidnapping and raping women? But, I always got the most awesome high from it."

[midnyghtembers.livejournal.com]

But Buffy was rewarding bad behavior for a lot of season six and being pretty bad with Spike also from what I remember. Been a while since I've watched Buffy.

Pavlov's dog and everything aside, I just always felt that Buffy dumping Spike after seeing Gary Stu Riley and his Mary Sue wife and then the attempted rape come out of left field. But that's just me.

I always felt that Spike was used best in season 5 of Angel as the "Methos" to Angel's "Duncan". I felt he was used poorly in Buffy especially when he got Spikificationed. But... meh... I also look at Spike in season six and go "Wow, poor James went into Therapy cause of this season" and it turns my stomach. More of a case of me mixing reality with fantasy.

[zanthinegirl.livejournal.com]

I remember a bunch of Buffy-verse stories in that vein, mostly back in the day. I honestly never could figure out the appeal, but I think it's a common theme in romantic fiction. Strip "Beauty & the Beast" to it's fictional bones and you have that basic story.

Still, color me puzzled!

[botias.livejournal.com]

True, and Beauty and the Beast was always one of my faves. Still, he only made her have dinner with him every day for the rest of her life and he did let her go. *justifies like mad*

I suppose I don't mind a story where a woman might fall in love with her captor, or neighborhood vampire, but I strenuously object to the notion that there's something wrong with her if she doesn't.

::Pets Botias.::

[midnyghtembers.livejournal.com]

There there, it's okay. She went with the ending she felt was true to the character. No matter how much people and other characters complain. ::Glares at Maddy.::

Maddy> What?!

As for the Spuffy stuff... I can go on rants about that... mainly because I am a Spike fan and think that Buffy is a selfish, self absorbed, abusive bitch.

But I will admit that part of that comes from having the chance to meet Spike's actor and having lived in LA-LA land getting to hear some behind the scenes things about Buffy's actress.

I personally felt that Spike was too good for Buffy... but that's just me. ::Waves to Cleoius.:: Wassup girl?