#with the k cup thing like can naivete be malicious?

[monstersinthecosmos]

The thing about whether or not fiction affects reality is only half the conversation, and most people who bring it up just drop it and walk away and leave it at that. It’s an empty gesture intended to be a conversation stopper.

Like, of course fiction affects reality to an extent, we know this. I mean anyone in a fandom space knows this--we’ve all been emotionally affected in some way by the fiction we’ve consumed.

HOWEVER. You can’t end the conversation there, because you’re not tackling the other half of it. Because what exactly do you plan to do about it? And when do we stop holding people accountable for their own actions and talking about personal responsibility?

Marilyn Manson was blamed for Columbine.

Judas Priest and Ozzy Osborne were blamed for inciting their fans’ suicides.

People will. not. stop. blaming video games for gun violence.

The thing is, yes fiction affects reality. To a point. But the idea that we should blame artists for what people chose to take from their work is fucked up and unwarranted and you’re placing the blame on the wrong party.

You know who was responsible for Columbine?

The shooters.

And, this isn’t necessarily fiction related, but I’d also like to introduce how many times innovations have been misused from the way the creator intended, because I think it’s the same. Like pop-up ads and K-Cup pods. Do we blame creators for what people choose to manipulate from their work?

Don’t sit here and rally against all types of victim blaming where we’re constantly reinforcing the truth that the perpetrator is the one responsible for the crime and then turn around and try to blame artists and writers and creators when it’s convenient for your virtue signaling. 

Our culture is a complicated tapestry and while there are bigger conversations to be had about the ethics of having a platform and knowing your audience, media’s role in rape culture, the way we’re programmed to have biases that keep oppressive structures in place, that sometimes criminal behavior does take a village--blaming creators for their artistic expression instead of blaming the predators and criminals and holding them accountable for their actions absolves them of responsibility. You could say the same for people blaming their sociopathy on childhood trauma, where we’ve accepted that plenty of people endure trauma without turning evil, and it can’t be the only factor at work. We’ve all watched horror films and not murdered someone after, we’ve all played violent video games. Don’t blame the artist. 

It’s my dream that instead of blaming creators, we start looking up and questioning the efficacy of our educational system, because maybe if the general public had a better grasp on critical thinking they wouldn’t be so prone to falling for stupid bullshit.