#I know I shouldn't be posting ML stuff but I wanted to answer an ask

[pretty-mik-97]

I find it ridiculous how so many fans these days would pull excuses like "You're just hating what I like because it has themes you don't like" when people criticize their fave works, it's not just about what they like, it's about how the work is subjected to criticism and how objectively it's badly written and author or story is never above criticism, so yeah we're not getting mad and stating the obvious, hating that Dark stories are Dark, we're hating that these stories are shit, harmful and we're so sorry you are offended like we're the ones who hate you and not the fact that this story is promoting an abusive rapist

My god I'm so tired with that, like girlies, I don't care about what you're consuming, if you're consuming shits that are unconventional or definitely very sensitive topics, at least have the awareness that it's not gonna be well received or at least know what you're into isn't exactly gonna be babied and coddled so that the author who's loaded from the bullcrap they wrote won't feel personally hurt 🥺, translated: People are gonna say whatever they want and this works on everything, really it's one thing if you're just enjoy dark stuff in private and someone makes a whole big deal about it even though you're harming no one, it's another when you're treating someone like an asshole just because they don't like the same thing you do even though that's just a right everyone has

I was going to make a post about this. But fuck it. Might as well put this ask to good use and talk about it. PS: Apologies for the delay. It's been a hectic week 😅😅😅

Busting The "It's Just Fiction" Myth and Why It Does Not Apply To Stories Like Cry or Better Yet Beg.

So I had answered your previous ask when I talked about how Twilight was like the blueprint of toxic ML and so on.

Then a blog that goes by problematic-fave-appreciation reblogged my post and this was their response:

So naturally i grew curious and decided to have a look at their blog to see what they're about. Then I stumbled across their post commenting on Matty Bites YouTube video on Cry or Better Yet Beg and how it glorifies abuse and this is what they had to say:

And here are my comments:

1) Yes, just because an author can depict and explore abuse, and SA doesn't mean that they endorse or glorify it. However, the problem arises when the author sweeps the abuse under the rug and give their abusive characters a redemption without any consequences to their actions and no payoff. That's essentially saying, "They did a bad thing. But they changed and are got with the MC, which means MC forgave them without them apologising and atoning for the abuse and trauma they put the MC through). And that's basically what Solche did with Cry or Better Yet Beg.

2. Yes. People shouldn't have sent death threats to Van. J for adapting Cry or Better Yet Beg, who's obviously innocent in all this. You can provide criticism without being a bully and a dickhead.

3) No. Matthias not being the most problematic and abusive is not a good defence. That's textbook deflection and whataboutism. It doesn't matter whether or not this character did worse than Matthias. Abuse is still abuse. People can still enjoy the story while also critiquing it's characters and how it handles its themes.

You can argue that "it's fiction. It not real, " and you're probably right. But that does not apply to stories that explore abuse, bullying, SA, drug addiction, mental health etc. Coz this stuff happens in real life. People go through all those things.

Take literally every manhwa like Juvenile Offender, A Sense of Amusement/Plaything, High School queen etc. These are manhwa that tackle bullying in South Korean schools, a common issue and ongoing issue in South Korea.

Heck, take the K-Drama The Glory. That series took inspiration from real-life cases of bullying. (I recommend you check out Rotten Mangoes. Stephanie Soo did a video on the real-life cases of bullying that inspired The Glory.)

Why do you think writers research these topics? Because they want to better represent them and tackle them with care and respect for the people who go through those things.

The poster pointed out from our discussion in the comments that it is not the writer's responsibility to lecture and preach morals and that abuse is okay. And I agree. The readers should discern what is right and what is wrong.

BUT, it is the author's responsibility to do their due diligence to tackle sensitive topics with the utmost care and respect, and it becomes a HUGE problem when the narrative is presenting characters like Matthias as characters to root for and slap a "redemption arc" on them with no payoff, no remorse and guilt, and no consequences for their actions.

So I decided to ask them this:

If an actual victim of abuse and SA spoke up about how problematic and harmful Cry or Better Yet Beg is, will you say the things you said in your post to them?

And of course they doubled down saying that:

They're not trying to silence victims of SA and abuse

That there are some survivors who actually enjoy dark romances with characters like Matthias

And that just because they disagree with my take doesn't mean they're being dismissive of the experiences of survivors.

But they never answered my question directly (coz I have I feeling that my question kinda forced them to confront their own morality and tried tip toeing around my question and not make themself look bad).

So I kept pushing and asking the same question over and over until I finally got a direct answer from them and here it:

If they're saying the story normalizes those things, then yes. I would tell them why I disagree. Regarding their personal feelings on the matter, I don't believe my disagreeing with some of their opinions is dismissive of their experiences.

So basically they're saying that they would say they exact same thing they said in their post and comments to a survivor of abuse and SA.

So basically, based on their responses, it was all about being right over the feelings, opinions, and experiences of people who went through the same abuse Layla went through.

And I think that's a common thing I'm seeing with people defending Solche's works and stories like Cry or Better Yet Beg with characters like Matthias. And it shows how emotionally detached and apathetic they are, just coz they want to "enjoy a story with problematic characters."

And the thing that these people fail to understands is that no one is policing them and telling them stop reading and enjoying dark romances. I quite enjoy reading Cry or Better Yet Beg.

I think Solche did a great job establishing a story about an orphan girl who has a found family member after being abused and rejected ever since her mother abandoned her and her father passing away at such a young age.

However, I and many readers can enjoy a story but still hate some characters and how they're handled.

And just because you enjoy something doesn't mean it's above criticism.

[imthepunchlord]

How do you think things would have changed if the day that Marinette and Adrien get their Miraculouses, Marinette opens her box and nothing happens. No kwami suddenly appearing, no flash of light- just normal looking earrings in a strange box.

Hm… interesting question. 

I suppose one thing to consider is if putting on the earrings then would bring Tikki to life, would Marinette put the earrings on, on her own?

I don’t see her putting it on immediately. I see her very confused by having it and would probably ask Sabine if these were hers. 

At Sabine’s no, from what I can see, most likely, Marinette would’ve shrugged it off and put the earrings away in her room, not putting them on. We might’ve had Chat Noir running around solo for a while, wondering where his partner is with Marinette entirely unaware that he was waiting for her, and struggling.

And perhaps he wasn’t too highly regarded due to being another source of destruction, just like HM. 

I see Marinette finally putting on the curious earrings when she thinks they would look good on an outfit she made, and cue the freak out when Tikki finally appears. 

A really interesting idea, though also kinda sad too.